Seeing double at James River News

Double your pleasure, double your fun,as the old song goes.
Looks like there are now two James River News blogs in River City.

Seems some fella started up a site without googling the name to find out if it was already in use. You can check out  his effort at  http://jamesrivernews.wordpress.com/.

Not a bad blog actually, this new James River News (though IMO their design leaves a lot to be desired).
James River News 2 appears dedicated to providing a potpourri of  information  "pertinent" to the James River as it passes through Richmond Virginia.
It will be interesting to see what happens to my traffic patterns as folks Google "James River News" and two  choices come up. I suspect I'll be picking up some visitors though I'm sure they'll quickly split when they find the content isn't what they expected. But hey, anything to beef up the stats.

In any case, the new James River News is certainly worth a look see for anyone seeking information on local river conditions. It's just odd that they couldn't be more imaginative in choosing a name.

TVnB,  for  the  Original James River News. Often imitated, but never equaled.

Two sides of the same coin?

There have been a couple of interesting characters making headlines this week.

The first is a fella called Feisal Abdul Rauf, an imam in new York City who is famous for wanting to build a mosque a couple of blocks away from ground zero.

He's often portrayed in the American media as a radical Muslim cleric who holds the policies of the United States Government responsible for any acts of terrorism committed on these shores.

The other fella making the news cycle is a guy who currently calls himself "Glenn Beck".

Glenn Beck is a right wing radio talk show operative who is a darling of the tea bag party and who gained a measure of national fame by calling President Barrack Obama a "racist".

Glenn Beck's radio show "Glenn Beck on the Radio", is heard daily on Republican orientated small and medium market radio stations espousing the politics of the right wing of the Republican party across the country.

On paper, these two guys seem to be from opposite ends of the political spectrum, but can a case be made that they are in fact two sides of the same coin? I think so.

First outa the chute is Feisal Abdul Rauf.

In news reports, Feisal Abdul Rauf claims that his intention to build this particular mosque at this particular site is to bridge the gap and promote understanding between the Muslin and Christian communities in the United States.

That may be what's in his heart, but in this case, it's my opinion that rationale doesn't really pass the smell test.

Fairly or not, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that putting a mosque in that particular site is going to be viewed by thousands of American citizens as a provocative act.
The question is, and it's a fair one, knowing that, knowing that this issue is going to be more dividing than healing, what possible motive can Feisal Abdul Rauf have for insisting on this location?

Only Feisal Abdul Rauf can answer that, but in my opinion, it's fair to say that this is not the way most folks would go about "building bridges".

Now to Glenn Beck.

Glenn beck's motives are more transparent.. He speaks, nay brags about them everyday on his "Glenn Beck on the Radio" talk show.

We can deduce from his own words that current goal is  to block the agenda of the Obama/Pelosi Administration in Washington DC, elect Sarah Louise Palin to the White House, and though Glenn Beck has never said so, it's my opinion he's aiming to get himself a nice fat political appointment in the next Republican administration.
In fact, it's not so far fetched  to surmise that he might even covet the Republican party's nomination for the Vice Presidency of these United States.

Where did Glenn Beck come from

In order to understand the Glenn Beck we see today, it's helpful if we dig into his past.
He was not always the darling of the right wing talk show circuit. While his gig was always mildly political, in his early broadcast career days I think it's safe to say he was more entertainer than rabble rouser.

I first heard Glenn Beck while traveling through Central Virginia on my way to documenting life in  the coal fields of Virginia's Great Southwest.
I had my car radio set to the AM band when the  auto search locked on to the static filled signal of 1140 WRVA radio transmitting from the environs of Richmond Virginia, a medium sized  Mid-Atlantic city best known as the current Capitol of Virginia and as the former Capitol of the short lived Confederate States of America.

It was through the 1140 WRVA garble that I first  heard "Glenn Beck on the Radio".
He was doing a bit where he claimed he either made out or had sex with his sister on a ferris wheel or some such. The weak signal from WRVA faded to white noise and Glenn Beck was swallowed up by the ether before I could determine what point Glenn Beck was trying to make with this bizarre and long drawn out  tale.

Coming up, we look Rural Radio,  the furnace that fired and tempered Glenn Beck.
And we'll study the implications of the  sea-change Glenn Beck experienced when he  discovered the awesome power of Moron Trivia to inflame the passion of the right wing in America.

And in a lighter vein, under the working title Glenn Beck takes a comical sidekick, we'll explore  the on air relationship between Beck and the fella he calls "Stew".


TvNB

Pizza and Ice Cream shop comes to Westover Hills

Work is progressing nicely on what  neighborhood wags say will be a takeout Pizza and Ice Cream shop in the South Richmond community of Westover Hills.

This building on the corner of Forest Hill Avenue and West 47 Street, last saw life as a BMW repair shop. It is now undergoing extensive renovation in an effort to convert it to an eatery.

This was confirmed by this document posted on the building. It does not mention Ice Cream and/or Pizza however, and indicated that this will be an "eat in" rather than a "take out" establishment as the neighborhood gossips have been suggesting.

None the less, pizza and ice cream would be a welcome neighbor in this area. While several local restaurants sell acceptable pizza, you have to buy the whole pie.

To get good pizza by the slice,  one would have to travel all the way to Main Street in Richmond's financial district. There, for under 6 bucks, you can get two slices (including drink) of the best pizza in Richmond served up by a guy who is the spitting image of  Vin Diesel.



The name of this popular eatery is JoJo's but sadly, it is not open nights and weekends, so pizza lovers in South Richmond are pretty much hosed even if they were willing to make the long haul across the River.

Those desiring an ice cream fix are better served. A place called the Crossroads, located where Semmes Avenue becomes Forest Hill Avenue in the shadow of the troubled Patrick Henry Charter School serves up the excellent Bev's ice cream. Bev's has long been a Carytown tradition and is the finest ice cream in River City.
Even so, the Crossroads is a pretty stiff distance from Westover Hill if you are zu Fuß as the locals like to say, so a shop selling decent ice cream just around  the corner would be  a much appreciated addition to the Westover Hills retail landscape.

There is one fly in the ointment when it comes to this location. The bulk of their business can reasonably be expected to come from south of Forest Hill Avenue, and that road is nightmare to cross.

Perhaps the owners can prevail upon the administration of City of Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones to put in a crosswalk like this one at Forest Hill Park.
That crosswalk however, has done nothing to stem the flow of speeders down Forest Hill Avenue or insure the safety of pedestrians desiring access to this public park.

By way of a sidebar. I can't swear to this but I believe in a different century this building was once a Sinclair Gas Station (complete with green dinosaur), owned by the father of Diane Lynn Cox.

In the early 60's Diane was a very hot and brilliant young student at the then brand new George Wythe High School in South Richmond.
Diane put George Wythe High School and Richmond Virginia on the map when she because the nations first Miss Teen-age America.
A year or so ago, I did a little ditty on Diane Cox in this space. You can read it here.


TvNB

Well, it's a couple of weeks later, but here's my video essay on the scene from Colonial Downs in New Kent Virgina, on the final day of the 2010 meet.

High point of the 2010 season at Colonial Downs was the opportunity for fans to see Kentucky Derby horse Paddy O'Prado develop into a first class turf champion with Breeders Cup potential.

Paddy O'Prado, under Kent Desormeaux, won both the Colonial Turf Cup and the Virginia Derby in convincing fashion.

Fan favorite from the 2009 meet Rosemary Homeister Jr. came back for a second round and captured Leading Jockey honors for the second year in row, and Hamilton Smith took the Top Trainer award.


This video is dedicated to all the jockeys and unsung horses that fill the cards at tracks like this across America.

Jockeys featured include Rosemary Homeister Jr, Geovany Garcia, Malcolm Franklin, James S. Vail, Tadious Simpson,Richard Boucher,Dayton Slaughter, and top trainer Hamilton Smith.


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Tough to be a racehorse.

Supporters of the status quo in the horse racing community often tell us how our thoroughbreds are treated better than most humans.

This video shows a different, much darker side of the sport.


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Tracy at State Capitol

Tracy Sears at Virginia State Capitol, Richmond Virginia

Paddy O'Prado, Kent Desormeaux, find grass is greener in Virginia

Horse racing fans had a chance to see some very good horses on Virginia Derby Day at Colonial Downs in New Kent County Virginia. Names any horse racing fan would know, Interactif, Krypton, Stately Victor.

And then, there was Paddy O' Prado. He won, and he won big.

Paddy O'Prado, with Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux in the irons covered the mile and a quarter Colonial Downs turf course in 2:02.58. He bettered the second place horse, Interactif by 1 1/2 lengths.

This is not the first time the team of Paddy O' Prado and Kent Desormeaux found the grass greener at Colonial Downs. They won the $500,000 Grade 11 Colonial Turf Cup back on June 20th.

Next stop for the pair seems to be the Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park in August, and it's a pretty safe bet that there will be a date in the Breeders Cup come fall.

trackside interiews by Nick Hahn

Knit Graffiti artist still spins yarn in River City

It's a bit of urban public expression taking the world by storm, and now it's finally come to River City.
They call it Yarn Bombing, Pole Knitting, and Knit Graffiti and fabric graffiti groups around the world are using their crocheting skills to decorate all manner of mobile and immobile objects will all kinds of fancy and colorful stitching.

That's how I started my report on the first sighting of Knit Graffiti in River City some ohhhh, seven months ago. You can read that story with pictures here

The piece that inspired that story disappeared some weeks ago, but Friday a sharp eyed reader alerted me to another bombing of the textile variety in the same area.

Making the scene yesterday, I found it and it's a beauty.

Located at the corner of Forest Hill and Dundee Avenues in South Richmond Virginia, and right across from what was in the fifties the Patrick Henry Elementary School, this masterful example of crochet handiwork serves up a nice counterpoint to the sights and sounds of this old school urban environment.

This video is presented as a tribute to this fine anonymous artist for keeping us in stitches.




For links to information on Yarn Bombing, Pole Knitting, and Knit Graffiti, check out my original story here.



TvNB

Zenyatta, Quality Road, dip in world rankings

Check out the latest World Thoroughbred Rankings from the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA).

Conclusion ?

The BC Classic can't come soon enough. Zenyatta has lost her #2 worlds ranking and is now rated at #3.

She's not the only one who slipped. Quality Road is now ranked #2, down from the top spot last time around.

Moving up, however, is Rachel Alexandra, ranked #17.
You may scoff, but she didn't even hit the board last time around.

Oddly, Goldikova, considered by many to be the best female racehorse in the world, is only ranked #8, down from #5 last time around.

Top horse, by the way, is Workforce, from Great Britain. Workforce won the Epsom Derby by seven lengths, and he broke the Epsom Downs track record while doing it.

It's his first appearance in The World Thoroughbred Rankings, at least since May 2009.



TvNB

Paddy O'Prado wins Colonial Turf Cup, nice paycheck for Kent Desormeaux

Colonial Turf Cup, at Colonial Downs in New Kent County, Va.
June 19, 2010

The $500,000 Grade 11 Virginia Turf Cup took place this weekend at the Colonial Downs track in rural New Kent Virginia.

The race was won in an exciting and dramatic finish by morning line favorite Paddy O'Prado, with Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard.
Paddy O'Prado finished third in this years Kentucky Derby, behind Super Saver and Ice Box. He did not place 2 weeks later in the Preakness coming in 6 lengths behind Looking At Lucky.

Paddy O' Prado is aiming for the Breeders Cup in the Fall with plans to run him in the Virginia Derby on July 17th and the the Secretariat along the way, according to Jerry Crawford, manager of Donegal Racing,

Also speaking is Jerry Crawford, manager of the horse's owner Donegal Racing, and trainer Dale Romans, audio is from a track-side interview conducted by Nick Hahn.

More story here





And here's a look at the All Along Stakes, the same day.





Shared Account, ridden by Edgar Prado, wins the $150,000 Grade 3 All Along Stakes for fillies and mares at Colonial Downs this weekend (June 19, 2010)
Here are a couple of shots of her race and some sound with jockey Edgar Prado.

I believe this was her first win of this, her 4 years old season.



TvNB