President’s Message

Dear Neighbors:

Yet another Christmas has flown by and we are already into the New Year. Although my wife and I were out of the country, we could see that the Fan was looking very presentable this year, what with the newly paved streets and the efforts of the Clean Sweep Team. The paving and leaf pick-up was just in time for this year’s Holiday House tour; and what a House Tour! I continue to be in awe of what Tammy Kelly and her team pulled off, particularly since Tammy is brand new to the Tour. I know she had a lot of help (280 volunteers), but she drove it to the finish line. Tammy’s goal was to show houses that are in the mainstream of the neighborhood and a typical comment was “this is the best tour in 3-4 years, the houses are so interesting.”.

The House Tour always reminds us of why we choose to live in the Fan: the exuberance of the  original builders, the extraordinary variety of what can continue to be done with their houses plus the interesting people that choose to make them their home. In reading recently, the word “abide” arose and I thought that that is what we do in the Fan: we abide here; it has the connotation of a nurturing place, a place that we want to make our home, a place where we can belong. It is probably why we care so much about it and get so upset when it is abused, by, for example, the recent graffiti artist “seven”. It is also probably why it is such joy to discover that the large institutions like VCU and the City share our feelings and want to work with us, through Paint the Town Green, Move-out and with the recent parking changes in the Lower Fan. Finding that common ground is one of the FDA’s biggest challenges, but also one of the most rewarding.

We congratulate Charles Samuels, Parker Agelasto upon their election to City Council and to Kim Gray and Mamie Taylor upon their election to School Board. We also welcome the birth of a new association within our borders, the Robinson Street Association under the presidency of Bob Adams. You should look forward some vigor and changes on that neglected street.

February – March, 2013