Up Against the Cookie Cutter

Government over-regulation is certainly in the eye of the beholder. I remember a few years ago when a fast-food joint tried to make a constitutional case (even holding "Pro-Freedom" rallies!) out of the fact that Albemarle County told them they had to replace their large advertising banner with a smaller one. I tried my best to muster some sympathy for the business owner in question, but the regulations in that case made a lot of sense to me (can anyone truly claim that what suburbia needs is BIGGER and LOUDER roadside advertising?) and the fast-food place was clearly in violation of those regulations. I suppose the Libertarians would say that the reason we need to rally for the rights of national fast-food chains is that emboldened government regulators will come after the rest of us next. And when you hear about cases like the Henrico County couple who are facing a big fine for having a bathtub planter in their backyard (as featured in today's Daily Progress), you do have wonder if there's some logic to their argument. (I loved the wife's quote from that article: "Why do you have to have a cookie-cutter backyard? We're not cookie-cutter people." Classic.) In my mind, however, there's a big difference between issuing a notice of violations to a roast beef chain over unauthorized signage and, say, conducting an armed raid on a small family farm for incorrect labeling of products. Few of us know all the facts behind the situation with Double H Farm, but they are well-regarded vendors at our City Market and the apparent heavy-handedness with which they were treated this past week is troubling. And when you compare it to the way that national food producers are treated for much graver lapses (as Harry Landers has pointed out), it does bring up some serious questions about the scales of justice in our country. For info. on donating to a defense fund for the owners of Double H Farm, click here.

Cville VegFest is This Saturday!

See below for a special message from the Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival. Even if you're a carnivore through-and-through, you should come to the VegFest on Saturday -- it's free, it's fun, and it's become quite the Charlottesville institution, with thousands of visitors each year from near and far.

11TH ANNUAL CHARLOTTESVILLE VEG FEST

SAT., SEPTEMBER 29, 2007, 11am-4pm, LEE PARK

The 11th Annual Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival is this Saturday, Sept. 29, from 11am to 4pm, and it's not too late to volunteer! Volunteering is fun and it's a great way to meet like-minded people in the community. E-mail Dian at dian1021@hotmail.com to find out how you can help. Visit www.cvillevegfest.org for more details on the event and directions.

Even if you can't volunteer, you can help ensure the Festival's success by coming to Lee Park this Saturday - and bringing a friend! We have a great lineup of live music, fun and games for kids and adults alike, and restaurants showcasing their vegan fare.

National and local animal, environmental, and social justice groups will be there. And there will be plenty of "just for fun" offerings, too, such as a "make your own tie-dye t-shirt" station for kids and adults, beach braids, henna tattoos, face painting, and many new vendors to check out. The adoption fair will include 10 participating shelters and rescue groups, including for the first time (I think) Dachshund Rescue of North America and the Virginia Alliance for Potbellied Pigs. If you want variety, this is the place to be.

And if you need an additional incentive, I have two words for you: vegan crepes! This Saturday, September 29. Be there, or your stomach will never forgive you.

Charlottesville Gets its First Hybrid Taxi

While we're far behind Arlington County in this regard, it's great to see that a local entrepreneur has launched Charlottesville's first hybrid fuel taxi service. Good luck "Go Green"! (I have not had occasion to use Go Green myself so I cannot vouch for the quality of the service, but I wanted to put in a good plug nonetheless.)

Cameras on the Mall

The evidence is in (hat tip to cvillenews.com), and it's becoming clearer and clearer that public surveillance systems, while often promoted by people with the best of intentions, are

1) incredibly costly
2) not very good at preventing crime

while they generate

3) widespread concern about the further erosion (either real or perceived) of our civil liberties.

For these reasons, after prolonged reflection, I have decided that I cannot support our Police Department's request for a comprehensive, centralized camera system for downtown Charlottesville. If we are going to spend $300,000 to improve public safety in downtown, I'd rather see those funds allocated for

1) improved lighting in darker areas around the Mall
2) increased police patrols on and around the Mall, especially during the summer months

and I would support

3) expanding the existing Police Department program whereby portable cameras are set up on a temporary basis (with the cooperation of nearby property owners) to monitor areas where actual criminal activity is suspected or has taken place, for investigative purposes. If there is a series of random assaults on streets south of the Mall, then yes let's install some cameras there to try and ID the suspects.

I also am concerned about setting a precedent here. If we set up a centralized surveillance system for downtown, how can we then turn around and tell other City neighborhoods that they can't have one as well? Pretty soon, we could find ourselves doing exactly what London has done -- blanket the entire City with cameras, monitored on a real-time basis, at very high cost, because it helps people feel safe without actually making them so. Seems like a real slippery slope to me.

If downtown merchants and residents want to take the initiative to establish a comprehensive, centralized camera system of their own (or at least add to the patchwork quilt of privately-operated surveillance cameras that's already in place today), they certainly have that right; I would not even be opposed to re-examining the Downtown Service District idea as a tool for helping them to generate the necessary funds. But I think we as a City need to proceed cautiously and avoid the temptation to invest a lot of money in an easy fix that's not really much of a fix.

Bolsheviks on the Rivanna

Greatest quote ever, from a letter to the editor in this week's C-Ville Weekly:

It seems that whenever Norris and the other socialists on City Council take a break from passing anti-war resolutions, visiting sister cities in Europe and conducting other U.S. State Department-like activity from Charlottesville City Hall, they attempt to stifle the growth of the city's economy. Way to go guys. Lenin would be proud. -- Jon McKay, Albemarle County

That's awesome. Thanks for the chuckle, Mr. McKay!

EVI Hits the Big Time

Several years ago, my kids and I took a little sabbatical from Charlottesville and spent a year living at the EcoVillage of Ithaca (EVI). It was a wonderful place to retreat to, though I doubt I could ever live there full-time (one Upstate NY winter just about did me in!). Anyhow, I just found out that Time magazine has a feature story about the EcoVillage in this week's issue, and while it's impossible to capture the full essence of any community in 1,000 words or less, I think this reporter did a pretty good job. Read the article to see how a small group of people are trying to reduce their environmental footprint and eat lots of good organic food in the process. :-)

Jobs with PACEM -- Winter 2007-08

PACEM is once again looking to hire seasonal staff for our low-barrier wintertime shelter program for the homeless. The following positions will be available from November 2007-March 2008:

* Intake Specialists, PACEM Men's Shelter and PACEM Women's Shelter - Responsible for leading new guests through the intake/assessment process, welcoming returning guests, screening all comers for eligibility, providing hotel vouchers for eligible families, helping guests get settled in for the evening at the host site, and generally troubleshooting whatever problems arise during the hours of 4:30pm to 8:30pm. Pay is $12/hour. Hiring for 1-5 shifts/week (4 hours per shift).

* Overnight Supervisors, PACEM Men's Shelter and PACEM Women's Shelter - Responsible for overseeing shelter operations during the overnight hours, ensuring the safety/security of host sites and guests during that time, performing intake/assessments on late arrivals, getting guests up and out the door in the morning, and generally troubleshooting whatever problems arise between the hours of 8:00pm and 7:00am. Pay is $12/hour. Hiring for 1-3 shifts/week (11 hours per shift).

* Van Drivers - Responsible for providing safe transportation of PACEM guests between the intake site and the host site in the evenings and in the mornings, for monitoring the condition of our leased van, and for completing necessary paperwork. Morning shifts are typically 6:00-8:00am, evening shifts are typically 5:30-7:30pm. Pay is $12/hour. Hiring for 5-10 shifts/week (2 hours per shift). Must have good driving record; CDL license preferred.

No prior experience with the homeless is necessary to work for PACEM, but it is preferred. Excellent people skills, patience and compassion will go a long way in these positions!

To apply, send a cover letter and resume by Oct. 5 to: Dave Norris, Executive Director, PACEM, P.O. Box 14, Charlottesville, VA 22902

Questions? Call Dave Norris at 465-1391 or e-mail cvilledave@hotmail.com

http://www.pacemshelter.org

A Hospital and Its Neighborhood

Martha Jefferson Hospital has special meaning for me, since that's where my son entered into this world (11 years ago this coming Friday). The hospital means a lot more, however, to the people who live in its shadow.

I spent part of yesterday afternoon taking a walking tour of the Martha Jefferson neighborhood, courtesy members of the Martha Jefferson Neighborhood Association (MJNA). The folks at MJNA are pursuing historic designation status for their lovely neighborhood and are rightfully concerned for its future, given the looming departure of Martha Jefferson Hospital to a new suburban campus east of town. MJNA wants to make sure that whatever takes the hospital's place respects the historic and aesthetic fabric of their neighborhood, which seems like a mighty reasonable request to me. The hospital's leadership has said time and again that they want to leave a positive legacy and wish to involve the neighborhood in the transition process, and I take them at their word.

Big changes are coming to the Martha Jefferson neighborhood (as referenced in this week's C-Ville Weekly), and hopefully the net result will be something we can all look upon with pride.

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One of the things that I like about collecting vintage postcards is that you can see how a particular building or site has evolved over time. Given the increasing interest in the future of the Martha Jefferson Hospital property, I thought I'd share some images from the property's past. Enjoy!

The original hospital building, opened as a 25-bed sanatarium/training school for nurses at 919 E. High St. on July 11, 1904.

Circa 1918.

On December 9, 1929, Martha Jefferson opened its new, 50-bed facility on Locust Ave. Reported the Daily Progress: "The new $100,000 Martha Jefferson Hospital . . . was formally opened this morning. All equipment and patients were moved from the old building Saturday. The new plant . . . is well and modernly equipped. Eleven rooms have already been furnished by funds from people interested in the institution. The structure itself is considered one of the handsomest in the city. The old hospital will be utilized as a home for nurses." (courtesy http://www.marthajefferson.org/cent.php)

Circa 1940. (Random deltiological aside: for some reason unbeknownst to me, there seem to have been more prints made of this particular postcard than of any other in Charlottesville history. If I had a dime for every time I've come across this postcard for sale, I could buy the old hospital myself.)

Circa 1950, shortly before the Rucker wing was added in 1954.

Circa 1970, before construction of the South wing began in 1972.

The new, $14.5 million South wing, dedicated on July 11, 1977. 24 years later, in April of 2001, Martha Jefferson Health Services agreed to purchase 84 acres in Albemarle County and soon began planning for the hospital's move to the 'burbs.

Charlottesville Goes to War

Last night, City Council unanimously approved a resolution honoring Charlottesville's own Monticello Guard (which is now on its way to Iraq) and encouraging members of our community to support the troops and their families during this challenging time. The resolution also calls upon the "powers that be" in Washington to do their part to support the troops by bringing an expeditious end to this tragic war. Here's the entire text of the resolution:

Whereas, Company A, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry of the Virginia National Guard, based in Charlottesville, has completed preparations for deployment to Iraq;

Whereas, the citizens of Charlottesville are proud of the Monticello Guard’s long and commendable record of service to our Commonwealth and our country;

Whereas, the Monticello Guard includes more than 100 soldiers from the Charlottesville area, with loved ones who are understandably concerned for their safety;

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Charlottesville City Council:

Honors the soldiers of the Monticello Guard for their service and extends its sincere hope for their safe and speedy return to Charlottesville;

Encourages citizens and community organizations in Charlottesville to offer their full support to the soldiers being deployed to Iraq, and to the family members they are leaving behind;

Implores the President and Congress of the United States to begin an expedient drawdown and redeployment of U.S. forces in Iraq so that the members of the Monticello Guard and the many other American soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in Iraq can return to their loved ones as quickly and safely as possible; and,

Requests that copies of this resolution be distributed to President George Bush; U.S. Senator John Warner; U.S. Senator James Webb; and Representative Virgil Goode.

Signed this 4th day of September, 2007.

I grew up in a military family and even though I've grown to abhor the use of violence to solve problems large and small, I have a lot of respect for the people who serve our country in uniform and I firmly believe that we as a nation have failed them profoundly in the way we've conducted this war -- going back to the very decision to initiate the war in the first place.

When it's our own neighbors who are being sent off to Iraq, suddenly it's personal. That's why we on Council felt it was timely and important for us to go on record as we did last evening.

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Bryan McKenzie is doing a great job of keeping us all up-to-speed on the Monticello Guard's progress. Keep an eye on his Daily Progress blog for occasional updates from the front.

Update: Scooter Recovered (I Think)

Last week I mentioned that my motor scooter had been stolen from in front of my house. Well, a few days ago I got a voicemail message from the Albemarle Police saying they had recovered my scooter and had a suspect in custody. While I can't seem to get any answers out of the police about (1) who stole it, (2) where the bike is now, (3) what condition it's in, or (4) if/when I'll ever be able to regain custody of the thing, I'm hoping this will all be straightened out soon so I can get the scooter back and assess the damage. I'm just glad it wasn't dumped in the Rivanna River, which I've been told is one of the more frequent fates of stolen scooters in this area...

p.s. I haven't been given any details about how the Albemarle Police tracked down the scooter, so I don't know who to thank for doing so, so I'll just have to offer a blanket word of appreciation for anyone who had anything to do with recovering it. Thanks!