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Archive for April, 2006

Irony Floats!

Saturday, April 29th, 2006

It seems that many different planets and orbits are converging on each other at the same time � merging and colliding and co-existing and exiting in sometimes predictable, other times interesting ways. First, there is this. Then this. And I know people haven’t been talking about this at all. But for Save Richmonders especially, the most hopeful and ironic configurations can be found in this particular arts-related story:

The concept is fairly straightforward: Mingle outside, inject some life into the Canal Walk area and raise money for nonprofit groups.

At least those are the goals of Jeff Sadler, soon-to-be general manager of the soon-to-be Toad’s Place club and current general manager of Turning Point Development.

On Saturday, the first event in Sadler’s game plan takes place at 3 p.m. — a fundraiser for Richmond’s indie radio station WRIR (97.3 FM).

Starting May 11 and probably running through July, a weekly music series on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights will take place at the Canal Walk and Lady Byrd Plaza. All will be fundraisers for local nonprofit organizations; the Elegba Folklore Society is the beneficiary through the first week of June.

“I want to work with some local people because they don’t get any national support generally, and they need the help,” said Sadler. “Their mission is what our for-profit mission [with Toad's Place] will be — being creative, having fun, listening to music, just . . . let’s all get along.”

But Saturday’s gig, featuring Las Gitanas, Gorgeous, Cheap Seats, Red Anthem, Octane Saints and The Deviltones, is the primer for much more ambitious aspirations.

Let’s stop here and announce that Jeff Sadler wins Save Richmond’s “Best Richmonder of the Week” award hands down. No contest. Way to go, Jeff!

But I digress. It gets better:

For those wondering what the deal is with the venue side of Toad’s Place, originally expected to open last fall, there is finally an official first event on the books for late September: the Richmond Symphony’s Kicked Back Classics.

David Fisk, executive director of the Symphony, says the concert will differ in its presentation from its current home at the Science Museum of Virginia.

“The Science Museum is much more family-oriented,” says Fisk. “Toad’s will be a more edgy, martini-type crowd, as it began at Tredegar.”

I doubt you’ll read about any of this in the performing arts committee report due next week� it’s certainly not a topic that Richmond’s Best Citizen Junket-Takers Council would want to distract themselves with while diligently positioning the city as a prominent minor league baseball tourist destination (read that again, weep). But the tentative first steps taken at and by Toad’s Place are good and noteworthy things indeed. For downtown and for the arts � remember those?

… and given what we “irresponsible bloggers” have been saying for years, right here in this space, it’s all just a smidge ironic too. Don’t you think?

Posted in Uncategorized, armchair philosophizin' | No Comments »

Happy Birthday Bryan

Thursday, April 27th, 2006

A very sad but very special birthday party is planned today in Carytown. Details from F.T. Rea and SlantBlog:

At Plan 9 in Carytown several musicians will perform live on stage on Thursday, April 27, to remember the late Bryan Harvey on what would have been his 50th birthday. The players, all friends of the slain musician, are more than happy to promote the recently released memorial Harvey CD — Remember Me Well, 1956-2006.

The show will include: members of Harvey’s late-’70s group, Boys from Skateland; members of his most recent band, NRG Krysys; his longtime House of Freaks partner — Johnny Hott. This one-of-a-kind show starts at 6:30 p.m. Don’t miss it.

Richmond.com has more:

In addition, Plan 9 will celebrate Bryan Harvey’s birthday by donating $1 for every CD or DVD sold that day to The Bryan and Kathryn Harvey Family Memorial Endowment. Donations to the fund can be made c/o the Community Foundation and at any Plan 9 store. Plan 9 will match every donation made April 27 at the Carytown store.

Be there.

Posted in Richmond in the news, Uncategorized | No Comments »

The First Steps

Tuesday, April 25th, 2006

Paul Goldman will appear before the city’s Human Resources subcommittee tomorrow (Wednesday, April 26th) to talk about “The City of the Future” plan and proposals for new and renovated schools. The meeting will be held on the 17th floor of City Hall at 9 AM. If you can’t make it, at least contact your city councilperson and ask them when they will be holding district meetings on the “City of the Future” plan.

Here is Mr. Goldman’s statement on where things currently stand with the “City” plan, and the conspicuous foot-dragging to date by Richmond City Council:

“I do believe there are those slipping back into that ‘paralysis by analysis’ mind set as, once again, there are calls for more “studies” and less can-do ‘action’ on things that have been studied and studied; there are things that we can do NOW to start changing the efficiency part of that ‘cesspool of corruption and inefficiency’ duality that was a key part of the 2003 referendum campaign.

There are those who say that they think the Richmond Public Schools may be wasting as much as 71 million dollars. But their answer is, after 8 months of study, yet another study of what has already been done. IT IS TIME FOR ACTION! If we are really wasting tens and tens of million dollars, then how can you justify waiting? I am a Franklin Delano Roosevelt kind of guy: you act, go forward, learn as you go, adjust what needs adjusting, but do it.

If we are indeed wasting all these millions - millions that could better educate our students and help reduce taxes and build schools - then waiting another year for another study means accepting once again all those millions.

The new City Budget is due to be passed in a few short weeks. Last year, we changed the Charter to allow for better Council management oversight of school system funding. Is the City Council using it to do their job?

There are ways that we can save substantial money - right now - despite all the ‘paralysis by analysis’ that seems to be growing once again. Moreover, these aren’t just my ideas: rather, I got them in many instances from others who have already studied and studied our school system.

There is an old Chinese proverb: Even the longest journey begins with the first step. I don’t claim to have all the answers. But there are some first steps we can take RIGHT NOW.”

For more on Goldman and the “City of the Future” plan, click here.

Posted in Uncategorized, number-crunching | No Comments »

Let’s Take a Trip

Monday, April 24th, 2006

Junkets are so much fun. You get to hang with your buds, eat in good restaurants, meet new people, see the sights. If you play your cards right, someone else will even foot the bill.

And talk about informative � you can learn so much from visiting another city and finding out what steps that community has taken to address many of the same types of problems and concerns that your community faces.

The best thing about these fact-finding trips: It’s oh so easy to ignore and forget the things you learned when you get back home, should you choose. If what you discovered in the faraway city doesn’t correspond to your, ah, values or world view… you can just block it out and pretend it didn’t matter. OR you can choose to put blinders on before you even get there; it is possible then to see just what you want to see and nothing more. How educational.

Take the 100 “community leaders” who are going on the road to Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday to study how Music City is handling such issues as ballpark development, jobs, health care, tourism, commuter rail service and (mentioned as kind of a last minute afterthought, don’t you know) “the creative class.” How interesting that there are no plans for any of these 100 community leaders to study how Nashville successfully built its new performing arts center. [I put that in bold so you wouldn't miss it.]

Save Richmond has long used that town’s new Schermerhorn Symphony Center to compare and contrast with Richmond’s woeful efforts to build a similar structure. But studying Nashville’s performing arts facilities is simply not on the itinerary of our fine leaders this time out; it’s not even a lower-tiered priority like retaining “the young people.” If you think that this omission is weird, and even kind of obscene given recent events, then you haven’t lived in Richmond very long. The blinders are business as usual, and will probably be passed out one by one on the airplane, like headphones or salted peanuts.

But the Schermerhorn is no secret. This time last year, our own Andrew Beaujon [a man who loves him some juicy junkets, btw] did some comparing between the Nashville way and the Richmond approach. See if you can figure out why our fine community leaders � and especially those afflilated with the Virginia Performing Arts Foundation (VAPAF) and/or a certain secretive and highly dubious performing arts committee � are NOT biting at the quick to obtain needed data on how Nashville managed to build a functioning, popular and relatively inclusive performing arts center for its downtown:

The Schermerhorn Symphony Center… is anchoring a downtown that began blooming again when bars and live-music spaces were encouraged to revitalize Broadway. (Note the sequence of events: First nightlife, then a performing arts center.) The city of Nashville donated the land, but just take a gander at the Nashville Symphony Association’s FY2002 990. Government contributions: $551,900. Private contributions: $41,066,006. That’s a ratio of 74 private bucks to every 1 public.

Now let’s have a look at VAPAF’s most recent 990. Government contributions: $4,500,000. Private contributions: $2,623,084. A ratio of $1.70 from the City of Richmond for every $1 raised privately. Nashville has $40.6 million dollars on hand. Richmond has 2.8 million. Nashville’s performing arts center will open in 2006. Richmond’s will open roughly around the time Goochland begins issuing gay-marriage licences.

And let’s not forget the most important lesson: In Nashville, they raised the money before they started construction. In Richmond, well, we took VAPAF’s word for it, didn’t we? And now we’ve got a hole on Broad Street that the city’s gonna have to fill one way or another.

It should be noted with extreme sarcasm that the junket’s sponsor, the Greater Richmond Chamber, has been a consistent supporter and enabler of the Virginia Performing Arts Foundation from day one. Another longtime VAPAF stooge, Councilman Bill Pantele will be in attendance (will someone PLEASE give him this man a fraternity-styled wedgie during the annual Intercity Drinking Binge??) as will the city’s Chief Administrative Officer William Harrell and the city’s Economic Development Director William Jabjiniak. Make sure you remember each and every one of these highly inquisitive and curious fellows � and the valuable education they are getting from this “fact-finding” jaunt at nearly $2,000 a pop � the next time you pass the boarded-up Carpenter Center and a certain infamous hole in the ground.

And if you talk to them, make sure you front-face them and make eye contact. They may not be able to see you with those blinders on.

Posted in Uncategorized, our social betters | No Comments »

Carnival Story

Monday, April 24th, 2006

Ladies and gentlemen and kids of all ages: The latest installment of the Virginia Blog Carnival is open for business. Hurry, hurry, step right this way � and don’t forget to extend a big tip of the top hat to Norm at One Man’s Trash for his magnificent job as Head Barker of this edition of the semi-regular internet summit meeting.

Read, learn, laugh, cry, enjoy…

Posted in Uncategorized, holy cannoli | No Comments »

Draining One Side

Wednesday, April 19th, 2006

Kudos to RVA Magazine’s Michael Roberts for his two part interview with the owners of Tropical Soul, a very cool Caribbean “sea and soulfood cafe” downtown (seriously: great grub and even better vibes!). The interview with co-owner Nadira Chase is featured in the current newsstand issue of the magazine while the instructive and fiesty talk with co-owner Kalif Maddox is available here on RVA’s website.

Let’s hope those in charge of downtown’s future � elected, unelected and curiously appointed � read and heed what Mr. Maddox has to say. An excerpt:

RVA Magazine: Mayor Wilder obviously broke down a lot of barriers politically, but it seem like there is still a wall there in the city. What do you think of the current administration?

Kalif Maddox: It�s a love-hate relationship. For Mayor Wilder to accomplish what he has accomplished, he had to be diverse. He wouldn�t have become governor just by going to the African American vote. He wouldn�t have become mayor with just the African American vote.

He had to reach his hand out. That is a plan that everyone should follow. You have to admire the mayor for what he has done and accomplished. You cannot denounce that. What they do when they�re in office, that�s another thing. But on the road to get there, that�s the master plan. I�m from the African American community but I know to get into office I need to shake this person�s hand, and this person�s hand. It�s the same thing for businesses, same thing for the city council, same thing for grant writers, same thing for everybody. What they do with the opportunity when they seize it, that�s between them and their lord. And God willing they do the right thing.

RVA : Do you think Wilder is able to do anything to bridge these gaps?

Maddox: He can do a lot. Mayor Wilder has a foothold on the city, they can�t go around him. Everything has to go past his desk, he�s made that clear. From a parking ticket to the expunging of two bears. This is his city, and he�s let that be known. From the seizure of the [performing arts center] on Broad, and everything else.

RVA: What do you think he�s doing with [the arts center]?

Maddox: He�s trying to open the mind of the developers and people in power that it just can�t be just a one-sided event. It can�t be a one-sided city, that�s not the future of the city. But at the same time, he can�t cut off his economic funding to be re-elected. Politicians have such a diverse lifestyle that they have to play both sides of the fence very carefully. But he also will let someone know that �I see where you�re going with this, I�m they mayor, and it can�t go like that.� It can�t just be a white thing, with the art development as sponsored by Ukrop�s. Same thing for Christina [Newton of Curated Culture/Friday Artwalk], this can�t just be a white thing.

Taxes were raised two years ago to support that [arts center]. One percent. And that�s coming from us, the restaurant people, not the average department store. So we have to wear that burden. So, what can the mayor do to help us out? He�s got to help us out. Can you provide some kind of way that the businesses that are paying these extra tax burdens are going to get some kind of revenue or supportive means from the businesses that receive the tax benefits. It�s about balance. You can�t keep draining one side to build another. And I think he stopped the art development because he realized that. But, it�s still going up. They�re still going to put that thing up.

RVA: You think so?

Maddox: I know so. Too much money in that. We have to realize that the private sector in Richmond is wealth. A lot of old money in Richmond– and old ideals. That�s what Tropical Soul is all about, to break that old traditional way. We might have support here and there, but it�s coming from everyone. It�s not just one side of the fence. It�s not just African American. And for Richmond to realize that for the city to blossom, you have to go through everyone�black, white, Indian, Spanish�like I said, that�s what makes a city a city. And when people in power realize that, it can be a whole better city, a whole better state, and a whole better country.

Posted in Uncategorized, armchair philosophizin' | No Comments »

Introducing… XTREME Dispatch

Friday, April 14th, 2006

Is anyone out there interested in becoming the “alternative weekly coordinator” of the Richmond Times-Dispatch�s new, edgy �suburban alternative newsweekly”? Style Weekly has the scoop on this new, free “rad” publication, soon to be littering the floor of a countercultural coffeehouse near you.

The details of the proposed magazine were spelled out in a Media General job advertisement that was quickly pulled. See if you can figure out why:

Seeking entrepreneurial spirit to create and launch a new downtown suburban alternative newsweekly in Richmond. We’re NOT looking for someone who thinks outside the box. We’re looking for someone who will rip the box into little pieces, burn the remnants, bury the ashes and give birth to a whole new form of journalism in Richmond - one that is sorely needed and long overdue. If you have a background in journalism and risk-taking, and can think like an urban millennial, apply online. Digital responses only - no dead trees.

Job Skills: The ideal candidate will be able to plan and produce an attention-grabbing weekly news product. They should be able to think visually to create eye-catching layout concepts. They will need to work well with freelance talent on a tight timeframe and with an entrepreneur’s budget. The position does demand strong editorial skills and the desire to create something new and exciting.

Um, when Save Richmond suggests that “a new form of journalism is sorely needed and long overdue” in this town, we are usually called whiners or worse. When the town’s daily newspaper does it � insinuating in the process that Richmond’s “old form of journalism” should be crisply burned and buried in a hole � it might just be cause for some serious corporate soul-searching. No kidding: When does a job ad become a cry for help?

Still, we love the sheer craziness of this idea and we really want to help make it happen. So here are some stories that WE would like to see in the T-D�s new alt-mag (there’s no title yet, but we’re calling it XTREME Dispatch):

- OPINION
Grunge music from Seattle: Is it here to stay?

- FIRST PERSON ESSAY
A member of the Ukrop family � still mourning the death of the Maymont Bears � tells us what SHE thought about last week’s episode of �American Idol.�

- COVER STORY
�First Fridays” is back. Shouldn�t something be done about it? Young people all around… it�s scary and confusing. Where did I put my reading glasses? Is this thing on? Are you here to fix the sink, young man? I’m calling the police. Did you find my glasses yet? A Ross Mackenzie special “XTREME Dispatch” investigation.

- BUSINESS
U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow talks frankly about his XBox addiction and his new eyebrow piercing.

- LOCAL MUSIC
The Richmond mayor’s office releases a heated press statement criticizing D�Angelo for failing to issue a new CD “in a timely manner.” A handpicked committee of rich conservative dudes will investigate. Report due 2019.

- SPONSORED PULLOUT SECTION
What does the tattoo�d youth demographic really want in a vibrant downtown?! The answers may surprise you (three hints: opera, opera and higher meals taxes). This 24-page, color, glossy, very expensive pullout section has been sponsored and paid for by the totally-broke Virginia Performing Arts Foundation.

- SEXY RAD PIX!
City Councilman Manoli Loupassi is this week�s centerspread �XTREME Dispatch Hottie.” He talks openly about his two passions � stumping for Brad Marrs and watching �American Idol.�

- SIZZLING HOT REGULAR SECTION
A weekly calendar listing of all of the clubs and hotspots that probably won�t be around next week after city police and the neighborhood associations get ahold of this weekly calendar listing of all the clubs and hotspots that are around! Only in XTREME Dispatch!

- XTREME Public Square
The topic: “Bad Things Only Happen in Chesterfield County.” This public event will be held in Billings, Montana. We hope to see you there.

- POINT / COUNTERPOINT
NASCAR vs. Hyphy: The Debate Absolutely No One Else Is Having!

- SPORTS
The Richmond Braves once had a relief pitcher whose last name was “Bong.” I’m totally not kidding you.

- HARD NEWS
The Bush twins are in town: What they eat, what they wear, what they thought of last week’s “American Idol.”

- PERSONAL ESSAY
Columnist Mark Holmberg on why punk rock music was better when he was growing up during the Depression.

- XTREME-ly Cheap Wire Service Pap
Some gossip, DVD reviews and feature articles about Paris Hilton that we just pulled off the Associated Press newswire.

- CINEMA
Legendary filmmakers Bertrand Tavernier and Ray Harryhausen recently visited Richmond. The burning question: What did THEY think about last week’s episode of “American Idol�?

Oops, should stop there. Wouldn’t want anyone going over that �entrepreneur’s budget,� now would we?

Posted in Uncategorized, politricks | No Comments »

Goldman Talks!

Monday, April 10th, 2006

In recent months, Paul Goldman has been called a genius, a gadfly, a brilliant strategist, a volatile lightning rod, a straight-shooter, an under-the-table dealer, a future city council candidate and, just recently, a meddler.

About the only thing that isn’t in dispute about the mayor’s former policy advisor is that he was the main instigator behind L. Douglas Wilder’s landmark bid to become Richmond’s elected mayor � just as he guided Wilder to another historic political victory in 1989 � and that he was the architect behind the city’s most ambitious project to date: the “City of the Future” plan.

Save Richmond recently caught up with Goldman � who is no longer on the city’s payroll � and asked him to explain the details of the very ambitious undertaking.

Save Richmond: People ask: “If this [the "City of the Future" plan] can be done, why hasn’t it been done before?”

Goldman: As Mayor Wilder said in his campaign, the same old power brokers have had control of things for too long in Richmond. This is precisely why I spent the summer of 2003 getting those petitions to put the Elected Mayor change on the ballot. The old system of government here in Richmond, where only a handful ruled, would never have done this.

Under the old system, the “City of the Future” concept would have been DOA had anyone proposed it. We are plagued today at all levels of having too many in key elected or appointed offices who talk a good game but in reality, don’t really have the ideas, the energy, or the record, to move us forward, to change the status quo.

The Mayor “gets it” as regards the new form of government. Someone needs to shake up the Council, make it “step up” as they say in basketball, play at a much higher level, because the new form of government demands far more of individual Council members and the Council as a whole.

Save Richmond: How much of the “City of the Future� plan is dependent on money or grants from the state or from the Federal government? How much of it is dependent on money from the private sector? Concerning the latter, can we be sure the private sector will come through?

Goldman: In my conception, there was no dependency on state or federal or private money although it does use state historic tax credits for the first time to build a Richmond city school, and I naturally presumed the Arts Foundation would keep the commitment to raise certain private dollars for the Carpenter Center as they have already spent millions of public dollars given to them based on that promise.

The new Arts and Science High School does not require any private sector dollars but based on my discussions with people, I felt very confident it would attract such funds and also great assistance from VCU and the Science Museum.

You can read the complete interview with Paul Goldman here.

Posted in Uncategorized, number-crunching | No Comments »

Anatomy of a Sham

Friday, April 7th, 2006

Snoopy from River City Rapids was able to attend Wednesday’s stealth “public” meeting of the performing arts committee � and thank goodness! I was unable to attend the event because, like others, I heard about it too late to adjust my work schedule. (Aside: ever notice how many important meetings in Richmond � announced or not � are scheduled for a time when most people have to be at work?)

No, I don’t think that there is any doubt that minimum participation was the desired outcome on Wednesday. The people I talked with who did find out about the meeting, and were able to attend, all seemed to agree that the thing was a sham, or a glorified press conference at best, and hardly the kind of thoughtful and inclusive process that was promised or needed. And, yes, a sizable number had more critical things to say about the meeting and the committee’s direction than, “I see this as falling a couple years behind the original schedule.”

For his part, Snoopy seemed significantly unimpressed. He came out of the meeting with more questions and concerns than answers:

I missed the first 15 minutes of the meeting, but when I asked one of the reporters there what I missed, they replied “I don’t know. They didn’t say anything.”

Still, there were a few things I picked up on.

First, regarding the rumor I have heard that the Carpenter Center will not be reopened until 2010, it was clear the renovation would take at least two years from when they start, and understandably want to do it right rather than the rush it and do it wrong. I hope the report, unlike the meeting, emphasizes that this should be the top priority over all others.

Second, an idea touched on briefly that I thought promising was the creation of a group to manage all the various art facilites, the CC, Landmark, future arts center, Hippodrome (if renovated and included in this which it should be), and handle booking, etc. (calling Joel Katz). That is an idea with legs.

Third, the funding issue of the long term project was addressed. The reply to the city and private funding question makes me anxious to see the report. Mr. Grey (committee chairman) said it was hard to identify funding “until there is a semblance of a plan.” Is there not one now? How can there not be a blueprint? If there is they were not sharing.

He also said the City of the Future funding seemed to be encouraging, but they needed to identify other sources and community giving. That does not inspire confidence at all and makes it seem like we have not moved at all. Maybe we haven’t.

Fourth, regarding the “hole in the ground” there were several things said, not all encouraging. One is that the committee wants to consider “further building opportunities” for the site. When asked about converting it into a park at least for now so conventioneers don’t see the empty hole, the reply was kind of baffling. “If you have some ideas….’ followed by noting that the committee “have not focused on it.”

That stunned me because the CC renovation and even coming up with a Band-Aid fix for 7th & Broad should lead the “to do” list. Right now it should be the list.

You can share the blame wide and far on this whole arts center debacle, but those two questions need immediate action. Maybe that will be in the report on May 1st but yesterday it did not sound like it had been too deeply addressed. I sure hope I am wrong.

In short, yesterday can be summed up by my elevator ride down to Cary St. There was another man and woman who got in the elevator with me. We said nothing and stared at the floor until the man looked up and said slowly “Well, that was a waste of time.” The other woman and I smirked and agreed.

I wish he were wrong, but John Sarvey over at “Buttermilk & Molasses” hits the nail on the head with his view on this so-called performing arts committee:

[I]t looks like yet another case of Doug Wilder putting the kibosh on one plan (in the case, a bad plan) without having the vision, or the staying power, to suggest a feasable alternative.

Posted in Uncategorized, come the revolution... | No Comments »

Not Forgotten

Friday, April 7th, 2006

Thanks to Scott B. � host of the excellent “Locals Only” show on WRIR 97.3FM� for passing this along:

PLAN 9 ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF BRYAN HARVEY CD, REMEMBER ME WELL 1956-2006

In collaboration with Bryan’s long-time friend Stephen McCarthy and other area musicians, Gary Stewart (who signed the House of Freaks to Rhino Records) compiled this collection of Bryan’s recordings as a way to honor Bryan, and, as he says, to help “make sense out of the senselessness.”

The 22-track CD traces Bryan’s career from his days with Richmond bands Boys From Skateland, and the Dads, through his years in House of Freaks. Also included are two unreleased solo tracks from 1997, a track by Poi Boi, a Hawaiian concept group, and a 2002 recording of his soul/dance cover band NRG Krysys.

Friend and bandmate Coby Batty provides extensive and heartfelt liner notes in a twenty-page booklet of band and family photos. Thanks to Gary Stewart, all proceeds will benefit the Bryan and Kathryn Harvey Family Memorial Endowment. This limited-release CD is available at all Plan 9 locations and online at www.plan9music.com

Music samples from the Remember Me Well compilation can be heard here.

Hi-resolution cover art for the release can be found here.

Posted in Richmond in the news, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Conduit Artists

Wednesday, April 5th, 2006

Many of you will think that the following reprinted Richmond.com report from writer Caine O’Rear is a fake (it’s that name, isn’t it?) and dismiss it as a bad, and too late, April Fools joke.

I advise those folks to follow the link and weep [emphasis mine]:

Mayor’s performing arts committee holds first public meeting

Caine O’Rear
Richmond.com

The performing arts committee created by Mayor L. Douglas Wilder last November to expedite renovation of the Carpenter Center and the Thalhimer’s Block on Broad Street held its first press conference this afternoon.

Committee member Robert Grey, who spoke on behalf of the nine-person group, said no timetable had been set for the renovations. He added that the Carpenter Center, however, would not be renovated and opened within the year.

But the “hole in the ground” on Broad Street, where the performing arts center was going to be built, would be refilled, Grey said. He said the committee had not ruled out building a performing arts complex, as originally envisioned by the foundation, at the site.

The committee would meet its deadline of May 1 for issuing an interim report to the mayor, Grey said. Grey said more specifics about the committee’s plans would be available after that time. The mayor expects a final report from the committee by Dec. 31.

Grey offered no specifics about fundraising, but said the committee was exploring the possibility of using tax credits, state funds and City funds to finance the renovations. Development of the performing arts center has long been plagued by fundraising problems, which played a role in the foundation’s decision to focus on the Carpenter Center.

Asked about renovating the Landmark Theatre, Grey said merely that it was a big project. Grey said the committee had consulted with many in the Richmond performing arts community. The Alliance for the Performing Arts, Grey said, had participated in a survey created by the committee.

The APA got to fill out a survey, folks � a survey! Who says the performing artists of Richmond have been shunted aside and ignored during this process?

But please wait for the real punchline of this Hall-of-Fame, put-it-in-a-time-capsule news item (and don’t forget that these comments are being issued by someone representing a quasi-governmental entity that failed to post a single advance notice about its “public” meeting today):

Grey said the committee could possibly hold more public meetings once the May 1 report had been issued. In November, Wilder said one of the committee’s chief aims would be to “provide our citizens with a regular conduit of information.”

Balls.