Good morning, RVA! It's 72 °F, and while we've got some cooler temperatures today with highs in the mid 80s, I think we've also got a decent chance of rain throughout. NBC12's Andrew Freiden says to watch out for downpours this afternoon and evening.
Water cooler
As of this morning, the Virginia Department of Health reports the seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths as: 204, 34, and 7.7, respectively. VDH reports a seven-day average of 22.3 new cases in and around Richmond (Richmond: 6.3; Henrico: 6, and Chesterfield: 10). Since this pandemic began, 1,330 people have died in the Richmond region. 44.6%, 55.7%, and 52.1% of the population in Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Lots of folks, myself included, are nervous/keeping an eye on the rise of new COVID-19 variants (which the WHO has helpfully designated alpha, beta, gamma, and delta). Are our current vaccines effective against the variants? Can a variant "breakthrough" your vaccination? And, most importantly, if I'm vaccinated can a variant make me seriously ill or send me to the hospital? Unfortunately there's not a ton of data out there to answer a lot of these questions, but Emily Oster has a good piece this morning running through some of them, and provides, as always, a good chunk of math to help you estimate your own risk.
The City's Urban Design Committee meets today and will consider the plans to remove nine monuments and/or pedestals from neighborhoods across the city. This includes the remaining pedestals on Monument Avenue, cannons from the median of Monument Avenue, the column on Libby Hill, a plinth in Monroe Park, plus the entire kit and caboodle at Laburnum and Hermitage. Remember, this is not the final plan for any of these locations!—just the first step in removing the racist garbage to make way for whatever we want to do next. I'm excited generally, of course, but also specifically because the removal of several of these things will make a handful of intersections way, way safer for people walking, rolling, or riding through. I would love to see the City's first protected intersection at Laburnum and Hermitage!
Also in City Council-related news, the Education and Human Services committee will meet today to consider the Mayor's Equity Agenda, which you can now read in its final form. I haven't read through the updated version yet to scope out any updates, but I did snag the original version if anyone wants to diff the two so we can easily see what's changed.
Whoa, how did I miss something called Tacos for Transportation?? Two of my most favorite things! VPM reports that yesterday "Richmond city officials announced the public engagement phase of a multimodal transportation plan...[the Office of Equitable Transit and Mobility] is hosting several community events to encourage public participation. The series of events is called 'Tacos for Transportation.' In exchange for taking a survey, attendees will receive a ticket for a free taco." I don't think city officials are in the draft-document stage of things yet, but you can learn a little more about their plans moving forward over on the OETM website. Get excited, because this is going to be something you'll hear a lot from me on over the next year or so.
Yesterday's storms brought flash flooding to parts of town, mostly on the Southside, NBC12 reports. The Richmond Fire department rescued 19 people from cars stuck in high water! Some of the flooding is probably just a result of geography, but a lot of it happens because of the historical disinvestment in basic infrastructure on the City's Southside. We've got a couple of opportunities to make huge, once-in-a-generation investments in the Southside coming up, namely the ARP and, potentially, a big chunk of casino money. We should celebrate, take advantage of those opportunities, and not fritter away the chance to do something transformational by earmarking those funds for a million pet projects in each councilperson's district.
STAY RVA will host Dr. David E. Kirkland for one of their STAY TALKs tonight at 6:30 PM. Dr. Kirkland is the Vice Dean for Equity, Belonging, and Community Action at NYU and the executive director of the Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools. Sounds like you should expect a fascinating talk: "Dr. Kirkland will help support crucial conversations on how a culturally responsive-sustaining education can best serve our students during COVID and how it can help us reimagine schools beyond it." Get your tickets over on the Eventbrite for a suggested donation of $25.
Richard Hayes at RVAHub has some pictures of a train derailment that took place yesterday morning down by the river near the North Bank Trail! What the heck! Sounds like most of the train cars were either empty or carrying paper and rocks, so, whew.
This morning's longread
The Age of Reopening Anxiety
You know I love this sort of thing. Also, I feel seen because I literally just texted a friend about staying in and watching some horror movies over text.
The process by which they rejoin society after such an experience is called “reëntry,” she said. She considers the pandemic a transformational experience for everyone. Reëntry is upon us all. “There’s extraordinary anxiety in that phase, and it’s not illogical or irrational anxiety,” she said. “We have to ask the questions that reëntry asks. They start with practical questions like, Do I wear my mask? Do I say yes to this invitation? Do I take my children even if they’re not vaccinated?” What seem like logistical queries are actually “philosophical and existential questions,” Parker said. “Like, Who are my people? How do I want to spend my time?”
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