CvilleDave

A New Journey

2012-01-19T00:28:00.005-05:00

Today is a big day for me: I am taking one of the first steps on my next journey in life, by going public with a new venture, The Charlottesville Institute for University-Community Engagement, or "The Charlottesville Institute" for short. The Charlottesville Institute is a new non-profit organization whose mission is to harness the intellectual resources of the University of Virginia for the betterment of the Charlottesville community. Rather than going into great depth here about what The Charlottesville Institute is and does, it's probably best if I just point you to our blog -- which, like the organization itself, is a work in progress: http://cvilleinstitute.blogspot.com. We'll also have a presence on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cvilleinstitute.

In a way, this new initiative is the culmination of my 16+ years of involvement in Charlottesville's non-profit/civic sphere and my 6+ years of service in local elected office, bringing me back full circle to my glorious old stomping grounds at Madison House at UVa (where I worked as Associate Director from 1997-2001 and where The Charlottesville Institute now occupies rented office space). All of my time and experience in Charlottesville has led me to two inescapable conclusions: first, the University of Virginia has a wealth of untapped resources; and second, the Charlottesville community has a wealth of unmet needs. The Charlottesville Institute aims to help marry those resources with those needs and thereby make Charlottesville a better place for all. Through the Institute, I'll also have the opportunity to teach (or co-teach) occasional courses on public policy as an adjunct professor at the University, with my first course kicking off tonight (yikes!).

This will be an exciting adventure for me personally, and I hope a truly fruitful endeavor for the University community and Charlottesville community alike. Both communities have so much to gain from deeper engagement with each other, which is precisely what The Charlottesville Institute hopes to foster. Wish us well!

End of an Era

2011-12-28T08:59:00.014-05:00

As of next Tuesday evening, Charlottesville will have a new Mayor. After serving two terms in that role, it's time for me to hand over the gavel (which, come to think of it, I don't recall banging once in the last four years. Hmm.). I still have two years left on City Council itself, but as of January 3 the job of running our Council meetings, representing the City at countless functions and events, serving as chief spokesperson for the City, etc., will belong to someone else. The Mayorship is a demanding, time-consuming and frequently thankless position but I have enjoyed it greatly and I appreciate all the kind words and support I have received from many of you since taking it on. I wish my successor well.

Since being elected to City Council in 2006 and being selected as Mayor in 2008, I have worked closely with my fellow Councilors, City staff, community leaders and everyday citizens to help forge a good deal of positive change here in Charlottesville. Despite experiencing the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, we in Charlottesville (unlike many other localities across the country) have managed our City finances to where we've avoided having to raise taxes or slash basic services and have ended each year with a budget surplus and a stable AAA bond rating. Meanwhile, we've made significant -- if not record-level -- investments in affordable housing, youth services, parkland acquisition, new aquatic facilities, clean energy and green building initiatives, a renovated Downtown Mall, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, expanded transit service, park improvements, upgraded sewer/stormwater lines, our first new fire station in over five decades, etc. Fulfilling the top plank on my 2006 campaign platform, we created a dedicated fund for affordable housing and adopted an ambitious strategic plan for housing that has already led to the construction, preservation or renovation of hundreds of affordable housing units. We have deployed innovative economic development measures that are attracting hundreds of new jobs to our commercial corridors and we are targeting more dollars at businesses who hire locally. We have launched an ambitious campaign to transform our public housing neighborhoods from isolated pockets of poverty into mixed-income communities featuring better quality housing and improved opportunities for our residents, with a Residents Bill of Rights guiding the way. We have embraced a true Living Wage for our entry-level employees and called upon other area employers to do the same. Through our close partnership with the City schools, we have cut the high school dropout rate by over half and significantly expanded our early childhood education program. We have stepped up our workforce development efforts for adults and teens alike, including a major expansion of our summer jobs program for youth. We have hired a talented and even-handed new City Manager to take the reins at City Hall. We have initiated a Dialogue on Race, declared ourselves a City of Second Chances for re-entering ex-felons, spoken out for women's rights and LGBT equality, and implemented other measures to improve social relations in our community. We have changed our zoning rules to preserve Charlottesville's thriving live music scene. We have invested in permanent, proven solutions to homelessness. We have established a new Sister City in Ghana and have already facilitated visits by dozens of individuals between Charlottesville and Winneba. We have called for a speedier resolution to the war in Iraq while honoring those who have served our country in uniform. We have taken steps to improve animal welfare and to humanely reduce pet overpopulation. We have started a program to strengthen low-income families by encouraging men to become "real dads" and take responsibility for the children they've sired. We have empaneled a task force to identify a permanent home for our cherished City Market and are now exploring the idea of a downtown market district. We have promoted local foods, local artists, locally-owned businesses and local history. We have instituted a recycling and solid-waste program that is one of the greenest in the country. We have created a Citizens Advisory Panel for our police department and devoted unprecedented resources to preventing crimes against children. We have kicked off a year-long 250th birthday party for the city in 2012. We have made a whole lot of lists of best city for this and best city for that. I could go on. It's been a busy few years.

As Mayor, I have put a priority on openness and accessibility. While I have not always been as responsive as I would have liked, I have replied to tens of thousands of e-mail messages and countless phone calls, participated in hundreds of community events, made hundreds of media appearances, spoken to dozens of school groups, given numerous presentations at local, statewide and national conferences, and maintained an active Facebook page, a weekly radio show, a public access TV show (2007-2009) and a blog (2006-2011). I like to think that people feel I am pretty approachable, even though my kids, when they're with me, often wish that I were less so. When I've disagreed with people on issues, I've tried to do so agreeably, but admit to cringing on occasion when recalling things I'd said in the heat of a moment. I try to find common ground among competing interests and I count as valued advisors people who are Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Greens, Socialists, Tea Partiers and Raging Moderates. I note with no small interest and pride that I, a progressive Democrat, have advocated for larger reductions in government spending than any other local elected official of either party in Charlottesville or Albemarle County in recent years, by arguing (with mixed success) that there often are better, cheaper, smarter and greener solutions to local problems (like the water supply) than the conventional wisdom and traditional right-left choices provide for. I have used the bully pulpit of the Mayorship to speak out for a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution, for non-partisan redistricting, for federal- and state-level affordable housing trust funds, for an end to military adventurism abroad, for gay marriage, for reproductive choice, for legalization of industrial hemp. I have greeted many visiting dignitaries to Charlottesville, from Michelle Obama to Governors Tim Kaine & Bob McDonnell to Snoop Dogg and beyond. I got to meet Barack Obama in the White House. I was named an honorary warrior chief ("Osahene") for the Effutu people of Ghana's central region. I've been called every name in the book by people who disagreed with this or that decision I made, but I've resisted the temptation to enlist my Effutu warriors against those people. Because that's how even-tempered warrior chiefs rule.

Needless to say, while we've made good progress in recent years and while serving as Mayor of Charlottesville has been an incredible honor and privilege, much work remains to be done. We may have one of the lower unemployment rates of any metropolitan area in the country, but too many of our residents are still without work and too many others are stuck in low-wage, dead-end jobs. Our young people still face too many barriers to realizing their highest potential. Our black middle class has continued to erode and racial disparities remain a pressing concern. We aspire to be a "Green City" but too often we make choices which don't reflect our greenest potential. We still don't make it quite easy or quite safe enough for more of our residents to choose alternatives to single-occupancy-vehicle travel. Too many of our citizens are forced to make difficult choices by the ongoing shortage of affordable housing in our community -- working multiple jobs, moving miles away to find homes they can afford, doubling up with family or friends, cutting back on other basic expenses so they can make their rent or mortgage payments, going homeless. Our region is plagued by too much suburban sprawl and yes, the bumper sticker is painfully true: sprawl does cost us all -- a lot. We insist on maintaining anachronistic institutions in Virginia (like the Dillon Rule and our unique system of Independent Cities) which perpetuate disfunction in public administration and make City governance more difficult and costly than it needs to be. Again, I could go on. Overcoming all of these challenges seems like a daunting task. And it surely is. But I'm convinced that if one place in America can make meaningful progress on all of these fronts, it's Charlottesville, VA. Ours is an uncommonly resourceful and engaged community. Both in the remainder of my civic life and in the new professional adventure I'm about to undertake (stay tuned for more on that soon), I look forward to doing what I can to help harness those resources and capitalize on that spirit of engagement to make this wonderful city an even better place to live for all of our residents. I truly believe that our best years lie ahead of us.

I'm still here. Just not...here.

2011-06-01T23:55:00.009-04:00

Working two full-time jobs, raising a passel of kids, trying occasionally to have a social life, and grabbing rare bits of sleep here and there -- all told, I just haven't had a whole lot of time to keep up with this here blog of late. Not sure if anyone ever checks it any more anyway. Anyhow, I'm not a Twitterer but I do stay current on Facebook so feel free to friend me there if you'd like to stay in touch. I'm at www.facebook.com/cvilledave. And maybe someday I'll get back to blogging regularly again. Someday.

Donate Today and a Ghanaian Beaded Bracelet is Yours!

2011-04-10T22:32:00.010-04:00

Between monetary and in-kind donations, the Charlottesville-Winneba Sister Cities Committee has raised about $26,500 toward the cost of our upcoming visit to Ghana (May 1-10) to help in planning for the Winneba Public Library Project. (Note: no taxpayer funds are being used for this trip.) We only have about $1,500 left to raise to cover our expenses. We're so close!

For the next week, we are offering a very special incentive for donors who are willing to help us with the last few dollars we need. For every donation of $50 contributed between April 10-17, the donor will receive a beautiful, hand-made Ghanaian beaded bracelet -- one similar to those in the photo below -- which the delegation will acquire for you in Ghana. $50 gets you one bracelet. $100 gets you two. And so on. Wear one yourself, or these bracelets also make for fabulous gifts!

You can make a contribution by mail, with a check to Virginia Organizing (memo line: "Winneba Project"), 703 Concord Ave., Charlottesville, VA 22903; or you can donate on-line by clicking here (site hosted by Virginia Organizing -- designate "Winneba Project" where prompted).

The official Charlottesville delegation is to include a mix of library & literacy professionals, construction experts and community leaders, including:

Dave Norris, Charlottesville Mayor

Krista Farrell, Jefferson-Madison Regional Library

Jane Penner, UVa Library

Nancy Damon, Virginia Festival of the Book

Kelly Eplee, Building Goodness Foundation

Stan Binsted, R.E. Lee Construction/Building Goodness Foundation

Karen Waters, Quality Community Council

Nana Ghartey, Ghana Association of Charlottesville

Roger Voisinet, Cville Properties

Baccho Umbertis, Graduate Student

Charlotte Cherry, Light House Studio

Morgan Rowe, Charlottesville-Winneba Sister Cities Committee

...and another very special guest to be named soon.

Please consider making a donation today!

Upcoming Fundraisers for Winneba Library Project

2011-02-12T15:39:00.005-05:00

Morgan Rowe, the fabulous Fundraising Chair for the Charlottesville-Winneba Sister City Committee, has organized a series of benefit events to enable a delegation of Charlottesville residents to visit Winneba in May 2011 to assist in the planning of Winneba's first public library. Please join us for any or all of the below events -- it's a great opportunity to have fun, meet some cool new people and support a worthy cause in the process.

Monday, February 21: Corner Bar Crawl

$5 bracelets, available for sale at Three (1517 University Ave.) from 5:00pm onward on the night of the Crawl, make you eligible for the following specials:

Backyard: $2 rails, $3 pints
Littlejohn's: free 24-ounce soda with $5 purchase
Boylan Heights & Mellow Mushroom: $2 drafts, $5 double rails
Three: $2 rails, $2 Bud Lights
Virginian: $2 rails
Biltmore: TBD
Trinity: $8 pitchers of Bud Light/$10 imports; $4 Soco Lime shots

Monday, February 28: Orzo Benefit Dinner

$30 pre-set menu, $6 glasses of wine; 50% of proceeds, and $1 for each drink, benefit the Winneba Public Library Project
Reservations are limited; call 434-975-6796 (be sure to say "Cville-Winneba Group")

Thursday, March 3: Siips Celebrity Bartender Night

Siips Wine & Champagne Bar -- 5:30-7:30pm Happy Hour

and....

**THE MAIN EVENT**

Saturday, March 12: "Wine for Winneba" at the Main Street Arena

$50 tickets -- food, wine & beer, live music
Catered by Harvest Moon
100% of proceeds benefit Winneba Public Library Project

Sponsors include:

Main Street Arena

Virginia Eagle Distributing Co.

Student Services Moving & Storage Co.

For ticket info., please visit http://tinyurl.com/wineforwinneba

For more information on any of these events, please contact WineForWinneba@gmail.com.

Charlottesville and Winneba to Launch Public Library Project

2011-02-12T15:37:00.000-05:00

Several Charlottesville residents will be traveling to Winneba, Ghana in May 2011 to help our newest Sister City make plans for their first public library. Land has already been donated for this purpose and a team of experts from Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, UVa Library, Virginia Festival of the Book, Literacy Volunteers of Charlottesville-Albemarle, the Building Goodness Foundation and the Quality Community Council will be meeting with our partners in Winneba to lay the groundwork for this exciting project. Stay tuned for more info.

Myth vs. Science

2011-01-21T00:56:00.003-05:00

Among all of the misinformed assertions made during the course of the water supply debate, one of my favorites was that clear-cutting a mature forest and planting "replacement" saplings elsewhere is actually GOOD for the environment because new, growing trees absorb more carbon from the air than existing trees. An intriguing theory, but science tells us otherwise. To wit:

Planting New Forests Can't Match Saving Old Ones in Cutting Greenhouse Gases, Study Finds -- New York Times

Old Forests Capture Plenty of Carbon -- Nature News

Old Growth Forests Are Valuable Carbon Sinks -- Environmental Network News

Buy Local

2011-01-19T21:44:00.003-05:00

If you support the whole "Buy Local" movement, or if you yourself run a locally-owned business, you should check out this workshop next week -- "Strengthening a Buy Local Movement," sponsored by Locallectual and the American Independent Business Alliance.

A Sign of Things to Come?

2011-01-01T13:29:00.004-05:00

Stay tuned...

Winneba, Ghana, May 2009

Christmas Greeting from Poggio a Caiano (Charlottesville's Italian Sister City)

2010-12-25T18:02:00.002-05:00

"Dear Dave, May the Christmas night be full of happiness and peace for you, your family, and the community of Charlottesville." -- Mayor Marco Martini, Poggio a Caiano

Major Breakthrough in the Water Supply Debate

2010-12-15T21:22:00.009-05:00

Today the City of Charlottesville released a follow-up report from engineering firm Black & Veatch on the feasibility and cost of renovating and expanding the existing Ragged Mountain Dam -- a key component of a more ecologically- and economically-sensible water supply solution for our region. It's a very technical report, but the gist of it is that concerns raised by a recent peer review did not turn out to be "deal-breakers" and addressing those concerns will not add but $1 million or so to the dam renovation project. We can now say with authority that phasing in the new water supply system is a financially and technologically viable approach. This is a major breakthrough in the water supply debate. In response to public and media inquiries about the report issued today, I have prepared the following statement. It is issued in my name only, not on behalf of City Council, the City of Charlottesville, or the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority Board (on which I sit).

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

Personal Statement on Black & Veatch Report – 12/15/10

by Dave Norris

On September 20, 2010, Charlottesville City Council voted unanimously in favor of a water supply plan that called for the phased construction of a higher dam at the Ragged Mountain Reservoir, with an initial increase of 13 feet. Through phasing in the expansion of the Ragged Mountain Reservoir, the City and County would avoid burdening today’s ratepayers with millions of dollars of unnecessary debt and avoid causing unnecessary ecological destruction at the Ragged Mountain Natural Area. According to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), a 13-foot rise in the dam combined with dredging of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir would guarantee enough water for our growing region for at least 40 years to come.

Council’s September 20 resolution left unanswered whether the higher Ragged Mountain dam should come in the form of a new earthen dam or a renovation/ expansion of the existing concrete dam. Since that vote, we have learned that it’s impractical, from a cost and engineering perspective, to construct a new earthen dam in phases. Today we learned with authority from Black & Veatch, one of the world’s leading engineering firms, that expanding the existing concrete dam remains not only a viable approach, but also quite a cost-effective one. Keep in mind that 20% of the world’s population that’s on public water relies on a water supply system either designed, constructed or supported by Black & Veatch. This firm has extensive experience and expertise in the field of dam design and construction.

In 2006, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and Charlottesville City Council both voted unanimously in favor of a permit application to DEQ that explicitly allowed the option of phasing in construction of the Ragged Mountain Dam. That permit application was subsequently approved by DEQ. As stated on pages 58 and 59 of the permit support document,

Phasing is the ability of an alternative to be implemented in logical and cost-effective increments, rather than all at once, in order to improve efficiency, conserve resources, and minimize costs and mitigate the impact on customer rate increases….

[T]he early phases of the project must accomplish two goals:

1. Eliminate the dam safety issue at the existing Ragged Mountain dams; and

2. Provide adequate safe yield at a manageable cost for a reasonable initial period.

If the RMR [Ragged Mountain Reservoir] Alternative is implemented, the first element of the project could be to construct a replacement dam to an initial height that would significantly increase existing yield, but that would be short of the ultimate 45-foot increase. This would accomplish both stated objectives.

Construction of the dam's first phase would produce adequate yield to cover an interim period while avoiding the greater capital cost associated with future needs. The dam would be raised to its full height in the future when more users create additional demand and those additional ratepayers can share the cost….

In summary, RMR can be divided into two phased capital projects spanning the planning horizon and can be built when needed to match demands over time.

[emphasis added]

This is precisely the approach endorsed by all five City Councilors on September 20. It’s important to note that to this day, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has never disallowed this option.

Given that the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and the Charlottesville City Council have both already voted in favor of a permit application that includes the option of phasing in construction of a higher Ragged Mountain dam; given our mutual desire to provide long-term water security for our region in the most fiscally- and environmentally-responsible manner; and given what we now know about the feasibility, and the fiscal and environmental advantages, of renovating and expanding the existing Ragged Mountain dam, it seems that a positive and mutually-beneficial resolution of the water supply issue may finally be at hand.

I hope we can all agree to move forward in due haste to implement the approach set forth by Black & Veatch. We have an excellent opportunity now to address the dam safety issues at Ragged Mountain and start expanding our long-term water supply. The bidding environment is very favorable and there are state deadlines to meet. Let’s get to work.

Black & Veatch

2010-12-08T13:41:00.004-05:00

The City of Charlottesville has been engaged with an engineering firm named Black & Veatch to explore a more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly solution for our water supply. Amazingly, 20% of the world's population that's on public water is served by a water supply system designed, constructed or supported by Black & Veatch. These people know what they're doing. Click on the link below for more info.

Black & Veatch - Water

Buy Art Give Art

2010-12-03T14:10:00.002-05:00

Today I had the great pleasure of joining with Kate Barton of Skylight Studios and Maggie Guggenheimer of Piedmont Council of the Arts to unveil a new City-sponsored marketing campaign called "Buy Art Give Art" -- an extension of our "Shop Charlottesville" initiative. The goal of the campaign is to encourage area residents to support local artists, during the holiday season and throughout the year.

For more info.: www.buyartgiveart.com

Complete Streets (aka the Car is No Longer King)

2010-11-26T14:26:00.004-05:00

At our last City Council meeting on November 15, 2010, Charlottesville adopted a "Complete Streets Resolution," officially marking a paradigm shift in the way we design City streets so as to better and more safely accommodate all modes of transportation -- cars, buses, bicyclists, pedestrians, etc. As a result of the passage of this resolution, it is now City policy that all street construction, maintenance, and design/redesign adhere to sustainable "Complete Streets" guidelines and thereby improve access for all users. The full text of the resolution is as follows:

"WHEREAS, “Complete Streets” are defined as roadways that enable safe and convenient access for all users, including bicyclists, children, persons with disabilities, motorists, movers of commercial goods, pedestrians, users of public transportation and seniors; and

WHEREAS, “Sustainable Complete Streets” are defined as Complete Streets with elements of design, construction and operation that also serve environmental sustainability; and

WHEREAS, streets that support and invite multiple uses, including safe, active and ample space for pedestrians, bicycles, and public transportation, are more conducive to the public life and efficient movement of people than streets designed primarily to move automobiles and trucks; and

WHEREAS, promoting pedestrian, bicycle and public transportation travel as an alternative to the automobile reduces negative environmental impacts, promotes healthy living, and is less costly to the commuter; and

WHEREAS, the full integration of all modes of travel in the design of streets and highways will increase the capacity and efficiency of the road network, reduce traffic congestion by improving mobility options, limit greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the general quality of life; and

WHEREAS, many studies show that when roads are better designed for bicycling, walking and transit use, more people do so; and

WHEREAS, the design and construction of new roads and facilities should anticipate future demand for biking, walking, and other alternative transportation facilities and not preclude the provision of future improvements; and

WHEREAS, Complete Streets are supported by the Institute of Traffic Engineers, and American Planning Association, and many other transportation planning and public health professionals;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Charlottesville hereby establishes and adopts a sustainable CompleteStreets Policy whereby all street projects, including design, planning, reconstruction, rehabilitation, maintenance, or operations by the City of Charlottesville shall be designed and executed in a balanced, responsible and equitable way to accommodate and encourage travel by bicyclists, public transportation vehicles and their passengers, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City shall provide for the needs of drivers, public transportation vehicles and patrons, bicyclists, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities in all planning, programming, design, construction, reconstruction, retrofit, operations, and maintenance activities and products; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City shall view all transportation improvements as opportunities to improve safety, access, and mobility for all travelers in the City and recognizes bicycle, pedestrian and transit modes as integral elements of the transportation system."

A Helping Hand for Officer Bettinger

2010-11-14T01:02:00.004-05:00

A member of our Charlottesville police force has been fighting cancer and is now in danger of losing his home to foreclosure. Please read the article below and if you feel compelled to help keep him and his family in their home, you can send a check to "Fraternal Order of Police- Wayne Bettinger Fund," c/o Thompson-Hall Lodge #5, Post Office Box 241, Charlottesville, VA 22902. Thank you.

http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2010/nov/11/police-come-aid-fellow-officer-facing-foreclosure-ar-647726/

Local Biologist Argues for an Ecologically Responsible Water Supply Plan

2010-10-18T08:35:00.004-04:00

Dan Bieker is a local biologist who teaches field ornithology at Piedmont Virginia Community College and is the former president of the Ivy Creek Foundation. He recently penned some comments about the need to strike a better ecological balance in our planning for a long-term community water supply and I am reprinting his words here with permission.

Many factors are interwoven in water supply issues, and environmental concerns are certainly important ones. To many, it’s been alarming that so little attention has been given to ecological consequences of a full height dam at Ragged Mountain Natural Area (RMNA). Besides the loss of trees (150 - 180 acres removed), also noted are: loss of wetlands, negative effects of forest fragmentation, widening of roads, spread of invasive plants, and other factors.

While these factors are difficult to quantify, and well-meaning input has come from various sources, it’s not misleading to note that impacts to the area will be more than the loss of trees.

Habitat Loss:

The contiguous nature and maturity of the forest composing RMNA and surrounding lands affords protection for many uncommon (and declining) plant and animal species. No one has contended that the area is 100% canopy enclosed - indeed several roads, driveways and other openings exist, although extensive forest interior remains. The most blatant fragmentation is Interstate 64; while its existence for the public good might be justified, it obviously represents a degradation of the native habitat. Throughout the environment, negative effects of habitat disturbance and fragmentation are an ever increasing problem. In 2004, an Albemarle County Work Group composed of area biologists, UVA research professors, and VA Dept. of Forestry personnel issued a biological assessment of the County - in it the threats to Albemarle’s forests are well documented. Large tracts of mature forest are a noted habitat type of special concern - indeed, the Ragged Mountain forest is included in a list of special places recommended as most deserving of preservation. Questions concerning the degree of impact from proposed construction are justified - however, inferences that the impact will be minimal or that not enough forest interior exists to be affected, are not.

Expanded Reservoir Pool:

While the existing reservoir itself is a fragmentation, the forest directly abutting the water does not impose the same effect that a terrestrial opening does. Initial filling of the expanded bowl is proposed via the Sugar Hollow pipeline (which will impose additional demands on the Moormans River during this time) and could take several years - leaving a large swath of opening around the lake, much decreasing the interior nature of the surrounding woodland. It’s true that over time the disruption will heal, but it will take decades. The direct loss of habitat and diminishment of forest interior will be permanent. Most of the same species that are there now will continue to be there - more of the common species, but fewer of the more rare and decreasing ones.

Roads:

It’s been noted that all new roads will be designed to be submerged by the final pool height (45 feet above current level). However, many questions remain concerning the degree of disturbance to existing roads that will be necessary to accommodate heavy machinery. Sections of an old service road near Ednam Forest will need to be accessed for interstate upgrades, and some modifications will need to be made to Reservoir Road (although that road will be affected no matter which water plan is adopted).

Stream Flows/Health:

Stream flows are a critical component of water supply, and rightly so. Since stream flows in the Moormans River are affected by how the pipeline from the Sugar Hollow Reservoir (SHR) is managed, increased storage capacity in downstream reservoirs through dredging and/or increased dam height at Ragged Mountain will allow for greater flexibility in managing flows, until or if a different pipeline is deemed necessary. Minimum flows vs. natural flows are an important distinction - imposed definitions for minimum are by necessity subjective; natural is what it is. Critical to determining natural flows are accurate stream flow monitors both above and directly below the SHR, which do not as of yet exist. Assessing stream flow data for infrastructure planning purposes would be better assisted by that data, rather than a complicated set of parameters from gauges on other rivers. Central to river health, as well, is how much water is consumed. Whether taken directly from the river or moved to storage, the natural cycle is disrupted. In that regard, pro-active, technology based conservation could be a huge factor, both in degree of infrastructure that's necessary, and river health. In 40 - 50 years, using the (arguably inflated) demand projections, a 25% conservation factor would mean approximately 4 million gallons a day less water drawn from the river system, and re-released as treated effluent. Pros and cons exist to all aspects of water supply options, though certainly phased, as-needed infrastructure development would better allow for conservation benefits and incentive, and potentially far less impact to RMNA.

As the 2004 Biodiversity study points out: as the landscape becomes more developed - more roads, housing, infrastructure - our remaining forests and other undisturbed areas become even more critical as repositories of biodiversity and the ecological services they provide. Of course we necessarily make demands on the environment for our survival, but we have long passed the point where we can do so without just and demonstrable cause, especially on a project of the scale being considered. Whether the environmental damage at RMNA is deemed justifiable or not, we’d do well as responsible stewards to accurately assess ecological impacts, and not undervalue the few wild places that remain.

Sierra Club Speaks Out on Water Supply Plan

2010-10-14T22:38:00.002-04:00

The Sierra Club is the oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization in the United States. Its members do their homework and take well-reasoned positions on critical environmental issues. I am pleased to reprint, verbatim, a statement that the Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club issued this evening on our Community Water Supply Plan:

"On September 20, 2010, the Charlottesville City Council passed a resolution calling for amendments to the adopted local water supply plan. Elements of the amended plan supported by the City include an aggressive water conservation program, capacity-restoring dredging of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, phased raising of the dam at Ragged Mountain and a new water transmission pipeline from the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir to the Ragged Mountain Reservoir. The Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club endorses the City's amendments to the local water supply plan, with the additional stipulation that construction of this new water transmission pipeline should begin only if and when facts indicate the new transmission line will be needed."

Winneba Semester at Sea

2010-10-05T11:08:00.002-04:00

Here's a great example of what can happen from a Sister City relationship. The Semester at Sea program, based here at UVa, docked in Ghana a couple of weeks ago and a group of students and faculty (including our own Delegate David Toscano, who is teaching law courses on the ship this fall) traveled to Winneba to visit Charlottesville's newest Sister City. As you can see in the slideshow below, they were greeted with open arms and got a first-hand look at Winneba's judicial system.

Akwabba Slideshow - Winneba, Ghana Fall 2010 Voyage

www.youtube.com

The culture and traditions of this community made an impression on the students who were struck by how welcoming the people of Ghana are to outsiders.

White House Solar Panels

2010-10-05T11:05:00.001-04:00

I firmly believe that fifty years from now, it will be a foregone conclusion that the smart nations were the ones who, in this day and time, figured out how best to harness the sun's awesome energy to heat and power our homes and businesses. Thumbs up to President Obama for setting a good example.

My Way News - Here comes the sun: White House to go solar

apnews.myway.com

Dropout Rate Improves in Charlottesville

2010-10-02T11:04:00.002-04:00

In case you didn't hear the news this week, Cville City Schools have cut our high school dropout rate almost in half over the past two years. Great job to all involved in this vitally important effort.

Dropout rate improves in Charlottesville

www2.dailyprogress.com

What's at Stake at Ragged Mountain

2010-09-27T00:30:00.008-04:00

One of the main reasons so many people are opposed to a huge (and, arguably, unnecessary) expansion of the Ragged Mountain Reservoir is that it will result in the loss of up to 60,000 trees over 200 acres of biologically-rich forest at the Ragged Mountain Natural Area. New & enlarged roads would have to be built through the Natural Area in order to construct the I-64 embankment and other components of the reservoir expansion project, resulting in a significant level of forest fragmentation. The City's newly-adopted water supply plan does call for a modest expansion of the Ragged Mountain Reservoir, but one that (at least at the outset) does not require an embankment at I-64 and impacts far fewer forested acres.

If you have never been out to the Ragged Mountain Natural Area, please consider heading over there for a hike on one of the beautiful fall days that lies ahead. I have hiked the reservoir trail dozens of times over the years and it's a lovely way to "get away from it all" while staying quite close to home. The Ivy Creek Foundation manages the Ragged Mountain Natural Area for the City of Charlottesville and describes the area thusly:

The Ragged Mountain Natural Area near Charlottesville, Virginia, is a beautiful 980-acre forest of mature oak, hickory, poplar, pine, and maple trees with two lakes and more than four miles of shoreline. Seven miles of trail lead through majestic forest, along rugged terrain, and through areas rich with wildlife and offer a unique opportunity for wilderness hiking within minutes of town.

The area is rich in birdlife with native woodpeckers, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, and northern flickers in the winter. In the spring, keep an eye out for songbirds migrating through such as blue-winged and Tennessee warblers. Fall brings the migrant blackpoll and bay-breasted warblers as well as hermit thrush. Nesting neotropical songbirds include pine, yellow-throated, and yellow warblers, northern parula, yellow-breasted chat, chipping and field sparrows, and red-eyed and yellow-throated vireos are best seen in early spring before the foliage gets too heavy.

Other wildlife includes the upland chorus and northern cricket frogs are in residence here, as is the American toad and spring peeper. Several species of bats are known to hunt insects here including eastern pipistrelle, evening bat, and bag brown bat. Many, many species of mammals live here. Among the large mammals, the white-tailed deer is particularly abundant. Occasional visits by black bear and sightings of bobcat are also not uncommon.

A more thorough description of flora and fauna that can be found at the Ragged Mountain Natural Area can be seen here.

A guide for local birders, published by the Monticello Bird Club in 2003, notes that one of the reasons the Ragged Mountain Natural Area is such an inviting habitat for wildlife (and birds in particular) is the fact that the forest there is largely intact. I quote:

Fertile soils and relative non-disturbance for the past 100 years have produced a mature oak-poplar forest with shaded ravines, fern-dappled coves, and abundant wildlife.... A 2002 study of the effects of forest fragmentation on nesting success of songbirds in 8 sites in the Piedmont found Ragged Mountain to be the most productive for Wood Thrushes with 64 nests and the greatest number of fledglings. Dr. Etterson of the Smithsonian Center for Migratory Birds attributes the success to the relative maturity of the intact forest at Ragged Mountain.

If there's any doubt as to the myriad benefits of preserving as much forest habitat (and specifically, contiguous forest habitat) as possible, check out the following passages from the "Biological Resources and Biodiversity" section of Albemarle County's own 2006 Comprehensive Plan:

Habitat Fragmentation

The major causes, world-wide, for the reduction of species are destruction and fragmentation of habitat. Other causes include introduction of exotic and non-native species and over-exploitation.

Here, we are concerned with fragmentation, which is of particular concern to Albemarle. Fragmentation is the carving-up of habitats into ever-smaller areas, with the accompanying lack of connections, called “corridors,” among the fragments. While fragmentation is known to be biologically and ecologically destructive to biodiversity, the prediction of effects with a high degree of certainty can be problematical, requiring expert assessment.

Benefits of Unbroken Habitats

Conventional wisdom dictates that the more contiguous a habitat or ecosystem, the greater number and variety of birds, animals, and plants it will support. Also, it is often assumed that unbroken habitats provide continuous protective pathways for the safe movement or migrations of animals or expansions of plants. These statements, however, can be misleading, as they apply mainly to species that are at least somewhat obligate to the habitat or ecosystem in question. Whereas fragmentation can be devastating to those species, it can also actually increase the total number of species. But the downside to that apparent benefit is that those latter species are likely to be what ecologists call “weedy” or “opportunistic,” and hence undesirable (for example the cowbird, which is a nest parasite on warblers and other birds and is a major factor in their decline.)

Forests, in particular, are an important asset for Albemarle. Many birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and aquatic species depend upon this dominant habitat for their survival. Additionally, the protection afforded by the forest’s leafy canopy helps improve air quality and modulates microclimate. Forested areas also protect and maintain the purity of groundwater and stream and river water. Forests serve as filters to trap sediment and absorb pollutants from overland runoff. Loss of topsoil and silt into surface waters can smother the gravel bottoms that are breeding habitats of most of our stream fishes and the aquatic insect larvae that are the food for these fishes. Forests along rivers and streams help make waterways livable for many species. For example, many shrubs, grasses, and vines grow well in moist and fertile soils of large unbroken forested areas, but may not do well elsewhere. Plant material falling into the water also provides a food source. Shade from the tree canopy helps maintain a low water temperature, and tree roots help stabilize the bank and provide shelter.

Finally, forests contribute to Albemarle’s natural beauty, complement the cultural resources of the area and enhance the County as a desirable place to live, recreate, and visit.

Effect of Habitat Fragmentation on Species

The decline of many plant and animal species in Albemarle can be attributed to large-scale tree clearing, or by development activities such as woodland subdivisions, power lines, and roads. The habitat fragments that these activities produce differ from the original habitat in two important ways:

1) the center of a fragmented area is closer to the fragment’s edge;
2) the amount of edge relative to the amount of interior habitat is dramatically increased.

Because of fragmentation, the center of the habitat is closer to the edge, which exposes the species within to increased predation and competition. Furthermore, the habitat’s edge represents a dynamic environment into which many other species can invade. Thus, fragmentation not only increases the number of predators within the edge, but some of these predators compete for the same food supply as species within the habitat. For instance, predatory animals may decimate insect and amphibian populations in edge areas.

Forest fragmentation also reduces the ability of a species to move freely across a habitat to forage, to find mates, or to disperse to neighboring habitats. The resulting isolation and reduced population numbers may, in turn, lead to loss of genetic variability, which reduces a species’ viability and its ability to deal with environmental fluctuations, disease and predation. Also, many plant species that rely on animals to transfer seeds are also affected, which can have widespread ecosystem consequences.

The interactive sequence of events described in the preceding paragraph is termed an “environmental cascade,” which does not end at the level of the habitat. Some regional effects of forest clearing and fragmentation, for example, include changes in reflected solar radiation, air and soil temperature, wind, and incidence of fire. Plant cover offers shade and protection of soils, particularly in forest communities, which maintain relatively cool, moist, and shaded environments during spring and summer days, and trap heat during the night. Effects of largescale clearing and development are currently having nation-wide to global ramifications, with marked changes in species diversity and ecosystem services.

Very well-said.

For all of these reasons and more, I have long believed we need a water supply solution that provides enough water for human consumption and improves the ecology of our rivers and streams, but not at the expense of substantial and avoidable destruction & fragmentation of forest habitat. In my opinion, the water supply plan adopted by City Council last week strikes a much better balance in this regard than the plan from 2006 that it replaced.

Water Costs

2010-09-22T22:37:00.011-04:00

The water supply resolution adopted unanimously by City Council this Monday night would result in a plan that not only provides abundant water for our region for 40+ years to come, but also minimizes destruction of our forest ecology, promotes water conservation and efficiency, improves stream flows to our rivers, upgrades our water distribution and treatment infrastructure, and does all of this at substantially less cost to our citizens than the plan it replaces.

If you're not yet convinced that there's a better, cheaper way to meet our long-term water storage needs, let's take a quick look at the numbers.

To enhance the storage capacity of our water system, the City's newly-adopted plan would allow for a scenario in which we dredge the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, repair the spillway at the Lower Ragged Mountain Dam, and increase the height of that dam to expand the Ragged Mountain Reservoir by 13 feet.

Recently, two different dredging experts (one a dredging equipment manufacturer and one a local dredging company) independently submitted information indicating that dredging the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir is a relatively straightforward and small-scale operation that can be accomplished for well under $20 million in net costs, if we use a market-based approach whereby we only dredge as much fill as we can sell or use at any given time. Once we dredge the reservoir we'll then want to periodically do some maintenance dredging to preserve its water storage capacity. We won't know more exact costs of dredging until we solicit bids from dredging companies, but let's just assume, for the sake of argument, a total net cost for this work of $22 million.

Earlier this year, the City commissioned a study to determine the cost and feasibility of renovating and expanding the existing Lower Ragged Mountain Dam. The resulting report offered up a preliminary cost range of $9.9 million-$13.1 million to fix the spillway and increase the reservoir by 13 feet. A "relatively small" additional outlay of funds would be required to shore up the base of the dam to allow an additional 29-foot increase if it were ever deemed necessary. For the sake of argument, let's assume a final price tag for this project of $14 million. A one-time capital project like this (as opposed to an ongoing operation like dredging) would be financed with 30-year bonds, so 30 years of interest payments on those bonds would bring its actual price tag closer to $28 million.

In summary: $22 million for dredging, $28 million for renovating and expanding the dam. Total approximate price tag of storage options allowed for in the City's plan: $50 million.

That sounds like a lot of money, and it is. But consider the alternative.

The original water supply plan, which some are arguing is still the preferred course, would have us build a massive new dam at Ragged Mountain. The new earthen dam would increase the size of that reservoir by 42 feet and result in the clear-cutting of up to 60,000 trees across 200 acres of biologically-rich forest; no dredging of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir is envisioned in that plan. This new dam, including the I-64 embankment that it would necessitate, has been estimated to cost $40.771 million. We've already spent $2.92 million on engineering and design for this dam, leaving a remaining price tag of approximately $37.85 million. Adding in 30 years of interest payments would bring the new dam's actual remaining cost closer to $75 million.

To recap: $50 million for the City's newly-adopted plan vs. $75 million for the plan it replaces.

These are all approximate numbers, and further work is necessary to flesh out the various storage options and secure the proper regulatory permits. But you see my basic point. If we can save our citizens tens of millions of dollars and still provide 40+ years of water security for our region, while significantly reducing damage to our natural environment in the process, don't we owe it to our community to pursue such a course of action?

A Better Path Forward on Water

2010-09-18T12:30:00.005-04:00

City Council is on the verge of making some major decisions regarding our City-owned reservoirs and our region’s long-term water supply plan.

Many hard questions have been asked about that plan, and we have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in studies to examine our alternatives. Let’s take a quick look at what we now know.

First, we now know that we don’t need to build a new dam at Ragged Mountain. The existing dam is in excellent shape (save for an inadequate spillway) and renovating/expanding that dam will save us millions of dollars vs. building a massive new dam.

Second, we now know that dredging the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir would be much cheaper and will produce more storage capacity than we once thought.

Third, we now know that the original projection of water demand significantly overstated how much water we’d be using today, and very likely overstated how much water we’d be using 50 years from now. We also now know that projecting long-term demand for water is an inexact science at best. Thanks to advances in water conservation and efficiency, we do know we’re getting much smarter about the way we use water.

Given what we now know, I propose we immediately take the following steps:

1. Get moving on dredging the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, using a market-oriented approach in which we only dredge as much fill as we can sell or use at any given time. It’s the quickest way to produce real water gains and guard against another drought; frankly, we should have been dredging the reservoir all along.

2. Repair the spillway at the Ragged Mountain Dam. While we’ve got the heavy equipment in place to do that, add 13 feet to the dam (which would increase the size of the reservoir but not so much that it encroaches on I-64) and shore up the dam’s base to accommodate additional height in the future if necessary.

Through these two steps, we are projected to meet all of our water needs for at least 40 years and save tens of millions of dollars over the current plan. This approach will also give us the ability to assess actual long-term trends in water consumption and give us the nimbleness to readily add capacity if we need it – instead of incurring a huge amount of debt now for capacity we don’t know we’ll need.

Finally, this approach will allow us to minimize devastation of the forest ecology at the Ragged Mountain Natural Area. The current plan calls for up to 60,000 trees across 200 acres of biologically-rich forest – an area that’s been called one of the crown jewels of our regional forest system -- to be clear-cut. Yes, there are plans in place to plant replacement trees elsewhere in the County, but as an ecologically-minded, tree-friendly community, we should do what we can to minimize destruction of our natural environment when there are better alternatives available. Especially when those alternatives also happen save our citizens a tremendous amount of money.

Public Hearing on Water Supply

2010-09-15T21:53:00.002-04:00

Next Monday, Sept. 20, there will be a public hearing at our City Council meeting (7pm in Council chambers, City Hall) on how best to proceed with regard to our long-term water supply plan. It's your last best chance to put in your 2 cents before Council decides what path to take, so please join us if you feel so inclined. On a related note, this morning I heard a fascinating presentation by the largest dredging equipment manufacturer in the U.S. on the cost and feasibility of dredging the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir in "small bites" over a period of years, to remove the sediment that's settled there over the past few decades and keep ahead of future siltation. Turns out doing so is quite feasible and would likely save many millions of dollars vs. dredging the reservoir at all once.

For more info. on today's discussion:
www.nbc29.com/Global/story.asp?S=13158485

Peace Rally - 9/11/2010

2010-09-14T15:52:00.002-04:00

Nelson County resident Kia Scherr lost her daughter and her husband in the Mumbai terrorist attacks on November 26, 2008. In other words, Kia Scherr has every reason in the world to be an angry and vengeful human being. Yet when I met her and heard her speak at the 9/11 peace rally this past weekend, I was amazed at the fact that someone who has such a legitimate claim to bitterness and hatred has instead dedicated her life to promoting peace and reconciliation among peoples. What an inspiring woman.

Local Entrepreneurs

2010-09-13T13:54:00.001-04:00

Small businesses are the leading engines of job creation in our economy. I'm proud of the fact that the City of Cville has ramped up support for the Central Virginia Small Business Development Center in the last couple of years to help local entrepreneurs stay in business. Check out these upcoming SBDC workshops:
http://www.tjped.com/existing-business-and-entrepreneurs/seminars/business-boot-camp-series-parts-1-2/

Midtown Street Fair!

2010-09-12T13:48:00.001-04:00

What happens when you let pedestrians and bicyclists take over a stretch of West Main Street, allow all the merchants to set up vending booths, throw in 9 bands, some Derby Dames and a waitron olympics? It's the first annual Midtown Street Fair! A huge success -- many thanks and congratulations to the organizers.

9/11

2010-09-11T13:44:00.001-04:00

Nine years ago today, Muslim religious extremists attacked our country in order to foment Holy War. In some ways they got exactly what they wanted. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, maimed, orphaned or widowed in the ensuing backlash. Thankfully there are some who have refused to submit to the bloodthirst and madness and instead insist on fighting hate with love. This was my favorite sign from today's peace rally on the Downtown Mall. A better world IS possible.

Brainy City

2010-08-31T16:52:00.000-04:00

Charlottesville named 9th "Brainiest City" in the U.S. -- http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-08-27/americas-brainiest-cities/

Charlottesville Approves Public Housing Plan

2010-08-27T09:22:00.004-04:00

The Housing Authority has taken another big step in the process of revitalizing public housing in Charlottesville and thereby improving the quality of housing and the quality of life for hundreds of low-income families. Glad to see the Residents' Bill of Rights (championed by Phar Charlottesville) prominently mentioned in this story -- in my mind, it's the underpinning of the whole planning effort.

http://www.nbc29.com/Global/story.asp?S=13036864

Big Leap for LEAP

2010-08-26T15:48:00.005-04:00

Huge news coming out of LEAP today: "The Local Energy Alliance Program based in Charlottesville has been awarded $1.9 million by the United States Department of Energy to improve energy and water efficiency in low-income multifamily housing in the Charlottesville-Albemarle and Hampton Roads communities." As Vice Chair of LEAP's Board, I couldn't be prouder. P.S. our Executive Director Cynthia Adams is a rock star.

Bama Works Mother-Daughter Luncheon to Benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters

2010-05-07T17:40:00.007-04:00

Bama Works Mother-Daughter Luncheon

to benefit

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge

Saturday, May 15 - Twelve Noon

Seven Oaks Farm

Special Guest Speaker:

Catherine Newman

Author of the memoir "Waiting for Birdy,"

contributing writer at Brain, Child magazine,

Family.com and Oprah.com

Tickets: $125 adults, $75 children

Open to children ages 3 and up and the special adult female in their life. (Grandmas and aunts are encouraged to attend!)

Sponsors: Sustain, Clay Fitness, Cville Concierge
In-Kind Sponsors: AlbemarleFamily Magazine,
FDS Tents, Maliha Creations, Panera Bread

For ticket sales and more info, please
contact BamaLuncheon@gmail.com
or 434-566-1748

Put Solar Panels Back on the Roof of the White House!

2010-04-26T19:58:00.002-04:00

I'm very happy to hear of this effort: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/23/bring-solar-panels-back-t_n_550059.html

In the meantime, if any solar energy company wants to donate a solar array for the roof of Charlottesville City Hall, let's talk!

Slacker Blogger

2010-04-26T19:00:00.004-04:00

The most recent edition of the Virginia Municipal League's monthly magazine, Virginia Town & City, highlights this blog as an example of a local elected official using social media to communicate with his/her constituents (go to http://www.vml.org/VTC/10VTC-PDF/VTCMar10_Web.pdf and scroll down to pg. 13). I felt guilty when I saw that article (I didn't know that I was going to be mentioned in it) because my blogging has slacked off considerably over the past year as (1) my free time has become more and more constricted and (2) Facebook seems to have taken over as my social-media venue of choice, in large part because it's easier and quicker to post things there. I realize that many people are not on Facebook, though, so I try to cross-post things here from time to time; unfortunately, I have yet to find a simple way to make that happen automatically. I will try and make more of an effort to keep this blog current (especially now that it's getting statewide attention!), but if you're on Facebook, know that you can always find me at www.facebook.com/cvilledave. See you on the Internets.

Sip for Kids' Sake on Apr. 22!

2010-04-15T01:06:00.004-04:00

Sip for Kids' Sake: It's one of the easiest (and most enjoyable) benefit events you'll attend all year -- all you do is show up and drink! Please invite your friends, family, coworkers and other fun-loving locals to join you in socializing for a good cause on Thursday, Apr. 22 from 5:30-7:30pm at Siips Wine Bar on Charlottesville's Downtown Mall. Admission is free; dress is casual.

Siips is donating a portion of the proceeds from all sales that night to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge (www.bbbsocbr.org). Raffle tickets will also be available throughout the evening for a free wine seminar for two; 100% of ticket proceeds will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters. Big Brothers Big Sisters recently launched a campaign to recruit "100 Mentors for 100 Kids in 2010," and all income from this fundraiser will directly support that effort. Hope to see you there!

Special note: Big Brothers Big Sisters Executive Director (and Charlottesville Mayor) Dave Norris will be Siips' special guest "Celebrity Bartender" for the evening. Here's your chance to order Dave around and make him say "Yes Ma'am" and "Yes Sir" to you for two hours straight. It's for the kids, Dave. It's for the kids.

Huge Rummage Sale to Benefit Special Hope Network

2010-03-21T22:12:00.009-04:00

This coming Saturday, March 27, there's a huge 10-family rummage sale up in Forest Lakes South to benefit the Special Hope Network, a Charlottesville-based organization that cares for orphans in Africa who have intellectual disabilities. I happen to be pretty cozy with one of the organizers and I'm told there will be all kinds of furniture and clothes and books and toys and games and odds & ends and etc. on hand, with many good bargains to be had. 100% of the sale's proceeds will go to the Special Hope Network. You won't want to miss it.

Here's the details:
Saturday, March 27th, 8am-noon
Aspenwood Rd. (in the cul-de-sac), Forest Lakes South

For directions:
http://tinyurl.co/m/SHNrummage

Why Does a Salad Cost More Than a Big Mac?

2010-03-02T19:29:00.005-05:00

I bet this has something to do with it:

(Chart courtesy PCRM, h/t Waldo J.)

Bringing High-Speed Broadband to Charlottesville -- Here's How YOU Can Help

2010-02-24T10:07:00.003-05:00

Charlottesville, Albemarle County and UVa are working together to bring high-speed Google fiber optic internet service to our community -- would be a 100 times faster connection than what's available now. It's a very competitive application process but winning it would be a big shot in the arm for our local economy, for our schools, for our arts & music scene, etc. We are preparing the official application but Google is also accepting nominations from individuals/businesses/organizations as to which community should be chosen. The more nominations they receive from Charlottesville-area residents, the better our chances. If you'd like to help us win the competition, please click on the link below and fill out the nomination form. Thanks!

http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/public/options

Big Brothers Big Sisters Kick-Off Event--Feb. 18

2010-02-08T15:03:00.006-05:00

Please join Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge for a very special lunchtime reception to launch a major new campaign to benefit Charlottesville-area youth!

"100 Mentors for 100 Kids in 2010"
Campaign Kick-Off
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge

Thursday, February 18, 12:00-1:00pm
Siips, 212 E. Main St. on the Downtown Mall

Honorary Co-Hosts:
Karen Beauford and Jeff Mitchell

Featured Guest and Honorary Campaign Spokesman:
Dave Koehn of Virginia Sports -- "The Voice of the Cavaliers"

Come join Karen, Jeff, Dave and other current & potential supporters of Big Brothers Big Sisters for a fun, informal gathering as we kick off our new mentor recruitment campaign and unveil:

* Our new BBBS Website (to be located at www.bbbsocbr.org)
* Our new BBBS Facebook Page
* Our new BBBS Staff (including Dave Norris, our regional Executive Director and current Charlottesville Mayor)
* Our new plans for BBBS in 2010 and beyond!

Complimentary light fare and beverages will be available.

To RSVP, please e-mail bbbsocbr@hotmail.com. Hope to see you there!

If you cannot join us on Feb. 18, but would still like to support the work of Big Brothers Big Sisters in helping our young people to realize their highest potential, please consider making a tax-deductible donation on-line at http://tinyurl.com/donate2bbbs or via mail at: Big Brothers Big Sisters, P.O. Box 814, Charlottesville, VA 22902.

For more info., please contact Dave Norris at cvilledave@hotmail.com or (434) 242-5165.

Extraordinary Volunteer Needed for Extraordinary Volunteer Opportunity

2010-02-05T13:59:00.006-05:00

The Winneba subcommittee of the Charlottesville Sister City Commission is seeking a dedicated, responsible, task-oriented volunteer (preferably, though not necessarily, someone with international travel experience) to coordinate activities in support of the new Sister City relationship between Charlottesville and Winneba, Ghana.

We are seeking someone who is available approx. 5-10 hours/week to facilitate meetings of the Winneba subcommittee, to help organize fund-raising and awareness-raising events, and to help plan future exchanges between the two Sister Cities. Note: the person who takes on this volunteer opportunity will likely have the extraordinary experience of participating in an official Sister City delegation to Winneba in the coming year. We promise you that it will be a trip of a lifetime! For more info., please contact Dave Norris at cvilledave@hotmail.com or (434) 242-5165.

(Below: Sam Baker of Light House Studio on the Cville trip to Winneba, May 2009)

"What Other Cities Can Do, Charlottesville Can Do"

2010-01-29T00:52:00.009-05:00

Look what I found on eBay just now -- 89 years later, we're still tryin'!

Source: Charlottesville YMCA 1921 Ink Blotter

Jan. 19 Community Meeting on Clean Energy Jobs

2010-01-18T18:04:00.005-05:00

from Ryan Doyle of the Sierra Club Clean Energy Jobs Campaign:

Dear Friend,

As you read this, America is at an energy crossroads. Our economy remains dependent on dirty energy sources that are losing jobs, threatening our national security, and polluting our environment. Virginia families are struggling with unemployment at an extreme high, while every day we’re sending $1.2 billion overseas for foreign oil and spewing millions of tons of pollution that threaten our climate.

The good news is that we have solutions. That’s why we here in Virginia are joining a national campaign to pass a strong clean energy plan through Congress this spring that will bring 45,000 new clean energy jobs to Virginia, strengthen national security, and limit dangerous pollution that causes climate change.

We can make this happen this spring, but we need YOUR help. The best way to learn more and get involved is to come to our Community Meeting for Clean Energy Jobs this Tuesday night here in Charlottesville. RSVP right away and bring a friend to:

Sierra Club’s Community Meeting for Clean Energy Jobs

Tuesday January 19th, 7:00-8:00pm

Charlottesville Community Design Center “City Space”

100 5th Street NE, Charlottesville
(Refreshments Provided)

We have a unique opportunity this spring to pass strong clean energy legislation, but clean energy champions like our U.S. Representative, Tom Perriello, are feeling the heat from big coal and oil companies. He needs our help NOW to back up his strong support for clean energy investments for America.

So please join us on Tuesday January 19th at 7:00pm. With special, local guest speaker JR Tolbert of Environment Virginia attending, you can expect to find out how you can make a real difference to support congressional legislation that would bring Virginia increased prosperity and reduce pollution at the same time. Also joining us will be Cynthia Adams, Climate Protection Program Coordinator for the City of Charlottesville, who will talk about an exciting new local nonprofit called LEAP, which will help grow clean energy jobs in our community.

RSVP here to let us know you can make it, and bring a friend!

Warm Regards,

Ryan

Ryan Doyle
Sierra Club Field Organizer
Sierra Club Clean Energy Jobs Campaign
Charlottesville, VA
Office: 434-984-4655 x 227
Cell: 218-390-9561
rdoyle@greencorps.org

Cville Resident Seeks Help for Haitian Orphanage

2010-01-15T11:27:00.002-05:00

Given the tragic news coming out of Haiti this week, I wanted to pass this along from Charlottesville resident Ida Oetgen:

Dear Friends,

My name is Ida Oetgen. My uncle Jerome Oetgen is the Counselor for Public Affairs at the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He and my aunt work with an orphanage of 70 children. Word finally came through to us around midnight on Wednesday night that, miraculously, all 70 of these children and their caregivers escaped Tuesday's earthquake unharmed. This is an unbelievable relief and blessing.

We are working with a non-profit organization called Partners in Progress to help the Rose-Mina de Diegue Orphanage. If you are thinking of helping the relief effort underway, please consider visiting www.piphaiti.org and select "Make a Donation" and choose "Little Flower / Rose Mina" in the first pulldown menu. Thank you -- your help will make a difference!!

Ida

Ida Oetgen
(201) 321-2059
idaoetgen@gmail.com
blog.locallectual.com

Snow in Poggio

2009-12-26T16:42:00.004-05:00

I received this picture on Thursday from my counterpart in our Italian Sister City, Mayor Marco Martini of Poggio a Caiano. This is the beautiful Medici villa in their city center. Poggio looks a lot like Cville this week!

Unsolicited & Unpaid Advertisement for a Good Local Builder

2009-12-22T15:06:00.002-05:00

The construction business is hurting these days and many small "mom and pop" contractors are struggling mightily. Since I have a bit of a bully pulpit with this here blog, I thought I'd do my part to support one small businessman here in our community, Mr. Charlie Rogers. This fall, Charlie and his crew built a new addition on my Belmont home. Charlie does good work and pays close attention to detail. He is quite affordable (I had a very limited budget for my project) and very easy to work with. The project was completed on time and I couldn't have been more satisfied with the outcome. Though Charlie is not a "green builder" per se he was happy to incorporate a number of green features (including a high-efficiency heating and air system, dual-flush toilet, eco-friendly insulation, etc.) at no additional cost. So if you're looking for someone to do a small or large construction/renovation project at your home or business, please give Charlie a call at (434) 981-1738 and I'm sure he'd be willing to come out and give you a quote. Feel free to tell him I sent you. Charlie's a native of this area and does most (if not all) of his subcontracting with other locally-owned firms, so your dollars will be recycled right here in our community.

Mustache 4 Kids

2009-12-14T01:04:00.004-05:00

We are now entering the final week of the "Mustaches 4 Kids" competition and as you can faintly see in the photo below, my wooly red caterpillar of a mustache is coming along. We "growers" are supposed to be soliciting donations in honor of our 'staches, donations that go to charities that help kids -- in my case, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge. If you'd like to make a small (tax-deductible) contribution to that cause, please click here. It sure would help me feel like this whole 'stache thing has been worth it. :-) Thank you.

Befores and Afters

2009-11-22T22:36:00.012-05:00

This was a weekend of personal transformations. On Friday my new home addition passed final City inspection, bringing to an end 4 months of living in a construction zone. On Sunday I decided to take the "Mustaches for Kids" plunge so shaved off my beard; I now have until Dec. 18 to grow a sweet 'stache for charity. And on Saturday...well, check out what happened to me and Sarah on Saturday, among all the before/after pics below.

Chloe, during and after construction

I'm told I now look 12 years old.

She said yes!

Join the Dialogue

2009-11-19T14:33:00.002-05:00

From Assistant City Manager Maurice Jones:

Dear friend,

Just a few hours of your time can change Charlottesville forever. The City's Dialogue on Race initiative aims to engage Charlottesville area residents from all walks of life in a thoughtful, constructive discussion of race relations.

By utilizing the study circle model of dialogue, the initiative will increase the understanding of our historical and cultural differences as we work toward a more united future.

Each small group will include 10-12 people and two trained volunteer facilitators. The small groups will meet six times over a two month period beginning in January of 2010, during which they will get to know each other, identify racial barriers that currently exist in our community and provide possible solutions to those issues.

We need everyone from every segment of our community to participate in this project. Join the Dialogue on Race either as a participant or volunteer facilitator by registering online at www.charlottesville.org/dialogue or by requesting a hard copy form by calling 434-970-3101.

And please join us at the Dialogue on Race Kick-Off event at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Performing Arts Center at Charlottesville High School on Saturday December 5th from 10:00 a.m. to noon to learn more about this exciting project.

My New Job

2009-11-16T08:50:00.003-05:00

As of Nov. 1, I went to full-time in my new job as Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge. Right now we're in rebuilding mode but expect to hear a lot more from us very soon. Thanks to Chris Graham of Augusta Free Press for the positive write-up last week:

http://augustafreepress.com/2009/11/06/afp-focus-norris-helps-big-brothers-big-sisters-turn-the-corner/

The Daily Progress covered the initial announcement of my hiring back in late September:

http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/article/norris_named_chief_of_mentoring_program/45915/

Heck of a Fortnight

2009-11-15T21:43:00.006-05:00

The last two weeks have been a bit of a blur, and so much has transpired in the news that some important and interesting developments in the life of our City have not gotten the attention they surely deserved.

For example, on Nov. 2 Charlottesville announced the largest expansion of City parkland since 1987 (thanks to the largest private donation of land to the people of Charlottesville since 1974), expanding Forest Hills Park by 20% in one fell swoop. Thank you to Charlie Armstrong and his colleagues at Southern Development for making that happen; stay tuned for news on more parkland acquisition opportunities in the very near future.

That same night, Cville City Council unanimously approved Winneba, Ghana, as our fourth Sister City. A very special unannounced guest joined us all the way from Ghana for the public hearing -- our friend Joe Baami, the chair of Winneba's own Sister City Commission. What a wonderful surprise!

Also on Nov. 2, City Council approved the formal agreement establishing the new Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP), which aims to produce 20-40% energy savings in 30-50% of Charlottesville-Albemarle homes and businesses in the coming decade (and will create many new "green jobs" in the process). Huge potential there.

The next day was Election Day. A big night for our City Democratic candidates, and a big night for Republican candidates almost everywhere else. (Interesting piece of vainglorious trivia: now that City Council elections are held concurrently with state/federal elections, more voters are participating in the selection of City Councilors than ever before; as a result, my 6,300 votes on Nov. 3 were the most ever received by a candidate for Charlottesville City Council. It's a record that's likely to be broken in the not-too-distant future, but for now it at least gives me marginally more standing when I try to pull rank with my children. My cat, on the other hand, seems entirely unimpressed.)

Last Tuesday, Nov. 10, the Charlottesville Planning Commission gave a welcome and gratifying "thumbs up" to two separate projects that I have helped to shepherd for several years now. One vote granted approval of a site plan for the new YMCA next to Charlottesville High School, and the other vote granted approval of a special use permit for the new SRO (Single Room Occupancy) supportive housing apartments for the homeless, on 4th St. NW. Once their doors are opened to the public, both of these facilities will positively affect the lives of many, many local residents in the years and decades to come.

Last Wednesday, Nov. 11, the CRHA (Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority) Redevelopment Committee met to get a status report on the Master Planning process for revitalization of our public housing neighborhoods in Charlottesville. We're about 3/4 of the way through the Master Planning process, and hundreds of public housing residents have been involved in it some form or fashion (by attending community workshops/charettes, participating in site visits to other redeveloped communities, completing resident surveys, taking an urban design class for students at CHS, etc.). We are committed to this NOT becoming another example of top-down urban renewal like Vinegar Hill, and our friends at PHAR are doing an excellent job of keeping everyone accountable to the Residents Bill of Rights that CRHA, PHAR, and City Council all approved before we started work on Master Planning.

Last week, the City announced that we had ended FY'09 with a surplus, despite the woeful economic climate and despite Council's decision not to increase the property tax rate last year. Chalk it up to City departments tightening their belts and our Commissioner of Revenue and Treasurer's offices doing an excellent job in collecting taxes owed to the City. One more reason we continue to be one of the only cities in the country to enjoy the highest possible bond rating from the leading bond agencies.

Tomorrow, Nov. 16, City Council will be asked to give the green light to a major environmental improvement initiative that too has been years in the making -- the $3.2 million Meadow Creek Stream Restoration Project. It's one of the largest ecological restoration projects in our City's history and I'm excited to see it moving forward.

That's just a sampling of things that have been going on here in Charlottesville, Virginia the last couple of weeks. Heck of a fortnight indeed.

***I would be remiss if I did not put in one more plug for this important effort, which has largely overshadowed much of everything else in Cville the last two weeks. Let's hope it ends with a positive resolution.

End the War in Afghanistan

2009-11-15T19:10:00.006-05:00

The Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice and other local groups are sponsoring a series of events this week to push for an end to the war in Afghanistan:

Thursday Nov. 19: Anti-War Demonstration, 4:00-5:30pm at the Federal Building (corner of Water St. and McIntire Rd.)

Thursday Nov. 19: Speakers Forum, 7:00 pm at the Albemarle County Office Building (401 McIntire Rd.)

Friday Nov. 20: Food and Culture of Afghanistan, 7:00 pm at Random Row Bookstore (315 W. Main St.)

Sunday Nov. 22: Screening and Discussion of "Rethink Afghanistan," 7:00 pm at T.J. Unitarian Church (yellow house to left of the church at 717 Rugby Rd.)

Glad to see this happening here in Cville.

For more info.: www.charlottesvillepeace.org

Thank You Charlottesville

2009-11-04T18:01:00.010-05:00

To all of the Charlottesville residents who voted in yesterday's election, to all of the supporters who donated time, energy and/or money to our campaign, to all of my fellow candidates, to my family and friends, I offer you all a huge word of thanks. While I am a bundle of mixed emotions today due to some of yesterday's other results, I am humbled by the trust you've shown in me and I hope to sustain your trust in the years ahead.

10,265 residents of Charlottesville cast a ballot yesterday. Typically, around 10-15% of people who vote in presidential or gubernatorial elections do not vote for down-ballot contests, like the one for City Council. If that pattern held true yesterday (which we know it did for other down-ballot positions), we can estimate that around 9,000 people participated in this year's City Council election, each of them voting for up to 2 candidates. Of that group,

* 6,300 people (or approx. 70% of voters) cast one of their votes for me
* 5,083 people (approx. 57%) cast one of their votes for Kristin Szakos
* 3,293 people (approx. 37%) cast one of their votes for Bob Fenwick
* 1,214 people (approx. 14%) cast one of their votes for Paul Long
* 382 people (approx. 4%) cast a write-in vote (presumably, many for Andrew Williams)

In the race for City Sheriff, James Brown won with 62% of the vote vs. 38% for Paul Best.

Kristin, James and I have each been running for 9 or 10 months, first for the citywide primary in May and then for the last 6 months as a general election ticket ("Your Charlottesville"). It was a long haul, but the destination was worth the journey. I am looking forward to serving with both of them in the years ahead.

Daily Progress recaps: "Szakos, Norris Get Easy Victories"; "Brown Wins Sheriff Post"

below: James, Kristin and I at the Election Night party @ Siips, photo by Jim Nix; following, Election Day portrait by Rick Sincere (http://ricksincerethoughts.blogspot.com/2009/11/election-day-2009-photos.html)

A Personal Appeal Regarding Tuesday's Elections

2009-10-31T18:14:00.009-04:00

Dear Friends,

Election Day is almost here and I hope you are planning to come out and vote on Tuesday!

In addition to Creigh Deeds, Jody Wagner and Steve Shannon, all of whom need our strong support, I am sharing the ballot on Nov. 3 with my friends Kristin Szakos (for City Council) and James Brown (for City Sheriff). As we enter the last few days of this campaign, I wanted to share with you why I feel so strongly that Kristin and James are our best choices on Tuesday. (And no, it's not just because they're Democrats.)

First and foremost, Kristin Szakos understands that Charlottesville has many challenges before it and she is committed to working through those challenges in a thoughtful, diligent, creative and collaborative manner. Kristin is the ONLY other candidate in this year's Council campaign who's come forward with positive, constructive ideas for addressing the achievement gap and reducing the dropout rate in our schools, for making Charlottesville a more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly community, for strengthening the voice of neighborhoods in City decision-making, for bringing the community together around new and better approaches to reducing poverty, for encouraging citizen participation, for making City Council more accountable to our residents, etc. Kristin is the ONLY other candidate on Tuesday's ballot who's said she'll support the establishment of a dedicated fund for affordable housing in the City budget; if she wins, she'll be the critical 3rd vote we've needed to finally pass this important measure. And, along with independent candidate Paul Long, Kristin is the ONLY other candidate who has come forward with specific ideas for making our public transportation system more efficient and user-friendly so that we can reduce congestion on our roads and improve our environment. I may not agree with Kristin on 100% of the issues, nor should I, but I have full confidence that she will tell the truth and keep focused on what's best for all of Charlottesville and not just narrow special interests.

Anyone who knows Kristin, as I have for some years, is not surprised by the positive, issues-oriented, community-based campaign she has run this year. Kristin is an accomplished author, journalist, community activist, PTO President, non-profit professional, foster parent and mother. She mobilized thousands of volunteers from across Central Virginia last year to help get Barack Obama elected President, and has been an energetic leader in the effort to mobilize citizen support for meaningful health care reform in Congress. In other words, she knows how to bring people together and she knows how to get things done. That's exactly the kind of leader we need on City Council.

For these reasons and more, please come out and vote for Kristin Szakos for City Council on Tuesday. And while you're at it, please vote for me too. :-)

As for James Brown -- James has impressed me mightily during his campaign for Sheriff. He won a convincing victory in the May primary election, but didn't let it go to his head. Instead, he set out to meet with as many people as possible (both he and Kristin have knocked on hundreds of doors the last few months) and let them know his vision for the Sheriff's office. James grew up in Charlottesville and has ably served our community for over 15 years in the criminal justice field, as a police officer, pretrial investigator and probation officer. I know he will do great honor to the Office of Sheriff. He has specific ideas for building on Cornelia Johnson's outstanding legacy as our current Sheriff and intends to use his position as an elected official to influence kids in a positive direction. He also plans to "green" the Sheriff's office by phasing in hybrid vehicles, to reduce fuel usage and save taxpayers' money. Last but certainly not least, James is a genuinely good and decent and compassionate human being, which should count for something in politics. His campaign slogan says it all: "With respect, communication and diversity we can all progress."

*** Do you have 5 minutes you can spare in the next couple of days? Please forward this message (or better, one of your own) to any friends, neighbors, co-workers or family members who live in Charlottesville, and encourage them to get out and vote on Tuesday. If you're on Facebook, Twitter, etc., you can do the same there. Feel free to point folks to our website, www.YourCharlottesville.org, for more info.

*** Do you have 1 hour you can spare on Tuesday? We need folks to hand out sample ballots at the polls and/or make reminder calls to favorable voters. Please contact Jim Nix at jim-nix@comcast.net or (434) 987-3321 to sign up.

Thanks for all the support you've given me over the years, and for any help you can give over the next few days. And if you're free on Tuesday evening, we'll be gathering with volunteers from all the Democratic campaigns at Siips on the Downtown Mall from 7pm onward to await the election results, and hopefully celebrate victory -- come join us!

Best,

Dave Norris

Kristin, James and I with Congressman Tom Perriello

Daily Progress Endorses Norris for Re-Election

2009-10-31T17:27:00.002-04:00

I was pleased to receive the endorsement of the Daily Progress today. Below is their editorial, in full:

Norris Earns Council Return

Charlottesville needs Dave Norris’ experience on Council.

Mr. Norris has become seasoned in his first term in office, including his current stint as mayor. He has a broad view of the city’s strengths and challenges, and is particularly qualified to address several of the major issues facing Charlottesville.

Take the issue of affordable housing, which has been one of his main themes in both campaigns. Specifically this year, Mr. Norris notes that the city is facing the complete revitalization of its aging public housing stock. The effort will be both expensive and fraught with emotional pitfalls, since the city’s (and nation’s) last major effort at reinventing low-income housing brought us “urban renewal,” the scars of which still linger.

Mr. Norris and council have already taken steps to alleviate residents’ fears by involving them in the planning process. Mr. Norris’ background as a nonprofit leader with housing expertise will help the city continue to negotiate this difficult path.

Mr. Norris is also well acquainted with the details of many other critical issues, from the need to upgrade outdated sewer and stormwater lines to the problem of school dropout rates and achievement gaps to the necessity of ensuring adequate water supply for the city and the larger community.

On several issues, including the controversial one of dredging the South Rivanna Reservoir and/or raising the Ragged Mountain Dam, Mr. Norris has shown himself capable of listening to wise counsel and taking into account evolving information. This is an important quality in a public servant.

Dave Norris has proved his mettle, and he deserves to be returned to Charlottesville City Council.

Newspaper Ad/Flyer for Norris-Szakos-Brown Campaign

2009-10-27T23:46:00.001-04:00

Here's the full-page newspaper ad that we're running this week -- feel free to print out and post at your place of work or on your favorite local bulletin board!

http://www.hotlinkfiles.com/files/2419659_cr6cx/YourCharlottesville_Newspaper_Ad.pdf

New Radio Ad for Norris-Szakos-Brown Campaign

2009-10-27T22:20:00.008-04:00

Check out our hot-off-the-presses radio ad for the Norris-Szakos-Brown campaign -- to begin airing tomorrow. Many thanks to Cle Logan of 92.7 KISS-FM for lending his smooth voice and good name to the cause! As always, for more info.: www.YourCharlottesville.org

"Charlottesville Candidates Need a Broad Vision"

2009-10-25T23:35:00.003-04:00

I used to serve on the Piedmont Housing Alliance Board of Directors with Helen Flamini and have come to know her even better through her impressive work with the exciting McIntire Botanical Garden project. I was honored to see the Letter to the Editor from Helen that was published in today's Daily Progress:

City Council elections will be here on Nov. 3. There are many issues confronting the citizens of Charlottesville in the days ahead, and it will take dedicated and informed leaders to meet those challenges.

With so many important issues facing the City Council candidates, this would be the wrong time to elect a candidate whose entire focus is on a single polarizing matter. What is needed is a candidate who is focused on all the important issues affecting the city: affordable housing, transportation, education, recreation, environmental sustainability, revitalization of public housing, fiscal responsibility and McIntire Park.

Dave Norris has worked toward addressing those issues as well as continuing to promote and support the goals from City Council's Vision Statement 2025 that will continue to make Charlottesville a great place to live for all its citizens.

Innovative and thoughtful ideas to improve community representation are but one example of the leadership role exemplified by Dave Norris. City voters should re-elect Dave Norris and elect Kristin Szakos to City Council, as they work to ensure continued progress in making Charlottesville the great city it already is.

Helen Flamini

Women Rally for Szakos

2009-10-20T00:51:00.001-04:00

WCAV CBS19 ran an excellent piece on the "Women for Szakos" Rally earlier today on the Downtown Mall. Check it out!

Strengthening Charlottesville's Neighborhoods

2009-10-07T10:26:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, Kristin Szakos and I unveiled several proposals for strengthening the voice of Charlottesville's neighborhoods in City decision-making. For the full text of the proposals, click here: http://yourcharlottesville.org/neighborhoods.php. As with our bike/ped proposals from a couple of weeks ago, we cannot claim original authorship of any of these ideas -- they were all gleaned from conversations we've had with neighborhood leaders across the City over the course of this campaign. Kristin and I are both committed to more meaningful and proactive engagement between City government and Charlottesville residents in the decisions that affect their (your) lives.

Guess Who Said It? "To not support a YMCA would be a disgrace to Charlottesville."

2009-10-05T08:13:00.004-04:00

Wow. Here's a fascinating nugget of information unearthed by some intrepid researcher at the Piedmont Family YMCA, as told in a Letter to the Editor by YMCA President Kurt Krueger in today's Daily Progress (emphasis mine):

I am writing in response to the Sept. 20 Daily Progress article "What did McIntire really want?"

It seems that a small but vocal minority opposing the building of the YMCA in McIntire Park have spent a lot of time and energy attempting to leverage language contained in a deed for a small part of the park (and not even the part on which the Y will be built) to argue that McIntire would not want the Y built in the park. Perhaps a truer indication of Mr. McIntire's desire can be gleaned from the fact that he was a member of the YMCA Board of Directors in the 1920s. He is quoted in the Nov. 26, 1923, board minutes as follows:

"Mr. Paul G. McIntire spoke earnestly to the effect that to not support a YMCA would be a disgrace to Charlottesville. He further stated that Charlottesville could raise money for anything it wanted, and that the failure of Charlottesville to maintain a YMCA would go far and wide, and that a YMCA was a necessity for a city of this size."

Building a Y in McIntire Park would fulfill the dream and vision Mr. McIntire had for Charlottesville. We look forward to realizing this vision and providing all members of our community, regardless of age or economic status, with the kinds of facilities and programs offered by the 2,700-plus YMCAs in the U.S.

Kurt J. Krueger
Albemarle County

Toward a More Bike-Friendly and Pedestrian-Friendly Charlottesville

2009-09-24T17:01:00.004-04:00

Today, Kristin Szakos and I unveiled a set of proposals (based on input we solicited from local citizens and bicycle/pedestrian advocacy groups) to make Charlottesville a more bicycle-friendly and pedestrian-friendly community. This is an issue that Kristin has a real passion for and I'm looking forward to her leadership in this arena. For more info., see http://www.yourcharlottesville.org/bikesafety.php.

Batten Students Tackle Cville's Affordable Housing Challenge

2009-08-31T13:58:00.004-04:00

Last week I had the honor of participating in the opening symposium for this year's Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at UVa. This year's class of Batten students are taking on a semester-long project to educate themselves on the issue of affordable housing in Charlottesville and explore ways that we as a community can better meet this urgent need. I was quite impressed with the students I met and very much look forward to seeing what ideas they come up with. Media-Newswire.com has an article about my presentation, which gives a good overview of this multi-faceted problem and touches on some potential solutions -- click here to read it.

World Peace...and other 4th grade achievements

2009-08-29T16:35:00.003-04:00

A few years ago, my son Eli and his 4th grade classmates had the great fortune of participating in Mr. John Hunter's "World Peace Game" at Venable Elementary School. A local filmmaker, Chris Farina, captured the experience for a documentary ("World Peace...and other 4th grade achievements") that's about to be released. Stay tuned -- click here for more info.

On a related note, from the Interfaith Cooperation Circle of Central Virginia:

Thousands of communities in countries around the world will celebrate their commitment to a more peaceful, just and sustainable world on International Peace Day. Locally, this celebration will take place on Monday, September 21, from 7:00 to 9:30 PM at The Unity Church, located at 2825 Hydraulic Rd, in the Charlottesville area. Performances will include peace-related music, stories, and poetry offered by people from our community, including some well-known talent. The event is co-hosted by the Interfaith Cooperation Circle of Central Virginia, a URI affiliate, and the Unity Church, along with several partners, in a local effort to create a world-wide culture of peace. Donations are welcome and will support awareness of interfaith cooperation locally and globally. For further information, see http://interfaithcooperation.org/events/

UVa Provost Makes Case for Single Payer Health Care

2009-08-25T15:04:00.003-04:00

Advocates of Single Payer health care, like myself, are often portrayed as wild-eyed idealists (when in reality, there's really nothing that radical about a Single Payer system -- click here to find out more). One could hardly call Tim Garson a wild-eyed idealist. He's a highly-respected pediatric cardiologist who also happens to serve as Executive Vice President and Provost of the University of Virginia. This past Sunday, the Daily Progress ran a profile on Dr. Garson in which he makes a compelling case for a number of reforms in our health care system, including the institution of a Single Payer system. Click here to read the full article.

"Postcards from Charlottesville," Show #17

2009-08-20T09:56:00.004-04:00

For the latest episode of my public access TV show, "Postcards from Charlottesville," Kurt Krueger and Brookes Sims of the Piedmont Family YMCA join me to discuss the new YMCA recreational facility that will soon be built on the western side of McIntire Park. Hear how the new YMCA will offer a wide variety of programs and services to youth and families in our community, regardless of ability to pay; there will be a particular emphasis on afterschool and summer activities for students at Charlottesville High School next door. Also, we spend a couple of minutes debunking some of the unfortunate myths that have arisen about the Y, like the allegations that the Y will displace softball from McIntire, Little League from McIntire, the Dogwood Carnival from McIntire, the 4th of July Fireworks from McIntire, picnic shelters from McIntire, etc., or that the YMCA is a religious organization that discriminates against non-Christians, or that a new 1-acre family recreational center will somehow "destroy" a 130-acre park. Click here to view the show:

http://charlottesville.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=184

Cville City Schools Recognized for Leadership in Energy Efficiency

2009-08-19T21:07:00.010-04:00

This has been a busy summer for Charlottesville's clean energy efforts. Following on the visit by Gov. Kaine to unveil SmartGrid Charlottesville on June 16, the visit by President Obama's top environmental advisors to highlight our new clean energy financing program on June 23, the announcement of a highly-competitive $500,000 grant from the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance for our new Local Energy Alliance Program on July 20, and the positive plug in this morning's Wall Street Journal, this afternoon brought yet more exciting news: five of our City schools (Johnson, Jackson-Via, Venable, Clark, and Burnley-Moran) have received the prestigious "ENERGY STAR" designation from the Environmental Protection Agency in recognition of their superior efforts to reduce energy consumption. These are the first schools in our region to qualify for this honor. Thanks and congratulations go to the many City and School staff who made this day possible, particularly Lance Stewart with Public Works and Assistant Superintendent Jim Henderson of the City Schools.

From the press release:

Energy conservation efforts initiated at Charlottesville's schools have included utility tracking and monthly analysis of all school facilities; upgrading to energy-saving lighting fixtures and low wattage lighting; installing occupancy sensors; re-commissioning and upgrading less energy efficient HVAC system equipment; utilization of building automation for lighting and HVAC systems (including after-hours set-back operations on all building temperature controls); and installation of low-flow and automatic flush valves.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awards the ENERGY STAR, the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection, to signify that a building’s energy performance rates in the top 25 percent of facilities nationwide. Commercial buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR use an average of 40 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

EPA’s national energy performance rating system provides a 1-100 scale that helps organizations assess how efficiently their buildings use energy relative to similar buildings nationwide. A building that scores a rating of 75 or higher is eligible for the ENERGY STAR. The scoring system not only accounts for energy use and size, but also the building’s usage, the number of people in it, type of equipment, and hours of operation.

ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. For more information about ENERGY STAR visit www.energystar.gov.

(L-R) Johnson Principal Vernon Bock, Assistant Superintendent Jim Henderson, and Lance Stewart of Public Works unveil the new "ENERGY STAR" plaque at Johnson Elementary

Cville Cited in Today's Wall Street Journal as a Pioneer in Clean Energy Financing

2009-08-19T07:43:00.005-04:00

Always nice to get mentioned by the national media in the same breath as other localities who are leading the way in promoting clean energy for local residents....

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125064722656442071.html

Responses to Sierra Club Candidate Survey

2009-08-09T17:09:00.004-04:00

The general election for City Council is about to shift into higher gear (election day is Nov. 3, with myself and Kristin Szakos on the Democratic ticket), and to that end I share with you my responses to a recent Sierra Club candidate survey on environmental issues -- a policy arena that is obviously near and dear to me, both as a citizen and as an elected official. I encourage you to read Kristin's excellent responses as well: http://kristinforcouncil.blogspot.com/2009/07/sierra-club-questionnaire-response.html

What is your position on the preservation of McIntire Park in its entirety?

I am a strong supporter of our City’s parks and recreation program, and have championed a number of initiatives to expand and enhance parkland/green space in our community and improve recreational opportunities for our families.

McIntire Park, as our City’s largest park, should be the crown jewel of our park system. Instead it has suffered from a failure of imagination and as a result, only a tiny percentage of our population ever sets foot in McIntire Park on a regular basis. The eastern half of the park is reserved almost exclusively for golfers, who are several hundreds in number (out of a combined City-County population of 130,000+). The western half of the park is primarily used by softball and baseball players, most of whom don’t live in the City. While the picnic pavilions, wading pool, Dogwood Carnival, 4th of July fireworks, Dogwood Memorial, etc., do draw occasional visits from local residents, McIntire Park is by and large underused and underappreciated. That is the main reason why there hasn’t been more of an outcry about the plan to pave a major road right through the eastern half of the park. If more local residents had a firsthand appreciation of McIntire Park, if more local residents had a vested personal interest in saving McIntire Park, we would not even think about building the Meadowcreek Parkway. We need to open McIntire Park to the community. In particular, we need to provide opportunities for more CITY residents (especially residents from disadvantaged communities, who have historically felt excluded from the park) to use and enjoy the park as a resource for family recreation, youth enrichment, community-building and appreciation of nature. When I consider any proposed change to McIntire Park -- or any City park, for that matter -- I ask myself if the change will advance these four goals, and do so in a cost-effective manner. I do not believe in rigid adherence to the status quo for McIntire Park, because the status quo has not served the best interests of either the park or our community.

Do you support construction of the parkway in McIntire Park?

No. I have long opposed the Meadowcreek Parkway and have repeatedly voted against it while on Council. I do not believe the Parkway advances the goals I spelled out above for use of park space; furthermore, the Parkway is going to produce an unacceptable level of vehicular congestion in downtown Charlottesville from County cut-through traffic, just as we are trying to make downtown more pedestrian-friendly. If we are going to build more roads in this region, they should be roads designed to carry traffic around our residential neighborhoods and not directly through them.

What is your position on the proposed YMCA in McIntire Park?

I strongly support the YMCA in McIntire Park, not only because it does advance the goals I mentioned above for use of park space, but it also (more importantly) will be an invaluable resource for students at the Charlottesville High School next door. We have a serious need for positive recreational, enrichment and employment opportunities for teens in this community, and locating the YMCA adjacent to our High School (just as the new Boys & Girls Club is located adjacent to our Middle School) will be a big step forward in meeting these needs and countering the negative influences that are otherwise available to our young people out on the streets. Those who argue that an indoor recreation facility will “destroy” McIntire Park, and use patently false claims and divisive rhetoric to back up their assertions, ignore the fact that we already have two other parks with indoor recreation facilities in them (Washington and Tonsler), neither of which has hardly been “destroyed” by those facilities – even though both of those indoor facilities have a much larger relative footprint in their parks than the Y will have in McIntire. Finally, I support the YMCA because it will save the taxpayers of Charlottesville tens of millions of dollars vs. us building and managing our own second indoor aquatic and recreational facility, and thousands of lower-income City residents will be offered free memberships in the Y. Having said all of that, it is essential that the YMCA be well-designed and that any new parking be kept to a minimum, and that public transportation be extended to McIntire Park to reduce the need for parking and make sure all members of our community can enjoy the YMCA and the park.

What would you do to encourage alternative transportation and to improve pedestrian and bicycling safety?

Since I have been on City Council we have added Sunday bus service, expanded bus routes, increased frequency of service to certain neighborhoods, incorporated new real-time technology, and made other improvements to our transit system. Due in large part to these changes, transit ridership has risen dramatically, from approx. 1.5 million trips in 2006 to 2 million trips in 2008. We are now working with our regional partners (Albemarle County, UVa, JAUNT, etc.) to explore establishment of a Regional Transit Authority, which has the potential to significantly expand funding for public transportation and thereby increase ridership even further. I believe a trunk-and-feeder bus system, with a highly-visible, fast, frequent, fare-free “trunk line” connecting our major residential/commercial/employment centers (29 North, UVa, West Main/Downtown, Pantops), combined with a better park-and-ride system and smaller buses running frequent routes into our neighborhoods and feeding into the trunk line, could take transit ridership to an even higher level in our community. As for pedestrian and bicycling safety, I am proud of the fact that City Council allocated $750,000 this past year to new pedestrian safety improvements and created a Pedestrian Safety Committee to identify opportunities for making our City safer for those who are trying to get around on foot, on a bike, in a wheelchair, etc. In recent years we have also increased investment in sidewalks, bicycle trails, and other bike/ped amenities, in part by re-directing surplus funds from our road-paving budget to these kinds of uses. There are more improvements yet to be made (for example, I would like to see us expand our network of dedicated, off-road bike/ped trails), but we are at least moving in the right direction.

The City of Charlottesville has sought to promote marketing of locally produced foods. Are there any steps you believe the City should take to support local production and sale of healthful foods.

The City Market and Farmers in the Park have both been very successful, but both have been operating with a perpetual cloud of uncertainty over their heads with regard to their long-term future. That uncertainty needs to end. We need to secure a permanent home for the City Market at a site that will allow the Market to grow and thrive. We need to figure out a better way to manage/site Farmers in the Park so that it doesn’t have the look and feel of an afterthought. We need to broaden the consumer base for our markets by allowing low-income residents to use EBT cards at the markets; we’re currently exploring a pilot program along those lines. We need to encourage community gardening in more neighborhoods and thereby encourage more of our residents to get involved in growing their own food. I myself have been heavily involved in the effort to transform the old First Christian Church building downtown into a community resource center for the homeless, hungry and disadvantaged; one component of that project will be a community kitchen (“Kay’s Kitchen”) that will support production and distribution of local foods. I am eager to hear other ideas as to how the City can support the burgeoning local-foods movement.

Do you believe the City Council should support the determination of an optimum sustainable population size, such as the one proposed by Advocates for a Sustainable Albemarle Population, and use this information for future planning?

I supported the funding for this study and am pleased that it’s now in progress. I believe ASAP’s effort has been mischaracterized as an effort to create an arbitrary, legally-enforceable cap on population that we cannot grow beyond. Instead, I see it as an effort to better understand the optimum “carrying capacity” of our region’s natural resources, with an eye to understanding how our use of these resources – the choices we make regarding our built environment, our patterns of living and moving and using energy, etc. – impact the quality of life for ourselves and future generations. Decisions regarding growth need to be informed by a thorough understand of how that growth will affect the manner of living to which we’ve become accustomed.

The City of Charlottesville is surrounded by Albemarle County and the environments of the two localities are intertwined. Is there any any environmental issue in which you believe additional City-County cooperation should be sought?

The issue of climate change is one that lends itself naturally to greater collaboration between regional partners; carbon emissions know no jurisdictional boundaries, and we can do more to curb them by working together than by acting separately. I am pleased that the City and County have taken the first steps toward creation of a joint Regional Climate Action Plan, which will hopefully lead to closer cooperation between City and County on a range of emissions-reduction strategies (promotion of green building, energy and water conservation, renewable energy, alternative transportation, preservation of green space, recycling/waste reduction, etc.). This effort will build on the Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) which the City and County recently unveiled, an initiative which is putting our region in the forefront both statewide and nationally as a clean energy pioneer. I was very pleased that the City of Charlottesville was named the “Greenest City in Virginia” last year for our size, and we should pursue every opportunity to scale up our environmental sustainability efforts for wider beneficial impact.

Would you support reconsidering the Community Water Supply Plan if the dredging study shows restorative dredging is economically and environmentally feasible?

Yes. I have insisted that the City and County revisit certain assumptions underlying the Community Water Supply Plan, one of which is that dredging is prohibitively costly and unfeasible. We are now conducting a feasibility study to see whether this particular assumption holds water (pardon the pun). If dredging is determined to be economically and environmentally feasible, if we can safely assume that there will be more than a 5% decrease in per-capita water consumption over the next 50 years (which I believe there will be), and if enlarging the size of the pipeline between the South Fork and Ragged Mountain reservoirs will lower the necessary storage capacity of Ragged Mountain, then my hope is that we can avoid building a large new dam at Ragged Mountain and instead simply repair and enlarge the existing dam. This approach would conceivably save the taxpayers/ratepayers a significant amount of money and result in much less environmental destruction.

Will you work to increase parkland acquisition in the City?

Not only will I work to increase parkland acquisition in the City, but I already have. For the first time in memory, this year’s City budget includes funding for parkland acquisition, and we’re about to announce a major gift of parkland from a local developer. I have been working with City staff to identify and prioritize parkland/green space acquisition opportunities and we will be pursuing a variety of strategies (purchase, donation, easement, etc.) to secure as many of these parcels as possible in the coming years. I am not opposed to creative, urban-infill, pedestrian- and transit-oriented development in the City, which I would much rather see than continued suburban sprawl in the County. However, if we are going to adhere to our goal of substantially increasing our tree canopy and enhancing our status as a “Green City,” we cannot stand by and let all of our green space be chewed up by development. We have to be proactive in adding to our inventory of parkland/green space and instituting policies and incentives for private sector efforts to protect and enhance green space as well.

2009 Design Marathon Deadline is This Friday!

2009-07-29T23:22:00.005-04:00

from Alloy Workshop & the Charlottesville Community Design Center -- great to see they're doing this cool event again this year -- note the deadline for participants is THIS FRIDAY:

CALL FOR 2009 DESIGN MARATHON APPLICATIONS

The Design Marathon is an annual event created as a partnership between Alloy Workshop and the Charlottesville Community Design Center, to bring together professional graphic designers, architects, landscape architects and students to donate 12 hours of design services to ten local nonprofits. The Second Annual Design Marathon will take place at the Charlottesville Community Design Center (CCDC) on October 2nd from 10am-10pm.

"It's about design, community and education," said Serena Gruia, Creative Director of Alloy Workshop. She initiated the Design Marathon in 2008 "to provide a much-needed service to deserving organizations, foster a local community of professional and student designers and promote design as a component vital to the strategic success of an idea/mission."

Participation in the Second Annual Design Marathon is open to area non-profits, design professionals, and students pursuing a design-related degree. Last year’s projects ranged from logo redesigns to advertising campaigns to designing a low-cost playground. The application deadline for designers and non-profits is July 31st. Winners will be publicly announced on September 1st. Applications are available online at http://designmarathon.wordpress.com/ or can be picked up in person at the Charlottesville Community Design Center (located at 100 5th St. NE), the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, or the Charlottesville Chamber of Commerce.

For more information please contact Mandy Burbage at 434-984-2232 or info@cvilledesign.org or visit http://designmarathon.wordpress.com/.

Rally w/Creigh Deeds this Sunday on the Downtown Mall

2009-07-29T23:07:00.005-04:00

Creigh Deeds is appearing in Charlottesville this Sunday, Aug. 2, at 4pm at Central Place on the Downtown Mall to kick off an 8-day campaign swing. Come down and show your support for our next Governor! www.deedsforvirginia.com

Tomorrow -- Taste of Ghana

2009-07-22T21:01:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow (Thurs., July 23) at 6pm is the annual "Taste of Ghana" celebration at Burley Middle School on Rose Hill Dr. This year's festivities will kick off with a report-out by members of the Charlottesville delegation (including myself) who recently visited Ghana to explore development of exchanges (youth, academic, cultural, business, civic, etc.) with our potential new Sister City, Winneba. Tomorrow will also feature the debut of youth filmmaker Quintin Franklyn's travelogue documentary about that journey. All of this will be followed by a feast of delicious Ghanaian foods. Come join us!

Cookout for Healthcare with Cindy Sheehan--Saturday, July 18, 12:00pm

2009-07-16T14:24:00.008-04:00

from AfterDowningStreet.org:

"Cindy Sheehan, one of the best known peace and justice activists in the United States, will be joined by other speakers in support of public healthcare at a cookout open to the public and the media. Please join Cindy for lunch at noon on Saturday, July, 18, 2009, rain or shine, at 707 Gillespie Ave, Charlottesville, VA, 22902. Cindy will talk about her new book and the need for an expanded public healthcare system.

RSVP: http://afterdowningstreet.org/cindyevent

Also at noon on Saturday, elsewhere in Charlottesville, others have announced plans to hold an anti-healthcare rally that they misleadingly call a rally for "Patients First." Participants include Kay Coles James, the disgraced director of the United States Office of Personnel Management known for hiring unqualified government employees based on their attendance of a fourth-rate, right-wing university; Del. Ben Cline, whose opinions are paid for by his campaign funders, including Medical Facilities of America, US Tobacco, Va. Hospital & Healthcare Assn., Medco Health Solutions, and Va. Independent Insurance Agents; Tito Munoz, a small business owner who helped John McCain lose Virginia; former city councilman and aspiring Rush Limbaugh, Rob Schilling; and Ben Marchi, a former employee of ethically reprimanded and indicted congressman Tom Delay.

Marchi says: "Health care legislation being pushed by the liberals in Congress will threaten the sacred relationship between doctor and patient and strip away patients' rights to choose a plan that best suits them."

Yet, Americans consistently tell pollsters that they want public health coverage: http://tr.im/sENL

Other nations that have public health coverage (government spending on private or public healthcare) provide their people with better care. The U.S. system is ranked 37th by the World Health Organization. The United States is 24th in life expectancy and 29th in reducing infant mortality. Infants who do not survive the US system do not get a chance to possess patients' rights.

A single-payer system, which would go further than the compromise that has Marchi so upset, would cover everyone at all times with no exceptions, allow completely free choice of doctors, invest in preventive care, allow patients and doctors to make their own decisions free of insurance company restrictions, reduce the 30 percent waste in the current system to the 3 percent overhead in Medicare, and create a net gain of 2.6 million jobs, $317 billion in business revenue, and $100 billion in wages. See: http://tr.im/sETE

House Resolution 676, backed by 86 congress members, would accomplish these things and meet every one of Congressman Tom Perriello's goals for healthcare as listed on his website: http://tr.im/sEUO

Cindy Sheehan said: "Health care is a basic human right and the only way to get obscene profits out of the way of patient health is single-payer, as many nations around the world do. We challenge both Democrats and Republicans to put people before insurance companies, big-pharma, and HMO's."

Summaries of this issue:
http://charlottesvillepeace.org/node/1939
http://charlottesvillepeace.org/node/1854

Video of recent forum in Charlottesville:
http://charlottesvillepeace.org/node/1882

Join us at noon on Saturday, July 18, 2009, at 707 Gillespie Ave, Charlottesville, Va. Kids are welcome! There is no charge, but it is appreciated if you bring something to eat or drink. Please go to this page and post a comment that you are coming and how many are coming with you. And if you are able to bring something to eat or drink and know what it will be, please post that: http://afterdowningstreet.org/cindyevent"

Congressman Perriello Wows 'Em on "Morning Joe"

2009-07-15T16:57:00.004-04:00

Tom Perriello consistently impresses. See for yourself, from MSNBC yesterday:

We need to make sure Tom gets re-elected to Congress next year so he can continue to provide energetic leadership for the 5th District. Please give what you can by clicking here.

Sacajawea Ceremony

2009-06-25T08:06:00.004-04:00

I was honored to participate in a very moving ceremony last week to recognize Sacajawea for her courage and resourcefulness as a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The event, and the subsequent panel discussion, raised some good and pointed questions about the way in which the roles and contributions of Native Americans and women are all too often minimized in our telling of history. The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities has a beautiful slideshow of the ceremony here: http://www.virginiafoundation.org/photoalbums/sacajawea/

Great Enviro Event in Cville Yesterday

2009-06-24T00:30:00.005-04:00

Brian McNeill of the Daily Progress has an excellent recap of yesterday's visit to Charlottesville by President Obama's top environmental advisors, organized by Rep. Tom Perriello. (And thanks to Eileen @ Blue Commonwealth for pointing out Creigh Deeds' role in the whole affair.)

Below: Van Jones, Obama's Green Jobs Czar, poses with myself and Teri Kent of Better World Betty

President's Top Environmental Advisors Holding Media Event in Charlottesville Tomorrow to Tout Cville's Clean Energy Financing Program

2009-06-22T18:16:00.006-04:00

from the office of Rep. Tom Perriello:

Obama Administration Officials to Join Rep. Perriello in Showcasing Charlottesville Energy Efficiency Program

Charlottesville, VA—As part of his efforts to make the 5th District a national model for the clean energy economy, Congressman Tom Perriello will be joined by Nancy Sutley and Van Jones of the White House Council on Environmental Quality in Charlottesville on Tuesday to demonstrate the development of an innovative revolving loan program for energy efficiency upgrades.

Through the program, which is in development, the City of Charlottesville and County of Albemarle would be able to lend funds from federal and other grant sources to area residents to make their homes more energy efficient. The loans would be paid back from the energy savings that are generated by the efficiency upgrades. The federal funds would also be used to train area workers in retrofitting and energy efficiency upgrading at the local community college. Those newly skilled workers can seek employment with the local companies participating in the program. Through this innovative program, Charlottesville and Albemarle are trying to unleash the potential of clean energy jobs by not just training people for them, but by helping to create a market that will employ those who have been trained.

The White House Council on Environmental Quality coordinates federal environmental efforts and works closely with agencies and other White House offices in the development of environmental policies and initiatives. Nancy Sutley, the Council's Chair, serves as the principal environmental policy adviser to the President. Van Jones, Special Advisor for Green Jobs at the Council, is the founder of Green For All, a national organization that promotes an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty, and the author of the 2008 New York Times best-seller, The Green Collar Economy.

WHEN:
Tuesday, June 23, at 11 a.m.

WHERE:
Home of Ms. Ingrid Feggans (resident whose home will be weatherized through program), 503 Brown Street, Charlottesville, VA

WHO:
Congressman Tom Perriello (VA-5th)
Nancy Sutley, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality
Van Jones, Special Advisor for Green Jobs, White House Council on Environmental Quality
Mayor Dave Norris, City of Charlottesville
David Slutzky, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Albemarle County
Bill Shelton, Director of Virginia's Department of Housing and Community Development
Area resident whose home will be weatherized
Area resident to be trained in weatherization job

###

With Governor Kaine for the Debut of SmartGrid Charlottesville

2009-06-22T02:54:00.009-04:00

June 16, 2009: Governor Tim Kaine and other VIPs announce that Charlottesville will be the first locality in Virginia, and one of the first in the nation, to install Smart Grid energy-saving technology.

Barnie Day Predicts Deeds Victory in November

2009-06-10T23:09:00.001-04:00

What a party last night at the Charlottesville Omni! The eyes of the Commonwealth (and beyond) were on Charlottesville as Creigh Deeds celebrated his stunning victory here in the Democratic primary for Governor. Congratulations to Creigh and to Jody Wagner for their convincing wins yesterday. It's great to see the party now lining up behind them as the Deeds/Wagner/Shannon ticket prepares for a tough race this fall. (In Charlottesville, of course, that's the Deeds/Wagner/Shannon/Toscano/Norris/Szakos/Brown/Brown/Chapman/Richards ticket. Damn, that's going to make for a looooooong bumper sticker.)

There's been a lot of commentary over the last 24 hours about How Deeds Won, How the Other Candidates Lost, What Deeds' Victory Means, etc., etc., but now's the time to start looking forward. To that end, I recommend this analysis by former Delegate Barnie Day: http://virginiatomorrow.com/2009/06/10/barnie-day-assessing-deeds-v-mcdonnell/ While we absolutely cannot take anything for granted, I think Day hits the nail on the head when it comes to the dynamics of this race and I agree with him that Creigh's in very good shape to win it on November 3. Go Creigh!

Deeds, Wagner on Tuesday

2009-06-08T00:15:00.007-04:00

I have had many people ask me in the last week who I'm supporting for Governor and Lieutenant Governor in the Democratic primary tomorrow. While I don't necessarily believe that endorsements from local elected officials (unlike, say, from the Washington Post) make a huge difference in such contests, I have gone on record as endorsing Creigh Deeds for Governor and Jody Wagner for Lieutenant Governor as I believe they would be our strongest ticket going into the November general election -- and just as importantly, the pair most likely to Get Things Done down in Richmond.

I may not agree with either of them on 100% of the issues, but they are both progressives in the sense of willing to fight for the interests of working Virginians, for increased investments in clean energy, for improvements to public and higher education, for civil rights and civil liberties, etc., and they both have successful track records of pushing for positive change on the state level. I have had the good fortune of getting to know both Creigh and Jody personally and they both strike me as authentic, sincere, well-informed and aptly-experienced. When you throw in the Democratic candidate for Attorney General, Steve Shannon, you have a ticket that well-represents the state as a whole (Creigh from Southwest/Central Virginia, Jody from Hampton Roads, Steve from Northern Virginia) and would elect the first woman to the office of Lieutenant Governor in Virginia history. That distinction should have belonged to Emily Couric, but Jody is a good second choice.

None of this is to take anything away from any of the other candidates who are on the ballot on Tuesday, at least two of whom I like and have a great deal of respect for. Turnout tomorrow is expected to be abysmal, so whomever you support, get out and vote because your vote will carry even more weight than normal. As for me, when I go into that voting booth tomorrow, I will be "pulling the lever" for Deeds and Wagner and I encourage you to consider doing the same.

Creigh Deeds for Governor: www.deedsforvirginia.com
Jody Wagner for Lieutenant Governor: www.jodyforva.com

p.s. For what it's worth, this fall I will be sharing a ballot and a coordinated campaign with whoever wins tomorrow, so I do admit to having slightly more of a vested interest in the outcome than the average voter. :-)

Election-Eve Rally with Creigh Deeds

2009-06-02T11:59:00.003-04:00

Cynthia Neff for Delegate

2009-05-31T12:34:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I attended a meet-and-greet for Cynthia Neff, candidate for the 58th District seat (Greene County and parts of Albemarle, Fluvanna and Orange) in the Virginia House of Delegates. I was very impressed. Not only did Cynthia demonstrate a keen understanding of how the General Assembly has dropped the ball on issues like transportation, energy, education and the environment, she was also unafraid to call out the bigotry and small-mindedness that has prevailed in Richmond on matters of equality and non-discrimination for all our citizens. Cynthia is running against a well-funded incumbent, but it's a swing district and she has the vim and the vigor to win this thing in November. Please lend her your support -- www.cynthianeff.com. Go Cynthia!

How Should Our City Schools Be Configured?

2009-05-26T02:19:00.006-04:00

Tonight (Tues., May 26), the Charlottesville City School system is hosting a Community Engagement Workshop to get feedback from the public on what changes, if any, should be made to the way our City schools are configured. (For more info.: http://www.ccs.k12.va.us/community/CommunityEngagementPage.html) The workshop will be held at Charlottesville High School from 6-9pm. Here are the options under consideration:

Option 1: Leave City school division as is: 6 elementary schools (K-4), 1 upper elementary (5-6), 1 middle school (7-8), 1 high school (9-12)

Option 2: Close 1 elementary school

Option 3: 6 elementary schools (K-5), 2 middle schools (6-8), 1 high school (9-12)

Option 4: 6 elementary schools (K-5), 1 middle school (6-8), 1 high school (9-12)

Option 5: Other reconfiguration possibilities?

I commend the School Board and the School Administration for initiating this important public dialogue. Speaking as the parent of two City schoolchildren, and not necessarily as Mayor, I'll put in my two cents for Option 3. I think it makes a lot of sense to put 5th graders in the elementary schools and have fewer, and more gradual, transitions from there. As it is now, our kids leave their small neighborhood elementary schools and are immediately plunged into a city-wide upper elementary school for two years before going to a city-wide middle school for two years and then on to the city-wide high school. In case you lost track, that means a child attends 4 different schools in 6 years! Why not get rid of the "upper elementary" school concept altogether and instead have two smaller middle schools (6th-8th grades) before students enter the city-wide high school. That makes for an easier transition, and also hopefully allows for more individualized attention at the middle school level, where much of the research tells us that "at-risk" kids start to seriously fall behind.

The main argument that's usually raised against having two middle schools is that we tried that before in Charlottesville, and the school boundaries were drawn in a way that brought more upper-income/white kids to one middle school and more lower-income/African-American kids to the other, leading to a separate and inequal educational environment. Rather than throw in the towel on a more personalized middle school experience and a more gradual 5th-to-9th-grade transition for our schoolchildren, however, why not just do a better and more equitable job of drawing the boundaries so that the two middle schools serve an equally diverse population?

If you have any thoughts you'd like to share on this subject, feel free to attend tonight's workshop or contact the School Board at SchoolBoard@ccs.k12.va.us.

Best Veg Eats in Cville?

2009-05-25T23:23:00.000-04:00

Voices for Animals, which organizes the annual Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival, is soliciting nominations for the "Best Vegetarian Meal in Central Virginia." From their May 2009 e-newsletter:

Share your insider knowledge and let others know where they can find an awesome veg meal -- in Charlottesville and surrounding areas -- whether it's a favorite sandwich and smoothie or qualifies as haute cuisine. Email info@voicesforanimals.org with the name of the restaurant and the dish that keeps you going back. We'll report the results in the June e-newsletter. Yum!

Have a favorite dish that you'd like to nominate? Or, do you work at a restaurant that features some particularly tasty veg options and want to brag on them? Send 'em in!

"Postcards from Charlottesville," Show #16

2009-05-24T17:15:00.003-04:00

Since I am leaving my current position as Executive Director of PACEM at the end of June in order to pursue a new professional opportunity (TBD), I thought I'd dedicate the latest episode of my public access TV show to a retrospective on PACEM, its founding, its operations, the impact that it's made on the community, etc. Joining me in-studio is Adriana Nicholson, who was one of the founding Board members of PACEM and currently serves as PACEM's Director of Community and Volunteer Resources. Click here to view the show:

http://charlottesville.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=162

General Assembly Appointment

2009-05-18T09:09:00.003-04:00

Since Charlottesville was one of the main battlegrounds in the "Massive Resistance" campaign against school desegregation back in the late 1950s, it is only fitting that we be represented on a new General Assembly subcommittee that's been formed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the school-integration struggle. Last week I received a letter on behalf of State Senator Henry Marsh and State Delegate Rosalyn Dance appointing me to the "Special Subcommittee on the Fiftieth Anniversary of Public School Closings in Virginia," which will kick off with an organizational meeting in June. I am looking forward to participating on this subcommittee, not only because it will give me a chance to immerse myself into the history of the Massive Resistance movement both locally and statewide, but moreso as an opportunity to explore how race continues to play a role in our schools today and what more we can be doing to ensure that children of all races are equally well-served by our public education system.

The Day After

2009-05-10T22:09:00.008-04:00

Yesterday was a big day for the Charlottesville Democratic Party -- the first time the party used a Firehouse Primary to choose its nominees for City Council (and Sheriff). Over 1,600 residents participated, meaning we had many more voters taking part in selecting our nominess than in the past; prior nominating conventions typically attracted 400-600 voters. We even had more voters yesterday than the 2006 U.S. Senate primary between Jim Webb and Harris Miller, when 1,554 Charlottesville residents cast their vote. I was at the polls for almost the entire day and it was great to see a steady stream of voters and friendly faces all day long.

The final vote tally for the Council race was as follows:

Dave Norris -- 80.49%
Kristin Szakos -- 61.13%
Julian Taliaferro -- 43.32%

As always, excellent coverage of the day's proceedings was provided by Charlottesville Tomorrow: http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2009/05/norris_szakos2.html

I'm still wiped out by the day's events (OK, and the revelry afterwards) but did want to offer a few quick thoughts.

* First and foremost, thank you to the voters, to the people of Charlottesville, for your confidence and support. As I've said all along, I don't expect everyone to agree with me on each and every issue that comes before Council, but I do hope people see that I've worked hard to get the City moving in the right direction on a number of important fronts. I look forward to making yesterday's endorsement "official" on election day, November 3. (By the way, we need to change the date of these nominating primaries. It's ridiculous to have a 6-month general election season for City Council races. The United Kingdom has been known to pull off nationwide Parliamentary elections in less than 6 WEEKS.)

* Many thanks to the folks who worked on my campaign team, particularly my campaign manager, Becky Reid (a genial genius of a strategist & organizer who walks on water and makes a killer eggplant sauce) and my communications director, Tad Abbey (who somehow juggled his campaign duties with getting married and landing a new DJ gig on WNRN -- congrats Tad!). Everyone who contributed time, money, moral support and/or advice to my campaign deserves my unending gratitude.

* Congratulations to Kristin Szakos and James Brown III for running great campaigns and coming out ahead yesterday, and best wishes to Phillip Brown, Mike Baird and, of course, Vice Mayor Julian Taliaferro, all of whom ran good races and deserve heaps of praise for their service to our community.

* Bottom line is: it was a great day for democracy, and a great day for Democrats, in Charlottesville. And now, on to November 3!

Below: James Brown and Kristin Szakos at the polls; me and Becky Reid at the after-party at Rapture.

Glimpses of Winneba

2009-05-07T23:18:00.025-04:00

I'll share some thoughts and reflections about our trip to Ghana soon (my head is still spinning from sensory overload and I've got an election on Saturday to focus on). For now, here are a few "slice of life" snapshots from our journey. More later...

Africa-Bound

2009-04-26T11:11:00.003-04:00

Heading to the airport in a couple of hours to hop on a plane to Amsterdam, and flying from there to Accra, Ghana. Will be in Ghana for a week with a privately-funded, seven-member community delegation from Charlottesville to explore development of exchanges (youth exchanges, academic exchanges, cultural/arts exchanges, business exchanges, etc.) between Charlottesville and the university community of Winneba. Couldn't be more excited, both for me personally (my first trip to Africa) and for the people of Charlottesville and Winneba, who as a result of this trip will hopefully enjoy many opportunities for cross-cultural collaboration and travel in the years to come.

Among others, we'll be meeting this week with city leaders, traditional/tribal leaders, business leaders, university leaders, Winneba's Member of Parliament, the U.S. Ambassador to Ghana (a UVa alum), and the leadership of the Africa Global Sister Cities Foundation, which is based in Accra and just this past week received a $7.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help 25 U.S. cities to develop community-improvement partnerships with municipalities in Africa (fortuitous timing, anyone?). We'll also visit a number of historical sites and natural landmarks and partake in one of Ghana's largest annual cultural festivals, which takes place next weekend in Winneba.

I'm not sure which is going to require more of an adjustment, being in Africa for the first time in my life or not having regular access to phone calls or e-mails for the next week. Both, I suspect, will be equally enjoyable. :-) See you when I return.

Earth Day Greetings & News

2009-04-22T17:21:00.005-04:00

Earth Day is a great holiday and here in Charlottesville we are so enamored with it, we celebrate it for a whole week. Over the past week or so there have been a number of major announcements and events with Earth Day/Earth Week in mind, capped off by an amazing Eco Fair on Saturday. There's so much going on, some things may have flown under your radar screen.

* In case you didn't hear, for example, last Thursday the City joined with Better World Betty and a number of local businesses to kick off a Reusable Bag Campaign, whereby we're going to distribute thousands of reusable shopping bags (to cut down on use of disposable plastic bags that are clogging our streams, polluting our parks and neighborhoods, and increasing our dependence on fossil fuels). A growing list of local businesses have agreed to provide rebates of at least a nickel a bag for shoppers who bring their own reusable bags. For more info.: http://cvillebettyblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/charlottesvilles-reusable-bag-campaign.html

* Today, the City announced a new initiative called "Sundays in the Park," to enable and encourage local residents to enjoy the scenic beauty of the eastern side of McIntire Park (which is typically off-limits to non-golfers) on the last Sunday of each month, from noon til dusk starting this Sunday, April 26, and running through November.

* And last Tuesday, as part of my re-election campaign, I unveiled a series of proposals for increasing Green Space in our City -- see http://votefordave.org/id33.html

For more local eco-news, keep tabs on Betty World Betty's blog at http://www.cvillebettyblog.blogspot.com/ or C-Ville Weekly's "Green Scene" blog at http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=1990309083055403&act=blog.

And Happy Earth Day to you and yours!

UPDATE: Oops, almost forgot -- another big piece of news from this past week that hasn't received much attention is that City Council agreed on Monday to a permanent 50% reduction of building permit fees for construction projects that include green roofs.

Bumper Stickers Are In -- Get Yours Now!

2009-04-09T14:42:00.005-04:00

If you are willing to display one of these lovelies for all the world to see, please contact Becky Reid (beckydreid@gmail.com) with your mailing address and she'll put one in the mail to you right away. (And if you need multiples, she'll send multiples!) Or, you can pick one up from my table at the City Market any Saturday between now and May 9. Thanks!

Father of the Virginia Constitution Eviscerates the Proposed Meadowcreek Parkway

2009-04-05T15:20:00.008-04:00

I received the following e-mail today from A.E. Dick Howard, Charlottesville resident, White Burkett Miller Professor of Law and Public Affairs at UVa, and oft-described "Father of the Virginia Constitution." Reprinted with permission, it lays out a crisp and trenchant argument as to why this road is a bad deal for our City. I've tried, but I couldn't have said it better myself.

Dear Dave:

I have lived in downtown Charlottesville (at 627 Park Street) since 1965. I was among a generation of local people who, believing in the prospects for and future of downtown Charlottesville, resolved to work for the revival of this part of the city at a time when many people had little hope for its future. Intervening years have justified my vision. Downtown Charlottesville has become, in the intervening years, a genuine community-- family friendly, highly livable, a place in which local citizens can take pride.

The proposed Meadowcreek Parkway will deal a blow to this revival. Designed to divert traffic from US29, it will drive a stake through the heart of the city. It will benefit county developers and business interests at the expense of those of us who live in the city. Once upon a time, there was a regional transportation plan, in which the county would bear its share of regional traffic needs. That plan is now in tatters. The Western Bypass will not be built. The North Grounds Connector is but a truncated part of what had been proposed. There is no reason to believe that the county will ever build an Eastern Connector (despite the fact that such a large part of traffic on the 250 Bypass goes between Pantops on the east and US29 on the north). What we are left with is the proposed Meadowcreek Parkway -- a plan to solve county traffic problems at the immediate and direct expense of city residents.

Meadowcreek Parkway, if built, will extract a high price from Charlottesville and its citizens, especially those who live downtown.

1. The Parkway will erode the quality of McIntire Park and have a direct impact on historical resources, such as the Rock Hill gardens (which, as Daniel Bluestone has eloquently argued, could be a major local resource). Traffic flowing through the park will turn the pleasurable sylvan and bucolic experience of walkers and others who use the park into something more nearly like being near an expressway.

2. Overall traffic volume through the downtown area will increase.Vast numbers of these cars will be headed, not downtown, but from one part to the county to another. Developers with an interest in projects such as Biscuit Run will be the direct beneficiaries of the parkway. The notion that somehow the parkway is needed for the benefit of the Downtown Mall is nonsensical, as anyone who has watched the Downtown Mall thrive will attest.

3. Traffic from the parkway, arriving at McIntire Road, will spill into side streets, directly impacting the quality of life in downtown Charlottesville. Residential streets will become conduits for cut-through traffic.

4. The increased traffic, especially on McIntire Road, will tend to create blight, beginning with houses on that road (they will become rental properties), and spreading more generally. This will depress property values and the city's tax base.

5. With the parkway's construction, pressure will mount to make the parkway four lanes rather than two. There will be further pressure to add traffic lanes to McIntire Road. This will destroy the recently created Schenck's Branch Park. Then, inevitably, there will bepressure to widen Ridge Street, destroying that historic district. This unhappy step will recall the destruction of Vinegar Hill and the displacement of its citizens -- a lesson which should not be not be repeated at the expense of those who live along Ridge Street. Ultimately, building the parkway will be a major step toward creating a means for traffic to get from US29 on the north to Interstate 64 on the south -- again channeling through traffic into the heart of the city. This is the failed planning of the 1960s, an approach which enlightened cities (such as Portland, Oregon) have rejected.

6. The wedge driven though the heart of Charlottesville will tend to separate the University part of town from downtown, severing the sense of community which many have sought (for example, by improvements on West Main Street) to enhance.

7. All of this is made worse by the proposed US250 interchange. This is an industrial-strength project forced into a constricted residentialand parkland setting. It is no accident that the team being called upon to design the interchange takes pride in having designed the Woodrow Wilson Bridge crossing the Potomac in Northern Virginia. The interchange will reach the height of telephone poles and will project noise across a large residential area. Not many people in Charlottesville would swap their life style for that of Northern Virginia. It is ironic that an interchange better suited for an interstate highway in Manassas would be thrust upon our community.

The injuries being done to our city by the parkway proposal are compounded by the proponents' evasion of state and federal law. There is serious doubt whether the Council's simple majority vote to convey the easement of city land for the project satisfies the requirements of the Constitution of Virginia. It is true that a local judge has refused to grant a preliminary injunction, but that judgment does not reach the merits of the case (judges are typically reluctant to grant a preliminary injunction in cases like this). Even more serious is the manner in which the parkway has been deliberately segmented in a way to avoid federal environmental impact review. Ever since the proposal for a parkway first surfaced, common sense obliges us to understand that this is one project. Yet now we are told that there are severable, free-standing projects, one of which, the so-called McIntire Road Extended, ends in the middle of the park. In truth, there is one project, not more. The only reason to pretend there are segments is to create a fiction -- that a parkway is being built with state funds (thus avoiding federal environmental impact review), separate from the interchange, being built with federal funds. Fictions of this kind are an insult to the intelligence.

During my decades of living in downtown Charlottesville, I have been actively engaged in the affairs of our community. There is no single issue which has aroused my concerns for our city more than that arising from the proposed Meadowcreek Parkway. Countless fellow citizens feel as strongly about this issue as I do.

With best regards,
A. E. Dick Howard

Reelection Update

2009-04-02T00:15:00.005-04:00

Despite the article in this week's C-ville Weekly that already proclaimed me the winner of the May 9 Democratic Primary ("Dems will nominate Dave Norris...and who else?"), I am taking nothing for granted. As I've said on numerous occasions, elections should not be coronations and this one is no different.

To that end, my campaign is continuing to recruit volunteers and we are continuing to seek financial donations to cover our ongoing expenses. To sign up as a volunteer, or to make a contribution to the campaign, please visit http://www.votefordave.org/id11.html.

If you would like to receive our weekly-ish campaign e-newsletter, click here.

If you're on Facebook, consider becoming a "Fan" of the campaign -- see here.

Most importantly...PLEASE GET OUT AND VOTE ON MAY 9! And tell all your friends and coworkers and family members and colleagues to do the same. There will be only one polling place that day: Burley Middle School on Rose Hill Drive, which will be open from 9:00am-7:00pm.

Thanks!
Dave
www.votefordave.org

Mentors DO. Tutors DO.

2009-03-26T15:44:00.008-04:00

Cross-posted from Living United, the blog of the United Way-Thomas Jefferson Area. Living United is running a monthlong blog marathon to encourage people to get involved as mentors or tutors for area kids, leading up to very special Mentoring and Tutoring Information Fair next Monday, March 30, from 3-6pm at the Omni Hotel.

Looking back at all the wonderful mentoring- and tutoring-related posts on Living United from the past few weeks, it’s hard to know what more can be said!

We’ve heard from adults who mentor or tutor about the positive experiences they’ve had with their “mentees” and “tutees.” We’ve heard from children who have mentors or tutors on the many ways they’ve benefited from the time and attention of dedicated adult role models. We’ve heard from mentoring and tutoring program coordinators about the invaluable work that they do in connecting caring adults with kids who need one-on-one help.

I commend them all. And I commend the United Way and the good folks behind the “Mentor. Tutor. Pass it on.” campaign for highlighting the many opportunities available to local residents who want to make a positive & direct impact on the lives of our youth.

One thing I might add to what’s already been said is that mentoring or tutoring does not just make a difference in the life of an individual child, it also makes a difference in the life of our City. We talk a lot in this community about the need to reduce the achievement gap in our schools. We talk a lot about the need to reduce youth violence in our neighborhoods. We talk a lot about steering our kids away from drugs, or gangs, or teen pregnancy, or dropping out of school. We talk a lot.

We talk, but mentors DO. Tutors DO.

Talking about ways to improve the lives of disadvantaged children is helpful; establishing an ongoing, personal relationship of trust and support with a child is actually giving them the tools they need to build a brighter future. They, and our whole City, are the better for it.

"Charlottesville Meets Winneba" Reception this Friday

2009-03-17T10:19:00.004-04:00

from Holly Edwards and Roberta Williamson:

"Charlottesville Meets Winneba" Reception
Friday, March 20, 2009, 7:00-8:30pm
Light House Studio Space, Live Arts Building, 123 E. Water St.

Featuring tasty Ghanaian food and lively Ghanaian music
Honorary Co-Hosts: Roberta Williamson and City Councilor Holly Edwards

Please join us for a very special reception on Friday, March 20, to support the development of cultural, youth and business exchanges between Charlottesville and Winneba, Ghana. From April 26-May 4, 2009, a delegation of Charlottesville residents will be visiting Winneba to explore the possibility for exchange programs between our two university communities. We are very excited about the potential for building strong connections between Charlottesville and Winneba in the years ahead.

Even though the delegation will include officials from City Council and the City Schools (see below), this trip will be funded entirely by private donations. Please come on March 20 and learn more about Winneba and how you can support this effort to build a bridge of friendship between our communities.

We are particularly pleased to note that Quintin Franklyn, a public housing resident and award-winning teen filmmaker from Light House Studio, will be participating in the delegation and recording his journey (including interviews of teens from Winneba) for use in a documentary that he and Light House will produce after our return.

If you cannot attend the reception but are willing to make a tax-deductible financial donation to this cause, please write a check to "Virginia Organizing Project" and mail it to 703 Concord Ave., Charlottesville, VA 22903; be sure to write "Winneba Trip" in the memo line. You can also make a secure on-line donation via http://www.virginia-organizing.org/donation.php#1 -- again, you'll need to designate your contribution to "Winneba Trip."

Thanks much, and we hope to see you on the 20th!

Roberta Williamson
Holly Edwards

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

Membership of Charlottesville’s exploratory delegation to Winneba:

Holly Edwards, City Councilor
Dave Norris, Mayor
Rosa Atkins, Superintendent of Schools
Wiliam Harvey, Vice President for Diversity and Equity, University of Virginia
Danielle Fitz-Hugh, Vice President, Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce
Nana Ghartey, Winneba Native and Current Charlottesville Resident
Pastor Dale Johnson, Way of the Cross Baptist Church
Quintin Franklyn, Light House Studio
Sam Baker, Light House Studio

Charlottesville's Clean Energy Financing Bill Makes the New York Times (Well, Sorta)

2009-03-16T10:06:00.007-04:00

On Saturday, the New York Times ran an article (see here) highlighting the benefits of, and the growing interest in, municipal-level financing programs for clean energy improvements. I was pleased that they noted, in an aside, that Virginia has now joined a half-dozen other states in pursuing authorizing legislation for such programs -- which, of course, came about thanks to Charlottesville's own SB1212.

One point of interest: the Times article quotes some skeptics as saying it would be smarter for local governments to use their funds to finance energy-efficiency measures (like replacing windows or insulating attics) before making loans for solar panels. I'm pleased to note that SB1212 is actually a step ahead of some of the initiatives profiled in the article in addressing this very concern. Our bill, which will hopefully be signed into law by the Governor any day now, is broader in scope by allowing for the loans to be used for energy efficiency purposes as well as renewable energy generation, thus giving Virginia localities the flexibility to decide how they wish to use their funds. It's one of the recommendations that our Citizens Committee on Environmental Sustainability made in helping us to craft the proposal, and it made eminent sense.

"Postcards from Charlottesville," Show #15

2009-03-15T15:25:00.002-04:00

How can you go wrong with an organization called the "Building Goodness Foundation"? On this month's episode, Jack Stoner and Connie Jorgensen of BGF join with me to talk about the many worthy projects in which Building Goodness is involved. This Charlottesville-based foundation organizes work teams to do construction projects in disadvantaged communities and is making a big impact locally, in other parts of our country, and internationally as well. Click here to view the show:

http://charlottesville.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=141

Great Event Today at McIntire Park!

2009-03-14T15:44:00.017-04:00

Today at McIntire Park I unveiled a proposal to a create a new path forward for meeting the recreational needs of our citizens, as summarized here and covered here, here, here, here and here. I was very pleased to receive the support of a wide range of groups (including representatives from McIntire Softball, YMCA, the Soccer Organization of Cville-Albemarle, Cville Sports and Social Club, and organizations like Urban Vision and Abundant Life Ministries who serve low-income youth) for my proposal. One thing that all of these folks agree on is that we need more positive opportunities for our youth and families (especially high school-aged kids), and we need to do a better job of making recreational field space available to the community. My proposal would do both.

As I said in today's announcement, for those who would continue to pit groups of citizens against each other, or spread willful mistruths (like the idea that the YMCA was going to displace the softball fields at McIntire Park), or pursue their own selfish interests above all else, I would urge them to follow the example of the individuals who attended my event today. They spoke repeatedly about the need to move beyond the divisiveness and missteps of the past and work together for a solution that meets the indoor and outdoor recreational needs of all our citizens.

When it comes to recreational resources in our area, in other words, we need to stop fighting over ever-narrowing pieces of the same pie. Instead, in the immortal words of George W. Bush, we ought to make the pie higher.

p.s. Speaking of successful events, many thanks to all of my friends and supporters who attended the "Vote for Dave" kick-off party at South Street Brewery on Thursday night! Was great to see so many friendly faces and to be able to sign up so many volunteers for the campaign.

Campaign Kick-Off Party -- You're All Invited!

2009-03-09T23:52:00.003-04:00

From the invite:

"Join us to celebrate the launch of Mayor Dave Norris' campaign for another term on the Charlottesville City Council! Meet Dave, learn about his top priorities for progressive leadership over the next four years and find out how you can get involved the campaign.

Dave Norris for City Council Campaign Party

7-9pm Thursday, March 12 at South Street Brewery

Hosted by: Charlie Armstrong, Emily Dreyfus, Llezelle Dugger, Holly Edwards, Francis Fife, Jane Foster, Holly Hatcher, Joy Johnson, Connie Jorgensen, Peter Kleeman, Cheri Lewis, Art Lichtenberger, Nancy O’Brien, L.F. and Susan Payne, Stu Rifkin

To get involved or donate to the campaign: www.votefordave.org/id11.html"

Ain't Gonna Happen

2009-03-09T23:30:00.002-04:00

This past Saturday, I was about 10 sluggish miles into a hilly 15-mile training run for the Charlottesville Marathon when my body pulled me aside and quietly but firmly informed me that if I intended to finish the run, I was on my own. During the 5-mile walk back up Dick Woods Rd., I had a lot of time to think. And it occurred to me that now is the worst possible time for me to be training for my first marathon. In between serving as Mayor of a small city and running a non-profit organization with 22 staff and starting a job search (yes, I've decided to move on from PACEM this summer, more on that later -- see here for the position announcement) and launching a re-election campaign to City Council and raising two kids and occasionally getting together with friends or going out on dates and trying to keep my house clean & yard in order (a losing battle there, alas), I've come to the unfortunate conclusion that trying to find the time and energy to prepare for a marathon is just not in the cards right now. So please forget what I've said publicly about my intention to run the Charlottesville Marathon this year. I am still going to run the Charlottesville Ten Miler on April 4 and I will do the Charlottesville Half Marathon on April 18 but the full marathon is going to have to wait for another time, when life feels a wee bit less like...well, like running 26.2 miles each and every day.

Who Holds All the Cards Again?

2009-03-09T05:46:00.009-04:00

Last week, in an interview with a reporter talking about the future of the Ragged Mountain and Sourth Fork Rivanna Reservoirs, I made the offhand comment that "I hate to say it, but we hold all the cards here" -- "We" being the City of Charlottesville, which owns the reservoirs in question and must, as a matter of fact, approve any changes to those bodies of water (and their surrounding natural areas) as we work to accommodate our region's long-term water supply needs. I meant that comment as a statement about the disposition of the reservoirs themselves, not as a sweeping reflection on the water supply plan in general, which has many moving parts to it and is under no one body's control. Between the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority, the Albemarle County Service Authority, and various other local, state and federal agencies, no one entity "holds all the cards" when it comes to our water supply future. It's important for all of us (including me) to keep that in mind.