Kayak jump ramp to return to Dominion Riverrock

Read Andy Thompson’s column on TimesDispatch.com from Friday about the spectacle that is the kayak jump ramp, on display at the Dominion Riverrock, scheduled for May 13-14. That was a fun show last year and I’m psyched for  this year. Check the schedule!

Is there no chance for Downtown Master Plan with Flynn gone?

I have recently been reviewing the Downtown Master Plan, which was published in July 2009. It was created by dozens of elected officials, city employees and “hundreds of Richmond residents,” which is a nod to all of the charrettes held to gain input from the citizens of Richmond. It says “the public planning process began in July 2007. The Plan was adopted by City Council in October 2008. Additional Amendments were adopted in July 2009.”

Dominion Riverrock set for May 13-14; schedule released

Dominion Riverrock claims to be the “East Coast’s premier outdoor lifestyle festival,” bringing athletes, spectators, musicians, and even dogs to Brown’s Island for a two-day festival against the backdrop of Richmond’s downtown riverfront.

Great Backyard Bird Count at Brown’s Island & Pony Pasture Saturday

Bird Walk at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens and James River Park Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. as part of the Great Backyard Bird Count (Feb. 18-21, 2011). This important citizen science project helps ornithologists take a snapshot of wintering bird populations throughout North America year after year. Join in for one or several of the following sites:

Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens: Meet in the rotunda of the visitor center. Cost will be $6 for non garden members, finish around 9:30 – 9:45 a.m.

Brown’s Island: Then the count will continue on to the James River Park (free), meeting at the parking lot next to the Tredegar Ironworks (500 Tredegar Street) at 10:10 a.m. to count birds at Brown’s Island.

Pony Pasture Rapids: Parking lot on Riverside Drive around 11:30 a.m. On-foot and count from car assignments are available for the Pony Pasture and Huguenot flatwater areas. Counters are also needed for the 42nd Street area and other areas on the south river bank.

Counters should return to the parking lot at Pony Pasture at 12:45 p.m. to tally their sightings. Trip will finish at 1:30 p.m. with a look at the lake at the office park behind Stony Point Shopping Center.

CONTACT: Tyler Turpin at (804) 317-9478 or email: tylerturpin@earthlink.net

Access Week: Connecting Brown’s Island to Manchester via VEPCO levee

Phil Riggan – James River News Hub

Access Week! One of the first complaints most people have when discussing the James River in Richmond is that there aren’t enough access points. This is Day 5 as James River News Hub tackles the topic of access points.

There is a scenic footbridge that runs over the old VEPCO levee between Brown’s Island on the north side and the Manchester climbing wall on the south side of the James River. Chris Hull, president of the James River Outdoor Coalition, has suggested for years that it could be renovated and returned to use. I have spoken with many more people over the years also in favor of this renovation.

The first portion of the walkway (maybe 1/10th of the span) has been repaired and is part of the April 3, 1865, Civil War historic display-a great place to see the river and the Richmond skyline and an easy walk from the Richmond National Battlefield Park Visitor Center and the American Civil War Center at Tredegar Iron Works.