Open Gym and the G-word
Cheers RVA!
Today will be sunny with a high of 86. Stay hydrated.
the juice:
Hanover appoints two new School Board members, per VPM. Hanover County is one of the 13 districts in Virginia that appoint their School Board, while the other 119 districts use the direct election process.
According to VPM:
“Virginia has a long, sordid history with appointed school boards that stems from Jim Crow-era policies of the early to mid 20th century.”
A grassroots campaign put the question on the ballot last November, but the measure to elect the School Board failed by 2120 votes, roughly 5 percentage points:
The “Hanover Citizens for an Elected School Board” raised just over $21k for the election cycle. “Keep Hanover Students First”, which was against electing the school board, raised over $73k, with the Hanover Republican Committee as the group’s campaign's top donor at $47k.
The electioneering results in roughly $1/vote for electing the School Board and $3/vote for not electing the School Board.
the pulp:
Third pedestrian hit and killed on Brook Road since February, from Channel 8. Spokespersons from both Henrico and VDOT (which owns the road) said they are aware of the need for pedestrian safety improvements along the Brook Road Corridor and are working on securing funding.
Man killed and woman critically injured in shooting in Chesterfield, from channel 6.
the haps:
Richmond Parks and Recreation’s is hosting Late Night Basketball, an opportunity for young people to ball in a gym every Friday and Saturday night of the summer! Thanks to South Richmond News for promoting this great idea.
The open gym is for ages 16-24, and runs from 6-9 pm at four locations around the city.
I think these are the perfect types of pro-active services the City can provide for young people, delivering access to opportunities that are safe and productive on summer weekend evenings.
the dive:
Christian Detres from RVA Mag dives deep into the recent hatred a TikTok’er who promotes Richmond neighborhoods received, and how gentrification in the city is seen.
He begins with how the woman from LA recently moved to Richmond and creates content on TikTok about her favorite vegan spots and guides to the city. Her admiration for the city is clear.
Many viewers responded saying she is out of touch with the subculture here and romanticizes the city too much.
Detres delves into the concept of gentrification, how it is wrong to blame the TikToker for the problem, and how it has been happening up and down the East Coast.
It’s actually been happening all over the world, and for a long time. The phrase was first coined by a sociologist in 1964 describing the changes in London’s working-class neighborhoods, but the concept itself dates back to Ancient Rome.
I recommend reading the full article, but here is a short sample of Detres’ writing style that I really enjoy:
When a neighborhood goes from “scary” to quirky, quirky to chic, chic to popular, popular to ‘brand’, the wolves tend to catch the scent. The buzzards aren’t usually too far behind. This is the life-cycle of a culture-turned-commodity. Once a community is ‘branded’, it metamorphoses into a theme park, its former structures that created a balanced, but sensorial, experience bulldozed to recreate the suburban convenience of quiet conformity, luxurious personal space, and homogeneity.
the vibe:
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Have a sunny day RVA!
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