Lieutenant Baltz’ monthly report from July (PDF) for the Richmond Police Department’s Sector 413 (which covers the communities of Gambles Hill, Oregon Hill, Downtown, Biotech & MCV District, Monroe Ward, Jackson Ward and the Capital District) is now available:

7/06/09-500 N. 2nd – 7:00 p.m. The victim stated he was walking from the store when he was robbed of his cell phone and food stamp card by unknown b-m. No weapon displayed.

Burglaries to residential apartments or homes -Jackson Ward – 1 – 0500 block of West Marshall St.

The biweekly Antiques on Broad is today from 9AM-3PM in the parking lot and storefront adjacent to Quirk Gallery (311 West Broad Street).

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The Elegba Folklore Society invites you to join them for world music & dance, Heritage Market, interactive site demonstrations, children’s events, and delicious downhome food at Abner Clay Park for the 19th Annual Downhome Family Reunion. Aug.15, 2009 11AM-4PM. FREE

The Historic Jackson Ward Association will be combining forced with Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church for the National Night Out celebration this Tuesday, August 4th in Abner Clay Park. The event runs from 6-8PM, come on out and meet the neighborhood!

A heads up from RunAround Sue:

Hello lovelies! For all the ladies in Richmond, wanted to let you know that RunAround Sue and Legs Malone will be in town teaching a few workshops at Gallery 5 on August 16th. We have a show there the night before and eagerly awaiting the opportunity to spend Sunday sharing a few tricks of the trade.

More information to follow, but feel free to email us at sugarshackburlesque at gmail dot com if you have any questions. The first workshop will go over the basics and the following workshops will focus on fan work and other more advanced skills. Perfect for either a budding burlesque gal or someone who just wants to spice up their private life.

Just ran across a great column from July by Janine Yvette Bell, founder and artistic director of Elegba Folklore Society, Richmond’s reborn city center a reason to celebrate, unite:

Soon, we will observe the 50th anniversary of the Thalhimers lunch counter sit-ins, at which African-American students spoke for the black community to say unequivocally, “We have the right to eat here, try on the clothes we buy, and enjoy the economic reality we paid to create.”

African-Americans left the strength of familiarity and commonality in Jackson Ward to venture onto Broad Street and its formally forbidden retail outlets — those that remained — and some followed Maggie Walker’s emporium example to start new businesses. The dollars just weren’t there, and dilapidation set in.

Now, we see new development and reinvestment — hooray! — with the re-gentrification that often is accompanied by the initial fear and later displacement. Hey, wait! Where does it say, “One group in, the other group out?” We are at a place right now where we can change the script.

ncb12 has posted video from last night’s National Night Out party, capturing Alicia Rasin, Chief Norwood, and Sheriff Woody “dancing the Cupid Shuffle”…

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A mass class reunion for the Maggie L. Walker High School classes of 1939-1979 has been set for November 28, 2009. For details, call (804)897-0990 or send an email to mlwreunion2009@verizon.net.

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In April 2007, Romanza Pizzeria was burned out in this inferno on the 200 block of East Grace. Last month Romanza reopened two blocks away at the corner of 2nd and Marshall. There’s nothing trendy about the new location, but it joins a collection of new restaurants clustered around 2nd and Marshall.

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The City of Richmond Department of Public Works has somewhat belatedly announced that West Leigh Street between Kinney Street and Harrison Street will be closed Wednesday, August 12 through Thursday, August 13 from 9AM to 4PM each day. This closure will allow crews to tap a sewer main at 1309 West Leigh Street.

Matthew Petock, whose previous film Jackson Ward went on to screen at film festivals across the country throughout 2008, will be back in Richmond soon filming A Little Closer. Petock’s first full-length film, A Little Closer is “comprised of three short stories, each about vulnerability and sexual maturation. We follow a disconnected family of three living on the fringes of society as they each learn the cruelties of love at different points in their lives.”