Hills & Heights
FC Cincinnati in town to face red hot Kickers
A win will move the Kickers into third place in the Eastern Division standings.

Let’s be honest with the weather forecasted everyone in the stadium is going to be red hot. The Kickers host FC Cincinnati at 7 PM this Saturday at City Stadium. The weather forecast is for 97° and humidity of 62% that combination spells a sweaty time in the stadium for all involved.
The Kickers are hot on a second level, they’re riding a six game winning streak. During that win streak the Kickers jumped four teams in the standings and now sit in fourth place just three points behind third place FC Cincinnati. Japanese midfielder Yudai Imura has scored 6 goals and 2 assists during the streak and is playing with a new found confidence that is amazing to watch. Vic Dorr Jr. posted this for RTD that gives a bit of insight into Imura’s recent run.
Cowlishaw said Imura’s 2016 surge “is no way a surprise. We’ve known all along what he’s capable of. We could see his talent almost immediately” at a tryout camp prior to the 2015 season. “We knew then that he had a chance to be a special player.”
Kickers have their usual game preview up here. I’d however suggest you give USL Scratching the Pitch preview a read as it talks with Bryan Weigel of Cincinnati Soccer Talk and Matt Myers of RVA is Red.
If you spend $10 and buy your ticket in advance you have a chance to take home a Momentum Rocker by Giant Bicycles (over $600 value). So that’s pretty cool.
You also have a chance to help those in need by donating gently used computer equipment for Tech 4 Troops Project or housewares for CARTIAS and get $5.00 OFF your purchase of $10 or more at the Kickers pro shop. More information on those programs here.


The stuff dangling off the osprey’s talon is trash that some human left. The bird is getting around fine now and hopefully the string will break off before the bird becomes entangled. Don’t litter, pickup what you can and for god’s sake don’t release balloons.
This article is 5 years old and the situation hasn’t improved.
More Plastic in the World Means More Plastic in Osprey Nests – National Audubon Society
Human waste routinely finds its way into birds’ nests, and it is especially common with Ospreys. The birds use a huge variety of materials to build their nests, including sticks, bark, sod, grass, vines and algae. Plastic items mimic the appearance of many of these natural building supplies, and Osprey find plastic trash mixed in with their natural nesting materials in beach wrack lines, making it hard for them to distinguish what’s what, Wurst says. “While Osprey see plastic as a useful resource for them to build their nests from, they don’t see the potential danger.”
By 2012, Wurst realized the problem was worsening, so he began removing the trash and collecting it to raise awareness of the issue. Wurst’s Osprey nest-trash collection includes all kinds of plastic items, including unusual finds such as plastic shovels, flags, and polyester hats. But he believes the most dangerous and deadly items are the most common ones he finds in nests: plastic ribbon from balloons and monofilament fishing line. “Trash like monofilament, ribbon, and string can easily entangle a foot, leg, or wing of an adult or young Osprey,” he says. In addition, “single use plastic bags or other plastic sheeting can choke or smother them.”
Community
Reedy Creek Access Could be Limited on Wednesday
Work will start at 9:30 AM and work should continue for a few hours. This will limit your access to Reedy Creek, and there may be periods of zero access.

From James River Parks.
Tomorrow (Wednesday, 3/29) Norfolk Southern is going to be doing repair work on the Reedy Creek Crossing. They will start at 9:30 AM and work should continue for a few hours. This will limit your access to Reedy Creek, and there may be periods of zero access.
Community
Tacos, Tattoos, and Beer
I doubt any spots are left but you can still swing by and get some killer tacos on Tuesday.

Love tattoos? Love free tacos?
We’re celebrating our 2 year anniversary with a block party @true_tattoo_rva where if you get a TBT or Taco related flash piece you’ll get free tacos from us for life
We’ll drop the flash sheet on Tuesday (3/14)
Just show us your dope ink when you purchase two tacos, and we’ll give you the third one for free
On Tuesday, March 14th, we’ll start booking slots, and we’ll have walk-ins the day of the event. Call @true_tattoo_rva to book appointments
We’ll be on-site slinging tacos and vibes with our amigos @capsoulbrewing pouring up suds.
We’ll have raffles and prizes available from our amigos as well!