Friends of Chimborazo Playground » Uncategorized http://www.imaginechimbo.org Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:41:39 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 Spring Clean-up Day – April 2 http://www.imaginechimbo.org/spring-clean-up-day-april-2 http://www.imaginechimbo.org/spring-clean-up-day-april-2#comments Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:41:39 +0000 admin http://www.imaginechimbo.org/?p=249 Spring Clean-up Day at Chimborazo Playground!
Saturday April 2nd at 10am
(Rain date: Sunday April 3rd at 12noon)

Be ready to get your hands dirty, share a cup of coffee and enjoy the day! Please bring rakes, shovels and gloves!

We are also looking for donations for drought tolerant, low maintenance perennial plants and bushes. We will be cleaning up current bed and creating a new one.

The city will be providing extra trash cans, topsoil, cobble stones and mulch.

]]> http://www.imaginechimbo.org/spring-clean-up-day-april-2/feed 0 Next meeting: Thursday, March 24 http://www.imaginechimbo.org/next-meeting-thursday-march-24 http://www.imaginechimbo.org/next-meeting-thursday-march-24#comments Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:37:09 +0000 admin http://www.imaginechimbo.org/?p=246 A meeting will be held Thursday, March 24 at 7 pm at the Chimborazo Parkhouse (located in the Richmond National Battlefield Park at the corner of N.36th Street & Government Road) to discuss the design of a skateboarding area. This is the octagonal parkhouse overlooking the dog park, near the Chimborazo Medical Museum.

At the last meeting, skateboaders, neighbors and the Dept of Parks, Recreation & Facilities walked through Chimborazo Playground and designated an area in the southern part of the park roughly between the playground and the tennis courts for some type of skateboarding area. Participants walked off the area and did very approximate dimensions. Parks & Rec is using the dimensions to come up with rough cost estimates. This meeting will be to further discuss design, overall dimensions and cost.

]]> http://www.imaginechimbo.org/next-meeting-thursday-march-24/feed 1 Updates on Renovations http://www.imaginechimbo.org/updates-on-renovations http://www.imaginechimbo.org/updates-on-renovations#comments Wed, 23 Mar 2011 14:53:09 +0000 admin http://www.imaginechimbo.org/?p=243 The Dept of Parks, Recreation and Facilities held a meeting last Saturday, March 19 to discuss moving forward with park renovations. Many people attending the meeting wanted to see a skateboarding area built, while many others want petanque courts. The Friends of Chimborazo Playground supports both activities, plus tennis, basketball, community gardens and the children’s play area. The Friends’ goal is to have a park that is used by as many “user” groups as possible, spanning all ages. The Parks Dept. agrees and wants to “work together to do both a skatepark (final design TBD so I can cost out) and the Plaza/Petanque Courts”.

The group identified the southern area of the park roughly between the children’s play area and the tennis courts as a good spot for a skateboarding area. The group discussed three possible options – a rectangular area, a larger rectangular area, and a kidney-shaped area. Larry Miller of the Parks Dept will use the rough dimensions to begin estimates. Skateboarders attending suggested there may be volunteers willing to donate time and materials.

At the same time, construction of the petanque courts and central plaza will move forward. Depth, dimensions and placement within the central plaza are being determined by petanque players with Parks, Recreation & Facilities.

]]> http://www.imaginechimbo.org/updates-on-renovations/feed 0 Chimborazo Playground Park Renovations http://www.imaginechimbo.org/playground-renovations http://www.imaginechimbo.org/playground-renovations#comments Fri, 18 Mar 2011 02:53:44 +0000 admin http://www.imaginechimbo.org/?p=234 Below are phased plans for playground renovations at Chimborazo Playground Park. Its goal is to provide space for all of the different types of park visitors or “users” — including basketball, petanque, skateboarding, community gardeners, children, tennis players and others. It outlines phases of the project. The next meeting is set for Saturday, March 19 at 9am at the playground. The meeting will be headed up by Larry Miller of the Richmond Dept. of Parks, Recreation & Facilities.

Park/Playground Renovation Proposed Plans

]]> http://www.imaginechimbo.org/playground-renovations/feed 3 Meeting March 5 http://www.imaginechimbo.org/meeting-march-5 http://www.imaginechimbo.org/meeting-march-5#comments Fri, 18 Mar 2011 01:55:43 +0000 admin http://www.imaginechimbo.org/?p=239 Larry Miller, Dept. of Parks, Recreation & Facilities, called the meeting. Approximately 40 people attended.
• All want to know why the black top had been removed. They hadn’t seen the signs. Didn’t know the history of the project
• Many did not know about the process that has been going on for 3 years and this was explained.
• Many thought that it was petanque taking over entire space. This was clarified – the aim of the project is to improve the space for and accomodate the many different “user” groups at the park. Also, the focal point of the park will be around the park house.
• Some were worried about the basketball people feeling pushed out and neglected. Larry pointed out that the courts would be getting new back boards and nets. Shawn said that we were told the courts would be resurfaced.
• One man from the neighborhood had discussed a free skate loop/bank with the former director of Parks & Rec. Unclear as to outcome of this.
• The process of what has been going on with the park was reviewed. Larry talked about the phased approach to the park.
• We talked about skateboarders fundraising and joining Friends of Chimbo.
• We all agreed we want skateboarding to be part of the park and agreed to a meeting at the site on March 19 with neighbors and skateboarders about how to make that happen and where the space is allocated. Then Larry will have to get project estimates.
• There is space reserved for a skateboarding area in the renovation. What goes within that area would be up to skateboarders and Parks & Rec (if funds become available for that part of the project).

]]> http://www.imaginechimbo.org/meeting-march-5/feed 0 Richmond, VA Needs a Public Skatepark http://www.imaginechimbo.org/richmond-va-needs-a-public-skatepark http://www.imaginechimbo.org/richmond-va-needs-a-public-skatepark#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:40:56 +0000 admin http://www.imaginechimbo.org/?p=230
Help us raise money to build a public skatepark! If you are interested in helping us with fundraising or volunteering, please contact us.

]]> http://www.imaginechimbo.org/richmond-va-needs-a-public-skatepark/feed 3 10 Things to Make a Skatepark Great http://www.imaginechimbo.org/10-things-to-make-a-skatepark-great http://www.imaginechimbo.org/10-things-to-make-a-skatepark-great#comments Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:21:56 +0000 admin http://www.imaginechimbo.org/?p=222 Many local skateboarders are interested in designing skate features at Chimborazo Playground. Andrew Cauthen, a local skateboarder, writes:

There are no places to go [skateboarding] in Richmond whatsoever…We had a place over at the old Azalea Mall. It was named “Hippoland” and became a safe haven for kids of all ages to have good clean fun where prostitution, drugs, and short-sighted capitalism once happened. Just some things that people brought or friends made out of concrete on an abandoned bowling alley foundation. It had been really nice for a few years and was developing nicely. Even though it was completely “illegal”, nobody bothered us. I think it should be illegal for property owners to sit on property for so long without sharing it with the community. We had contests, fundraisers, demos from skateboarders all across the country… We could help raise money and build everything [at Chimborazo Playground]. Nothing fancy. Just a place to go. Skateboarders, rollerbladers, scooters, etc could play on it too and everything would be fairly small, so regulations wouldn’t be needed… This would greatly improve the community …and set a easily attainable standard for other places.

Skateparks keep kids off the streets and give them safe places to practice their sport.
1. Skateboarding is a safe sport.
2. It’s safest when done in a facility built for skateboarding.

A skateboarding feature is in the Department of Parks, Recreation & Facilities’ master plan for Chimborazo Playground, though what features it will contain have yet to be decided. If you’re interested in providing input into the skateboarding area and/or helping raise funds, come out to next month’s meeting (Monday, Feb 8, 7pm at the East District Center).

http://www.skatepark.org/2009-skatepark-presentation.html
http://skateboarding.transworld.net/2008/07/30/maloof-money-cup-final-shesh-videos/
http://www.ci.kettering.oh.us/newweb/departments/recreation/rec_fac_skate.php
http://www.skateplaza.org/
http://www.durhamcentralpark.org/park-info/skate-park/
http://www.thedurhamnews.com/news/story/200007.html

]]> http://www.imaginechimbo.org/10-things-to-make-a-skatepark-great/feed 2 Community Garden Fundraiser http://www.imaginechimbo.org/community-garden-fundraiser http://www.imaginechimbo.org/community-garden-fundraiser#comments Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:58:27 +0000 admin http://www.imaginechimbo.org/?p=217 If you eat at any of the Capital Ale Houses on any Thursday in January between 5pm and 10pm, and take one of these (attached) fliers with you, they will donate 25% of your food bill to Tricycle Gardens!

We planted a new community garden in Church Hill last fall, in the Chimborazo Playground park between 29th and 30th south of Broad St. We have a waiting list for new garden plots and would like to build 8 more, plus put an attractive wooden fence around the garden, some seating/table, and get some tools and soil amendments for the shed we will be building this winter (with donated help from carpenter Joshua Cooley and friends, and a donation from the Church Hill Association for materials, as well as recycled cans for siding and roofing shingles collected and cleaned for us from the Community Kitchen).

Capital Ale House has locations in Innsbrook, downtown, and Midlothian. Each location has over 100 beers available, including dozens on tap on a rotating menu. Unfortunately, proceeds from the beer sales aren’t included in the donation to us, but beer goes great with a burger, steak, pasta, or seafood dinner! Hope you can make it and help us out while enjoying a meal out!
Here is a link to their website where you can also access the flyer, as well as a menu and locations.
http://www.capitalalehouse.com/news/communitychest.php

**Important: DON’T FORGET the flyer! They will only do it if you have a flyer with you (one per group).**

Feel free to pass this email on to anyone you think may be interested.
Thanks, and hope to see you there!!!
Jennifer

]]> http://www.imaginechimbo.org/community-garden-fundraiser/feed 0 Grand Opening http://www.imaginechimbo.org/grand-opening http://www.imaginechimbo.org/grand-opening#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:26:47 +0000 admin http://www.imaginechimbo.org/?p=204 Kids from all over the neighborhood tried out the new slides, monkeybars, swings, digger, playhouse and more at the Grand Opening of the new playground. Thanks to KaBoom!, Home Depot, the Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation & Facilities, the Richmond Recreation & Parks Foundation, Tricycle Gardens, the Shockoe Bottom Association, and the many local businesses and volunteers who made the new playground and community gardens possible.

DSC_0234 DSC_0307 DSC_0236 DSC_0244 DSC_0246 DSC_0251 DSC_0257 DSC_0262 DSC_0278 DSC_0288 DSC_0303
Photos by Heather Pettus

]]> http://www.imaginechimbo.org/grand-opening/feed 0 300 Volunteers Build New Playground and Gardens http://www.imaginechimbo.org/300-volunteers-build-new-playground-and-gardens http://www.imaginechimbo.org/300-volunteers-build-new-playground-and-gardens#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:47:43 +0000 admin http://www.imaginechimbo.org/?p=193 About 300 volunteers built a new playground and a community garden today.  By 2pm, volunteers and workers from Home Depot, KaBOOM! and the Church Hill community built a new playground, 16 garden plots, three compost bins, an arbor, a community bulletin board, blackboards, and a kids’ teepee, and installed new garden beds.

Chimbo Playground

Also there today helping was Joe Gibbs Racing, the Richmond Police Department, the Department of Parks, Recreation & Facilities, the Richmond Fire Department, the Richmond Recreation & Parks Foundation, the Shockoe Bottom Neighborhood Association, the Church Hill Association, Asbury United Methodist Church and many others.

Special thanks to the Shockoe Bottom Neighborhood Association and all the restaurants that pitched in to feed us excellent food. The next time you head out for a meal, a cup of coffee or a beer, please patronize these generous, local businesses who give back to our community. Plus, thank you to so many others that donated their time and money.

Farm Fresh Markets at Tobacco Row
Ukrop’s
Poe’s Pub
Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 10 of Richmond
Alpine Bagels
Country Style Donuts
Police Athletic League
Sette Pizza
CVS Pharmacy
Green Duck Compatible and Biodegradable Goods
Captain Buzzy’s Café
Globehopper Café
Weiman’s Bakery
The Hill Café
Shockoe Bottom Neighborhood Association 
White House Catering
Halligan Bar and Grill
River City Diner
Bottoms Up Pizza
Panera Bread
Crossroads Coffee and Ice Cream
PODS
Altria
Asbury United Methodist Church
Peter Paul Development Center
Hometown Realty
Jewels General Contruction
Leonard Lambert & Associates Law Firm 
Richmond Fire Department
Rose Winston, Realtor

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