2009 Year in Review…The Big Memes
29
Dec0
Dec0
Everyone else is doing it, so here it goes. As a compiler of news/real time historian/social media expert ;p , here were the big stories of 2009 (serious, silly, and in-between. So what’d I miss?):
January 2009
- Started with (perhaps) the last Carytown NYE celebration ever. Cheap bastards didn’t fill the donation boxes.
- Style Weekly names the “Whistleblower” as Richmonder of the Year. If you recall 2008 was the year of the VCU scandals.
- Wilder’s last days…Jones’ inauguration
- Xin Yang murder. The already psychically fragile Virginia Tech campus gets another tragedy.
- Obama’s BFF Tim Kaine is tapped as the new head of the DNC. Will he have enough RAM to multi-app?
- Kaine’s BFF Barack Obama gets inaugurated. Hardest ticket ever. History rejoices.
- The Shockoe Baseball development story begins to heat up. This story will go on and on and on until the squirrel.
- After 60 years in the business, Circuit City officially closes its doors. 2009 would be a sad year of homegrown businesses shutting down.
February 2009
- February started off with the VCU Police Chief sex chatroom scandal. The transcript of Hotcop2006 and Hannahmontana2012 (undercover Chesterfield PD) engenders shock and chuckles.
- Chris Brown gets arrested in LA for beating then girlfriend Rihanna. It’ll have a Richmond angle.
- While NYC was dealing with their Madoff scandal, Lord Allen Stanford hides out with his girl in Virginia.
- Movieland opens up to rave reviews. Nominal tax dollars used.
- Michael Rao is named the new President of VCU. So will we finally see football on Franklin St?
March 2009
- Phish returns from a long hiatus and they choose Hampton of all places to start their comeback tour.
- Some serious discussion around moving the National Slave Museum to Shockoe (as an add-on project to the Shockoe Baseball initiative)
- Toad’s Place closes its doors and Lady Gaga begins her first of many RVA show cancellations.
- Native Richmonder and Detroit Lion Corey Smith is lost in sea after horrofic fishing trip. Reminds us again that Nature is always in charge.
- Richmond issues $100,000 to study baseball proposal.
- Wal-Mart versus Wilderness Civil War preservation groups. Gee, I wonder who’ll win that one.
- CW films ‘Body Politic’ pilot (eventually not picked up) in Richmond.
- Tobacoo Avenue’s Girl Scout Cookie Chronicles…just because…
- Richmond School Board gets a public scolding for trying to institute a speech restriction policy.
- Chesterfield County’s anti-dancing ordinance. Now I gotta cut loose, footloose…
April 2009
- First Market Bank bought by Union Bankshares. The first sign of the #ukropalypse?
- Slaughterama.
- The Taliaferro trial opens up old wounds.
- Barely on the job for a year, state GOP chair Jeff Frederick steps down after an ugly fight.
- An 18 year media ban on US soldier coffins returning home is lifted as the body of Staff Sgt. Phillip Myers returns home to Hopewell.
- 2009 would be a painful transition year for the daily newspaper business. Media General lays off employees including many household name writers.
- Good friends at Gay RVA open shop.
- Eggleston Hotel Collapses. For me, this event really hit home the power of twitter (as coverage was occurring in real time)
- NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg starts a media campaign going after Virginia’s loose gun laws. Times it with the one year anniversary of the Virginia Tech tragedy.
- The Richmond Tea Party is born.
- Swine flu is born.
May 2009
- Busch wins all three races in Richmond. To think, he would not make the cup race.
- Bear sightings!
- William & Mary students break the Guinness World Record for the most people doing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” dance. This video will become viral again later in the year.
- SMCRVA is born.
- In another media sign o the times, Q-94 replaces local favorites Sid and Melissa for a (cheaper) nationally syndicated morning show.
- Lots of retail robberies. A crime wave?
- SaveRichmond’s Don Harrison essentially calls out the mayor for having no testicles (re Downtown Plan). Harrison would later become Style Weekly’s new Arts and Culture Editor.
- Richmond loses yet another significant national retail HQ in S&K. I guarantee it.
- Michael Vick released from Kansas prison, returns home to Hampton…Football and traditional media speculate his next move.
June 2009
- Democratic primary was as heated and covered as the actual November race. Creigh Deeds emerges victor of the triple threat match.
- Bill Murray just randomly hangs out in Richmond. Serious Delirium!
- Another successful Broad Appétit.
- Police temporarily shut down Rumors for hosting an “illegal” music show. “CAPs” enters the Richmond lexicon.
- Velvet’s Sam Moore puts up a banner protesting the Shockoe Baseball project. Yeah, he’ll be back.
- Conrad Stoltz wins XTERRA despite nasty foot injury.
- The VITA scandal begins. Director Lemuel Stewart falls on sword. Times Dispatch begins its relentless coverage.
- Austin’s Byron Marshall is recruited to be the city’s new CAO.
- Kings Dominion UFO sighting.
- Highwoods properties drops out of Shockoe baseball project, essentially, killing it.
- Two DC Metro Red Line Trains Collide Near Fort Totten.
- Pandora Founder Tim Westergren visits Richmond for town hall.
July 2009
- Eugene Trani’s last day as VCU president.
- The $100K baseball study is released anticlimactically.
- Michael Jackson dies. Richmonder Chad Brown live tweets from LA, once again, showing the awesomeness of Twitter.
- The legendary Black Dog joins Michael up in heaven.
- The City Hall Ford police car procurement mess.
- Ex-VCU star Brandon Inge voted to All-Star game. Would have an awful home run derby.
- Yellow Brick Road Daycare tragedy.
- Due to budget crisis, the state closes down a number of highway rest stops. Virginians piss their pants over this.
- Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts ruling to wreck havoc on state forensics lab.
- Richmond Fair to feature monkeys riding dog racing. Did the thing ever happen?
- The Ukrop’s sale rumor rocks RVA’s newsrooms. @Mr_Sterling coins the term #Ukropalypse.
- UR alumni Adnan Hajizada is taken political prisoner in his home of Azerbaijan. The Collegian takes local leadership in covering the story.
- The first debate between McDonnell and Deeds occurs in Deeds’ backyard. Mmmm, Hommestead butter.
- Michael Vick is now a Philadelphia Eagles wildcat QB.
August 2009
- Chris Brown Short Pump Town Center sightings.
- Robot Chicken’s Seth Green hosts a skate party in Richmond to move some DVDs.
- Richmond media institution Gene Cox steps down from 11 PM broadcast to get some sleep.
- Harris Teeter is kicked out of the #Ukropalypse.
- The Matko Trial.
- Best Friends Day 8.
- Chris Brown is sentenced in LA to serve community service in Richmond.
- The Robin Starr/Louie story explodes. Everyone and their dog has an opinion on this one.
- #hashbrownnetworking is born.
- Kings Dominion announces their largest roller coaster to date: the Dale Earnhardt inspired Intimidator 305.
- Balliceaux opens up. Probably, the hottest restaurant opening in 2009.
- Ex-Richmonder, Manhattahn socialite Tinsley Mortimer separates from husband.
- The Washington Post publishes Bob McDonnell’s Regent U thesis. It would be a tough couple of weeks for the future governor.
September 2009
- Redskins sue grandmother fan. This would be the straw that broke the camel’s back (at least for me)
- CenterStage finally opens.
- Fall NASCAR race. Say what you want about NASCAR, but no other event in Richmond gets this much national coverage.
- Reggae artist Buju Banton becomes toxic due to protests from the Richmond gay community. All Richmond shows cancelled.
- Defenders announce they are leaving Connecticut to play Double AA at the Diamond.
- Cleveland Show debuts. Stoolbend as Richmond.
- Doug Wilder does not endorse either candidate for Governor which is essentially not endorsing Deeds which is essentially endorsing McDonnell.
- Chris Brown performs community service picking trash. The media goes nuts trying to find the secret location.
- The Farmville Horrorcore murders.
- InLight 2009.
- River City video goes viral.
- Master media manipulator Sam Moore creates more controversy by hanging up a giant Obama/Joker banner.
- After multiple cancellations, Lady Gaga finally plays Richmond.
- City Hall shakeup. Rachel Flynn loses power.
October 2009
- U2 plays Scott Stadium.
- The new Richmond baseball team holds a naming contest (Rock Hoppers, Rhinos, Flatheads, Flying Squirrels, Hambones, Hush Puppies). Hilarity ensues.
- Busch Gardens is sold.
- The first non-black Miss Hampton U. Small race drama.
- Richmond Folk Festival.
- Three Lakes Park is the third local park to get hit with racist graffiti.
- Ladies and Gentleman, I give you the Richmond Flying Squirrels.
- Creigh Deeds will lose the election next month for multiple reasons. Washington Post pens a pre-mortem.
- The Morgan Harrington/Metallica concert saga begins.
- A manatee is spotted in the James River near Richmond. I could go with a number of fat jokes here but won’t.
- Drew Barrymore is spotted in Richmond re-creating the NY Times 36 Hours article.
- Swine Flu reaches its fall peak.
- Richmond Zombie Walk! When there is no more room in Hell.
- Robert Crumb visits.
November 2009
- Bob McDonnell destroys Creigh Deeds. GOP sweeps statewide elections.
- The Fort Hood shootings have a Virginia connection.
- Velvet’s Sam Moore’s ABC hearing is R-rated. The adage of no sex in the champagne room is challenged.
- DC/Ashland Sniper John Allen Muhammad is executed.
- Richard Kelly’s The Box doesn’t do too well at the box.
- Harry Shearer visits. For some reason, the celebrities dig the Carytown.
- Rains like crazy in Virginia. Massive flooding in Hampton Roads. Governor Kaine gets some grief for attending an Arkansas fundraiser in the middle of all this.
- Danville TEA Party considers then cancels effigy burning of Perriello, Pelosi. Bush league psych out stuff, man.
- City Projects $10 Million Shortfall.
- Richmond Sheriff Woody is under investigation for sexual harassment but is quickly acquitted for lack of evidence.
- Al Groh is fired as UVA’s head football coach. He could never beat Tech.
December 2009
- December 1 smoking ban (sort of) in the world capitol of tobacco.
- The Salahis aka White House party crashers.
- UVA hires Mike London.
- The Ballad of Col Barfoot
- The Time Square gunman story also has a Virginia angle
- Redskins fire Cerrato, hire Allen, court Shanahan.
- Ahold buys Ukrops for 89 million euros.
- Major snowstorm shuts down Richmond. snOMG is born.
- Barack Obama prank calls Tim Kaine’s last radio show as governor.
- The inventor of the Sports Machine, George Michael, dies.
- The media inundate us with Best of 2009/Best of the Decade retrospectives. Including this one!
That year, that decade, flew!
Enjoy this article?
Consider subscribing to our RSS feed!
No Comments
No comments yet.
