She’s usually suntanned and smiling, and you’ll know for sure that it’s her by her long blond hair and armload of bangles — and the fact that she seems to know everyone.
And Grisevich, the co-founder, owner and manager of the South of the James market, didn’t want to move it.
It takes place in a city-owned park that Grisevich pays to use and it operates on city-owned property with a memorandum of understanding that Larson helped coordinate between Grisevich and the city.
“We were flabbergasted for a good three weeks,” said Karen’s husband, Doug Grisevich, who helps run the market with her.
They personally tried to ensure social distancing was adhered to, and they tried to make sure dogs and children — not allowed due to safety concerns — were nowhere in sight in a public park.
The complaints about South of the James started about five or six years ago, Doug estimates.
Like with anything popular or beloved and as with any small business, people have thoughts and complaints and the Griseviches have heard them all.
The lack of sidewalks pushes pedestrians into the street to get through, and it’s not uncommon to see Forest Hill residents walk their dogs or push a baby stroller in the center of the street.
All of that works out fine most days, but on Saturdays, on market days, the neighborhood sees an influx of several thousand people — in cars, on bikes or on foot — who flood the area over a four-hour period.
The Griseviches also hired parking attendants to help direct traffic and worked with the city to install more bike racks.
The South of the James Farmers Market had a problem that few wanted to talk about: It was too big for its location.
“I loved it at Forest Hill, it was established, you couldn’t beat the traffic.
Last May, the South of the James market relocated to Bryan Park.
Larson is personally and publicly a fan of the market and tried to reassure residents in her district about the temporary move.
The market is held in a part of Bryan Park with grass and shade, instead of the asphalt and blazing sun of Forest Hill.
But Grisevich, mindful of her roots and the neighborhood that helped build the success of the market, didn’t want to leave South Richmond without a market, so she decided to come back to Forest Hill for the Thursday evening market.
Sharnez Hill, whom everyone knew as “Shy-Shy,” was only a mother for a few short months before she and her 3-month-old daughter, Neziah Hill, were fatally shot as they were outside enjoying a beautiful evening at an apartment complex in South Richmond on Tuesday.