Local “news site” Carver & Jackson Ward News, in a lame attempt at seasonal humor, posted several half-assed April Fools stories early this morning. “I’ve been spending too much time with middle school kids”, site author Murden said when called on his juvenile prank. [via]

Nicole Hood, interim director of the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, is leaving:

Just a year after taking the reins at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, Nicole Hood is leaving to spend more time with her family.

“Everybody’s skeptical when you use those terms,” Stacy Burrs, chair of the museum’s board, says of the proverbial “family” line. “But this is one of those cases where that is the fact of the matter.”

Venture Richmond‘s Downtown Loft Tour featuring 13 lofts in 9 buildings across 5 downtown neighborhoods is this Saturday, April 5, from 10AM to 4PM. Advance tickets are $20 and include a charter bus from location to location. [via]

Read more >

First Fridays this week takes on a global and political theme with the addition of performances by the University of Richmond’s resident Indonesian Orchestra, Gamelan Raga Kusuma, and a Grand Opening at the Valentine Richmond History Center. [via]

Read more >

cbs6 is reporting that a body was found behind a house at the corner of Catherine and Kinney Streets.

Lieutenant Morley’s monthly report (PDF) for the Richmond Police Department’s Sector 412 (which cover Carvers and a big chunk of Northside) is out:

At the end of March 2008, motor vehicle thefts were down 33% for the year. Robberies were down 73%. Residential burglaries were unfortunately up from 12 in 2007 to 26 in 2008 for an increase of 116%. Burglaries to sheds and outbuildings were up from 2 to 3 for the period. Thefts from motor vehicles were up 82%.

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson (May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949) was a pioneer and pre-eminent African-American tap dance performer. A notorious gambler with a big heart, he was a soft touch for anyone down on their luck or with a good story. During his lifetime Robinson spent a fortune but his generosity was not totally wasted and his haunting memories of surviving on the streets as a child never left him. In 1933, while in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia, he saw two children risk speeding traffic to cross a street because there was no stoplight at the intersection. Robinson went to the city and provided the money to have a safety traffic light installed. In 1973, a statue of “Bojangles” was erected in a small park at that intersection. [via]

From the Carver&Jackson Ward flickr pool, check out this set of photos from the new Bakery Condos. See also a February 2007 set from in/on the Emrick Flats building.

Read more >

This week’s Brick Weekly has a piece on the sister cabaret act Vermillion Lies who recently performed at the Gallery5 3 Year Anniversary.

The April 3-5 issue of the Richmond Free Press reports the passing of Rosa B.J. Brown who, with her husband, operated Brown’s Lunchroom in Jackson Ward in the 1940s and 1950s until “they were forced to close in the late 1950s when the new Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike was constructed through Jackson Ward, ripping up the community and displacing several thousand residents along with churches and businesses.”

The April 3-5 issue of the Richmond Free Press carries the story of a potentially controversial proposal to move the Richmond City Health District’s clinic and offices into the Jackson Center office building at 2nd and Clay Streets. The HJWA has not takeen a position; City Council President Pantele says that the location would not be “the right ?t” for an area has seen recent resurgence as an entertainment and restaurant district.

All are invited to the City Lights Anniversary Celebration this Saturday from 10AM-1PM @ Abner Clay Park. Get information on City Lights’ initiatives in Jackson Ward, free admission to Black History Museum, RRHA House Tour, Free Health Screenings, Jackson Ward Neighborhood Tours, Free internet cafe, Games, Prizes, and much more!