EXILED: 10SBoulevard Blogger Evicted For Hyper Local News Site

 Evicted and exiled, that's the consequence of blogging at 10SBoulevard.com and bringing the city's attention to an unsafe rental property. Loyal readers have expressed shock and dismay that hyper-local coverage of news in the Boulevard area has reduced to a trickle over the past week as a result of the eviction of the last 10SBoulevard.com blogger.

The Past
It was September of 2008 when my landlord discovered our community news site and began a campaign of harassment to force me to find a new home.  The property owner made numerous attempts to unilaterally void my lease for reasons irrelevant to our rental agreement , he neglected to make repairs and diminished service to my apartment, and he scrawled bizarre notes for the purpose of harassment on the back of deposited checks.

With all of this threatening behavior I realized this guy has limited interest in keeping up his property and that his motive was to silence my reporting of news of community interest, ie. public safety issues. He did not want attention drawn to dangerous conditions that plagued his aging buildings . After this realization I documented all of the questionable conditions on the property and notified inspectors with the Richmond City Division of Code Enforcement.

In October of 2008 Code enforcement representatives found that the wobbly four story fire escapes on the building were in serious states of decay and no longer safe for residents to utilize much less first responders in the event of an emergency. According to the inspector one of these fire escapes was supported by little more than a bottle jack (similar to an automobile tire jack).

The Present
The property owner was ordered to replace the dangerous structures at 10 S Boulevard by city officials in the fall of 2008 and it was only in the spring of 2009 after threats from those same city officials did the landlord pursue construction. According to placards left on the building by Code Enforcement the property owner has until July 30 to finish the project or face fines, criminal prosecution and condemnation of the top floor of the building. As of this writing on July 28th the fire escapes remain in states of disrepair with lumber and debris strewn about the area.

My Eviction
Since the harassment and threats commenced I sent my monthly rent check of $1,050 via Certified US mail. A total of 8 checks were mailed certified and received by the property owner. In June of 2009 I sent my check on time via first class mail thinking "during these difficult economic times who would turn away a $1,050 check?" Answer: My Landlord.

On June 12 my landlord filed with Richmond General District Courts for possession of my apartment claiming that rent for the month of June was not received. I went to court and explained that my landlord failed to notify me of non-receipt of rent with a legally mandated 5 Day Pay or Quit Notice. Without hearing more on the case and its retaliatory nature the judge awarded possession of my apartment unit to the landlord effectively allowing eviction.

The Future
For now I am blogging in exile from North Boulevard until I begin a new lease on South Boulevard in August. Many have asked what will become of this site and will you continue writing? Much has changed since 10SBoulevard.com began as an organizing tool and outlet for news among tenants in one building over a very small geographic area.

Our audience is now shockingly large and our scope of coverage has increased tremendously. In the next week a new site will be launched that embodies the full scope of Boulevard, Carytown and Museum District life. We'll cover the same great stories with the same excitement, enthusiasm and sensationalism as 10SBoulevard.com

As to 10 S Boulevard the property, I am glad that this site and my efforts with the city compelled the landlord to remedy dangerous conditions. Instead of facing a future tragedy with "well we all knew it would collapse one day" I can take comfort in knowing at least one property on the Boulevard is a safer place to call home. Isn't that what matters the most?

For More Information & Photos From My Experience at 10 S Boulevard You Can Visit My Personal Site

CBS 6 Reports On This Story 

Dog Struck At Blvd @ Idlewood; Owner Sought

 Lauren writes to us about a dog struck on Friday afternoon at the intersection of Boulevard and Idlewood:

BROWNISH MIXED BREED MEDIUM SIZE DOG, BLACK COLLAR WITH TAGS HIT YESTERDAY AT THE INTERSECTION OF BOULEVARD AND IDLEWOOD AROUND 5:15

Yesterday on my way home from work, I saw a dog get hit at Boulevard and Idlewood. I pulled up to help the other pedestrians who had to drag the dog out of the road because he couldn’t walk.  Several other people were trying to call the dogs owner but his voicemail box was full. I believe one of the women even text messaged the owner in hopes that he would get it. Since my car was right by the dog, I offered to put the dog in my car and take him to the Cary Street Emergency Vet Clinic. I didn’t even think to check the dogs collar because a minute or so after I drove off to take him to the clinic he started puking and dry heaving. And due to him being badly cut and scraped up, he was bleeding all over the seats of my car.

Lauren has more details on this incident at her blog. The injured dog is currently at the Cary Street Emergency Vet.

 

Coming Soon: Carytown East?

 Mayor Jones expressed interest to GRTC officials today to purchase the operations facility at the intersection of West Cary St and Davis. According to a report from the Times-Dispatch:

The Fan-area property, almost 7 acres along West Cary Street between Robinson Street and Stafford Avenue, has been viewed as a prime development site for a mixture of residences, businesses and offices ever since GRTC announced more than two years ago its plan to move.
...

[Press Secretary Tammy Hawley] emphasized that the city would be seeking private development of the property. She also said the city believes it should play an active role in the process because the site has significant potential.

"The mayor has said he wants the city to grow by design, not by default," she said.

Get more details on the future of the West Cary Street corridor from the Times-Dispatch.

The Third Lane: Sidewalks On Boulevard Serve As Runaway Car Ramp

 

"Location is everything" is a common saying among those in the business world and the same principle can be applied to pedestrians on sidewalks. This afternoon at 1:30 PM had any pedestrians been located on the 0 block of S. Boulevard a car would likely have been on top of them. 

Fortunately for Boulevardizens the cloudy skies and chance of rain deterred pedestrians from enjoying a  casual afternoon stroll and perhaps saved lives after an out of control sedan dodged utility poles, workers and houses before coming to rest on the sidewalk.

*** DEVELOPING***

Fair Or No Fair for the Boulevard?

 The on-again off-again Richmond Fair slated for the Boulevard on July 26 is a "work in progress" according to police who have yet to issue a permit for the carnival event. The fair, will feature typical carnival thrills and the highly anticipated Banana Derby, a competition in which dog riding capuchin monkeys race for victory. 

Concerns about the future of the fair arose this weekend when word got out that police planned to deny a permit for the event at the Diamond. According to a report from the Times-Dispatch this morning:

...the city’s special-events coordinator has said the police would not have adequate staffing to meet the needs of the fair.

Continue following the continuing debate over the future of Richmond's Fair with the Times-Dispatch. You can find weekend coverage of the possible cancellation with WTVR 6.

Walk Through History This Weekend In The Museum District

 The mysteries of the Museum District will be revealed this weekend as guides from the Valentine Richmond History Center host a walking tour of the storied neighborhood. Tours begin at the location where the Museum District neighborhood itself began , outside the Confederate Soldiers home. According to the Valentine website:

The founding of the Confederate soldiers home initiated the residential development of the area known today as the Museum District. Home to the Virginia Historical Society, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, schools, businesses, churches and residences, this area has played an important role in the westward expansion of the city.

The tour is from 2-4 PM on July 19 and begins at the Pauley Center on Sheppard St. (Directly behind the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.) The costs is $10. Style Weekly readers can find a $2 off coupon for the tour in this week's edition.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! If you can't make it to the Museum District tour then try the Carytown and Byrd Theatre tour on Sunday August 2nd from 2-4 PM.  An all new tour of the Byrd Park area will be hosted on Saturday August 22 from 10 AM - 12 PM.

Get all the details on upcoming historic Richmond tours from the Valentine Richmond History Center.

 

Rabid Raccoon Caught Inside Maymont

 Pet owners beware a rabid raccoon was caught last week while prowling in nearby Maymont Park. The raccoon (or Procyon lotor, as it is known to scientists and people that use Wikipedia to research blog posts) is usually a nocturnal creature that scavenges throughout the night. The critter caught in Maymont was spotted during the broad daylight by a park visitor walking near the Children's Center. 

WRIC 8 has more on this rabid raccoon:

[Maymont Director of Habitats and Nature Center Henry Bireline] said the visitor brought the situation to the attention of the animal care staff, which restrained and quarantined the animal. Park officials confirmed the raccoon was wild, and not part of the park's animal exhibits.

The visitor who discovered the raccoon was not injured.

Maymont officials were notified Wednesday that tests on the raccoon confirmed it was rabid. It is unknown if any of the park's animals came into contact with the rabid animal. 

Get more on this story from WRIC 8

Soaking Rain On The Boulevard

 


Pouring summer rains soaked the hot asphalt of Boulevard and Main this evening providing some relief after a hot Sunday afternoon.

 

Violent Crime Strikes Upper Fan: Woman Shot

 The startling bang of a gunshot echoed through the upper fan last night after an armed thief attempted to rob a woman on N. Strawberry St. The bullet struck the victim leaving her with non-life threatening injuries.

Moments earlier near the same location on N. Strawberry St a woman was shoved to the ground and robbed of her valuables by the same suspect.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch has more on this story:

Powers said the first assault was a purse-snatching that occurred when the victim was confronted on the street and ended with her being knocked to the ground.

A few minutes later and a short distance away, the same suspect is believed to have robbed another woman on the street, shooting her once, Powers said.

The suspect fled on foot from the scene, which is near the Floyd Avenue intersection.

Powers said the initial investigation does not indicate any ties between this morning's robberies and recent attacks in the Fan District.


Read More From The Richmond Times-Dispatch

Boulevard Becomes Pedestrian Friendly

 5...4...3...2...1... FLASHY STOP HAND. City engineers are working throughout the week on installing new crosswalks with countdown clocks on them. The new timers will prevent runners and pedestrians from becoming stranded in Boulevard's wide median due to a poorly timed street crossing.

The new crosswalks are appearing on the northern end of Boulevard and the installation team seems to be progressing south with the new crossing signals.

Crews have also been spotted applying a shiny coat of green paint to the antique traffic poles that adorn the Boulevard. 

UPDATE July 10 2:30 PM - WRIC 8 follows up on this story with a video report.

Syndicate content