How the neighborhood-newsletter sausage gets made

As a general rule, I try not to write newsletters about writing newsletters, because inside-baseball media commentary is boring. Unless, heaven forbid, you work in the media, and often even then. But rules are made to be broken, so today I’m doing something even more indefensible: writing a newsletter about a presentation I gave about writing newsletters. Forget navel-gazing, man, this is some next-level Freudian shit!

To wit: on Tuesday, I attended the monthly Church Hill Association meeting at the invitation of president Vernon Plack and gave a brief talk about who I am and what I’m trying to do with The Lookout.¹ Big thanks to the CHA members who listened patiently as I prattled on about mY pAsSiOn for neighborhood journalism that’s fun, serious, and really, truly local. If you’re a member of another East End community org and you’d like me to come give my spiel about how the neighborhood-newsletter sausage (?) gets made at your next meeting, please get in touch.

I’ve uploaded my presentation to The Lookout’s share drive for your review. This was the most substantive slide:

The upshot is that I don’t want anybody to think of The Lookout as a comprehensive source for news about Virginia, Richmond, or even Church Hill. We’re lucky enough to have a local press corps that’s disproportionately productive for its size and decently aggressive despite “the Virginia way.” I hope that folks buy subscriptions and make donations to fund their work, both because it informs my coverage, and because it’s vital to a functioning small-d democratic society.

The Lookout will never compete with the types of outlets above, because a) it’s just me, b) I have like 2.5 other jobs,² and most importantly, c) I don’t want it to! I think this newsletter is at its best when it’s tightly focused on what’s going on in the East End, and how what’s going on elsewhere affects the East End. And Possum Poetry, of course. I think of The Lookout as something along the lines of an alt-weekly—god, remember alt-weeklies? Those were the fucking days, eh?—just smaller, and with somehow even less budget. I hope it has lived up to that billing, and continues to.

Speaking of budgets! Roughly six months into publishing The Lookout, it’s clear to me there’s meaningful demand for this type of coverage. Also clear to me: I’m going to have to generate some revenue off this project at some point in order to keep dedicating hours to it. And, ideally, dedicate more hours to it. And pay the occasional (very modest) freelance commission to a neighbor for an illustration here or a column there. Or a FOIA fee. Et cetera.

That point is approaching, but it’s not here yet. As for the “how”—I’m not interested in a hard paywall, sort of defeats the whole idea of a neighborhood newsletter. But perhaps some sort of Wikipedia-style “please pay if you can”-style subscription option for individuals. Beyond that… I mean, listen, if you’re obscenely wealthy and would like to spend your remaining years as The Lookout’s official sugar daddy/momma/weird uncle, please reply to this email with your bank information. If you’re not obscenely wealthy, but you run a business in Church Hill and would be interested in underwriting/sponsorship opportunities, or you just have an idea for how to make this project financially sustainable, I’m all ears! Shoot me an email, or find me in the comments:

Have a nice holiday weekend, Lookouts. I hope you’re able to take a breather, enjoy the weather, and soak in the best our neighborhood has to offer. See you on the other side.

📜 Possum Poetry

Possum Poetry is original verse written exclusively for The Lookout by Penelope Poubelle, the Lookout’s litter critter-at-large. If you spot roadside trash you’d like her to immortalize in doggerel, email a photo to [email protected]. All submissions anonymous!

⚠️ Comparing Richmond’s CA candidates on ICE

Also in attendance at Tuesday’s CHA meeting was Richmond’s incumbent Commonwealth’s Attorney (CA) and former Church Hill precinct prosecutor Colette McEachin, who stopped by to give some brief remarks about her reelection campaign. At the meeting, she distributed a stack of the blue cards you see above, which are inscribed with plain-language constitutional rights in English on one side and Spanish on the other.

For the record, I think it’s good on merit to educate people on their constitutional rights, regardless of the context or their citizenship status. But I see a bit of subtext here, too. Recall, McEachin is facing a challenge in the Democratic primary on June 17th from Tom Barbour, a Church Hill resident, former Richmond CA office attorney, and current private-practice trial lawyer. The Lookout interviewed both candidates, and one area where they differ substantively is how CA office can/should be used to protect vulnerable Richmonders from raids and detentions by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement like those that have happened in Charlottesville and all over the country in the first months of the Trump administration.

This placard isn't something McEachin mentioned when I asked her how she would use her office to protect vulnerable Richmonders earlier this month.³ To your humble Lookout editor, these cards embody the significant divide between the two candidates that came through in their interviews. McEachin sounded certain that Trump’s ICE will ultimately adhere to the laws she’s sworn to defend, while Barbour was already thinking through contingencies to block the increasingly belligerent agency from exploiting gaps in those laws to carry out its dismal agenda here in Richmond.

📦 FedEx responds to The Lookout about Mosby St. incident (sort of)

Last week, I reported on the harrowing experience of Church Hill North’s Joseph Carlisle, who was almost hit by the driver of a FedEx van on Mosby St. last month, after which the driver got out and threatened to assault him. Very cool and normal stuff. Carlisle filed a complaint with the logistics mega-firm, only to be told that it was unable to identify the driver despite Carlisle’s photo of the van’s license plate and vehicle number. Given FedEx tracks its packages with extreme precision, and that it (like Amazon and many other logistics-oriented corporations) uses its vehicles as roving surveillance cameras, that claim defies credulity.

The Lookout reached out to FedEx independently in the course of reporting that column, and received a slightly different response. According to a brief emailed statement from spokesperson Sarah Rose Watkins on Monday, “Safety and security are our highest priorities at FedEx,” and the company has “appropriately addressed this matter with our team member.” Even by the low standards of corporate flackery, that’s some pretty thin gruel. I’ve followed up with more questions. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, though, I'm pleased that The Lookout was able to obtain at least an acknowledgement from FedEx about this issue, when it appeared to be ready to blow off Carlisle entirely. This is the type of neighborhood accountability journalism I launched this newsletter to do. Your support makes it possible. And your news tips, too, so please submit them!

📢 Happenings on The Hill

• Chimbo chunes: The Richmond Symphony and Camerata Strings are bringing their “Big Tent” (exactly what it sounds like) to Chimborazo Park for open-air orchestra on Saturday (5/24) at 6pm. No tickets needed, more details here.

• Block party, Pt. II: The second “East End Block Party” in as many weeks goes down Saturday from 12-4pm at RISE Academy’s Montrose Heights location. Scope the info.

• Brick by brick: The jacked-up section of sidewalk outside Riverbend Roastery on N. 27th St. is (finally) scheduled for maintenance. DPW’s signage on-site says the work will run 5/23-30. Peep the sign.

• Details on the district: There’s a community meeting for the 7th District scheduled for Thursday (5/29) at 6pm at VCU Health Hub. I think? Details are sparse. Here’s the CHA calendar listing.

Happenings on The Hill is a digital bulletin board for events, causes, and other items of interest to East Enders that don’t necessarily merit full editorial treatment. Got something for a future edition? Email the relevant details, links, etc. to [email protected] for consideration!

📸 A Very CHill Photo

Want to share your Very CHill Photo from the neighborhood? Email it to [email protected] with your name as you’d like it to appear for publication, and the camera you shot it on.

1  Disclosure: I would have attended anyway, as I’m a dues-paying member of the organization.

2  As I mentioned at the CHA meeting, at my “real” job(s), I report on the booze business. I’m the editor/publisher of Fingers, an independent newsletter about drinking in America, and a contributing editor and columnist at VinePair, the country’s largest drinks publication.

3  I’m told she did mention the cards in her debate with Barbour this past Saturday, where she defended her six-year record even as this year’s spike in crime continues to mount. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to tune in, as I was on the road.