On Tuesday, April 1, the City of Richmond will join in celebrating the second annual Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service. The event to be held at 9:30 a.m. at the Carillon in Byrd Park, 1300 Blanton Avenue, will spotlight the impact of volunteerism and thank those who served within the city of Richmond. More than 1,700 mayors from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico will hold public events and use both traditional and social media to highlight the value and impact of national service to the nation’s cities. This initiative is being led by the federal agency for service and volunteerism, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), along with Cities of Service, the National League of Cities, and Mesa, AZ, Mayor Scott Smith – President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Mayor Jones also participated in the inaugural Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service last year. After the 9:30 a.m. event, Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ Neighbor-to-

The City’s Public Art Commission invites residents to attend a public meeting to provide input on commemorative public art in Jackson Ward that will honor the life and accomplishments of Maggie L. Walker. The meeting dates will be held as follows with identical material presented at both meetings: Tuesday, April 1                                                     Saturday, April 5 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.                                                        10 a.m. to noon Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church                      Third Street Bethel AME Church 14 West Duval Street                                             614 North 3rd Street The Maggie L. Walker Commemoration art project is administered by the City of Richmond’s Public Art Commission and funded through the city’s Percent-for-Art Program. There will be two rounds of public meetings to formally gain input from the public on the Maggie L. Walker Commemoration. The first round will have two public meetings presenting identical c

On Saturday, April 12, the City’s Office of Emergency Management will begin the next session of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training classes. In the aftermath of a disaster when people feel compelled to help their community and neighbors, the skills that the CERT program teaches become invaluable. The City’s Office of Emergency Management maintains a robust CERT program, which has many active members that assist during non-emergency events. The CERT training program is designed to educate people about disaster preparedness and hazards that may impact their area. The program trains participants in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. Class Dates: April 12, 19 and

The City of Richmond and partner CultureWorks are pleased to announce the second cycle of grant awards, for the January 2014 cycle, made through the Richmond Arts and Cultural District Micro Grant Program. For Capital Improvements ART 180, $2,500 New signage to help increase ART180’s visibility at 114 W. Marshall Street. RVA First Fridays with Downtown Neighborhood Association, $2,010  Upgrades to a new office for the organizations at 417 W. Broad Street. Studio/Gallery 6, $2,500 Upgrades to exhibition and gallery space at 6 E. Broad Street.   For Project Support CenterStage Foundation, $1,000 Support of the free Genworth Lights Up! Youth Open House on March 22, 2014. The People’s Library, $1,000 Support of The People’s Library Project located at the Richmond Public Library, 101 East Franklin Street. RVA Dance Collective, $1,000 Support of free community workshops in July and August at Gallery 5, 200 W. Marshall Street. The Micro Grant Program is one of several recent City initiatives

The City of Richmond and Sports Backers invite residents and media to attend a press conference to announce new details for the second annual RVA Streets Alive! scheduled for Saturday, June 21. RVA Streets Alive! is an open streets festival, which closes roads to automobile traffic to allow residents and visitors to use these streets to be active through running, walking, biking and many other physical activities. The Mayor’s Healthy Richmond Campaign, the Richmond City Health District, and the Sports Backers are partnering to host this event. WHO:                   Dwight C. Jones, Mayor                                 Charles Samuels, Richmond City Council President, 2nd District                                 Jon Lugbill, Sports Backers, Executive Director                                 Dr. Donald Stern, Richmond City Health District, Director  WHAT:                 Announcement about the 2nd annual RVA Streets Alive! festival in the city of Richmond  WHEN:                 Thursda