Are you looking to be a victim of crime? Richmond Police report that the best way to experience crime first hand in the Boulevard area is to leave your valuables in plain view within an automobile.

According to the latest newsletter from Sector 311 (neighborhoods west of the Boulevard: Carytown, Museum District) the statistics show decreases in crime across the board except in the area of Theft From Automobiles. According to the report thefts from vehicles jumped up an astounding 217% over February of last year with 19 break-ins reported.

Says Lt. Michael Stith in the report:

Theft from motor vehicles continues to be the primary reason for the increase in property crimes. Nineteen thefts from motor vehicles were reported. Eighteen of the thefts involved property left in plain view. Please spread the word with family members, neighbors, and co-workers to remove property from their vehicles such as purses, loose change, GPS systems, cameras, and carrying bags to decrease the likelihood of someone breaking into their car.

Check out the Sector 311 Newsletter for more law enforcement statistics in your neighborhood and additional tips for preventing crime.

Starting Friday March 12th:

The Blind Side - Rated PG-13
Nightly at 7:15 pm, Plus 4:30 pm Matinee on Saturday March 13th & Sunday March 14th

Up In The Air - Rated R
Nightly at 9:30 pm

Orgasmic Birth
1 pm Sunday March 14th
Presented by Birth Matters Virginia-Richmond Chapter
Tickets: $3

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Midnight Movie at The Byrd Theatre On April 3rd: GHOSTBUSTERS!

According to Richmond Sports Backers one of the greatest road races in the nation is nearing capacity with more than 35,000 runners already registered and registration will end much earlier than expected. Registration for the Monument Ave 10k race on March 27th costs $35 and includes a collectable Ukrops sponsored t-shirt commemorating the race.

Interested in participating in this year's race? You can register online at Sports Backers website.

The ever popular French Film Festival attracts people from all of the East Coast and beyond. If you are coming from out of town for the French Film Festival, you will need a nice place to prop up your feet and relax. Fortunately, you are in luck.

Richmond’s Museum District is home to several charming Bed & Breakfasts. Within walking distance of the Byrd Theatre and Carytown, these B&Bs offer Francophiles the perfect place to lay their heads down after a long day of watching French films.

Museum District Bed & Breakfast is on Grove Avenue near the intersection with Boulevard across the street from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

The Kensington Bed & Breakfast is located at the corner of Kensington Ave and Sheppard Ave.

Maury Place at Monument can be found where Franklin St, Monument Ave and Belmont Ave intersect across the street from the Maury Statue on Monument.

All three B&Bs offer luxuriously furnished suites, freshly prepared breakfasts and refreshments throughout the day.

Be sure to make your reservations early as suites at these popular B&Bs will go fast!

The post is part of a series on the French Film Festival and French culture in Richmond.

When you stir the spirits in Richmond only bad things are bound to happen. Such was the case this sunny Saturday morning when one guest arrived for the Foundation For Paranormal research's event to "capture and contain" real ghosts at Byrd Park's Pump House building.

The guest parked his car on the curb of Pump House Drive adjacent to the canal and Pump House building when he felt a sudden jolt as the asphalt gave way beneath him. Upon closer inspection he realized the nature of his dilemma, a sink hole was swallowing his car!

Police arrived on the scene around 12:30 to investigate the failing road surface and discovered significant erosion of the hillside next to Pump House Drive and a hole almost 8 feet deep enveloping the rear of the vehicle.

The threat of the expanding hole forced authorities to close down the roadway just before the Pump House complex. It remains unclear when the road will reopen and the city's plan to restore the stability of the road surface.

It also remains unclear what, if any additional vengeance Richmonders can expect from the supernatural after this morning's attempts to capture and contain the poltergeists.

UPDATE 3 PM: Pump House Drive now has Road Closed signs posted. The large hole still remains on the shoulder of the road and a close up inspection reveals a 8-10 foot deep cavern beneath the road surface.

A bumpy patch of pavement on Main Street is now serving as a window into Richmond's past as historic streetcar rails are exposed by an expanding family of potholes.  The archeological excavation photographed is located at the intersection of West Main St. and Strawberry St. in the upper fan.

Are you fascinated by the historical treasures unearthed by decaying asphalt? Please add your favorite pothole to our pothole map at PotholeCity.com (also be sure to report it to the city by calling 3-1-1 so that these historic resources can be preserved with pavement for future generations to enjoy.)

The Department of Public Utilities tells us that all lanes of the Boulevard will be open tonight and through the weekend as the planned construction project has now been postponed. The construction related lane closings are now scheduled for the weekend of March 12-14.

This post references our earlier story about the closings are suggested detour.

To the excitement of many Boulevardizens, Carytown Merchants Association announced on their Facebook Page that Girl Scouts will be selling their cookies in three locations during the month of March.

Each Saturday from 12-6pm troops will set up cookies stands in front of It's Hip to Be Round (Nansemond and Cary), Pink (Cary Court - McCloy and Cary), Double T's BBQ (Colonial and Cary).

Come out to Carytown to by your cookies and support our local Girl Scouts and merchants.

This April is going to be a very colorful month for the sidewalks of Carytown when thousands of artists both amateur and professional join forces to decorate the mile of style with sidewalk chalk art.

The Carytown Merchants Association tells us that they will give away 30,000 pieces of chalk for the Saturday April 17th event. Says the CMA, "To anyone who wants it to draw on the sidewalks in Carytown. So that means you...whomever you are...you can draw something on a square of the sidewalk in Carytown."

According to the merchant association's Facebook event page there are a few ground rules for the event:

1) Only sidewalk chalk! No sidewalk paint, or spray paint, anything that doesn't come off with water.
2) No drawing on private property, only on the sidewalk.
3) No religious, political, or drawings that could be offensive. This isn’t about someone’s individual personal beliefs about a bunch of people coming together to make something great!

Rain is of course the mortal enemy of sidewalk chalk and should precipitation prevail on April 17th then the event will be rescheduled for May 1st.

Where: Carytown

When: April 17 12-5 PM

RSVP On Facebook!

SPOOKY! The Hills & Heights blog tips us that the Foundation for Paranormal Research will "capture and contain" real ghosts this Saturday at the Pump House near the Boulevard Bridge.

The 3 Mile Lock Experiment – Conquest event will take place from 10:30 AM - 12 PM on March 6th.

The organization says about the event:

The foundation’s founder Robert Bess, along with his technical containment team, will demonstrate the real existence of ghosts and other worldly entities by actual capture and containment of real ghosts using the foundation’s inventions and techniques. An explanation of the equipment, the theories, and practical applications etc will be given before the event. The environment will be fully lit and fully visible. This is a rare opportunity for skeptics and non-committed believers, etc.

The paranormal professionals tell us there will be a bonus metaphysical display of at this event:

An added attraction will be the “Parabot,”..... Parabot will be capturing and containing ghosts and showing off its abilities. The foundation will also be demonstrating how its latest invention, “The Tesla Tower,” works. There will be two fully active Tesla coils firing during the demonstration. The coils will be producing over .2.6 million volts of raw uncontrolled energy – wild and attractive arcs from the coils.

Read More About The Biggest Ghost Hunting Event of the Year At Hills & Heights

HONK! HONK! A rogue gaggle of geese swarmed around Boulevard near the intersection of Blanton Avenue this afternoon startling motorists and warding off runners from the sidewalk of Byrd Park.

Richmond's marijuana market took a major hit on Sunday night after Richmond police received a complaint about the aroma of pot at a residence on the 2900 block of Idlewood Ave.

Astute officers pinpointed the residence emitting the odor and after receiving permission to enter the building observed several narcotic related items.

According to a police department release a later search of the premises yielded 5 to 6 pounds of marijuana and $12,000 to $13,000 in cash.

Police report that resident Bryce T. McClellan was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

The Princess And The Frog - Rated G
Nightly at 7:15pm continuing Friday, March 5th
Plus Matinee Sunday March 7th at 4:30pm

Precious - Rated R
Nightly at 9:30pm starting Friday, March 5th

Stephens Promotions Presents:
12th Annual Tri-City Gospel Step Show
Saturday, March 6th at 1:00pm
Tickets: $12 at door

Traveling south on Boulevard this weekend is going to get dicey if your route takes you through the intersections of Kensington Ave. and Grove Ave. The Department of Public Utilities will shutdown all southbound lanes of the heavily travelled thoroughfare from 7 PM on Friday night through 6 PM on Sunday.

The lane closure is necessary for DPU workers to install a 43 inch water transmission main below the road surface.

Says DPU on the recommended detour around this construction effort:

Motorists traveling south along N. Boulevard will be detoured right onto Kensington Ave; left onto N. Belmont Ave; left onto Grove Ave. and a right back onto N. Boulevard.  Motorists traveling west toward N. Boulevard on Stuart Ave and Hanover Ave will be advised at N. Mulberry St. that there will be no left turns at N. Boulevard.

Are you headed North on Boulevard? DPU says it will be smooth sailing through this entire area.