James River

JRPS license plates are in

By Andy Thompson | May 9, 2012

The wait is over. If you ordered a James River Park System license plate, you either got yours in the mail yesterday (or the day before) or will be getting it shortly. I just got mine (pictured) yesterday. Considering I ordered it in February of 2010, when I wrote a column about the plates, I’d say the DMV has not exactly been on their “A” game the past two years. The again, I’m not sure what the DMV’s “A” game would look like. No matter. The plates are in and look great. If you haven’t ordered one, or never knew you could, now’s a good time to look into it. The cool thing about owning a set is that after 1,000 are sold, $10 of the $25 cost goes to the JRPS. It’s a great way to give back to the park. Click here to learn more.

 

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Richmond riverfront on verge of transformation?

By Andy Thompson | April 30, 2012

Sunday’s Times-Dispatch featured a number of columns on the James River and its future in Richmond. The mayor’s piece is particularly exciting because it doesn’t just dwell on broad concepts and generalities. He cites “transformative” specific projects that could be tackled in the near term: the Brown’s Island Dam Walk, the Missing Link Trail, Brown’s Island terraces, the acquisition of Mayo Island, and Chapel Island development.

After all this talk of riverfront development and improvement over the past few years, the time for action is here. It was refreshing to read that the mayor agrees and is willing to put city money toward starting the process. “But we have to begin,” he writes,” and to that end I have included $5 million in the 2013 and 2-14 capital budget to begin [the riverfront development plan's] implementation.”

It’s a good start. We’ll see what happens when the administration officially unveils the riverfront plan in the coming weeks. But river lovers should be heartened that the powers that be seem to finally recognize what many of us long known about the James and what it means to the city.

 

 

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Belle Isle burnished by 200+ volunteers

By Andy Thompson | April 28, 2012

Credit: Phil Riggan

Over at Richmond.com, Phil Riggan has a report on the giant number of Altria volunteers (over 200) that descended on Belle Isle and other riverfront locales Wednesday: As part of the Great American Cleanup, Altria committed more than $26,000 in man hours for a variety of volunteer tasks. That figure does not include the cost of the equipment and materials, according to Ken Garcia of Altria. Here’s what they accomplished:

  • 750 feet of split rail fencing for the new Belle Isle Bike Skills course
  • 30 duck houses, 50 sprout kits, 30 birdhouses, 50 bat boxes, 6,200 seedlings
  • 4 recycle bins, 6 picnic tables
  • 12 benches, 12 stools for James River Association ecology school at Presquile Island
  • Matt Lively mural for Richmond Folk Festival & Ann Walsh mural for ecology school
  • Fence painting along 5 city blocks (double coat)
  • Cleaned and painted metal shed on Belle Isle (future part of bike skills course)
  • 4 bags of trash
  • Thousands of cigarette butts, including 1,931 on Dead Rock on Belle Isle

Considering the week before the James River Association had a bunch of volunteers picking up litter on Belle Isle, I’d say the island is about as clean as it’s going to get. And if you haven’t been over there recently, it’s worth a trip to see the progress on the bike skills park. I wish I had some pictures from when I biked over there yesterday, but I completely forgot my camera and phone. City trails manager Nathan Burrell told me that Ben Blitch, who builds trails and facilities like the one on Belle Isle for a living, will be coming into town tomorrow for 12 straight days of skills park building. The place is already coming together. I can’t wait to see what it’ll look like in a couple of weeks.

 

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Posted In: James River, Mountain Biking

No Lance at XTERRA Richmond

By Andy Thompson | April 18, 2012

Back in September I speculated in my T-D column about Lance Armstrong competing regularly on the XTERRA off-road triathlon tour. He had just come in fifth at XTERRA nationals in his first triathlon is 22 years. He went on to compete in XTERRA worls later that fall and did well again. Suddenly the thought of Lance racing Richmond didn’t seem very far fetched. As Trey Garman, XTERRA VP and media director told me at the time: “Rumor has it that if he enjoys himself (at nationals), XTERRA could be one of his regular gigs…and “Richmond is top-dog as far as courses go.”

Well, that was then. Now? Not so much. In February, Armstrong announced that he’d be entering a number of Iron and Half-Iron distance races in the Ironman series of road triathlons. Still, I held out hope that maybe he’d race XTERRA as well. In a recent email, though, Garman broke the bad news: “We think he’ll be back to XTERRA at some point, unfinished business, but 2012 looks focused on Ironman Worlds…”

Too bad. Would have been cool to see Lance flying through Forest Hill Park on his mountain bike or navigating the James’ famously random June water level. Maybe next year.

 

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Posted In: James River, Mountain Biking, Trail Running

Volunteers at Pony Pasture, Dec. 10, 2011

More volunteer opportunities in JRPS

By Andy Thompson | April 13, 2012

The Friends of the James River Park have two volunteer opportunities for those with the time and inclination. As usual appropriate shoes, clothing and gloves are recommended:

Sat 4/14 10 am North Bank Park

  • One team sweeps and paints the access tower
  • One team goes along the river to get trash and graffiti

 

Sat 4/14 2 pm Pony Pasture Rapids

  • One team drills holes in fallen logs along entrance road and hammers in dowels with mushroom spores

(Bring your own battery powered electric drill —- each battery only lasts for 20 or 30 minutes~one inch deep holes)

  • One team helps Ralph install a bench beside the river access steps 

Ralph’s cell 432-1832. If interested, please contact ElaineMarolla@yahoo.com to register.

 

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