Two Richmond Public Libraries will close for one day in preparation for substantial renovations. Westover Hills Library will be closed on Tuesday, January 26, and North Avenue Library will be closed on Tuesday, February 2. These one day closures will allow for an inventory of library books and materials to be conducted. North Avenue Library and Westover Hills Library will be the first libraries to undergo renovation. Scope of work includes the rewiring of the buildings for 21st century computer use and for the addition of new public computers (17 for North Avenue Library and 15 for Westover Hills Library), realignment of shelving for improved efficiency, new furniture with improved seating, new windows, carpet, interior paint, interior lighting, and improved outside lighting and landscaping. Work is expected to begin in May 2010. Mayor Dwight C. Jones first announced the library renovations in March 2009 during his biennial budget proposal to City Council. North Avenue Library, which w...

WHO: Mayor Dwight C. Jones WHAT: Mayor's annual State of the City address WHEN: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. WHERE: Richmond CenterStage Carpenter Theatre 600 East Grace Street Richmond, VA 23219 BACKGROUND: Mayor Jones will provide an account of the current state of Virginia's capital city during his initial State of the City address. Address highlights will include the budget shortfalls the Jones' Administration resolved in early 2009 as well as detailing the strategy to overcome forecasted budgetary challenges. Other address highlights include economic development, schools, infrastructure, quality of life, public safety, and building Richmond's future as a tier one city. Complimentary parking will be available across from the Grace Street side of CenterStage. Parking entrances are on 6th and 7th Streets. Contact: Tammy Hawley, (804) 646-3110

~FY2010 picture shows an improvement while structural imbalance remains~ Prior to its first meeting of the new decade, City Council members met with Mayor Dwight C. Jones over an informal breakfast today to discuss the city’s plans related to the previously announced FY2010 budget shortfall. Mayor Jones convened the breakfast briefing to also begin a review of the FY2011 budget forecast. The Administration initially announced the current year (FY2010) budget gap in November of last year. However, new indicators have reduced the anticipated shortfall from $10.3 million to an estimated $2.8 million. “This is largely a result of unanticipated improvements in real estate and sales tax performance, as well as a better picture of State Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT),” said Mayor Jones. “Preliminary indicators suggest that real estate assessments should generate approximately $4 million more than anticipated and that the sales tax picture has improved and should also be positively imp...

Virginia Commonwealth University has agreed to allow the city of Richmond to use the surface parking lot at the corner of Broad and 10th Streets for public use during City Council formal sessions. This lot will provide more than 100 free parking spaces for each City Council formal session, which are held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 6 pm in the second floor of City Hall. The entrance to the parking lot is on 10th Street directly across from City Hall. A parking attendant will allow entry into the lot and provide parking directions to residents. Exits to the parking lot are located on both 10th and 11th Streets. The exit gate will open automatically when the sensors are triggered. Virginia Commonwealth University and the city of Richmond are not responsible for vehicles parked in the lot. Any vehicle left in the lot at the conclusion of a City Council formal session will be towed at the owner’s expense. Contact: Michael Wallace, (804) ...

The Hispanic Liaison Office of Richmond will team up with the Richmond chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Hispanic Liaison Office of Chesterfield and a number of local Hispanic organizations to celebrate the sixth annual El Juguetazo. The event will take place on Saturday, January 9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at L.C. Bird High School in Chesterfield County. El Juguetazo, or the Three Kings Day Celebration, celebrates the tradition of the Three Wise Men by donating toys and holiday gifts to local children. Event organizers will be on hand from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to accept donations of new and unwrapped toys. Families are invited to attend the toy distribution from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., as the Three Wise Men will hand out donated toys to the children. The U.S. Census will also be in attendance as part of its 2010 Census Road Tour. Contact: Tanya Gonzalez, (804) 646-0145

The Freedom House Conrad Center will serve as a Cold Weather Day Shelter on Friday, January 8, 2010, from 6:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. The shelter is located at 1400 Oliver Hill Way, next to the Richmond Juvenile Domestic Relations Court and the Richmond City Jail. Contact: Michael Wallace, (804) 646-2772

The city of Richmond’s Cold Weather Overflow Shelter will be open tonight through Sunday night, January 6 – 10, as overnight temperatures are expected to remain below freezing. The city’s cold weather shelter is located at Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church, 14 West Duval Street. The hours of operation are from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Residents who need overnight shelter are asked to report to the city’s Central Intake by 3 p.m. for a comprehensive intake and referral to the appropriate shelter. Central Intake is located at the Conrad Center, 1400 Oliver Hill Way, next to Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and Richmond City Jail. Residents may call the Conrad Center at 648-4177. The Department of Social Services (DSS) will accept applications now through March 15 for crisis fuel assistance at 900 East Marshall Street, Monday through Friday; from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents can also call the Fuel Line at 646-7046. DSS also provides emergency assistance with disconnection notices of g...