RVANews

Richmond International Airport unveils new mobile-friendly website

RVANews — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 11:07:31 +0000

Last Friday morning, the Richmond International Airport (RIC) unveiled a new website meant to be more compatible with mobile technology. "Communication has changed," said Troy Bell, director of marketing & air service development with RIC. "It's a mobile era."

In April, RIC partnered with Richmond-based West Cary Group to make the site more mobile-friendly. While the airport averages 12,000 travelers per day the airport's website averages 150,000 visits per day. "We feel it's a pretty critical site," said Bell.

In 2008, the airport redesigned their website, and not long after, it became virtually obsolete. "The iPhone wasn't very popular at that time," said Bell. The redesign has accommodated mobile devices, while also giving desktop users a simplified interface. "Now we are in much better shape," said Bell. More is also on the way.

He said about 12 Google employees visited the airport in recent days to map "every square foot of public space." As a result, visitors to the website will soon be able to locate restaurants, retail stores, and other amenities similar to the user experience of Google Maps. Bell said that should be available in the coming weeks, making RIC one of only a few airports nationwide to have such a feature.

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Restaurant Week: Bistro Twenty Seven

RVANews — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:38:27 +0000

Fall, 2011

Bistro Twenty Seven
27 W. Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23220
804.780.0086
www.bistrotwentyseven.com

Course one

Choose one

Butternut squash spiced soup with Gorgonzola fritter
Bistro Salad mescalin mix, candied walnut, bosc pears, Gorgonzola cheese, balsamic vinaigrette
Classic Caesar salad

Course two

Choose two

Homemade beef ravioli tomato and cream sauce
Rainbow trout, golden raisins, buerre blanc
Moroccan lamb couscous
Vegetarian spanakopita with fetta cheese
Pork chop with bosc pears, brandy demi glaze
Roasted cornish hen over a mix wild mushroom risotto, madeira wine glaze

Course three

Choose three

Chocolate tart
Mini cheesecake mixed berries

What is Folk?

RVANews — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:00:03 +0000

With the 2011 Folk Festival mere weeks away, we thought we take the time to ask musicians what do they think of when they hear the word ‘folk?’ While many of us think of acoustic jams by the campfire, folk is actually way more interesting than that. Here are several musicians giving us their thoughts about what folk really is:

Pinson Chanselle, drums:

"The soul in sound."

Lindsey Prather, vocals:

"Folk music is the music of the people. When I ask my music students to research folk music, they always come back with a definition calling it music of the "uncultured" classes (I blame Wikipedia), but I think folk music comes from rich varied cultures and has absolutely nothing to do with class. Folk is music made by the people to enrich their lives in some way. It is music interwoven with life."

Bryan Hooten, trombone:

"For folk music there is neither artist nor audience. We make and experience the sounds together."

Joe Westerlund, recording artist:

"Folk music is not necessarily defined by a sound, but by a spirit of inclusion and accessibility. Its defining nature is found in its presentation of shared culture and community."

Reggie Chapman, trombone:

"Music that belongs specifically to a cultural region. Its usually called folk after a certain lineage has been established over time.

Music that folks make."

Cameron Ralston, bass:

"Folk music is music by the people, for the people, specifically of the lower classes of a particular culture, that has been passed on aurally or by mouth rather than by pen."

Audrey Tillack, vocals:

"Music for the people by the people."

David Hood, saxophone:

"To me, its the first-person term for music that is born out of a certain culture at a certain time and continues to resonate with that cultural period. It helps define that cultural time period. In maybe a more literal sense, folk music is culture music or history music."

Karl Blau, recording artist:

"This is a question I have thought a lot about. I read a quote from Pete Seeger (I think that's who!) that said something to the effect of: 'If the music and lyrics stay the same, a song will get stagnant and die.' That's a message I have taken to heart. So, I try to cover a lot of songs and change them to make them involve my personal experience and bring them up to date. One of the earliest pieces I did this to was with the folk song 'The Water is Wide' written I don't know when by who knows. Lots of people have covered this song. I was looking through a book of old folk songs and thinking 'boy this stuff is such a downer. I don't feel this way, and I don't want to propagate this feeling, I'm gonna change this shit.' So, I rewrote much of 'The Water is Wide' to give it an uplifting feeling.

The verse went something like: Love is warm when it's new/gay as a jewel when first it is new/but love grows old and waxes cold/and fades away like the morning dew. I changed it to reflect some hope: Love is warm when it's new/and love is sweet when it's true/But love grows old and waxes cold/Nothing like warm breath melts the snow.

Folk music is challenged today. Sure there are plenty of old 'folk songs' to cover, but when someone makes lyrics their own, you have to pay them to use the lyrics. I resent this. And at the same time I understand. Poets/songwriters need to make money somehow.

But I'm making a stand, you can use my lyrics -- all of them -- anytime, change them and make them your own. Heck, karlblau.com has tons of lyrics to use for free, they're mine, I wrote them, but you can dress them up to look like you and they can be yours too. Take them, keep the real folk style alive!"

photo by David A. Ford

Secret vista

RVANews — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:23:48 +0000

Restaurant Week: Sam Miller’s

RVANews — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:17:09 +0000

Spring, 2011

Sam Miller’s
1210 East Cary Street
Richmond, VA 23219-4116
804.644.5465
www.sammillers.com

Course One

Choose one

Thai chili shrimp
Sam Miller’s famous crab soup
Grilled Caesar salad

Course Two

Choose one

Chesapeake Rockfish: Line caught with sautéed fingerling potatoes and Surry bacon creamed corn
Sam Miller’s Crab Cakes: Lump crabmeat with celery root puree and fresh local asparagus
Surry Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon: Center cut tenderloin with sweet potato puree, crispy shallots, fresh local asparagus and balsamic vinegar reduction
Maine Sampler: ½ Steamed Maine lobster with pan seared scallops, celery root puree and fresh local asparagus
Chicken Oscar: Tender breast meat with lump crab, hollandaise, grilled fresh local asparagus and
parmesan white wine risotto

Third Course

Choose one

Cranberry white chocolate bread pudding with a bourbon caramel sauce
Triple chocolate brownie sundae with warm Hershey’s syrup
Classic vanilla crème Brule

Richmond loves bikes!

RVANews — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 03:19:14 +0000

Obamakin

RVANews — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:00:28 +0000

Pacman Pumpkin

RVANews — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:00:08 +0000

VA Change

RVANews — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:00:19 +0000