As the Southside has been often referred to as the under-examined portion of the city, it is great to have Mayor Jones choose us as a location to kick off these town hall meetings.

The building is located at Hull St. and Belt Blvd, which is an extension of Westover Hills Blvd.

The meeting will run from 6-8, and you can get more information in our previous article.

Mayor Dwight Jones invites residents to the initial Town Hall Meeting at Southside Plaza with the emphasis of the event being “Bringing City Hall to the Community.”

During this meeting, the Mayor will specifically discuss crime, federal economic stimulus funding, and the 2010 census. Officials from the City departments of Community Development, Economic Development, Finance, Fire and Emergency Services, General Services, Hispanic Liaison Office, Human Resources, Justice Services, Libraries, Minority Business Development, Parks and Community Facilities, Police, Public Works, Public Utilities, Richmond City Health District, Richmond Public Schools, Sheriff’s Office, Social Services, and Voter Registrar will be on hand to answer resident questions. This meeting is free and residents are invited and encouraged to attend. Refreshments will also be provided. Mayor Jones will host several town hall meetings throughout the City in the upcoming months.

6 – 8 p.m.  -  Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Southside Community Service Center
4100 Hull Street, Richmond, VA 23234

· The Honorable Dwight Jones, Mayor, City of Richmond

· Police Chief Bryan T. Norwood,
Richmond Police Department

· Sheriff C. T. Woody, Jr. Richmond Sheriff’s Office

WHEN Tuesday, MAY 19, 2009
6:00-7:30 p.m.

WHERE Satellite Restaurant

4000 Jefferson-Davis Highway
Richmond, Virgin

CONTACT For more information, please contact Councilwoman Trammell, at 804-240-5050 (cell); or, 233-7382 (home).

· Richmond City Budget

· Cooperation

· Public Service Delivery

WHEN WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2009

7:00-8:30 p.m.

WHERE St. Luke Lutheran Church

7757 Chippenham Parkway

Richmond, Virginia

WHO         The Honorable Kathy Graziano, Councilwoman,

Richmond City Council, Southwest 4^th District

The Honorable Dwight Jones, Mayor, City of Richmond

CONTACT For more information, please contact David Hathcock, at 804.320.2454, or david.hathcock@richmondgov.com

Crime , public health, schools, infrastructure, and blight continue to be primary issues Richmond and the Southside endure. What will new mayor-elect Dwight Jones bring to the table? Will his experience as a delegate and preacher be enough to pull the fractured city back together?

Since the terms have been stretched to four years, it seems likely that each of our representatives will have plenty of time to accomplish projects without the distraction of campaigning.

Now is a time of great transition in the city of Richmond. Let us hope that our representatives will seize the momentum Barack Obama has developed nationally and utilize the spirit of change locally.

The rest of this article shows all of the other forums as listed by www.RichmondGoodLife.com

* September 23, 2008 6-8:00 PM The League of Women Voters and Style Weekly Presents Forum I: “The Future of Downtown Richmond”  Topics to include: Development, Master Plan, Revitalization, Preservation, the River and Core City Services to Downtown Businesses. Co-Sponsors: The Alliance for the Performing Arts, The Downtown Neighborhood Association, Homeward, Partnership for Smarter Growth, Venture Richmond and the Virginia Sierra Club. Renaissance Conference Center, 107 W. Broad St.
* October 9, 2008 7:15 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. inVision Richmond (Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce) presents Mayoral Candidate Forum Willow Oaks Country Club 6228 Forest Hill Avenue
* October 14, 2008 6- 8:00 PM The League of Women Voters and Style Weekly Presents Forum II: “Living and Working in Richmond,” Topics to include: Growth, Safety, Environmentalism, Workforce Issues, Housing, Health Care and Regionalism.  Co-Sponsors: The Alliance for the Performing Arts, The Downtown Neighborhood Association, Homeward, Partnership for Smarter Growth, Venture Richmond and the Virginia Sierra Club. Virginia Historical Society, 428 N. Boulevard
* October 28, 2008 6- 8:00 PM The League of Women Voters and Style Weekly Presents Forum III: “Arts, Culture and Education,”  Topics to include: Arts, Culture, Tourism, Richmond Public Schools Co-Sponsors: The Alliance for the Performing Arts, The Downtown Neighborhood Association, Homeward, Partnership for Smarter Growth, Venture Richmond and the Virginia Sierra Club. The Library of Virginia, 800 E. Broad St.

Drum roll please!

For the fourth district:

School board: Adria Graham Scott

For the fifth district:

School board: Otis Mallory

For the sixth district:

City council: Ellen Robertson

School board: Chandra Smith

For the eighth district:

City Council: Reva Trammell

School Board: Charles Willis

For the ninth district:

City Council: Eugene Mason

School Board: Evette Wilson

Now if you’re scratching your head and wondering if I forgot to add some names, the answer is no. These are all of the endorsements by the REA for City Council and School Board for Southside candidates.

Now, you’re probably just going nuts, wondering when we’ll tell you who the REA endorsed for mayor, but first a word from our editor. . .

Although this publication is posting information regarding candidates, we make no official endorsements. Yes, we have our likes and dislikes, but all editors of this community news blog have agreed to not use this site as a place for political grandstanding as we value the need for community development in the Southside. Although, this site is sponsored by councilman Doug Conner as an effort to build community in the Southside, he is not a writer or editor for this community site. We do thank him wholeheartedly for the contribution he has made to the community by sponsoring this site and we do post his banners as a humble thanks for the contribution. All information posted regarding any current and future politicians are solely posted for the benefit of informing the community about happenings within the Southside. Thanks for your understanding and we hope you will write or call councilman Doug Conner and thank him for his contribution in founding a voice for the Southside.

Now, for the mayor: Del. Dwight Jones

Issues facing our city’s public schools include the closing of additional schools, continuing implementation of the City of the Future Plan to renovate and build new schools, addressing student discipline and truancy, providing for an increasing ESL population, and obtaining sufficient funding from the city that actually reflects the true needs of the system. The officials we elect will be challenged with making crucial decisions for the next 4 years that affect the daily lives of our employees and our children as well as the future of public education in Richmond. With that in mind, the REA-Political Action Committee recommends candidates in this election that we view as friends of public education.

A press conference with the recommended candidates will be held on the steps of the Virginia Education Association building at 116 South Third Street, on Monday, September 15, 2008, at 10:00 a.m.

At that time, we will answer questions about our endorsement process, the reasons for our selections, and other questions posed by the media.