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Enjoy James River Week with events across the watershed next week

James River Week officially begins on Saturday, September 10 and runs through Saturday, September 17, kicking off with the 23rd year of JRAC’s James River Regional Cleanup from 9am-noon on Saturday, September 10th.

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James River Week, an annual celebration of river-based adventures, trips, educational opportunities and more – all to celebrate Virginia’s greatest natural asset, the James River – kicks off Saturday, September 10th.

Six organizations including the James River Association (JRA), James River Advisory Council (JRAC), Friends of the James River Park (FOJRP), Maymont, Central Virginia Waste Management Authority, Chesterfield County Parks & Recreation, and Chesterfield County Public Library teamed up earlier this year to plan James River Week 2022, and they have recruited partners and participants from across the watershed to make this year’s event better than ever.

James River Week officially begins on Saturday, September 10 and runs through Saturday, September 17, kicking off with the 23rd year of JRAC’s James River Regional Cleanup from 9am-noon on Saturday, September 10th. This beloved cleanup is a true collaboration spanning more than 75 miles of the James River. Walkers, powerboats, paddle craft, and hikers can all participate by registering through JRAC’s website.

“JRAC enjoys the collaboration and community engagement during this special week!” said Janit Llewellyn, Co-Chair for JRAC. “Come out and enjoy a program, event or gathering to celebrate our region’s most notable gem, the James River.”

The first day of James River Week also features the return of Hardywood’s James River Jamboree at their West Creek location in the greater Richmond area. The day will be packed full of interactive vendors, music, cold beer, and tasty food trucks, with proceeds benefiting the James River Association.

Families can participate in several kid-friendly activities during the week, including James River Story Time at Chesterfield County Public Library, Toddler Time at Maymont, and a James River Bateaus experience at Deep Run Recreation Center in Henrico County.

“James River Week is a great time for Virginians to celebrate the great river resource that flows through our state,” said Krista Weatherford, Director of Programming and Community Engagement for Maymont. “Maymont is excited to participate as a location where people can learn about the river’s ecology at The Robins Nature Center or participate in engaging activities and programs.”

Animal lovers will delight in Maymont’s Run of the River at their Robins Nature Center, as well as Animals of the River Live! at Libbie Mill Library, while recreationists can revel in several opportunities to enjoy time both on and by the water, from historic batteau trips provided by JRA in Lynchburg to Hiking the Belle Isle Loop with Blue Sky Fund.

River lovers can make a difference for the James by attending a rain barrel workshop at Broad Rock Branch library, or volunteering with Friends of the James River Park System. Richmonders can also attend several fun events celebrating the river, including a river-themed trivia night at Starr Hill Brewery, as well as the JRPS 50th Birthday Party, in celebration of the James River Park System, where participants will have the chance to try out a number of the different activities available in the park system.

“Friends of the James River Park is proud to be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the creation of the James River Park System during James River Week this year,” said Joshua Stutz, Executive Director for Friends of the James River Park. “We are excited to see so many great partnerships taking place in support of the James River!”

Perhaps one of the most anticipated events of James River Week, JRA’s The Great Return of the Atlantic Sturgeon trips give the public an opportunity to learn about this “living fossil”. Atlantic sturgeon spend their adult years in the Atlantic Ocean, but return to the rivers where they were born twice a year to spawn. They are often seen breaching, which can make for a spectacular sight!

“Is there a better way to celebrate James River Week than by watching Atlantic sturgeon splashing their way upriver to Richmond?,” said Justin Doyle, Director of Community Conservation for the James River Association. “Atlantic sturgeon make their fall spawning migration up the James at the end each summer and can be seen breaching as far upriver as Richmond in September. We look forward to welcoming participants on the Spirit of the James to catch a glimpse of this charismatic fish species that swam with the dinosaurs.”

Last but not least – back for its second year with three times the number of restaurants participating in 2021 – ‘Seafood for the James’ will feature 20+ eateries, bar & grills, wine bars, and more giving back to the river with locations all across the watershed. 10% of select seafood and fish dishes at participating restaurants will be donated to JRA to protect and conserve the James River.

For a complete list of all James River Week events and opportunities including dates, times and more, please click here.

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Trevor Dickerson is the Editor and Co-Founder of RVAHub.

Downtown

Feds identify ‘significant’ ongoing concerns with Virginia special education

After failing to meet federal requirements to support students with disabilities in 2020, the Virginia Department of Education will remain under further review by the federal government after continuing to fall short in monitoring and responding to complaints against school districts, according to a letter from the U.S. Department of Education.

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By Nathaniel Cline

After failing to meet federal requirements to support students with disabilities in 2020, the Virginia Department of Education will remain under further review by the federal government after continuing to fall short in monitoring and responding to complaints against school districts, according to a letter from the U.S. Department of Education.

“We have significant new or continued areas of concerns with the State’s implementation of general supervision, dispute resolution, and confidentiality requirements” of IDEA, stated the Feb. 17 letter from the Office of Special Education Programs.

The U.S. Department of Education first flagged its concerns in a June 2020 “Differentiated Monitoring and Support Report” on how Virginia was complying with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, following a 2019 visit by the Office of Special Education Programs.

IDEA, passed in 1975, requires all students with disabilities to receive a “free appropriate public education.”

The Virginia Department of Education disputed some of the federal government’s findings in a June 19, 2020 letter.

Samantha Hollins, assistant superintendent of special education and student services, wrote that verbal complaints “are addressed via technical assistance phone calls to school divisions” and staff members “regularly work to resolve parent concerns” by providing “guidance documentation” and acting as intermediaries between school employees and parents.

However, some parents and advocates say systemic problems in how the state supports families of children with disabilities persist. At the same time, a June 15, 2022 state report found one of Virginia’s most critical teacher shortage areas is in special education.

“Appropriate policies and procedures for both oversight and compliance, and their implementation, are crucial to ensuring that children with disabilities and their families are afforded their rights under IDEA and that a free appropriate public education (FAPE) is provided,” said the Feb. 17 letter from the Office of Special Education Programs.

While the U.S. Department of Education wrote that it believes the Virginia Department of Education has resolved some of the problems identified in 2020, including resolving complaints filed by parents and creating a mediation plan, it said it has identified “new and continued areas of concern” and intends to continue monitoring Virginia’s provision of services for students with disabilities.

Among those are ongoing concerns over the state’s complaint and due process systems that “go beyond the originally identified concerns” originally found. The Office of Special Education Programs writes it has concluded Virginia “does not have procedures and practices that are reasonably designed to ensure a timely resolution process” for due process complaints.

The department also said it has concerns over the practices of at least five school districts that are inconsistent with IDEA’s regulations.

The decision comes after the U.S. Department of Education announced in November that Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia’s largest school district, failed to provide thousands of students with disabilities with the educational services they were entitled to during remote learning at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Virginia is also facing a federal class-action lawsuit over claims that its Department of Education and Fairfax County Public Schools violated the rights of disabled students under IDEA.

Parents involved in the case said the Virginia Department of Education and Fairfax school board “have actively cultivated an unfair and biased” hearing system to oversee challenges to local decisions about disabled students, according to the suit.

Charles Pyle, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Education, said in an email that “VDOE continues to work with our federal partners to ensure Virginia’s compliance with all federal requirements, as we have since the ‘Differentiated Monitoring and Support Report’ was issued in June 2020.”

The federal government said if Virginia could not demonstrate full compliance with IDEA requirements, it could impose conditions on grant funds the state receives to support early intervention and special education services for children with disabilities and their families.

Last year, Virginia received almost $13.5 billion in various grants linked to IDEA, according to a July 1, 2022 letter to former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, who resigned on March 9.

James Fedderman, president of the Virginia Education Association, blasted Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration after the findings were released.

“While the Youngkin administration has been busy waging culture wars in schools, his administration has failed to meet basic compliance requirements with the U.S. Department of Education for students with disabilities,” Fedderman said. “This failure threatens our federal funding for students with disabilities and is a disservice to Virginia families who need critical special needs support.”

Will you help support independent, local journalism?

We need your help. RVAHub is a small, independent publication, and we depend on our readers to help us provide a vital community service. If you enjoy our content, would you consider a donation as small as $5? We would be immensely grateful! Interested in advertising your business, organization, or event? Get the details here.

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Downtown

Richmond 911 callers can soon provide feedback on calls for service via text message

Beginning March 20, those who call 911 with some types of non-life-threatening emergencies will receive a text message within hours or a day after the call with a short survey about the service they received on the call.

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Some 911 callers in Richmond will begin to receive follow-up text messages next week asking for their ranking of the service they received and additional information.

Beginning March 20, those who call 911 with some types of non-life-threatening emergencies will receive a text message within hours or a day after the call with a short survey about the service they received on the call.

The Richmond Department of Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response is using the feedback from callers as another way to ensure that it is continuing to deliver excellent emergency services to Richmond.

“It is very important that those who receive the text message answer the questions as accurately as possible, based on the service they received on the call, not on the response from first responders with different agencies,” said Director Stephen Willoughby. “We use the feedback that callers provide to monitor and improve our 911 services to Richmond residents and visitors, as well as the other measurements of service that we have in place.”

Those who would like to offer feedback, but do not receive a text message, are encouraged to email [email protected] or call 804-646-5911. More information about offering commendations or filing a complaint is on the department’s website athttps://www.rva.gov/911/comments. In addition, the department conducts a full survey of adults who live, work and study in Richmond every two years. More information about those surveys and results are at https://www.rva.gov/911/community-outreach.

The Department of Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response is using a third-party vendor, PowerEngage, to send the text-message surveys and report the results. Text messages may be sent for other uses in the future.

More information about the text-message surveys, from the news release:

  • The answers that callers provide in the text message have no effect on the service provided to that caller.
  • Callers who do not want to participate in the text-message survey would simply not respond to the text message. They also may reply STOP to opt out of future text surveys from DECPR.
  • Callers should not use the surveys to report any other emergency or request help. They would need to call or text 911 for immediate help. To file a police report or request nonemergency public safety help, call 804-646-5100. For other city services, call 311, visit rva311.com or use the RVA311 app.
  • Those who have further questions or would like to request a call-back from a staff member about the survey or their experiences, may email [email protected].
  • More information about the after-call survey is at https://www.rva.gov/911/survey.

Will you help support independent, local journalism?

We need your help. RVAHub is a small, independent publication, and we depend on our readers to help us provide a vital community service. If you enjoy our content, would you consider a donation as small as $5? We would be immensely grateful! Interested in advertising your business, organization, or event? Get the details here.

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Community

Teens Make Art Your Summer Job

Hurry up, the deadline is today.

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Students in 9th-11th grade can apply to join the next cohort of this summer’s Atlas Artist Residency—an 8-week art intensive giving teens the opportunity to develop artistic skills while working alongside professional artists in a creative and collaborative environment. 10 teens will be selected to participate and awarded personal art-studio space, a program stipend of $1350, materials, and the opportunity to expand their portfolio of work and bolster their resume for college applications.

Applications are open through March 16, 2023.
Head to https://www.art180.org/student-artist-residency for the details and to submit your application!

Will you help support independent, local journalism?

We need your help. RVAHub is a small, independent publication, and we depend on our readers to help us provide a vital community service. If you enjoy our content, would you consider a donation as small as $5? We would be immensely grateful! Interested in advertising your business, organization, or event? Get the details here.

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