RVANews

Make Binford Middle community-based and community-supported once again

Erik Bonkovsky — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 14:13:32 +0000

Dear Richmond School Board members,

Six years ago my family moved into a home one block from Binford Middle School. When we first moved into the Binford District I attended PTA meetings, I met with former principal Peter Glessman, I volunteered at the school with campus clean-up projects and with the community garden. Our desire is for Binford to be a strong, community-supported middle school.

During the last six years we have had at least one child (and now three) attend Fox Elementary School. The younger two also attended the Maymont Pre-K Learning Center. Our experiences with Richmond Public Schools have been positive, and we believe that Richmond's continued growth as a city includes strong commitment to public education.

Now, more so than any time in the last six years, the attention of the School Board and much of the city has turned to Binford and its future. I'm glad for the attention, but I fear that the focus is misdirected. After participating at the informational meeting on Monday, November 24th, and reviewing the four proposals presented by the School Board, I find none of the proposals compelling. They are under-defined and feel desperate. More importantly, I fear that they don't address the underlying problems. They aren't entirely transparent with regards to the real issues within Richmond Public Schools, particularly at the middle school level.

While I applaud the efforts taken to include the community in this decision, we've been asked to make recommendations with only the thinnest amount of information about proposed solutions. We've been asked to make recommendations to solve problems that the school system barely understands. It has been repeatedly emphasized that there is a problem--namely declining enrollment and test scores below accreditation standards--but the root cause(s) behind that problem are either not known or have not been explained. To offer solutions to a problem without fully understanding it is short-sighted.

The real problem is this: Binford is not a community-based and community-supported school. Of the 216 students at Binford only 58 of them are from the Binford zone. While Binford has remained a desired option for some out of zone families, it has lost credibility with many in-zone families. Because transportation is no longer provided for out of zone students, overall enrollment has cratered.

Every year for the last two or three years a group of Binford-zoned parents of fourth or fifth graders has rallied together to invest in Binford. For whatever reasons, those efforts have flagged and suffered from a collective failure of nerve. Instead many in-zone families choose from these options: apply for the selective IB program at Lucille Brown, apply for school choice at another RPS Middle School (Albert Hill is the current school of choice), enroll in private school, or move out of the city. Each of these options further undermines Binford as a community-based and community-supported school.

Because the elementary school zones were re-drawn last year, it would make sense to re-draw the middle school zones so that community ties nurtured during elementary school years can be translated to middle school. Families whose children know each other are more inclined to send their kids to middle school together. Redrawn middle school zones must preserve community ties and racial diversity so that our city isn't further divided. More and more, RPS needs to move away from one or two flagship magnet programs as the solution to middle school woes. We need strong schools in every neighborhood and equal opportunities for comprehensive education for every child.

With regard to the specific proposals offered by the Superintendent, there is no clear winner.

Expanding the Open High School model risks cannibalizing a shining star within the district in an effort to save a 'failing' middle school. It suffers from a lack of developmental understanding (namely that eleven year olds can't
assume the same level of educational independence as high schoolers).
The IB, College Springboard, and Fine Art suggestions all peddle educational buzzwords to woo parents, while
lacking the substance to produce the type of school our community needs. They run the risk of only serving some students (in a magnet-like program). The presentations on these alternatives were plagued by a lack of specifics. Significant questions remain about how a Fine Arts integrated program will teach the SOLs and develop core competencies in math, science, and English. Very little data (and virtually no local examples) were offered as comparison points for College Springboard.
Fox Elementary (and other RPS schools) attract and retain students and families without specialized programs. They do it through attentive and competent administration, committed teachers, and active involvement of the larger school communities.

Of course, the elephant in the classroom in this entire discussion is race. My family (along with many of the other in- zone families) is white. Binford's enrollment is 98% black (according to Binford Principal, Dr. Lyles¹). Binford's enrollment does not reflect the demographics of its zone nor of the city as a whole. Families like mine must not equate safe with white or more academically rigorous with whiter. Similarly the administration must not assume that speciality programs are the only desire of white families. Racially and socio-economically diverse schools that serve local communities are good for our children and good for our city. We need to see our schools as opportunities for fostering more socially-integrated networks for our children and for us. Part of the responsibility for these networks lies with our schools and the School Board. Part of the responsibility lies with the community itself. The problem at Binford isn't just the School Board's. The problem is ours.

That's why whatever programmatic changes are made at Binford, I urge that a public relations campaign be central to the effort. The school administration and School Board must together reach out first to the parents and students, staff and teachers who are at Binford. They must hear that they are not being forgotten or replaced. They are part of the way forward. Second, the Binford and School Board together must reach out to parents and community partners in the Fan and at VCU who could be at Binford. It's embarrassing to the district when School Board members demonstrate a lack of solidarity with the administration (from the Superintendent down through principals and faculty).

The school and the School Board ought to invest in strengthening partnerships with the community and families who reside there. What are frequently listed as problems can just as easily be seen as strengths. Binford has the smallest enrollment of the RPS middle schools. That means a more intimate learning environment, greater individual attention, smaller class sizes, and a better student-teacher ratio.

Dr. Lyles is an engaging leader. He is proud of the recent (albeit measured) progress the school has made on assessments. Binford is within walking distance of VCU. A community-based approach to the school would leverage that unique resource, by attracting teachers and implementing novel educational models. The Fan is full of local businesses which should be approached immediately for support, investment, and partnership.

Current enrollment numbers suggest that next school year Binford will have just over one hundred 7-8th graders, plus whatever 6th graders matriculate. A significant enrollment of in-zone students (both white and black) along with the committed involvement of families, businesses, and the local community could quickly transform the culture and reputation on Binford Middle School.

Families like mine need to be invited to invest in our community through commitment to its public schools. Joining together around our public schools is one avenue for cooperation, but it requires a posture of humility, listening, and mutual respect. I want my children to be prepared for a globalized world not merely through a curriculum that touts global awareness, but through a school community that reflects the varied diversity that makes our city great.

This is not a simple problem. There is not a simple solution. It requires strong and committed leadership. I urge the Richmond School Board to act decisively and quickly. Those of us in the Binford school zone with rising sixth graders are weighing options for our children right now. It's impossible for us to consider hypotheticals that are fuzzy on specifics. Many of us are deeply invested in our neighborhood and are committed to RPS. Indecision or fractured leadership will only contribute to the further diminishing of Binford and the district as a whole. But bold and sustained leadership can make a community-based and community-supported Binford once again the pride of the Fan.

Sincerely,
Erik Bonkovsky

93.46% black according to the Virginia Department of Education. You can see a chart of Binford's 2014-2015 membership by race/ethnicity here. Or you can pull more data here. -- Ed. ↩

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For the common good of RVA

Erik Bonkovsky — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 11:25:06 +0000

Erik Bonkovsky is a pastor at City Church of Richmond and a cofounder of Common Good RVA.

Two years ago, a pastor friend and I began talking about an initiative to help more people in Richmond see that their work matters to God and for the good of the city. In part we were acknowledging that we had failed our congregations by focusing too much on service in the church rather than work in the city. We admitted that we were so focused on filling the parking lots of the church (real and metaphoric) that we neglected helping people find on-ramps to public work. From that conversation, Common Good RVA was born.

Common Good RVA seeks to shape a different story of Richmond, precisely by telling stories of vocational faithfulness. At a time when many people question the purpose and value of their work, we see an opportunity to connect people's professional lives to the larger good of promoting order, beauty, truth, and abundance. To those wondering "Is my work working," we want to say "The work you do matters, to God and for Richmond."

The work of artists--creating beauty and inspiring others--matters. The work of business--cultivating order and wealth--matters. The work of mechanics--setting things right --matters The work of mothers and fathers, writers and weavers, butchers and bakers and craft-beer makers. It all matters.

By emphasizing work for the common good we are recognizing a pattern that says our natural world is improved through human ingenuity and effort. Human culture, as carried out by individuals and communities, is not always a work of desecration or destruction. At its best human work can accentuate, augment, and extend the givens of a place to make it even better. Just as a fine piece of furniture can improve the natural wood from which its made, so the collective efforts of a population can enhance a city's resources and improve its quality of life.

The aim of Common Good RVA is to promote the well-being of Richmond as a city; well-being that derives from Richmond being magnificently itself. That means not trying to be the next Charlotte, the next Atlanta, or the next Charleston, but a better Richmond. Richmond's common good won't come simply from mimicking neighbors next door, but working to express our own true essence.

As such, Richmond's common good won't come by denying our past wounds and failures. We can't whitewash our history, but neither can we allow that history to forever determine the future. By reaching back into the city's past to find and tell counter-narratives, we can inspire more work for the common good today.

If the common good of Richmond is informed by reaching back into the past, it is also shaped by looking ahead to the future. Resignation and cynicism are threats when it comes to progress for our region. Common Good RVA wants to help residents see our work as a foretaste of what Richmond can and may become. There are times when our work won't be the fully loaded hot fudge sundae we want it to be, but it may be the sample taster spoon of ice cream, the hint of what will be.

The second Common Good RVA conference takes place on the weekend of October 3rd and 4th. The conference keynote speaker is an Indian-American writer and speaker named Skye Jethani, who has provided editorial leadership to a project called This is Our City which included an extended feature on Richmond and some of the common good work going on here.

But the emphasis of the conference is local, featuring Richmonders who are using their work to advance the common good. Friday night begins with No BS! Brass as an example of inspiring local music. Other presenters include: Bill Martin, Director of the Valentine Richmond History Center, sharing vignettes of how past Richmonders have used their work to benefit the city; Patience Salgado and Ham Glass describing their mural project "The Light of Human Kindness" at the old GRTC bus depot; and Richmond business leaders Jim Ukrop and Bob Mooney explaining how their position within the Richmond establishment allows them to seed new businesses advancing the common good of the region.

Why all this talk from a pastor about the common good? Because for too long Christians have separated their public lives from their personal faith. Even in a pluralized world, the two shouldn't be separated. They can and should be joined in a way that is neither proselytizing or pretentious.

The idea of the common good jibes with the world's ancient wisdom that says cities flourish when the privileged voluntarily disadvantage themselves for the sake of others. As Proverbs 11:10 states, "When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices." We hope to encourage widespread vocational responsibility in a way that produces a welcomed difference in Richmond for the common good.

The church is often known and maligned for its battles and its fighters. Christians are identified by what they are against rather than what they are for. An emphasis on the common good can flip the script, so that Christians align themselves with others (religiously identified or not) in their cities, not against them. It begins to build trust in places where the commonwealth has long eroded. It fosters working together rather than shouting past. It gets Christians out of a religious echo chamber where voices grow more strident and unintelligible and into the broader world so that a city can sing in harmony.

There is much we agree on. We see the same world. We feel the same pain. We love the same city. So let's talk. And let's do. Let's trust the stories of hope, the flashes of grace, the signs of life that lead us toward our common good.

Common Good RVA is hosting a conference on Friday, October 3rd, and Saturday, October 4th to explore how Richmonders can use their vocational lives to write a different story for the city and for the region. Friday is a public exploration of the common good; Saturday is a deeper dive into faith, neighborhood, and vocation. More details and registration can be found at commongoodrva.com.

VPI consolidation: One parent responds

Erik Bonkovsky — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:35:59 +0000

Editor's note: The following letter was sent by Erik Bonkovsky, a Richmond Public School parent and occasional RVANews contributor, to his Richmond School Board representative, Kim Gray of the 2nd District. We are reprinting it with his permission. The Richmond School Board will be voting on the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) consolidation this evening. You can learn more about the VPI consolidation proposal over at Fan of the Fan.

Dear Mrs. Gray:

I’m writing to express my support of the Superintendent’s proposal to create a regional preschool center at the Maymont Elementary School. I urge you (and the other school board members) to vote in favor of this proposal and to do all you can to support its implementation for Fall 2010.

As a parent of current Kindergarten student at Fox Elementary and another child who has been accepted into the VPI program at Fox I may be a surprising supporter of this plan. It does propose a change from what my family anticipated a few months ago. It will create added logistics for us this fall. However, the advantages this proposal offers to my children and (more importantly) to all of Richmond’s preschool children outweigh any challenges.

My support for this proposal stems from my understanding of the VPI program itself, as it fits within the broader preschool strategy of RPS. VPI exists for at risk preschoolers who would not succeed in kindergarten without early intervention. The proposed regional center will allow the city to offer effective intervention for more students through a dedicated preschool environment. Preschool education, after all, should be focused on preparing children to thrive educationally. Providing a strong preschool foundation will only serve to strengthen the elementary schools into which they feed. A positive initial experience with Richmond Public Schools (through the preschool center) will also increase parental buy-in and participation as kids advance in elementary schools, a critical ingredient for school success and for each child’s development.

Locating the program at Maymont Elementary makes sense. Given difficult budget circumstances and schools currently operating under capacity, closing schools or reallocating physical resources is prudent, though often unpopular. Plus, proximity to resources like Maymont Foundation and Byrd Park provides unique educational opportunities and capitalizes on a Richmond strength.

What’s more, teachers are in favor of this plan, including a twelve-year VPI veteran whom I spoke to personally. The teachers’ support comes, in part, from their recognition that the regional center will foster a synergy among all of the preschool teachers that is not possible under the current program design. I’m also encouraged by the expert accountability and quantitatively-based instruction this program will offer through partnership with VCU’s early literacy program.

The regional preschool center will also provide a greater diversity of students, teachers, and resources to the VPI program. Every child’s experience will be richer because of this broader exposure. Every child’s experience will be richer because of the availability of on-site electives (music, art, Spanish, etc.). Every child’s experience will be richer because preschoolers will be grouped more appropriately by age level, rather than competing in the hallways with fifth-graders twice their size.

A vocal contingent of parents has opposed this proposal from before it was even announced. I have been discouraged by the suspicion of conspiracy and incompetence voiced against school administrators. I have been discouraged by the impatience and gracelessness parents have shown administrators. I’m eager to see administrators—working with competence and accountability—to work with parents to improve the preschool education of all of Richmond’s children.

By now we all can admit that the way this proposal was announced and initially communicated was flawed. But since then the administration has made strong efforts to communicate with parents and to solicit (and incorporate into the proposal) parental feedback. Already (in just a few weeks’ time) the proposal has been amended to address parental concerns. Those tweaks, along with increasing parent and teacher participation in the days to come will yield a more dynamic preschool center. Moving forward I urge the school board to insist on forming a transition team composed of a diverse group of stakeholders (administrators, teachers, parents, community liaisons) who can ensure efficient and excellent preparation for the regional preschool program.

The future of healthy and successful schools in Richmond (and one could argue, the future of the a healthy and successful Richmond) depends on increased regionalism and a departure from the parochialism that has marked our city’s past. This plan for a regional preschool center is a step in the right direction. The implementation of this plan for Fall 2010 will require hard work and a strong transition team, but it is feasible and ought to be pursued.

Vote in favor of this proposal on June 7th.

Sincerely,

Erik Bonkovsky

Panthers no match for Rams

Erik Bonkovsky — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:30:47 +0000

While most of you were snuggled on a couch somewhere on Saturday night thankful you had stocked up on bread, milk, and eggs ahead of the second major snowstorm to hit RVA this winter, your intrepid reporter hoofed it over to the Siegel Center to watch the VCU Rams defeat the Georgia State Panthers 78-62.

After pounding CAA cellar-dweller Towson on Wednesday, in the Panthers, the Rams faced another team from the bottom half of the conference. Saturday's was not an elegant game (a combined 52 personal fouls and 31 turnovers), but the win moves VCU to 7-4 in the CAA and 15-5 overall.

Mimicking the weather, VCU started the game cold outside, misfiring on their first five three-pointers. Not to be outdone, GSU also took a cue from the foul weather and seemed determined to commit a foul on every one of VCU's offensive trips. They say that the Eskimos have dozens of words for snow; the Panthers apparently have dozens of words for hack--or at least 18 (the number they committed in the first half). The Rams took advantage of the hack-happy Panthers by burying 17 of 22 attempts from the line in the first.

At the break VCU lead 45-32 (their largest margin of the night). Most of the damage was done in the final 8 minutes as the Rams mounted a 26-14 run. They were paced by balanced scoring from Larry Sanders, Joey Rodriguez, and Coach Smart's first VCU signee, freshman Darius Theus. Theus, who by scoring 10 points surpassed his career high in the first half, was particularly impressive, showing why he attracted recruiting interest from schools as distant as Washington State.

A frigid start to the second half by Rams, allowed the Panthers to trim the lead to 50-44 with 11:32 remaining. Both teams spun their wheels, turning the ball over. The Rams particularly melted under the extended GSU defensive pressure, committing 15 turnovers in the sloppy second half . Only Rodriguez, who ended with a game high 22 points (including 12-13 from the line) and 9 assists, provided a steadying hand for the Rams.

Sanders' first (and only) second half points came on a layup at 6:10 which pushed the VCU lead to 56-51. He ended with 13 points and 13 rebounds. The final push came from Ed Nixon who followed Sanders' layup with a knifing three point play to give the Rams some breathing room with just over 5 minutes to play. Nixon then added a three-pointer with 1:46 left to effectively ice the game. And it was Nixon again who punctuated the victory with a dunk (from a Rodriguez assist) moments later.

Game Notes:

The number of empty seats at the Siegel Center were enough to make you think the Lady Rams were playing. But what it lacked in numbers, the crowd made up for in vitriol, showing the effects of the SNOMG2, which left them with little to do pre-game other than, well, pre-game.

The coaches for both team wore tennis shoes on Saturday night as part of Coaches versus Cancer. It's a good cause, but there is little sillier than grown men wearing suits and tennis shoes. It makes me think that more sports ought to adopt baseball's procedure: the coaches wear the same uniform as the players.

The Rams shot an incredible 30-35 (86%) from the free throw line for the game, including a perfect 13-13 in the second half. They converted 13 more free throws than the Panthers attempted.

The Rams are next in action on Wednesday as they travel to Wilmington to face the UNCW Seahawks. They return to the Siegel Center next Saturday for a 4 PM tilt with in-state rival Old Dominion.

Dogged Huskies down the Rams

Erik Bonkovsky — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:41:58 +0000

Sometimes sheer athleticism is enough to win a basketball game. Sometimes it is not. Monday night at the Siegel Center VCU's superior athleticism failed to deliver against the visiting Northeastern University Huskies, as the Rams fell 62-57. The loss snaps a four game win streak and drops VCU to 1-2 in CAA conference play and 9-3 overall.

The game was a hard fought affair undecided until the final minutes. Northeastern clung to slim four point lead for much of the second half, but the Rams cut the margin to two on a Bradford Burgess layup with a 1:30 left. After a Northeastern turnover on their ensuing possession, VCU had a chance to tie or take the lead. With the Siegel Center rocking in anticipation, VCU's star forward Larry Sanders lowered his shoulder on a move to the basket and was tagged with an offensive foul. Converted Northeastern free throws would seal VCU's first home defeat on the year (and first defeat in Richmond since the Huskies beat them last January).

For flashes the VCU press and slashing offense attack controlled the game, but on the whole it was the Huskies dogged attack (led by junior point guard Chaisson Allen) that determined pace. Huskie (and somewhat husky) forward Manny Adako was simply dominant, gaining low position and converting short-range jumpers almost at will. He outplayed Sanders and ended with a game-high 23 points, on, remarkably, 11-14 shooting (that's 79% from the floor for those of you who aren't Rainman).

On the other end of the court, Adako used his strength to negate Sanders' freakish athleticism, forcing the potential NBA lottery pick into poor shot selection. Sanders ended the night tied (with guard Joey Rodriguez) for a team-high 12 points. But those points came on 6-16 shooting and seldom were the result of VCU's half-court set. Sanders credited the Northeastern defense in walling him off and forcing him away from the basket. It remains unclear who he credits for his ill-advised three-point attempts (0 for 2) and circus fade-away jumpers.

Conventional basketball wisdom says that the team who controls the first few minutes and the last minutes of each half wins. On this night, Northeastern controlled those moments. The Huskies scored the first 7 points of the game forcing Coach Shaka Smart to burn a quick time-out. The Rams--undoubtedly shocked out of their lethargy--responded with a 21-4 run which put them up 21-11 halfway through the first half. That would be their largest lead of the night. And just as they had at the beginning of the half, Northeastern controlled the last five minutes, trimming the VCU lead to 28-25 at the break.
An Allen three-pointer early in the second half tied the game.

The rest of the half seesawed back and forth with the Huskies extending their lead to eight at one point. VCU's man-to-man pressure generated turnovers, but defensive energy did not translate into offense. Instead the Rams were forced to rely on jump shots. As Coach Smart summarized, "We did not do a good job attacking the basket." A meager four free throw attempted on the night for the Rams (compared to thirteen for the Huskies) proves that Northeastern was the more aggressive team. Team leaders Adako and Allen (who finished with 17 points and 7 assists) had an answer for every potential VCU run .

Say all you want about an early season defeat refocusing a team or giving it something to build on. Neither coach nor players from VCU were looking for a silver lining after this home loss. He may not have said it in words, but you could read Shaka's thoughts on his face: "This one smarts."

VCU is back in action Wednesday night playing at Drexel. The Rams return to the Siegel Center on Saturday for a 2 PM tilt against Delaware.

Green and Tonic

Erik Bonkovsky — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:00:28 +0000

Tonic: noun, a medicinal substance taken to give a feeling of vigor or well-being; something with an invigorating effect

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden hosted a symposium called Green Tonic on Tuesday and Wednesday, pulling together over a hundred participants (probably about 2/3 of whom were female) who learned about creating a more sustainable Richmond. The symposium intended to show how the simple act of gardening might lead to community wholeness.

Rachel Flynn, Director of Richmond’s Department of Community Development, began the symposium with a narrated slide show that featured some evocative photos of Richmond’s past, present, and (imagined) future. Flynn demonstrated an impressive proficiency and passion for sustainable development issues around Richmond.

Some highlights from Flynn’s presentation:

Flynn says, “The best thing you can do for the environment is to focus on the pedestrian.”
‘Accessibility’ and ‘connectivity’ are key words swirling around the development of the James River waterfront. The James is something Richmonders drive over but seldom visit, because of its inaccessibility.
Flynn thinks that the City should buy Mayo Island and Echo Harbor to preserve waterfront and complete the James River Park system.
Flynn announced that the City has applied for funds to establish a Bus Rapid Transit program along Broad Street (from Willow Lawn to the Main Street Station). Such a BRT is a precursor to light rail.
Flynn stressed reuse and renovation of existing historic buildings as the ultimate recycling program and as tremendously effective in saving energy. She cited the former Stephen Putney Shoe Factory on Broad Street as a currently threatened building. Style recently covered that story here.

Another keynote address was offered by Drew Becher, Executive Director of the New York Restoration Project who also used a slide show to tell the story of the NYRP’s work in NYC. Several of the best practices he shared might be applied effectively in Richmond. (Read our interview with Becher from earlier this week here.)

Some highlights from Becher's speech:

This observation about New York City made by Bette Midler at her founding of the NYRP in 1995: “It’s the Courtney Love of Cities—big and messy.”
Pictures of a new floating boathouse on Harlem River, which is the centerpiece of a recent NYRP park renovation. The Boathouse first restores a part of the Harlem River’s history and second, valuable impact on present in providing rowing scholarship to minority New Yorkers to notable Northeastern schools. It begs the question, Is the James a suitable river for rowing?
The NYRP relies on excellence in its branding of initiatives and its advertising techniques (including aggressive texting campaigns)
The story of dozens of Community Gardens reclaimed in 1999 when then-mayor Giuliani wanted to sell them to developers. One such salvaged garden in Queens is the Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson Garden. Yes, that 50 Cent. 50 put up $300,000 to seed the garden. Think who might sponsor a community garden in Richmond.

The Green Tonic Symposium featured other presenters both from cities (like Chicago and Philadelphia) on the leading edge of greening strategies and from within Richmond itself where grassroots efforts (like Tricycle Gardens and the James River Green Building Council) are reaping real results.

All in all, it was an invigorating symposium. The only thing missing was the gin.

Making Green in Richmond

Erik Bonkovsky — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 10:00:47 +0000

“The biggest paradigm shift that needs to happen is to see the importance of: one, beautification and two, parks, which have been considered a nicety, not a necessity.”

So says Drew Becher (rhymes with “checker”), Executive Director of the New York Restoration Project—an organization with a fifteen year track record of revitalization of green space and waterfront in New York City—when asked about the principles that should guide urban development.

Echoing themes from Ethan Kent (vice-president with Project for Public Space who spoke recently at a Department of Community Development event on Richmond’s waterfront) Becher champions the importance of building places, not just projects. Development must be, he says, “a place people want to be.” Restaurants are a component of development. Affordable housing is a component. But, Becher cautions, “You can’t expect people to thrive and survive without green space.”

Although he’s never been to Virginia’s capital, Becher’s ideas are eerily germane: “People thought stadiums were the Savior. But there’s no silver bullet,” he offers. As an alternative, Becher suggests that an essential part of urban lifestyle is access to hyper-local green space. “Everyone,” he claims, “deserves to live around a Central Park.” Byrd Park cannot alone serve all of Richmond. The James River Park System cannot be the only option for useable green space. “Each neighborhood,” Becher says, “needs its own village green, its own little Central Park.”

A positive Richmond micro-example of this approach is the current renewal of Paradise Park—a Fan ‘pocket park’ bordered by Floyd, Grove, Allen, and Vine Streets. All volunteer Friends of Paradise Park is catalyzing redevelopment of the space, working alongside the City Parks and Recreation Department to restore and re-program it.

The ongoing programming of green space is almost as important as its restoration, says Becher. NYRP parks are open from 8 AM to 10 PM, filled with a dizzying schedule of camps, festivals, arts, and activities.

Strategy

The NYRP was founded about fifteen years ago by celebrity-activist Bette Midler to “partner with individuals, community-based groups, and public agencies to reclaim, restore, and develop under-resourced parks, community gardens, and other open spaces in New York City.”

Becher’s strategy for rallying support (particularly among politicians and business leaders) for this work moves along various fronts. On a micro level they use a personal approach. “Find out where the elected official lives,” he suggests. “Nine out of ten times they live in a mixed use area. . . across from parks and open space.” Then he asks, “What do you like about where you live?” Their answers provide the justification for developing green space proximate to all city residents, not just those who can afford it.

On a macro level, the NYRP uses public health data to make its case. A few years ago as they envisioned development of a park in East Harlem, the NYRP discovered that asthma rates were sky high in six adjacent neighborhoods. When they compared those rates with the corresponding tree canopy coverage, they found the lowest coverage level in the city. Quantitative data (particularly related to health and lifestyle) made a compelling case.

Waterfront

Given some of the recent conversation within Richmond Becher’s perspective on waterfront development is timely. It has been noted by many (those inside Richmond and those outside) that the James River is a natural asset that deserves a central place in the City’s future. Consider the 2007 Crupi Report in which, Texas-based consultant James Crupi opined, “The James River is the community’s most under-utilized natural resource.” But in Richmond the James serves more as an everyday reminder of division than a source for unification.

Becher says the NYRP’s goal in their project resuscitating and developing the waterfront along the East Harlem River was to increase access to the water for all. The resultant twelve acre park with gardens and a public boathouse (in a nod to the history of rowing on the Harlem River) is a decidedly different way to develop a waterfront than the model used in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor with its malls, restaurants, and retail. Becher says they opted for “a more natural development aimed at promoting healthy, active lifestyle.”

Private/Public

There’s no doubt that Becher, while working alongside governmental agencies, is suspicious of the effectiveness of government-driven development. Private entities, he says, offer greater creativity in branding and selling development ideas. A few years back New York City proposed an initiative to increase the city’s canopy coverage. It was a good idea, but lacked popular appeal. In contrast NYRP’s A Million Trees (an initiative with an identical outcome as the city’s proposal) is, in Becher’s words, “sexy and fun and people want to be part of something fun.”

NYRP’s experience is that “things get watered down when the government gets involved.” He continues, “If the plan doesn’t excite anyone it becomes a dusty old binder stacked all over the place.” Becher relies on the government to “put in the un-sexy stuff,” so that the privately-funded and -run NYRP can offer “the icing on the cake.”

Is your interest piqued? Want to hear more from Drew Becher? He (and other national experts) will be at Green Tonic hosted by Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Da-da Da-Dum: Sharks!

Erik Bonkovsky — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:00:54 +0000

"We wanna see some sharks!" The refrain echoes from the throats of my two young charges into the vast lobby of the Science Museum of Virginia, loudly enough to make me second guess my decision to bring them. It’s a sunny Friday afternoon, and the three of us (combined age: 42) are ready for a guided tour of the Summer Fin Shark exhibit.

It turns out 5-year-olds tend to be a lot of talk when it comes to touching sharks.

The shark exhibit is located downstairs at the Science Museum in a window-lined room that opens out to the old train yard and that can be viewed from main level. I didn’t quite know what to expect from the exhibit, but expectations of huge Aquarium style tanks with 10 foot sharks fining past were clearly misplaced. It’s a science museum in Richmond, after all, not Sea World. And it’s a temporary exhibit.

The sharks (two white-spotted bamboo sharks, two shovel-head sharks, and one Atlantic stingray—a close relative to the shark) are housed in a shallow ‘touch tank’ about 3 and 1/2 feet off the ground. A second adjacent touch tank holds various other ocean critters: crabs (hermit and horseshoe), sea stars (i.e. starfishes for all of you who—like me—grew up before we knew they weren’t really fish), and whelks. All of the sea life is provided by a dealer from Virginia Beach (not fished out of the James, as some have assumed). Throughout the exhibit various other creatures may be swapped out or added.

Yes, the sharks are only a couple feet long, four to five times smaller than those you might see at an aquarium. A building with as grand an atrium as the Science Museum (formerly the Broad Street Railroad Station) creates a sort of funny juxtaposition with these small fish. Then again, I’ve never seen aquarium guests pet 8-10 foot sharks. At this exhibit you can pet the two-foot sharks, during two daily scheduled petting times (12-12:30 and 3-3:30). “Extend one finger,” the museum staff guides, “and slide it along the back of the shark.”

In case you’re wondering, a shark kinda feels like a wet nose. (It’s cartilage, right?) And it turns out, the idea of petting a shark is better in theory than in practice for five year olds, at least the ones I accompanied. The loud excitement from the museum’s lobby retreated into hands in pockets and sheepish head-shaking when face-to-face with the actual fish. Of course the IMAX movie and its school-bus sized sharks scouring the ocean for lunch can temper enthusiasm a bit.

The IMAX experience is top-notch. The movie is informative and entertaining, able to appeal to a wide variety of ages and intellects. It reinforces the main purpose of the exhibit: to dispel lingering misconceptions about sharks and raise awareness about their endangered status.

The movie’s narrator—a winsome tortoise—explains that Industrial Man is the only real threat to the shark population, but a grave one. The last decade, according to the film, has seen an approximately 80% reduction in the worldwide shark population.

The movie may be disappointing for Jaws devotees or those who prefer Fox’s When Animals Attack. But it features plenty of cellos (which, I think, producers of shark movies are contractually obligated to include) and remarkable videography of various shark species.

The exhibit is well designed to appeal to visitors of a wide variety, including stuff that grabs (and holds) the attention of 5-year-olds:

The biggest sharks at the Science Museum are made of sand. One hundred tons of sand were used to make the sculptures in a process that took about two weeks. There’s a time-lapse video of the sand sculpture building process online here.
The Tooth Sleuth exhibit has four sand trays with real buried shark teeth. (FYI, it’s more fun—or at least more rewarding—to search for teeth soon after museum staff has re-seeded the trays.)
A display near the touch tanks features a beachscape with various and sundry items—a cannonball, a box of nails, a (fake) human hand, a toaster, etc. —all but one rescued from the stomachs of sharks.

The Science Museum is happy, of course, to accommodate groups of visitors, be they from summer camps or schools (once the academic year resumes). An educator resource is available online. The Summer Fin Shark Exhibit runs through November 1.

If you go:

Check the website for details of hours, show times, and any changes in the exhibit specifics.
Remember that guests must be 40 inches tall (or more than twice as tall as the sharks) to pet them.
Definitely spend the extra money and watch the IMAX movie. The seasickness it induces won’t last long.
Plan on spending about 2 or 2 1/2 hours (including the 45 minutes for the movie) at the exhibit. Unless, of course, you’re attending with one of those guys who reads every single factoid in the museum, in which case you’re screwed and should plan on being there all day.
Make sure to check out the rest of the museum (or at least parts of it). It’s a treasure for Richmond that attracts people from all over Virginia (and sometimes even further).

Full Disclosure: Science Museum of Virginia is a sponsor of RVANews. But we wouldn't have done a write-up of this exhibit if we didn't think you should go check it out. That's just not how we roll, guys.

Developing Richmond’s Waterfront

Erik Bonkovsky — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:41:09 +0000

About 200 Richmonders — developers, elected officials, real estate lawyers, architects, citizens at large — were drawn to Plant Zero this morning by the promise of free coffee and pastries. Oh and also a presentation on Waterfront Development hosted by the City Department of Community Development.

At 7:30 the caffeine addicts were disappointed to find none of promised coffee (or pastries for that matter) available.

Around 7:45 Rachel Flynn made a few introductory remarks. Then RRHA head Elliott Harrigan made a few more remarks in hushed tones, before Ethan Kent (VP for Project for Public Spaces) began the feature presentation.

Fully the first half of Kent’s PowerPoint slideshow felt like a sales pitch for PPS’s consultant work, replete with quotes from Winston Churchill and other luminaries, as well as clever photographs showing the value of good place development all over the world.

The second half of the presentation felt like a series of top ten lists.

Around the time Kent first mentioned 'Waterfront,' a bearded, doe-eyed barista finally emerged with a single airpot of coffee. For some reason, it made me think of a certain boy willing to share his lunch of bread and fish on the Judean plain. At least the supply of creamer was ample.

Kent taught us about the Power of Ten (i.e. every great developed place offers at least ten 'attractions.') He showed us graphics that contrasted good development models with bad development models. He enthusiastically described the nine characteristics of a good waterfront. You get the point.

Granted I’m no expert, but even to my novice ears, eyes, and brain the whole thing seems awfully intuitive. Community involvement and stake-holders (not developers, not politicians) must own and lead the charge in developing public places. Private and public entities must work together. Good management of place(s) is integral after the development is made. Are you listening Mayor Jones?

By this point several other airpots surfaced and the truly addicted were able to get their coffee fix. Although those craving breakfast sweet rolls were still disappointed. (I half expected the Mayor himself to stride daringly into the room, his pockets stuffed with pastries, tossing said pastries to the starving audience.)

One of the more insightful questions (or maybe just the only one that was audible to your intrepid correspondent) wondered about cities that have completed waterfront development projects that might serve as examples to Richmond.

Perhaps it’s a good thing there was no coffee otherwise Kent may have spit his on the front row. He mumbled his way through a garbled answer about every project being unique, not wanting to just copy somewhere else, etc. Excuse us for not jumping up and down about the lessons that Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, San Diego, and Vancouver offer for Richmond’s waterfront development. A more realistic and relatable example might have helped.

As things began winding down, one was left with the distinct impression that this presentation was but the first volley in the City’s effort to involved the community in re-developing Richmond’s waterfront. I wish I could tell you how it ended. But I had to scoot. Turns out, I needed a cup of Joe.

Sanders leads Rams to Dance

Erik Bonkovsky — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:18:59 +0000

Just over four minutes into the second half of Monday night's CAA Championship game between the VCU Rams and George Mason University Patriots, the GMU band started playing 1980s Bon Jovi power ballad, Livin' on a Prayer. The song choice was strangely (and intentionally?) ironic, describing Mason's position perfectly. At that point the Patriots trailed the Rams 37-19 Rams and were being outplayed on both ends. VCU had just scored the first seven points of the second half (all coming off assists from senior guard and two-time league MVP, Eric Maynor). All the Patriots had left were prayers and even those didn't seem very hopeful.

By the time the Mason band launched into Don't Stop Believing a few minutes later, it was too late. All 11,000 fans at the Richmond Coliseum (even the Patriots' fans) already had stopped believing. The #1 seeded VCU Rams--paced by typically solid play from Maynor and a career-defining performance from sophomore forward Larry Sanders--were simply too much.

George Mason never closed the gap to single digits allowing the Rams to cruise to their second CAA Championship in the last three years, as they won in blowout fashion, 71-50. The win earned VCU an automatic invite to the Big Dance--the NCAA tournament--which begins Thursday, March 19th.

It was the type of game that all season we've been saying VCU's is capable of, if all the pieces could just come together, if every player would do his part. On Monday, the most important player was Sanders. He was an absolute monster, nearly notching a triple double. His final stat line read: 18 points, 20(!) rebounds, 7 blocks. The rebound and block totals were both CAA championship game records. He looked like the best player on the floor, not an easy feat when Maynor's own your team. On offense Sanders was aggressive from the opening tip (which he won, thank you very much), combining off-the-glass jumpers with punctuation mark dunks. On defense Sanders and his go-go-gadget arms frustrated the Patriots all game long, changing shots when they weren't swatting them away. GMU ended shooting a dismal 30% from the floor. Cam Long--arguably the best Patriot player, who torched the Rams for 24 points in their only other meeting this season--was particularly abysmal, shooting just 2-13 on the night.

The Rams started quickly. Before the opening tip, Maynor showed uncharacteristic emotion, urging the crowd into the game early. Then he assisted on VCU's first 3 buckets (from three different players) posting the Rams to a 7-2 lead. It was a lead they would never relinquish. Maynor didn't attempt a shot (a miss) until 8 minutes into the game. But his next shot (a layup off a steal) was true. He followed that with a filthy crossover move and a teardrop in the lane. On the next possession he calmly drained a step back three, before smiling at the GMU bench. Timeout Patriots. VCU leads 18-9.

But this game wasn't like so many other Rams' games this year when they were dependent on Maynor's steadying hand and heroic efforts. Sure, he ended with a game high 25 points and 8 assists. He was just doing his part. VCU's performance was best represented by the energetic (if not somewhat self-indulgent) VCU pep band director who apparently goes by the moniker the Total Package and who saw more costume changes (at least 7 by my unofficial count) than a Britney Spears concert. VCU was the total package: superb guard play from Maynor, a dominating instead effort from Sanders, swarming team defense, and the solid contribution of role players. That package equals success come tournament time. And should the Rams be able to put that package together again, they just might surprise a higher seed (or two) next weekend during the opening rounds of the NCAA tournament.

Needless to say, RVA will look with greater interest at the tournament bracket when it's released on Sunday evening, eager to see against whom and where the Rams will match up. And don't be surprised if, over the next ten days, you hear people around the city humming a certain Journey power ballad on behalf of the VCU men's basketball team:

Don't stop believin
Hold on to the feelin. . . .
It goes on and on and on and on

Game Notes

Now I know no one likes a know-it-all (let alone four know-it-alls), but a few observations from Monday night's game in light of the RVANews CAA Tourney preview:

The stars showed up. And on this night, at least, there were 2 stars: Sanders and Maynor (in that order).
As becomes tournament action, the refs swallowed their whistles. And Sanders didn't get into foul trouble. In fact, the most important stat in his impressive first half stat line (8 points, 12 boards, 4 blocks) was this one: 0 fouls.
The role players stepped up big. Freshman Bradford Burgess knocked down two three-pointers in the first half as the Rams extended their lead. Forward TJ Gwynn, whose been coming on of late, was an athletic spark at both ends, earning crucial second half minutes instead of the White Russian, because of his ability to defend multiple positions and because of his ball-handling prowess (snicker).
And finally, home crowd advantage. VCU's Spring Break and the weather (remember last Monday?) didn't diminish the size or enthusiasm of the Richmond area crowd. Ram fans owned the Coliseum, except for 3 quiet, rather dejected sections in the southwest corner.

Maynor Fries the Blue Hens

Erik Bonkovsky — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:36:41 +0000

Here's the scene: Just after 9 PM on Wednesday, Larry Sanders catches a final desperation shot from University of Delaware and raises his ridiculously long index finger, ridiculously high in the air, as the crowd at VCU's Siegel Center erupts in a "We're number 1" chant. The Rams (now 19-8, 12-4 CAA) had just put the final touches on a 78-67 victory over the (Blue) Hens (11-17, 5-11 CAA), while Georgia State surprised the scuffling Northeastern Huskies 70-68, to position VCU alone in first place atop the CAA with just two conference games remaining.

The game wasn't decided until a stretch late in the second half when senior guard Eric Maynor took over and led the Rams to victory. With VCU trailing 53-51, Maynor scored ten straight points for the Rams, edging them to a 61-59 lead with 7:11 remaining in the game. Maynor ended the game with 30 points, 21 of which he scored after the break. (By way of comparison, Delaware as a team scored 29 after the break.) Exasperated (Blue) Hen coach Monte Ross summarized it well (if a bit obviously) after the game saying, "They have Eric Maynor and we don't." At least Coach Ross had a grasp on the two rosters by the end of the game.

When Maynor wasn't scoring himself, he was dishing out assists (he ended with ten), mainly to Larry Sanders and the White Russian, both of whom scored double figures, thus atoning for less than stellar performances when the Rams and (Blue) Hens first met--a game Delaware won and a game in which both Sanders and Russian fouled out. In fact, were he not overshadowed by Maynor (again), Sanders could have been the story of the game. He was dominant at times, finishing with nineteen points, fifteen rebounds, and two blocks. It almost made me sorry for the stuff I wrote earlier in the year about Sanders and the Witness Protection Program. Almost.

Things looked good early for VCU as Maynor hit his first two shots (both three pointers) to spot the Rams to a 7-2 lead. You got the feeling right away that the night might be special for the senior point guard. And it turned out to be. It just took awhile to develop.

After Maynor's quick threes, Delaware used two early spurts to build an eleven point first half lead. The (Blue) Hens shot an astounding (and uncharacteristic) 70% from the floor over the first twelve minutes, but shot only 4-12 the rest of the half. VCU trailed 32-21 before Maynor began to exert himself: a 3-point play, followed by sweet alleyoop to Sanders, and then another feed (this time to the White Russian) cut the lead to 30-34. With 20 seconds left in the half, a Joey Rodriguez floater tied it at 36, and brought the crowd to its feet.

The game would remain tight until Maynor broke it open late and it was closer than the final score indicates. The outcome was in doubt until about the last four minutes, when Maynor hit a floater in the lane and then drained a step-back three pointer (he ended the night, 4-6 from downtown), to give the Rams a 71-64 margin. It was right around then when the scoreboard watching began in earnest as the crowd waited to see if the Georgia State upset bid would hold. It did.

And Sanders's finger--raised high in the air--showed everyone what that meant.

NOTES:

Stat of the Game: Delaware scored 30 points in the first 12 minutes. They managed only 37 in the final 28.

During a second half timeout a commotion behind one of the baskets was resolved when one of the refs kicked a fan (not a player or a coach, mind you) out of the game. Why would a college level ref have to kick a fan out of a game? Unless they are physically threatened in some way, shouldn't refs be able to block out any taunts from the crowd? Of course what do I know about it? No one comes to my work place and yells at me if I make a mistake. But then again, not too many people would want to come to my parent's basement.

Maynor was more animated in the post game presser than I've ever seen. (30 and 10 will do that for you, I guess). He revealed that he and the other players were aware during the game that Northeastern was trailing. He said, "We've got a rugrat on our team. [Joey Rodriguez] kept saying, 'They losing E. Take over. Northeastern is down five.'"

The Rams caught a flight to Nevada early Thursday morning. Their next action is Friday night at 9 PM against Nevada in a nationally televised (ESPNU) BracketBusters Game.

Rams Sink Dukes in OT

Erik Bonkovsky — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:59:42 +0000

Wow. Sigh. Deep breath.

That was the collective feeling inside the Siegel Center Wednesday night after the VCU Rams pulled out a remarkable 76-71 overtime win over the JMU Dukes. A frenetic final ten minutes of game action (the end of regulation and OT) exhausted the fans. After the game they filed out quickly, tired but happy.

VCU (now 18-7; 11-3) survived another tough CAA conference battle thanks, once again, to the heroics of senior point guard star Eric Maynor who scored the Rams' last seven points in regulation (including two clutch free throws with 6.7 seconds left) to force overtime. Then freshman guard Bradford Brugess calmly sank the 'dagger shot', a corner three with twenty seconds let in overtime (off a Maynor feed, of course) to seal the win. Describing it after the game, Maynor said, "Its not about me making the shot, it's about me making the play." And make plays he did down the stretch--accounting for VCU's final 21 points (either on his own or via assist).

The story of this game was supposed to be the one that VCU Ram fans have been dreading all season long. It had all the makings of the sort of game you've been half-expecting and wholly-dreading, with consistent and unflappable Maynor playing inconsistently and looking, well, very flapped for the first 35 minutes. Even from the pre-game lay-up line, when his first shot inauspiciously curled off the rim (a miss), Maynor seemed out of sorts and the rest of the Rams weren't able to compensate for their leader.

It was a back and forth first half during and neither team developed a flow, largely due to energetic referees. VCU big Larry Sanders was saddled with two quick fouls and ended with this stunning first half stat line: 2 points, 1 rebound, 2 fouls, and 2 minutes (1 rebound away from the rare quadruple deuce). When a frustrated Maynor picked up a technical foul (also his second personal) with around 6 minutes remaining in the first half, JMU extended to a 5 point lead (26-21).

The Dukes' Dazzmond Thorton led the way in the first half. Thorton is enormous. He's listed at 6-7 and a generous (to him, not the scale) 270 pounds. The junior forward transferred from Texas Tech (where he, apparently, started as the defensive tackle on the Red Raider football team). He led all first-half scorers with ten. He also had the midway lead in hot-dogs consumed with seven. Seeing Thorton next to stick-thin Sanders was comical, like a funhouse mirror exhibit gone horribly wrong.

The level of play improved in the second half. VCU used slashing drives and crisp passing to build a lead, but Dukes' freshman sharpshooter Julius Wells (who ended with a team-high 20 points) exploited his height advantage over Joey Rodriguez and hit three straight three pointers. But this back and forth flurry was capped by a highlight film sequence where a Rodriguez steal led to an over the shoulder Maynor assist and a filthy Sanders dunk. This sequence gave VCU a 47-44 advantage with eleven minutes to play.

But neither team could pull clear of the other in the second. The game saw fourteen ties and eighteen lead changes and a climactic last five minutes and OT. That's when Maynor (who was shooting just 30% from the floor and was 0-6 from three point range) changed the game's story-line and single-handed tipped the game to VCU's advantage. Maynor ended with twenty-two points and nine assists (both game-highs) and yet another performance where he carried VCU on his back. Despite his post-game humility, as far as VCU is concerned, it is (more often than not) about Maynor making the play and the shot.

Wow. Sigh. Deep breath.

Quick Notes

In other CAA games on Wednesday night Drexel beat NU, thus landing the Rams in a tie atop the CAA, with identical 11-3 conference records. Northeastern owns the tiebreaker by virtue of its win over the Rams on January 27th.
Let's be honest guys: purple just isn't a real strong dominant jersey color, particularly when it's accented (as it was Wednesday night by various JMU players) with leg warmers or haribands. Sorry Dukes.
The atmosphere in the nearly sold-out Siegel Center was raucous, with a good showing from JMU fans, too. It's undoubtedly the best sports venue in Richmond.
VCU President Eugene Trani had his number retired at halftime in a bizarre tribute to his19-year leadership. Can someone explain to me why non-athletes get their numbers retired? Isn't that a bit ridiculous?
VCU's next game is 2 PM Saturday afternoon at ODU.

Rodriguez Shoots Rams Past UNCW

Erik Bonkovsky — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:33:21 +0000

The VCU Rams ran their record to 9-5 (2-1 in the CAA) with a punishing 88-59 win over hapless UNC Wilmington on Monday night. Sophomore guard Joey Rodriguez netted a career-high 25 points for the Rams, on torrid 8-10 shooting (5-7 from three-point range). Rodriguez and the Rams were hot early and never trailed after jumping out to a 13-2 lead.

Early in the game the storyline for VCU, was, as usual, Eric Maynor. While Maynor often leads the Rams with his scoring, he led Monday night with his passing. During one stretch midway through the first half Maynor dished out assists on three straight Ram possessions, all yielding three-point jumpers--two coming from Rodriguez and one from Brandon Rozzell. Maynor ended the night with a game-high (and season-high) 12 assists, and a very pedestrian (for him anyway) 16 points.

It wasn't just Maynor still feeling the Christmas spirit. The whole team played unselfishly in the first half, giving and then giving some more. At the seven minute mark of the first half, all of VCU's 29 points had come by way of assists; twelve field goals and twelve assists. They ended the first half with seventeen field goals, all but three coming on assists.

The crisp VCU passing was buoyed by outstanding perimeter shooting. The Rams shot 52 percent from the floor for the game and an identical 52 percent from beyond the arc, while holding UNCW to just 33 percent shooting.

Coach Grant, debonair as ever, prowled the sideline despite a twenty-five point first half lead. He implored the Ram defense, calling a full court press, demanding intensity. After the team's disappointing 81-79 loss to Delaware on Saturday (a game in which the Rams relinquished a halftime lead) Grant was pleased to see his team maintain intensity for forty minutes. And this was truly a team effort as the bench saw considerable playing time while regulars like Brandon Burgess and the White Russian were limited.

With the loss UNCW dropped their ninth straight, and fell to 3-12 overall (0-3 in the CAA). This year's Seahawks are a very young team. They compensate by being very short. While that's okay in some pursuits (spelunking and ducking come to mind), being very short is less okay when you're a Division I basketball team.

The Rams' defense frustrated UNCW leading scorer, 5 foot, 10 inch Chad Tomko, all night. He fouled out with 3:59 remaining in the game, finishing a dismal 1-12 from the floor, scoring only 2 points (well off his 18 points per game average).

Johnny 'Teen' Wolf was the lone first-half bright spot for the Seahawks, pouring in 13 points. In fact, he was the only UNCW player with more than one bucket in the opening frame. For some reason, Teen Wolf didn't play a minute in the second half. When asked about it after the game, UNCW coach Benny Moss shook off other reports claiming Wolf had injured an ankle late in the first half and said, "Well, at halftime Johnny basically refused to 'Wolf-out.' He said he was tired of all the Michael J. Fox jokes. So I benched him."

At certain points during the second half, Coach Moss looked as if he wanted to rip off his tear-away suit to reveal a Seahawks uniform, ready to take the floor himself. If he had, he would have been the tallest Seahawk in the game by far and might have offered greater resistance to Larry Sanders and the other VCU bigs.

Sanders came alive in second half, as VCU sought to exploit its interior size advantage. Sanders notched a double double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. This was his third double double on the year and second in the last three games. His continued maturation bodes well for VCU. Sanders's long and lean physique is reminiscent of Gumby (like the SNL Eddie Murphy version). This is good when Sanders is the intense, dominating-the-paint-Gumby. It's less good when he is the soft, can't-make-free-throws Gumby. Monday night he was good Gumby.

VCU is in action next Thursday night in Philly as they face off against the Drexel Dragons. They return home Saturday for a 12 noon match-up with Hofstra.

Maynor leads Rams past Zips

Erik Bonkovsky — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:02:36 +0000

An eight minute stretch of some of their best team play of the season to close out the first half combined with another standout performance by CAA Player-of-the-Year in waiting, Eric Maynor, delivered a four point home win, 73-69, for the VCU Rams over the Akron University Zips Wednesday night. Once again it was Eric Maynor who starred for the Rams, scoring a game-high 30 points, and steadying the team down the stretch as the Akron made a furious 2nd half push. The win moves VCU to 7-3 on the season, still undefeated at home, and 4-0 all-time against Akron.

The first half under eight minute timeout proved to be a turning point, as the Rams broke the huddle with a new level of enthusiasm and passion--particularly on the defensive end. A trapping defense (reminiscent of the Florida teams that Grant assistant coached under Billy Donovan) yielded steals (six for VCU in first half, against just one for AU) and easy buckets for VCU. The Rams ended the half on a 9-0 run, more than compensating for a mediocre start and extending to a sixteen point lead, 38-22.

Using a decisive first-half rebounding edge (21-9, 7 of which belonged to the White Russian) and outscoring Akron 24-6 in the paint, VCU looked very much in control by the break. With Maynor off to a slow start (missing his first four shots from the field), VCU looked elsewhere for early buckets. First year player and Benedictine product Bradford Burgress, fresh off his game-winning three-pointer on Saturday against cross town rival U of R, continued his solid play, logging 36 minutes of action and scoring eight points--all in the first half. He kept VCU close with Maynor scuffling early. Additionally freshman Terrance Saintil scored 4 points and grabbed 3 rebounds in just six minutes of action, making an immediate impact when he entered the game. The continued development of these freshmen may determine how far this VCU team can go.

In the first half, Akron was led by senior Nate Linhart, a lanky lefthanded forward who inexplicably kept hitting 6-foot tear-drop floaters just out of the reach of VCU defenders. They were the kind of shots that after the first one you say, "That was total luck. He'll never make another one." But after the third and fourth ones you say, "Okay. So that's kinda his shot, I guess." Linhart ended the half with ten points. Fortunately at halftime someone on the VCU coaching staff read the media guide and discovered that Linhart is left-handed; he only scored two more points.

For all that went right in the first half, much went wrong in the second. As Coach Grant (who, I should say, was once again dressed impeccably in a well-tailored gray suit, accented with a blue tie) put it laconically afterwards, "This game was the tale of two halves." The Rams came out of the locker room flat and the Zips chipped away at the lead. Akron made a good second half adjustments by ramping up their defensive pressure and by pounding the ball inside to their front court players. Brothers Brett McKnight (12 points) and Chris McKnight (13 points) did most of the damage, scoring at will against an undermanned VCU interior. (Thankfully for VCU, third McKnight brother, Brian, is currently touring in support of his Christmas album and thus was unavailable for the game.)

While VCU owned the boards in the first half, Akron out-rebounded VCU 18-13 in the second. The Zips used a balanced scoring attack (with 5 players netting double digits) to cut into the VCU lead, which swelled as high as 17 points in the first minute of the second half, but dwindled to five on several occasions. Whenever the Zips got close, Maynor would take over, punishing Akron with hard drives to the basket. Linhart who looked so good in the first half for Akron, spent much of the second half, reading Maynor's name from the back of his jersey after being worked over like an all-you-can buffet. The rest of the time Linhart spent with his palms face-up, arms extended, whining at the refs like a petulant child gradually realizing that he isn't nearly as good at basketball as Eric Maynor.

But to their credit, the Zips never rolled over. Several times the Rams hit buckets or made plays that seemed to ice the game. For example, a great steal by Joey Rodriguez (who ended with 3 steals) led to a three-point play and a double digit VCU lead with less than four minutes to play. But back-to-back threes by Akron reduced the lead to five again. As the Gold Rush Dancers sauntered onto the floor for their final number with two minutes left, I found myself secretly wishing they'd dance to Back at One--thereby reducing the McKnight brothers to filial tears and effectively ending Akron’s chances.

In the last minute, a turnover by the otherwise unflappable Maynor, followed by another from Rodriguez, gave the Zips the ball, down just four, with 20 seconds left. But Akron misfired on its final shots and VCU escaped with the 73-69 win.

Despite the win, questions remain for the young Rams (can we call them 'kids'?). A sluggish start, inconsistent play, and an inability to put the Zips away made this game closer (and tenser) than it needed to be. Once again Maynor's ever-present, calm leadership made the difference, while other players contributed just enough for VCU.

Game Miscellany

Stat of the game. Free throw discrepancy: VCU made 23-28 free throws (including 17-19 in the second half, almost half of their second half scoring). Akron shot 10-14 from the line. Maynor himself, for the Rams, was 12-14.
Sophomore forward Larry Sanders continues to frustrate everyone, maybe especially Maynor. Sanders, despite being 6-10 with freakishly long arms and despite flashes of brilliant play (like his two-handed dunk first half dunk or his 'out of nowhere' block of an Akron three point attempt), vanishes during games for long stretches at a time as though he has entered some sort of basketball witness protection.
Does anyone else think that Coach Grant has latent superpowers that he is honing to perfection? Like the power to pants a referee with his icy death-stare. After a string of bad calls in the first half and then a dubious technical foul call (on Grant) at a critical juncture in the second, he turned his death stare on the official in question for a good thirty seconds. If he can perfect these superpowers, it will make the Rams all the more dangerous come tournament time.
It was hard not to notice the ineptitude of the VCU sweat-mopping crew. I've never seen kids this young mopping the lane. Surely child-labor laws apply at VCU. The situation was so bad that at one point during the game, CAA player of the year Maynor grabbed the giant Swiffer and mopped the floor himself. Later, one of the refs--not to be outdone by Maynor--manned the mop. And (I swear I'm not making this up) Gene Trani and Dougie Wilder grabbed the Squeegees late in the second half to help out as best they could.
The lack of creativity of fans at the Stu (at least the ones behind me) was disheartening. Witty heckling is an art and a measure of the quality of a fan base. I heard a steady rotation of these three taunts: 'You're a loser!" "I've got your mom right here." "You're retarded." Surely some enterprising fellow could make some money offering tutorials for less clever fans.
For all of you eager readers waiting for a Gold Rush Dancer update, I have little to offer, except to say that I did spot my esteemed colleague, Matt White, at the game, apparently with a couple friends, disguised as a middle aged man and unfurling a gold banner that read "We <3 VCU dancers."

Up Next

On Saturday night at 10 PM, the Rams take on the #4 Oklahoma Sooners (led by former VCU coach Jeff Capel), in Oklahoma City. You can catch the nationally televised game on the Deuce.

The next home game for VCU is Saturday, December 27th, at 7:30 PM against Hampton. You can catch a wrap of that game, right here, at Rvanews.