Taking "Bike-Friendly" Literally

In keeping with our recent designation as a "Bike-Friendly Community," there's an effort underway (thanks to my clever pal Shawn Strubbe and the Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation) to recruit and develop Bike Friends -- er, "Bike Mentors," that is.

****************************

Be a Bike Mentor!

Help New Cyclists Learn To Bike Commute
* Route selection to work, stores or the pub
* Bike and helmet check/fitting
* Escort for first bike commute

Volunteers Needed For
* Escorts
* Education
* Program development

Volunteer meeting: July 22 at 7pm
City Space at the Community Design Center -- 100 5th ST NE above the Downtown Post Office

Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation

Questions? Contact Shawn Strubbe 882-1562, Strubbedo@juno.com
Zachary Shahan 295-6554, info@transportationchoice.org

**************************

Great idea!

"Postcards from Charlottesville," Show #9

After a brief summer reprieve, "Postcards from Charlottesville" is back with another episode. This month our focus is Winneba, a university town in Ghana that will soon be considered for designation as Charlottesville's next Sister City -- the first one outside of Europe. Two Charlottesville residents, Nana Ghartey (who is from Winneba and is leading the charge to establish the Sister City relationship) and Sarah Denham (who recently spent 6 months teaching in Winneba) join me to discuss life in Winneba and what a Sister City relationship with that community might entail. The episode premieres this Friday at 7:00pm on Charlottesville Public Access (Channel 13). To view it on-line, click here:

http://charlottesville.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=107

Jayson Whitehead on Homelessness

See this week's C-Ville Weekly for a damn good cover story by Jayson Whitehead on homelessness in Charlottesville. The strength of Jayson's article lies in the fact that (1) he makes it clear that there's no easy solution to homelessness and (2) no one in the story (myself included) comes out untarnished (except maybe Holly Edwards, who is indeed a saint). But that's his point -- there's more we can ALL be doing to end homelessness in Charlottesville and as long as we continue to tolerate the homelessness that's in our midst, we are all, in some way...tarnished.

Seen on a Church Sign in Rural West Virginia Yesterday

PREACH THE GOSPEL AT ALL TIMES
USE WORDS IF NECESSARY

Love it.

(Apparently attributed to St. Francis of Assisi)

Peace

Last week I received an e-mail from The Peace Alliance saying that a Charlottesville citizen had made a financial donation in my name to that worthy organization, to honor some of the things that I've tried to do in my life, and in my time on Council, to encourage nonviolence among peoples and toward creation (most recently by proudly adding my name to a U.S. Mayors resolution opposing another disastrous war in the Middle East, this time in Iran -- see here). Given the central role that nonviolence plays in my own faith tradition/philosophy of life, I was very touched by that gesture and I am grateful to the citizen who made it.

Those who are inclined to support violence and warfare as a means of solving problems or acting out their bitterness get agitated and dismissive when others speak instead of the power and preferential option of nonviolence. I have spent well over 2,000 hours working on local issues as a City Councilor and Mayor and about 2 or 3 of those hours on issues of war and peace. For those who believe that even 2 or 3 hours is too much, that local elected officials should remain silent on issues of war and peace, I understand your agitation and accept your dismissiveness but respectfully disagree with your position. I am not a U.S. Congressman or U.S. Senator or a member of the United Nations. My City Council campaign platform didn't mention a thing about bringing peace to the Middle East. I am, however, an elected official who understands that violence and warfare have direct consequences for our community -- for the Charlottesville residents who will be sent off to fight and die in these wars, for the Charlottesville families whose loved ones will be put in harm's way in these wars, for the Charlottesville drivers who will have to pay even higher gas bills due to increased instability in the Middle East, for the Charlottesville infrastructure projects that will be de-funded so we can pay for all of this military adventurism, for the Charlottesville citizens whose taxes will be increased to pay for this military adventurism, for the Charlottesville citizens yet to be born who will inherit the massive debt and increased threat of terrorism caused by this military adventurism....shall I go on?

Or shall I remain silent?

Is 2 or 3 hours out of 2,000 too much to give...

...or too little?

Ithaca

Vacationing with my kids in upstate New York this week, attending a friend's wedding at the base of the beautiful Taughannock Falls outside of Ithaca this weekend. Missed out on the chance to welcome President Bush to Charlottesville this morning, hopefully won't be my last opportunity as Mayor to greet a head of state (maybe President Obama will roll through town next year?). Miss my Cats. Going through Bodo's withdrawals. Thankfully have some new (new to me) Curreri and Sproule tunes to remind me of home.

Interesting to note that the City of Ithaca is about to launch a major renovation of their downtown pedestrian mall (sound familiar?) and just last month sent a delegation of local officials and business leaders to...Charlottesville, VA, to learn from our experiences with the Downtown Mall. Interesting to hear their take-aways from that visit:

"Charlottesville, Va: Ithaca's To Discover And Borrow," Ithaca Times, 6/25/08

"The Commons Redesign to Start in 2010," Ithaca Journal, 6/20/08

Kids and I spent the 4th of July at the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen (what an uplifting place!), followed by a swim in Cayuga Lake and a stroll down the Commons. No fireworks in Ithaca tonight -- they do theirs earlier in the week, apparently get a cheaper rate that way. Unfortunately, though, some burning embers from their fireworks show ignited a series of small fires near the staging area at Ithaca College. Including a grass fire on...the rooftop of a new building. Yes, a green-roofed building, like Cville City Hall. Oops.

Happy Birthday, Nation.

Home soon.