CITY OF PETERSBURG COMMUNICATIONS

CITY OF PETERSBURG COMMUNICATIONS 135 N. Union Street PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA 23803 (804) 347-3321 JWILLIAMS@PETERSBURG-VA.ORG Week Ahead March 9, 2014 Payment of Water Bill Extended March 10 For Petersburg water bill customers who had a delinquent notice due date of 3/3/14, an extension will be given until Monday, March 10 to pay water bills to avoid disconnect of services on Tuesday, March 11. Payments may be made in person at the City Treasurer's office or online at www.petersburgva.gov. Payments must be received by close of business on 3/10/14. This extension is being granted due to the inclement weather. High Grass & Weeds Reminder Spring is 11 days away and grass is starting to grow. Respect your neighbors and city by keeping your grass cut. On September 20, 2011, Petersburg City Council amended the City Code regarding Detrimental or Excessively High Growths of Weeds or Other Vegetable Matter. The Ordinance includes: Grass or Weed Height Must Not Exceed 12 inches; 48 Hours to Comply; Lien Placed on Property if City Cuts Grass or Weeds, and Non- compliance could mean a Class 4 Misdemeanor. These regulations will be enforced. Pathways Technical School - March 10 Pathways Technical School provides free job training for unemployed youth and adults in the following track: Solid Waste Management and Reduction (Spring 2014). As an official testing site, students may earn the following certifications: HAZWOPER OSHA Training OSHA Construction Basic Safety Underground Storage Tank Leakage Remediation EPA Renovate, Repair, and Paint Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED NCCER, Your Role in the Green Environment Forklift Operation Asbestos Abatement Lead Abatement. This is a 16- week program. The first ten weeks cover core classes and certifications, 1

while the final six weeks allow students to focus on one of the two specific tracks of study. Pathways Technical School is completely free for qualified candidates with a high school diploma or GED. New classes begin March 10. Applications are due by March 3. For more information visit www.pathways- va.prg/technical or call 804-862- 1104. Free HIV Testing March 11 Petersburg Community Corrections and the Minority Health Consortium partnership will provide FREE HIV Testing and consultation on Tuesday, March 11 from 10:00am to 3:00pm. Testing will be held at Petersburg Community Corrections, 20 East Tabb Street, Suite #103. For additional information, call 804-861- 4275, x100. Prevent Child Abuse Training Seminar March 11 & 12 Prevent Child Abuse Virginia will host a training seminar on Tuesday March 11 and Wednesday March 12 (9:30am 4:30pm) entitled: The Journey of Parents and Practitioners. The training will be held at the Virginia Cooperative Extension Office, 400 Farmer Street, #218. Trainers Julie Rivnak- McAdam and Donna Guevara will lead teams of parents and practitioners in their Parent Leadership journey. Beginning with a self- examination process, participating agencies will explore their current parent leadership programs. As part of the training, each agency team will have an opportunity to use the information they learn to craft a plan to ensure greater parent involvement. To register, contact Julie Rivnak- McAdam at 804-359- 6166 x311, fax: 804-359- 5965, or via email at circleofparents@pcav.org. Statewide Tornado Drill March 11 To help residents practice tornado safety, a Statewide Tornado Drill will be held Tuesday, March 11, at 9:45am. Registration for the tornado drill is not necessary, but people can learn more and show their support by signing up at www.readyvirginia.gov. Everyone can participate, including businesses and organizations, schools and colleges, and families and individuals. The annual drill is a joint effort of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service. To start the tornado drill, at 9:45am, March 11 the NWS will send a test tornado warning that will trigger a tone alert and broadcast message on NOAA Weather Radio. The message will be picked up by TV and radio broadcasts, simulating what listeners will hear during an actual tornado warning. When the test tornado warning is sounded, people should move as quickly as possible to a safe area in a sturdy building. Safe areas are basements and interior rooms on the lowest level of a building such as bathrooms, closets or hallways. In choosing a safe area, stay away from windows. Once in the safe area, people should crouch down or sit on the floor facing down, and cover heads with hands. In case of widespread inclement weather March 11, the Statewide Tornado Drill will be held March 13. 2

Architectural Review Board Meeting March 12 The Architectural Review Board will meet on Wednesday, March 12 in City Hall Council Chambers, 135 North Union Street (3 rd floor) at 6:00pm. For information regarding agenda scheduling and submission requirements, call 804-733- 2308. View the agenda at www.petersburgva.gov. Building the Foundation for New Business March 13 Entrepreneurship is the American dream, but of the 1 million businesses started each year most fail. The one common theme may be a lack of planning. If you are considering starting a business, this free seminar will provide information that may help your business be among the 20 percent that survive and thrive. The seminar will be held on Thursday, March 13, 3:30pm to 5:00pm at 1964 Wakefield Street. Register at https://clients.virginiasbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=93340002, nicholspe@longwood.edu or 804-518- 2003. Library Events This Week All programs are held at the William R. McKenney Central Library, 137 South Sycamore Street. For additional information, call 804-733- 2387. Thursday, March 13 6:00pm Tai Chi Friday, March 14 Noon Yoga Available For Adoption Kelsey is a female black and white cat, approximately 9 months old. She has a sweet personality. Petersburg Animal Care and Control has many other nice cats and dogs ready for adoption. Take a look at the Pet Adoption photo album on Petersburg Va Facebook page. Also, watch pets from Petersburg for adoption featured on WTVR s Paws for Pets on Sunday morning, March 16 during the news. For additional information, call 804-732- 3654. Personal Property Tax Payment - March 14 Petersburg City Council unanimously approved an extension for the first payment due on personal property taxes for 2014. Vice Mayor Horace Webb moved that the due date be extended from Friday, February 28, 2014 to Friday, March 14, 2014. The second and final personal property tax payment for 2014 will be due, as scheduled, on Tuesday, June 10, 2014. The motion approved was for a one- time extension. Payments not received by March 14, 2014 will be considered delinquent and incur a 10% penalty and 10% APR interest on March 15, 2014. If you have a discrepancy on your bill, please contact the Commissioner of Revenue s Office at (804) 733-2315. Citizens will need to pay for all vehicles on their bill, and will have to pay the full year s taxes on all vehicles in order to 3

receive a City Decal. PAYMENT OPTIONS: Pay on line: www.petersburg- va.com. There is a 3% convenience fee for all credit and/or debit card payments. You will need your account number to pay personal property taxes SunTrust Bank Locations: Fort Lee Branch, 1400 Mahone Avenue; SouthPark Branch, 360 Charles Dimmock Parkway, Colonial Heights; Walnut Hill Branch, 1941 South Sycamore Street; and the Washington Street Branch, 1340 West Washington Street. YOU MUST BRING A COPY OF YOUR BILL TO THE BRANCH TO HELP PROCESS YOUR PAYMENT! Drop boxes: located in front of the Petersburg Central Library, 137 South Sycamore Street, Rodof Sholom Branch, 1865 South Sycamore Street, or City Hall, 135 North Union Street. Mail: P.O. Box 1271, Petersburg, VA 23804. FAILURE TO RECEIVE A BILL DOES NOT RELIEVE YOUR PAYMENT OBLIGATION OR EXCUSE PENALTIES. If you need a copy of a tax bill, please call (804) 733-2322 or email citytreas@petersburg- va.org. Friday for the Arts! March 14 Join in the fun on Friday, March 14 for Petersburg's monthly (2nd Friday) celebration of the arts. Activities begin in Old Towne/Downtown Petersburg at 6:00pm. Stroll, shop, and dine in beautifully decorated historic buildings! Listen to music and visit the galleries showcasing wonderful art. For more information, call 804-733- 2400. To view or download the Schedule of Events, visit www.petersburgarea.org. Peabody High School (1870 1970) Exhibit through March 14 Peabody High School s Alumni Association is featuring an exhibit of historical treasures in the Gallery at the Siege Museum, 15 West Bank Street. Opened in January 1870, Peabody was first located in First Baptist Church on Harrison Street. In 1873, the Board of Education purchased land on the corner of Harrison and Fillmore Street to build a new high school. The new school was completed in 1874 and became the first public high school established for African Americans in Virginia. Alfred Pryor was the first African American to be appointed principal of Peabody High School in 1882. In October 1915, the school was moved to Jones Street. The fourth stage of development for the school began with the purchase of three parcels of land within the boundaries of Wesley, Jones and Federal Streets. The new school opened in September 1951 and was officially named Peabody High School by the School Board. For additional information, call 804-733- 2402. PAAL Features Photography, Sculpture and Paintings March 14 Opening on Friday, March 14 for Friday for the Arts!, the Petersburg Area Art League (PAAL) will feature three exhibits in its three galleries. The Main Gallery will feature Work, a variety of works by VCU graduates Christian Gregory, Ian Gamble and Nicholas Crider. Gregory will be showing screen prints on canvas. Gamble will be showing contemporary, folk assemblages, and Crider will display several process paintings. In the Virginia Linen Members Gallery, Johanna Stoneking will feature an 4

exhibit of her photography of rainy scenes. In the upstairs Education Gallery, there will be a juried art show of artwork submitted to the Southside Virginia Council of the Arts. It is an all media show and J.C. Gilmore Bryan, Assistant Professor of Art at Virginia State University, will be the juror. The exhibits run through April 5. The Friday for the Arts! gallery shows start at 6:00pm with light refreshments. Call 804-861- 4611 for more information or visit www.paalart.org. PAAL is located at 7 East Old Street in Old Towne. Elizabeth Keckley to Visit Centre Hill Museum March 14 Elizabeth Keckley, performed by Evelyn Franklin, will be at Centre Hill Mansion during Friday for the Arts! on March 14 at 6:30pm. Mrs. Keckley was a former slave who became a successful seamstress, civic activist and author in Washington, DC. Born in Dinwiddie County and later lived in Petersburg, she was best known as the personal seamstress and confidante of Mary Todd Lincoln. She created an independent business in the capital based on clients who were the wives of the government elite. She visited Petersburg, a town she knew well from her youth, with President and Mrs. Lincoln in April 1865. Evelyn Franklin, a Petersburg Museum interpreter and volunteer, has spent many hours researching the life of Mrs. Keckley. Ms. Franklin s vivid performances have been met with standing ovations as she brings to life this intrepid businesswoman and witness to one of the most tumultuous periods of U.S. History. Elizabeth Keckley is free and open to the public. Centre Hill is located at 1 Centre Hill Avenue. For more information, call 804-733- 2427 or email mwithers@petersburg- va.org. Petersburg Farmers Market Fall/Winter Hours March 15 Petersburg Farmers Market is continuing on Saturdays from 9:00am to noon. The Market is located under the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge. For further information, call 804-733- 2352. Kenner Army Health Clinic Services Kenner Army Health Clinic Clinical services and appointment line availability will be limited on the 3rd Thursday afternoon (1-4 p.m.) of each month. This does not include ancillary services such as pharmacy, lab or radiology. The clinical staff, to include providers and nurses will be participating in training and development requirements during this time. Normal operations will resume the following Friday morning. For additional information, call 804-734- 9086. 5

City Property For Sale Open House March 20 The first open house for developers, builders and investors will be held on Thursday, March 20 from 2:00pm to 6:00pm at Union Station, 103 River Street. Petersburg will announce the disposition of over 200 city- owned resident and commercial properties. Revitalization plans will be presented and city representatives will be available to answer questions. There will be tours of select properties for sale and of completed developments. Following the open house, there will be time for networking and happy hour at Croaker s Spot. For additional information, call 804-908- 8562 or email catinaw@catinawrighthomes.com. Organ Concert March 23 SAVE THE DATE: Andrew Scanlon will perform the Casavant Frère Organ (opus 2439) at Washington Street United Methodist Church on Sunday, March 23 at 3:00pm. Scanlon will be presenting a program featuring the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, William Bolcom, Jean Langlais, and Felix Mendelssohn. The concert will be followed by a reception given by the Southside Virginia Chapter of the AGO. For further information please email bedersch@gmail.com. Community Economic Development Program March 25 SAVE THE DATE: Petersburg Director of Economic Development, Vandy Jones, will give a presentation on development and business opportunities in the City at Faith and Hope Temple, 1800 E. Washington Street. To register, call 804-861- 3898. Virginia Organizing Project Meeting March 29 SAVE THE DATE: The meeting will be held at Bland Funeral Home, 137 Harrison Street, from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. For information, call 804-943- 4683 or email fgreenwood@virgina- organizing.org. Ward 6 Meeting March 31 SAVE THE DATE: Council Representative David Coleman will hold a Ward 6 meeting on Monday, March 31 beginning at 6:30pm at A.P. Hill Elementary, 1450 Talley Avenue. City officials will be in attendance to give updates and answer questions. For additional information, call the Clerk of City Council at (804) 733-2323. 6

Week in Review National Kids to Parks Day At the Petersburg City Council meeting on March 4, a proclamation designating May 17, 2014, as National Kids to Parks Day was presented to Petersburg Parks & Leisure Services Director Tami Yerby. New Business Opens Shoes on Deck officially opened on Friday, March 7. The new shop is located at 27 West Washington Street. Welcome to Petersburg. Petersburg Wins Let s Move Awards Petersburg has received the following health initiative Let s Move awards from the National League of Cities: - Bronze Medal in Goal I: Start Early, Start Smart For having an active interagency collaboration on early care and education programs. - Bronze Medal in Goal II: MyPlate, Your Place For prominently displaying MyPlate in at least 51% of municipally- or county- owned or operated venues that serve food and for registering as a MyPlate Community Partner. - Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals in Goal III: Smart Servings for Students For having at least 80% of public schools participating in the School Breakfast Program, and at least 75% of public elementary and middle school students and at least 65% of high school students participating in the National School Lunch Program. 7