Podcasts about freea

What does building Xbox, NASCAR, The Athletic, Mantle, and ONIT Athlete have in common?Community.This week on Passion to Profession, brought to you by eBay, Brett sits down with ONIT Athlete CEO Evan Parker to unpack one of the most unique career paths in the hobby.Evan shares lessons from building brands inside sports, media, and startups before explaining why college collectibles represent one of the biggest opportunities in the industry.They discuss:• Why content shapes the future of collecting• Lessons from NASCAR that apply to today's hobby• Building Mantle from zero• Why collectors need more than hype• How ONIT is creating cards for athletes traditional manufacturers overlook• Why brand takes years to build and moments to loseIf you're interested in where the hobby is headed and what it takes to build a business that lasts, this conversation is for you.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Most collectors share what they buy.Mike Inouye shares why.In this episode of Passion to Profession, Mike explains how content became one of the biggest drivers behind the growth of Leahi51513. Instead of telling collectors what card to chase, he walks through the research, context, and decision making behind every recommendation.We talk about why trust is earned through transparency, why process beats predictions, and why the hobby needs more independent thinkers instead of people waiting for the next hot tip.Mike also shares his thoughts on sports card talent, the responsibility that comes with influence, the growth of Formula 1, and an Aaron Judge card he believes deserves far more attention.If you create content, run a business, or want to become a better collector, this conversation is about far more than cards.It's about learning how to think.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The best businesses in the hobby are not built one deal at a time.They're built one relationship at a time.Mike from MC Sports Cards returns to Passion to Profession to share why trust has become the foundation of one of the fastest-growing consignment businesses in the hobby.We talk about what happens after the first transaction, why honesty wins over short-term revenue, how technology should support relationships instead of replace them, and why saying no has become one of the most important decisions in growing the business.We also discuss the growth of high-end cards on eBay, what serious collectors expect from a consignment partner, how MC Sports Cards approaches customer service at scale, and why every interaction is an opportunity to earn another one.Whether you're building a collection or building a business, this conversation is a reminder that reputation compounds.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What happens when experienced business operators build a sports card company instead of longtime collectors?In this episode of Passion to Profession, Brett sits down with Gavin Hoover, Chief of Stuff at Tombstone Collectibles, to discuss what happens when enterprise experience meets the hobby.Gavin shares how his background building large retail organizations shaped the way Tombstone approaches breaking, hiring, branding, analytics, customer relationships, and growth. Instead of thinking like a breaker, Tombstone thinks like a business.The conversation covers why trust is the biggest challenge in scaling, how data drives decisions, why great breakers look more like sales professionals than entertainers, and why the future of the hobby depends on keeping collecting at the center of it all.If you've ever wondered where the hobby is heading as more capital and experienced operators enter the space, this conversation will give you a different perspective.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What does it take to build one of the largest hobby businesses in Canada?John Amendola, CEO of Mintink, joins Passion to Profession to share the story behind turning a pandemic-era card business into a national brand.John discusses the early days of Breaks After Dark, scaling livestream commerce, hiring and developing talent, creating community through retail, and why relationships matter more than transactions.We also explore leadership, mental health, customer experience, the future of hobby retail, and the opportunities most businesses still overlook.This conversation is packed with lessons for collectors, entrepreneurs, and anyone building something for the long haul.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What does it take to build a sustainable card business in a market that is still finding its footing?This week on Passion to Profession, Brett sits down with Bryan from THZ Sports Cards to discuss his path from high-end NBA cards to becoming one of the most recognizable wrestling card dealers in the hobby.Bryan shares how years of buying, selling, and building relationships helped him uncover opportunities that most collectors never see. The conversation explores sourcing rare cards, navigating shows, prospecting WWE talent, building trust with collectors, and why patience remains one of the most important skills in the hobby.They also discuss: Why Bryan moved away from high-end NBA cards  The appeal of the WWE card market  Oba Femi, Sol Ruca, Zaria, and the next generation of talent  How super collectors shape the wrestling card community  Why eBay remains the best marketplace for high-end wrestling cards  Mistakes collectors make when selling big cards  The importance of relationships when buying and selling If you've ever thought about turning your hobby knowledge into a business, this conversation offers a practical look at what it takes to make it work.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What does it look like when a lifelong collector turns his hobby into his profession?Adam Gray has spent decades immersed in basketball cards. From launching Basketball Card Fanatic magazine to creating content for some of the biggest companies in the hobby, he has built a career around storytelling, education, and helping collectors understand why cards matter.In this conversation, Adam shares the path from private equity controller to full-time hobby creator. We discuss the rise and fall of Basketball Card Fanatic, building a reputation through consistent work, creating card stories that reach millions of viewers, balancing family and entrepreneurship, and why context is often more valuable than the card itself.Adam also opens up about the challenges of working in the hobby, the opportunities being created by industry growth, and the responsibility content creators have as the line between collecting and gambling continues to blur.If you've ever wondered whether your passion can become your profession, this episode is for you.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Athletes have never been more visible in the hobby.From Tom Brady and CardVault to Fanatics Fest, athlete-led content, and players publicly sharing their collections, sports cards have become part of the conversation in a way we haven't seen before.Ryan Greene sits at the center of it.As Director of Athlete + Artist Partnerships at PSA, Ryan works directly with athletes who collect, grade cards, participate in signings, and build collections of their own.In this conversation, we discuss: Why PSA created a role dedicated to athletes and artists  How professional athletes are entering the hobby  The types of cards athletes collect  Why authenticity matters more than sponsorships  The impact Fanatics is having on athlete participation  Stories from working with Mike Trout and other athletes behind the scenes  Where athlete involvement in the hobby is headed next If you've noticed athletes becoming a bigger part of collecting culture, this episode offers a look behind the curtain at what's driving it.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Jeremy Lee has become one of the most trusted voices in sports card media.But before Sports Cards Live became a Saturday night destination for collectors, Jeremy was balancing a career in finance while building relationships, studying the hobby, and creating content because he loved the cards.In this conversation, Jeremy shares the full story behind Sports Cards Live, the growth of his auction coverage content, and the mindset shift that helped him turn hobby passion into full-time work.We also discuss: Why relationships became the foundation of his business  The pressure and uncertainty of becoming a full-time creator  What consistency has taught him about community  The evolution of hobby media and trust  The creation of Hobby Spectrum  Why Pops and Comps became a 400-page passion project  The role psychology plays in collecting and market behavior This episode is for anyone thinking about building something in the hobby.Collectors. Creators. Operators.Jeremy opens up about all of it.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Karn Rai has been around cards since he was ten years old.What started with hockey cards, Pokémon packs, and trips to the Toronto Expo turned into one of the fastest growing consignment businesses in Canada.In this episode of Passion to Profession, Karn breaks down the evolution of Slab Sharks and why the future of the hobby belongs to operators who think beyond cards on a table.We talk about: Building trust through customer experience  Why storytelling matters in auctions and consignments  The shift from “garage eBay sellers” to real infrastructure businesses  How Canada's hobby market is changing  The role of technology, AI, and reinvestment in scaling a company  Why emotional intelligence matters when handling collections This conversation goes far beyond buying and selling cards.It's about building systems, earning trust, and understanding the emotional connection collectors have with their cards.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What happens when a new generation of collectors, entrepreneurs, and operators begins shaping the future of the hobby?On this episode of Passion to Profession, Brett sits down with Michael Osacky to explore the changing dynamics inside sports cards.From social influence and FOMO to trust, reputation, buyer premiums, startups, and manufactured scarcity, this conversation looks at the forces shaping the hobby in 2026 and beyond.Michael shares stories from decades in the industry and explains why understanding cards and understanding the card market are two different things.They also discuss: Why reputation still matters most  How speed and access are changing collector behavior  The dangers of following hype accounts  What newer collectors need to understand about risk  Why patience is becoming rare in the hobby  The future of grading, marketplaces, and trust This episode is for collectors trying to think long term in a hobby moving faster than ever.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Unwind, reset, and tap into your inner world on this episode of "RareMaven: The Podcast" featuring Camille Smith (@clearlycamille). Camille is a writer, meditation teacher, and creative guide who invites us into a powerful conversation on mindfulness as a tool for artistry, healing, and everyday balance. Camille shares how even one minute of stillness can shift your day and your work because creative work is mindful work.Inside the episode:Why meditation matters for creativesHow to start small even with just one minuteBuilding a daily wellness routine around a full scheduleThe power of stillness through physical and mental awarenessJournaling as meditation uncensored, honest, freeA gentle daily flow for the creative mindTo keep up with the podcast follow us  ⁨@raremavenmedia and visit our website at www.RareMaven.Media

What does it take to go from collector to company builder?In this episode of Passion to Profession, I sit down with Zach Stanley, CEO and Founder of WeTheHobby.Zach didn't stumble into this.He built it from inside the hobby.We talk about: The shift from collecting cards to building a business  Why trust is the foundation of everything in the hobby  The realities of operating in a market driven by hype, speed, and attention  What it looks like to create something that collectors rely on You'll hear how Zach thinks about long-term positioning in a space that often rewards short-term moves.You'll also hear the pressure that comes with it.This is a conversation about building something real in the hobby.Not chasing moments. Building systems.If you've ever thought about turning your passion into your profession, this one will hit.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What does it look like to turn your passion into your profession more than once?In this episode of Passion to Profession, Brett sits down with John Walaszek, Content Strategist at PSA, to unpack the path from music blogs to the sports card industry.John didn't wait for permission. He built.He started a blog when no one replied to his emails.He created content when no role existed for it.He followed what held his attention and turned it into a career.Now he's doing it again. This time in cards.This conversation covers: Why doing the work before the opportunity matters  How building on the internet became his resume  What he learned working inside major media and record labels  Why authenticity still wins, even in crowded markets  The gap between music content and sports card content  Why the hobby still feels early from a content standpoint  What it takes to make the jump into the industry If you've ever thought about building something around what you care about, this one will hit.Because the path isn't linear.It's built through action.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What does it take to build a business that the entire hobby depends on?In this episode of Passion to Profession, Brett sits down with Eric Brownell, CEO and President of BCW Supplies.You've used their products.Top loaders. Sleeves. Storage.But you probably haven't thought about what it takes to keep the hobby stocked when demand explodes.Eric shares the story behind BCW's growth from a small family business into a 100+ person operation that supports collectors, hobby shops, breakers, and distributors across the country. This conversation goes deeper than supplies.It's about: Scaling a business without losing your foundation  Hiring people who push the company forward  Staying disciplined when the market gets hot  Protecting your core customer while still growing Eric also breaks down how BCW thinks about inventory, forecasting, and preparing for moments like the pandemic when demand surged beyond anything the industry had seen.If you care about where the hobby is going, you need to understand the businesses holding it together behind the scenes.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Ryan Johnson didn't set out to build a 35-person company.He wanted to open cards.Share what he was buying.Be the resource he never had.Then the business grew.In this conversation, Ryan walks through the shift from collector and content creator to operator responsible for people, systems, and outcomes.We talk about: The moment decisions started impacting other people  Letting go of control and building a real team  Why communication breaks when you scale  How cash becomes a tool for speed and growth  The hardest lesson he learned about hiring and culture  Balancing being a collector while running a business  Why his “why” for collecting has changed This is a conversation about growth.Not the highlight reel.The real stuff that happens when the hobby turns into a business.If you're building something in this space, this one will hit.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What happens when a single moment turns into a career?Ethan from Tombstone Collectibles joins Passion to Profession to break down how one pull opened the door… and what it actually takes to build a modern hobby business at scale.This is not a conversation about ripping packs.This is about building infrastructure, managing talent, and operating in a market that moves fast.We get into: Why most breakers fail before they ever get started  The importance of relationships in live selling  How Tombstone scaled from one stream to a multi-location operation  What it takes to manage inventory, shipping, and customer experience at volume  Why talent is the hardest problem in the breaking business  The real opportunity in international markets and where growth is heading Ethan shares what's working, what broke along the way, and what collectors don't see behind the scenes.If you've ever thought about turning your passion into a business… this is a conversation you need to hear.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode DescriptionMost of us never got a formal money education — and the statistics show it. In this episode, CFP(r) David Chudyk breaks down exactly how to raise financially intelligent, grounded kids at every age — from toddlers to teenagers. Whether you're still building wealth or you've already made it, this episode is packed with practical, age-by-age strategies to make sure your kids don't become part of the next generation of financial statistics.David also tackles one of the hardest challenges in high-net-worth parenting: how do you raise grateful, hardworking kids when the answer to "can we afford it?" is almost always yes? And for business owners, he shares a legitimate IRS-approved tax strategy that teaches your kids about money and reduces your tax bill at the same time.What You'll Learn in This EpisodeThe alarming state of American household finances in 2025–2026 — and why your kids are at risk of repeating the patternWhy money beliefs form as early as age 3–5 (and what yours are teaching your children right now)How to talk about money in a way that builds an abundance mindset instead of a scarcity mindsetAn age-by-age framework for teaching kids about money (ages 3–18)What Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Gordon Ramsay, and Shaquille O'Neal all have in common when it comes to their kids and inheritanceWhy 67% of millionaires are afraid to pass their wealth on to their childrenPractical strategies for high-net-worth families to raise grounded, non-entitled kidsA powerful IRS-approved tax strategy for business owners: hiring your kids and potentially funding a Roth IRA tax-freeA real-life college housing strategy David used with his own son that eliminated housing costs and built equityKey Timestamps[00:00] – Hook: Did your parents ever give you a money lesson?[01:30] – Welcome & podcast overview[02:30] – The state of American household finances (2025–2026 stats)[04:30] – Why schools aren't solving the financial literacy problem[05:30] – How to talk about money without creating a scarcity mindset[07:00] – Ages 3–6: The three-jar system, demystifying cards, and keeping it visual[10:00] – Ages 7–12: Allowance tied to contribution, wants vs. needs, savings accounts[12:30] – Ages 13–18: Debit cards with budgets, real household finances, custodial brokerage accounts, the first paycheck conversation[15:30] – The high-net-worth parenting challenge: raising grateful kids when money is no object[18:00] – Research on affluent kids: entitlement, anxiety, and the third-generation wealth wipeout[20:00] – What Buffett, Gates, Ramsay & Shaq say about inheritance[23:00] – 5 strategies for high-net-worth families[28:00] – The business owner tax strategy: hiring your kids legally[33:00] – The college real estate strategy David used with his own son[36:00] – Soul-searching wrap-up: What money mindsets are you passing on?Stats Referenced in This EpisodeU.S. household debt: $18.8 trillion (all-time high; ~$105,000/household)Median emergency savings: $600Nearly 1 in 5 Americans has zero emergency savings37% of Americans can't cover an unexpected $400 expense46% of credit card holders carry a balance at an average rate of 21%Median 401(k) balance for those approaching retirement: $44,115Only 27 states require a personal finance course to graduate high school67% of millionaires worry about leaving too much money to their kidsResources & Links Mentioned

This week on the award-winning Couch to Coached Running Podcast, it's just Rob and Ben as they catch up on training, progress, and the realities of preparing for race day.From long runs and speed sessions to managing those inevitable niggles, the lads share honest updates on where they're at — physically and mentally — as marathon day approaches. Rob reflects on completing a 21.1 mile run with varied pacing, while also discovering a new love for speed work (who saw that coming?!).Ben brings the coaching insight, helping navigate a recent illness wobble and reinforcing the importance of balance, recovery, and staying healthy above all else. Because right now, it's all about one thing — getting to the start line in the best shape possible.

On this episode of Passion to Profession, Brett sits down with Bryan Thiessenhusen, CEO of Black Gold Sports Cards.Bryan didn't start with an advantage. He started with tubs of cards, a full-time accounting job, and a willingness to take risk.What followed was a fast build.He turned grading prep into revenue.Turned live streaming into scale.Turned a side hustle into a 30+ person operation.In this conversation, Bryan breaks down: How he used his accounting background to build systems and track every dollar  Why being early and doing what others avoid created momentum  The role of content in driving growth and attention  What most people get wrong about risk, work ethic, and scaling in the hobby  How culture and trust became the foundation of Black Gold This is a conversation about building something real.If you're collecting, operating, or thinking about turning your passion into a business, this one will make you think.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What happens when you walk away from stability to bet on cards?Michael and Mikaela did it.Both were CPAs. Both were on a clear path. Then COVID hit. Breaking started. Demand showed up fast. And within months, everything changed.They built Rated Rips from late-night breaks into a full-scale consignment business.They hired 15 people in a year.They shifted from taking money out of the hobby to putting money back into collectors' hands.In this conversation, we get into what it really looks like to build a business in the hobby.The risk.The trust.The systems.The people.We also talk about:– Leaving a stable career to bet on yourself– Why most collectors run businesses like hobbies– How process and data drive their decisions– The shift from breaking to consignment– Hiring, delegation, and buying back your time– Building trust with collectors at scaleIf you've ever thought about turning your passion into something more, this one will hit.Brought to you by eBay.Sign up for Hobby Jobs and The Weekly Rip for freeA special thank you to eBay for sponsoring Passion to Profession. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: Join Stacking Slabs Podcast PatreonFollow Stacking Slabs: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

LYRICS:Well Edgar is dead there is nothing to sayNothing Mike can do will make it okayThere's nothing to do to return him to formBetter to stay home and hang out with NormMike kills a spider inside of his houseHe carries it with him whenever he's outMichael thinks he'd do better out of the homeSo Mike goes to Texas, down to bluster's groveTex has an idea of what's going onHe sends Mike to Yellowknife to live on a farmThe Yellowknife folks don't like Mike's planSo they break his calculator, no more numbers, manMike escapes back to Bluster's GroveHe's been living as stock with the numbers aloneThe lost year is gone, it's burned in the pastTex pushed mike right into a vatIt's better to let these things goBut mike can't keep well enough aloneThere's talks at the tavern of a rerack todayBut Tex gets dethroned and Mike is set freeA is in charge, he's cracking the whipOutlaw and Bluster are now wanted menMike is retired after such a long tripHe piles up the past to try and get over itBase is continuing correcting the timeMike sleeps through a conference and steps on a spiderMeanwhile Al is the king of the crabsHe puts down a mutiny with a wave of his handsLieutenant swears revenge and you know that he'll get itOperose will be back if Mike will just let itTy visits Mike to make a house callActing like he doesn't want anything at allHe makes Mike promise he won't do something drasticMike tells Ty he can kiss his asscheekIt's better to let these things goBut mike can't keep well enough aloneMike starts to blink when he's at the compoundDestabilized timelines are going aroundAnd Norm gets too close to remain in the foldBradford and Stinky take over his homeStinky plays dumb, Mike blinks outMike is getting desperate for help right nowHe begs Michael for guidance, Michael says yepHe proves Mike will become him, cuts off his fingertipEdgar blinks out inside a correctionHe cannot avoid Operose's detectionEveryone is trying to remember him aliveBut Mike is determined he will never dieLieutenant's set free, he sends Al to TyAl sends Mike to yellowknife and then al's sent to dieLieutenant kills A and frees Tex from the vatsHe sends Edman to Yellowknife where Mike is atIt's better to let these things goBut mike can't keep well enough aloneBradford sends Mike to Norm, he don't remember a thingMike transports in the room and ruins everythingHe meets the cured Edgar and chooses to save himThe iteration storm stars, cue the mayhemBut what about the lost year, that voice that we heard?Is it fated to stay buried in the dirt?Now that Mike initiated the stormWhat will become of the Mikes that are born?Is Operose now a foregone conclusionThat Mike founded it to keep Edgar elusiveAnd maybe the most important question of allWill the Matt Pack get screentime in this season at all?It's better to let these things goBut mike can't keep well enough alone Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Day 2 of the 12 Days of Fit-mas mini-series!Today we're talking about the simplest nutrition shift that makes every holiday meal, party, and treat feel easier to navigate: protein first, treats second.This isn't about restriction. It's about strategy. When you lead with protein, you naturally stabilize hunger, reduce cravings, support muscle, and make it far easier to enjoy holiday treats without overeating or spiraling into the all-or-nothing mindset.In this short episode, Casey breaks down why women over 40 benefit so much from this approach, how to make it practical during a busy season, and how this one tiny rule can help you feel more in control of your choices- without giving up the foods you love.In this episode:Why protein is especially important during the holiday seasonHow protein helps curb cravings and stabilize energyReal-life protein ideas you can use before meals or eventsThe mindset shift that lets you enjoy treats guilt-freeA small shift in the order you eat can create a big shift in how you feel.Tune in for Day 2- and get ready for more simple, doable steps all season long.Join us in the Inspire Fitness program: Use the link here: https://inspirehw.com/ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fit.nutritionist?igsh=MTJqZXhjODR2ZzduaA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Casey.Young.RD.CPT?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Ever feel stuck in a loop of hypervigilance, constantly on edge and scanning for threats?If so, this episode gives you an exclusive "sneak peek" into the exact kind of coaching that happens every week inside my Healthy Push Coaching & Community!I'm sharing one of my full weekly live teachings on how to break this exhausting cycle and finally start to feel safe again. You'll learn practical tools for experiencing a quieter mind, and get a real taste of my teaching style.This is just a sample of the support my community members get every single Monday, in addition to:A full library of all my past teachingsAll of my mini-courses - for freeA safe, accountability-driven space to healIf this teaching resonates with you, I'd love for you to come join us!CHECK OUT MY AHP COACHING & COMMUNITY: https://www.ahealthypush.com/communityTAKE MY FREE QUIZ AND FIND OUT WHAT'S CAUSING YOU TO STAY STUCK: https://www.ahealthypush.com/blocking-quizA HEALTHY PUSH INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ahealthypush/GET THIS EPISODE'S SHOW NOTES:

Have you looked in the mirror after a relationship ended and actually didn't recognize yourself anymore?When you've been consumed by someone else's needs, opinions, and control, it's easy to lose sight of who you are. This episode dives into why recovery feels impossible after losing yourself in a narcissistic relationship, and the shift that will help you find your way back.In this episode, you'll discover:The hidden ways identity loss keeps you stuckThe lie keeping you tied to him — and the truth that sets you freeA powerful step to take right now towards finding yourself againPress play now to learn how to stop drifting in the aftermath of a toxic relationship and finally begin reclaiming the self they tried to erase.QUICK LINKS FROM EPISODE:⁠Schedule your free Intro Session: https://tinyurl.com/freeintroseshpodRESOURCES FOR YOUR HEALING:

come with us if you want to live FREEa sovereign, freedom and liberty centered radio show replayuntamed, unedited with news commentary, history, social critique and common sensehosted by the marble mouthed Neoborn Cavemanwith the great music of Sami Chohfi, Inoxidables, The Giraffes, Sun Atoms, The QuarantinedFree speech marinated in comedy.Humanity centered satirical takes on the world & news + music - with a marble mouthed host.Free speech marinated in comedy.Supporting Purple Rabbits. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Weekend Camping Getaway to Hicks Lake, British Columbia – Nature Therapy, Campfires & Lake ViewsStep into the wild with this immersive audio experience as I take you camping to Hicks Lake in beautiful British Columbia. This is my first camping trip of 2025, and it's everything you'd want from a weekend escape: crackling campfires, misty morning lake views, soulful walks through the forest, and moments of deep peace by the water.Recorded on location, this episode puts you right in the heart of the action, from the soft rustle of trees to the warmth of a fireside cup of tea. I sleep in a cosy minicamper van, cook simple meals outdoors, and share reflections on the healing power of nature. You'll hear it all as it happens: the soothing sound of coffee brewing at sunrise, the crunch of gravel underfoot during lake hikes, and the laughter around the fire.Whether you're dreaming about your next BC camping trip, need a mental escape, or love nature's soundtrack, this episode is your ticket to Hicks Lake.In this episode, you'll experience:A cinematic journey through the forests and shores of Hicks LakeWhat it's like sleeping in a converted camper van in chilly spring tempsFireside chats, marshmallow debates, and cosy food ritualsThe peaceful rhythm of a day outdoors — unplugged and tech-freeA local tip to end your weekend at Cypress Mountain with epic Vancouver viewsPerfect for listeners who love:Camping in CanadaSolo or couple vanlife adventuresBritish Columbia nature travelASMR-style immersive travel podcastsSlow travel and mental reset inspiration

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One can, the other cannotBoth are freeA god mask, a demon maskThe failure is wonderful indeed —Mumon's poemIf I reflect back on my life, it is possible to see a series of failures, mistakes, broken dreams and incomplete projects. Relationships that I probably should have left before they ended, others that I probably shouldn't have even pursued, still others that I could have worked harder to repair.One Zen teacher said at the end of their life—one continuous mistake.Ever feel this way?From one perspective failure is the feeling that we most want to avoid….From another, shame can be a kind of addiction, overwhelming us with feelings of self-pity and self-doubt so much so that we feel unable to take the next step.If I zoom out a bit from the failure finding mind, I see that there is another way to view the series of events I call my life. It is possible to see each seeming mishap, embarrassing moment, failed relationship, broken dream, emotional scar as the terrain my soul needed to journey to arrive here.In each of the scenarios my mind calls failures, I can see that I was doing the best I could given the thoughts, perspectives, emotional reactions and insight I had available to me in the moment.Our lives also have a kind of mythos. If we continue to zoom out and see the totality of our lives, we can begin to catch wind of the mythic dimension to our living.I recently encountered the fairytale The Maiden King. In this story, the main character reaches a kind of crisis point, he can no longer abide in the old way of being. He has left behind the false comfort of fractured relationships and beliefs he had about himself and the world. Stumbling around in the dark of the wood, feeling perhaps like a failure, an imposter, not quite up to the task, he comes to the house of Baba Yaga who asks him:Did you come here of your own free will, or by compulsion?I love this question. It rings like a koan.Did you come here of your own free will, or by compulsion?Here right here.In the catastrophe of your life.In the mystery of this embodiment.How did you arrive?What brought you here?The hero responds, I came mostly by free will and twice as much from compulsion.Ah, the truth of it.Where we stand, where we sit, in the heart of our lives—can we really say how we got here? A dream, a desire, a heartbreak, a crisis, a response—is it anyone's fault? What is free will when so much of life, the circumstances we encounter, the people we meet, the thoughts and sensations that arise in our experience are out of our control?Sometimes the inner critic wants to blame us for the circumstances of our lives. In a desperate attempt at clawing at some semblance of certainty in this ever-changing field of existence we call the world—the critic says, it's your fault, you failed, you're not good enough, you did something wrong.But life is often more mysterious than that. Our lives twist and turn and intersect with the lives of hundreds of thousands of millions of beings. Our life is part of this great web of interconnected life.And yet, it seems that we can orient our hearts in a particular direction. As we meet the circumstances, the people, the events, the inner landscape of our living we can orient the heart-mind towards kindness, openness, generosity, understanding.We call this orientation vow.We call this orientation practice.Practicing with failure invites us to feel our lives.To feel our fears.To awaken a compassion that can companion any emotion or feeling.It invites us to take responsibility for our lives—by meeting ourselves right where we are.—in the dynamic non-dual truth of this— mostly free will, twice as much compulsion existence.—in this— the failure is wonderful indeed— embrace.There is no better life.This life is our one life.Could it really be—wonderful indeed?…I'm Amy Kisei. I am a Zen Buddhist Teacher, Spiritual Counselor, Astrologer and Artist. I offer 1:1 Spiritual Counseling sessions using IFS and somatic mindfulness. I also offer astrology readings. Check out my website to learn more. I currently live in Columbus, OH and am a supporting teacher for the Mud Lotus Sangha.Summer Read— The Hidden Lamp: Stories from 25 Centuries of Awakened WomenJoin me starting on the Summer Solstice, Friday June 20th for a summer read of the Hidden Lamp. I hand selected 15 stories from the book that we will explore over the course of the summer.Weekly Online Meditation EventMonday Night Dharma — 6P PT / 9P ET Join weekly for drop-in meditation and dharma talk. We are currently exploring supportive practice forms for engaging the dharma in life outside of retreat.Feel free to join anytime. Event lasts about 1.5 hours. ZOOM LINKZen Practice opportunities through ZCOGrasses, Trees and the Great Earth Sesshin—August 11 - 17, in-person at Great Vow Zen Monastery (this retreat is held outdoors, camping is encouraged but indoor dorm spaces are available)In-Person in Columbus, Ohio through Mud Lotus SanghaInterdependence Sesshin: A Five Day Residential Retreat Wednesday July 2 - Sunday July 6 in Montrose, WV at Saranam Retreat Center (Mud Lotus is hosting its first Sesshin!)Weekly Meditations on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amykisei.substack.com/subscribe

听前提示一、每期提供10个单词，每个单词都会有2-3个例句，方便理解记忆。二、每个单词和句子都会重复5遍，其中第2遍为慢速，有助于识别。三、本材料的整体难度较低，可以用来听力磨耳朵和单词查漏补缺。Day99981.Formera.以前的，在前的pron.前者He's a former student of mine.他以前是我的学生。982.Formulan.公式；规则；分子式；药方The chemical formula of water is H2O.水的化学式为H2O。This has proven to be a winning formula.事实证明，这是一个成功的公式。983.Fortunen.运气；命运；财产；财富They acquired a large fortune.他们获得了一大笔财富。My grandmother left us a great fortune.我的祖母给我们留下了巨大的财富。By investing wisely, she accumulated a fortune.通过明智的投资，她积累了一笔财富。984.Forwardad.向前a.向前的v.转交She took a small step forward.她向前迈出了一小步。I look forward to your comments on the report.我期待着你对这份报告发表评论。Your email will be forwarded to my manager.你的邮件会被转发给我的经理。985.Foundationn.基础，根本，建立，创立；基金，基金会The rumor has no foundation.这个谣言是没有根据的。This house has a solid foundation.这所房子有坚实的基础。They established a foundation to help patients with cancer.他们建立了帮助癌症患者的基金会。986.Framen.框架；骨架v.设计；制定The frame is made of steel.框架由钢制成。This new bike frame is made of steel.这款新的自行车车架由钢制成。987.Freea.自由的；免费的；空闲的 vt.释放It's free of charge.它是免费的。Are you free on Wednesday?你星期三有空吗？What do you do in your free time?你在空闲时间做什么？988.Freedomn.自由，自主，免除，特权We must defend our freedom at all cost.我们必须不惜一切代价捍卫我们的自由。You have the freedom to go wherever you like.你可以自由地去任何你喜欢的地方。Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom.没有什么比独立和自由更珍贵了。989.Freezev.使结冰，使凝固Please freeze the fish as soon as possible.请尽快将鱼冻结。Water is liquid. When it freezes, it becomes solid.水是液体。当它结冰时，它变成固体。990.Frequenta.时常发生的，频繁的The bus makes frequent stops.公交车经常停车。He is one of our most frequent customers.他是我们最常去的客户之一。

Do you feel like you're faking it till you make it? You're not alone! In this episode, we'll uncover how God's grace empowers you beyond your limitations, so you can step into your God-given identity with boldness and confidence.✨ What You'll Learn Today:Why circumstances don't define your worth—God does!How to shift from striving to thriving through graceThe truth behind imposter syndrome—and how to break freeA 3-step process to embrace divine confidence and step into leadership

Welcome to another enriching episode of Mirror Talk: Soulful Conversations! Today, we're diving into the impact of digital overuse on our mental health and relationships. Our guest, Jennie Ketcham Crooks, is a licensed clinical social worker, anxiety specialist, and author of LOOK UP: The 30-Day Path to Digital Minimalism and Real Life Maximalism. As the founder of West Coast Anxiety Clinic and a guest lecturer at Harvard, Jennie brings a wealth of expertise on how our screen time habits affect our well-being.Jennie shares practical insights on:How digital overuse affects our mental health and interpersonal relationshipsThe concept of psychological flexibility and how it shapes our digital habitsThe hidden effects of excessive screen time that often go unnoticedHow digital minimalism sparks creativity and fosters real-world connectionsMyths about technology use and the truths that can set us freeA 30-day challenge to reset digital habits and regain control over our livesSmall, actionable steps to reduce screen time without feeling disconnectedHow parents can model healthy digital habits for childrenChapters00:00 Introduction to Digital Overuse and Mental Health12:02 Personal Reflections on Mistakes and Growth23:57 The Journey from Adult Industry to Therapy36:04 Understanding Digital Overuse and Its Impact48:04 Psychological Flexibility and Digital Habits37:38 The Role of Mindfulness in Mental Health40:51 Creativity and Behavioral Change52:58 Delegating Tasks for Creative Freedom58:00 The 30-Day Digital Minimalism ChallengeJennie's insights will inspire you to create intentional digital boundaries and reclaim joy beyond the screen. If you've ever felt drained, distracted, or disconnected because of your digital habits, this episode is for you!Where to Find Jennie Ketcham Crooks:

In this episode, we continue the harrowing story of Jena from episode five, who escaped the clutches of a cult only to find herself ensnared in another form of darkness. After leaving the cult, Jena thought she had found solace in the arms of Dick, a man who initially seemed like the perfect partner—comforting, strong, and gentle. They swiftly tied the knot after a year of seemingly blissful companionship.However, the facade began to crumble as Dick insidiously tore apart the very fabric of Jena's well-being and used her past against her. This episode explores the complexities of coercive control, examining the subtle ways in which emotional abuse can manifest in seemingly loving relationships. Join us as we unravel the layers of Jena's experience, shedding light on the silent struggles faced by survivors of cults and those ensnared in toxic relationships.Discussions in this episode:Pick back up with JenaWhy being called strong pisses her offMeeting Dick the charmerThe blissful slow burn to the truthThe unraveling of insidious abuseHow she broke freeA peaceful existenceListeners will gain insights into the signs of covert abuse, the psychological toll it takes, and the strength it requires to break free from the chains of manipulation. Jena's story is a testament to resilience and the indomitable spirit that empowers survivors to reclaim their lives. Don't miss this eye-opening episode as we navigate through the shadows to find the strength within.Content Warning: This episode discusses various forms of toxic abuse, narcissistic abuse, spousal abuse, rape, and any topics that may disturb some listeners. Listener discretion is advised. We are not doctors or therapists; you should not take our opinions as medical advice.Have a story you would like to share? Please fill out our form.Would you like to help support the show more? Donate or subscribe to our Patreon for exclusive content.Hosts: Behk & LAHFollow us on Instagram + Facebook @ngcompodProduction & Design: LAHardenMusic: No Reason Why by Anchor Help us keep the show going on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I'm answering 5 JUICY money manifestation and money mindset questions sent in by listeners of the show! If you want to learn how to manifest business success, reach your income goals or troubleshoot your money blocks, this is the episode for you!In this episode you'll learn:How to actually manifest becoming rich when you've been struggling for yearsThe massive upgrades you get from purchasing instead of manifesting for freeA simple shift for overcoming self-doubt with making money in your businessWhen to focus on specific money goals and how to do it so they actually manifestHow do stay consistent with money mindset work when life throws curveballsRESOURCES MENTIONED:How to Feel Rich: https://youtu.be/bmaocD3hdQ8How I Manifested Winning Free Tickets: https://youtu.be/cz-lqBA2PBIWant Your Question Answered? Email Us: https://www.houseofbrazen.com/contact

Struggling to fall asleep? Quiet your mind with the continuation of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Published first in 1868, it follows the lives of four sisters - Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. In this episode, Meg spends some time with some wealthy friends. Later, we hear the entries in the latest publication from the P.C.

Tough day? Relax with tonight's bedtime story, the continuation of The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum. This story is the sequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. All Just Sleep Premium members can access the entire book as part of their membership.

Drift off tonight to over 3 hours of fairytales and myths - The Magic Apples, Pretty Goldilocks, The Golden Touch and more. Interested in more sleepy content or just want to support the show? Join Just Sleep Premium here: https://justsleeppodcast.com/supportAs a Just Sleep Premium member you will receive:The entire audiobook of the Wizard of OzThe latest episodes ad-free and Intro-free episodesThe entire back catalog of the podcast, ad and intro-freeA collection of short fairy tales including Rapunzel and the Frog PrinceThe chance to vote on the next story that you hearThe chance to win readings just for youThanks for your support!Sweet Dreams... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Struggling to fall asleep? Quiet your mind with bedtime stories from The Sandman's Hour. This episode includes the stories The Blue Castle, The Enchanted Boat, and Mother Turkey and her Chicks by Abbie Phillips Walker.Interested in more sleepy content or just want to support the show? Join Just Sleep Premium here: https://justsleeppodcast.com/supportAs a Just Sleep Premium member you will receive:The entire audiobook of the Wizard of OzThe latest episodes ad-free and Intro-free episodesThe entire back catalog of the podcast, ad and intro-freeA collection of short fairy tales including Rapunzel and the Frog PrinceThe chance to vote on the next story that you hearThe chance to win readings just for youThanks for your support!Sweet Dreams...

Fluff up your pillows and settle down to tonight's bedtime story, Washington Square by Henry James. Catherine Sloper is plain, shy, and unremarkable. Dr Sloper, her father, thinks that no man will ever fall in love with her. Enter Morris Townsend. But does he love her or her anticipated fortune?

Struggling to fall asleep? Quiet your mind with the continuation of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Published first in 1868, it follows the lives of four sisters - Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. In this episode, Jo and Meg will not let Amy attend a play with them. Offended, Amy promises and exacts revenge.

Tough day? Relax with tonight's bedtime story, The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum. This story is the sequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. All Just Sleep Premium members can access the entire book as part of their membership.

Family ties is back my good people this week we have @selfmadet @naggajummah and @frenchie_the_bread in pod house this episode these are the topics of the pod door dashin bad bitches we give all our gifts away for freeA definite situation family attachments  follow @bread_made_media on all social media platforms contact us bread.made.meadia@gmail.com Producer @frenchie_the_bread we strive to be 1% Better Every Day

Episode Highlights With Dr. CassieHer personal story with healing and how she got into the work she doesWhy curiosity is one of the most potent medicines there is and why to approach everything with childlike curiosityA different way to think about labsWhy not to let a diagnosis be part of your identityWhat the placebo affect really shows us about the power of the mindRight and true are not always the same thing… and truth is what sets you freeA truth is something that is undeniable, there is no exception to itHow to learn to ask more beautiful questions to get better answersThe one commonality with everyone she has seen experience a “medical miracle” fo healingResources We MentionGrit Natural MedicineDr. Huckaby - InstagramDavid Whyte: EssentialsThanks to Our Sponsors:LMNT - My go-to electrolyte mix that I use during workouts, while fasting and in the sauna. It's a clean source of all of your electrolyte needs.HigherDOSE - Check out their sauna blanket, PEMF mat, red light face mask and so much more! I use their PEMF mat several times during the week. Use code mama15 for a discount.

    On this episode of the Absolutely Not Podcast- Heather is fresh off her comedy special taping weekend- full of gratitude and adrenaline. She witnessed a fight over a snack break in the back kitchen of a salad joint and was ready to jump in and pop off, if need be. She's back with her weekly dose of unsolicited advice such as- "How to spice things up in the bedroom" to "Is it ok to eat del taco alone in your car to avoid your in laws?"   Sponsors:   Athletic Greens is going to give you a FREEA 1-year supply of immune-boosting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase at AthleticGreens.com/ABSOLUTELY    Right now, you can get 15% off your first order when you visit ThriveCausemetics.com/ABSOLUTELY   With each can only 25 calories and 5g of sugar or less, Poppi can be found on Amazon for 15% off with code “ABSOLUTELY15” and in retailers nationwide   See for yourself why Chime is so loved at Chime.com/ABSOLUTELY   Thanks to our friends at Spritz Society, you can try their iconic sparkling cocktails for 10% off by using code ABSOLUTELY on SpritzSociety.com   Produced by Dear Media   Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.  

Saturday’s all right for writing! That is, writing information about land use, transportation, economic development, elections, and more! This is Charlottesville Community Engagement, a newsletter and podcast intended to let you know about a few things you didn’t know before, and intended to keep an eye on a great deal of things. I’m your host Sean Tubbs, exploring and exploiting my curiosity hopefully for your benefit. But please: No fighting! In today’s newsletter:The first campaign finance report is in for the race of the 55th House District, even if it’s still unclear when the election will be held Charlottesville Planning Commissioners seek action on safer streets in advance of the school A former Charlottesville school superintendent becomes Governor Youngkin’s permanent chief diversity officerThere’s one day left to fill out the latest questionnaire on Albemarle County’s growth management policy The head of the area’s aging services agency is elected to lead a statewide group First shout-out: Join me for a Cvillepedia training session - Brand styleIn today’s house-fueled public service announcement, the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society wants you to know about an upcoming exhibit at the Center at Belvedere featuring portraits of several historical figures active in the Charlottesville area in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Frances Brand was a folk artist who painted nearly 150 portraits of what she considered “firsts” including first Black Charlottesville Mayor Charles Barbour and Nancy O’Brien, the first woman to be Charlottesville Mayor. Brand’s work will be on display from July 5 to August 31 in the first public exhibit since 2004. And, if you’d like to help conduct community research into who some of the portraits are, cvillepedia is looking for volunteers! I will be leading three more Cvillepedia 101 training sessions at the Center July 18 at 2 p.m. Sign up at the Center’s website.Laufer outraises fellow Democrats in 55th District There is still a possibility that Virginia will have an election this year for the 100 seat House of Delegates. A second federal lawsuit arguing that legislators elected last November are in unconstitutional seats still awaits a final ruling and November 8 is 115 days away from today. That makes yesterday’s deadline for active candidates for the House of Delegates that much more compelling. There are currently three people seeking the Democratic nomination in the new 55th District, which includes most of Albemarle’s geography, as well as northeast Nelson County and western Louisa County. The Virginia Public Access Project has pulled together all of the filings, and former Charlottesville School Board member Amy Laufer outraised her opponents with a total of $61,731 raised in June. Fifty-seven donors contributed more than $100, requiring their identification. That includes a transfer of $7,327 from Laufer’s previous campaign for the Virginia Senate in 2019. There is one $10,000 gift from Hunter Bourne, and a pair of $5,000 gifts from Clean VA and the Morrill Family Investment. There were 68 contributions below the $100 limit. Emergency room nurse Kellen Squire raised $41,531 from March 8 to June 30. Thirty-four contributions were in excess of $100 with 406 below that threshold. There is one $20,000 contribution from Kay Ferguson.Albemarle County Supervisor Donna Price raised $11,798 with ten contributions above the $100 threshold and thirty below. Republican Rob Bell is the presumptive incumbent, currently representing the former 58th District. Bell began the year with a balance of $76,253 and has raised $5,250 so far this year. More on the status of the lawsuit in the next installment of Charlottesville Community Engagement. One days left to fill out Albemarle’s growth management surveyAs mentioned in the last program, a survey is about to close for Albemarle County’s growth management survey. The county is in the midst of updating their Comprehensive Plan, and this is the second questionnaire. Here’s more from a video produced by the office of Communications and Public Engagement (CAPE). “New development proposals that require a change in zoning or a rezoning are evaluated by recommendations in the Comprehensive Plan, including the growth management policy,” states the narrator. “As part of growth management, the Albemarle County Service Authority establishes a jurisdictional area where public water and sewer will be provided. This jurisdictional area mainly corresponds with the development area.” If  you’re interested in hearing more, the Albemarle CAPE has posted the latest episode of their Let’s Talk Albemarle podcast. The guest is Rachel Falkenstein, a manager in the Community Development department who oversees long-range planning.“Usually we look out 20 years and that number comes from the state of Virginia,” Falkenstein said. “They require localities to have a Comprehensive Plan that plans for 20 years out into the future so we use that for most of our planning documents.” As of Friday afternoon, 270 people had taken the survey, according to CAPE director Emily Kilroy. The Albemarle Planning Commission will have a work session on the Comprehensive Plan on July 26. To catch up on previous stories on land use issues in Albemarle, check out Information Charlottesville through this link. And if you’re in the mood to fill in another survey, the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission wants your input on the Regional Transit Vision Plan.. To catch up on all kinds of transit related stories, check out Information Charlottesville through this link. Youngkin appoints Atkins as chief diversity officerGovernor Glenn Youngkin has appointed former Charlottesville Superintendent Rosa Atkins to serve as Virginia’s Chief Diversity, Opportunity, and Inclusion Officer. Atkins has been serving in the position on an interim basis following the departure of his first appointee, Angela Sailor. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Sailor left in April for a family matter. Atkins served as Charlottesville’s superintendent for 15 years before retiring. Earlier this year, former Governor Ralph Northam appointed her to serve as the acting superintendent of public instruction for the Virginia Department of Education. In the Northam administration, Atkins’ position was known as the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, but Youngkin changed the name in Executive Order #10 when he appointed Sailor. “We must strengthen and focus the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) by including in its mission the promotion of entrepreneurship and economic opportunity for all Virginians — including Virginians with disabilities — as well as the promotion of free speech and civil discourse,” reads that order.Sailor’s name is still on the website for the office. In other appointments of note, a University of Virginia official has been named to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. Pace Lochte is the assistant vice president for economic development. Youngkin also appointed Rob Rutherford of Nelson County to the Virginia Manufactured Housing Board. Rutherford is a manager with Pro Tech Builder, a maker of modular homes.JABA leader elected to Virginia aging services associationThe chief executive officer of the area’s aging services association has been elected as president of the state entity that represents all 24 such agencies across the Commonwealth. Marta Keane of JABA will begin a two-year term as president of the Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging (V4A).Keane has been CEO of JABA since 2013. According to a release, during that time she helped form the Charlottesville Area Alliance as an umbrella organization for various entities that work with senior services in the community. “With this comes challenges to meet their increasing and changing needs, and opportunities to identify and maximize the strengths that seniors bring to our communities,” Keane is quoted in the release. “During the next two years, I hope to continue our efforts with demographic services to better identify areas that have unmet needs, work with networks to identify new ways to meet the needs, and identify new funding sources to allow us to grow and sustain critical services."JABA was formed in 1975 as the Jefferson Area Board for Aging. In today’s other two shout-outs: Local media and Code for CvilleCode for Charlottesville is seeking volunteers with tech, data, design, and research skills to work on community service projects. Founded in September 2019, Code for Charlottesville has worked on projects with the Legal Aid Justice Center, the Charlottesville Fire Department, and the Charlottesville Office of Human Rights. Visit codeforcville.org to learn about those projects. The final comes from another Patreon supporter who wants you to go out and read a local news story written by a local journalist. Whether it be the Daily Progress, Charlottesville Tomorrow, C-Ville Weekly, NBC29, CBS19, WINA, or some other place I’ve not mentioned - the community depends on a network of people writing about the community. Go learn about this place today!Charlottesville Planning Commissioners seek Council action on safer streets on school routesAs of today, there are 39 days left until the first day of school in the City of Charlottesville. Yesterday, the school system held a Transportation Talk and Walk Session to discuss a recent alert from Superintendent Royal Gurley that the bus driver shortage has worsened and walk zones will be expanded. This past Tuesday, the city Planning Commission was briefed on a request from one of its members that city government take steps to make routes to school. They got an update from Missy Creasy, Charlottesville’s assistant director of the Neighborhood Development Services office (NDS). “The city has a pretty robust program that they’re putting together to address how they are addressing the shortage at this point in time and some pretty innovative things on there,” Creasy said. These include encouraging older students to take Charlottesville Area Transit routes, hiring more crossing guards or finding more volunteers, and buying smaller buses that don’t require drivers to have commercial licenses. NDS director James Freas said the shortage provides an opportunity to apply goals of the recently adopted Comprehensive Plan to a real life problem. “Wrapped up in this challenge is an opportunity to explore those options,” Freas said. “The flip side of that is that it’s a little early for us right now in that we are in the process of building out a transportation planning program.” In May, Council was briefed by Deputy City Manager Sam Sanders on a series of problems with how the city has run its transportation planning program. For instance, transportation planners have had too high of a workload, and the city has been unable to move some projects forward. There’s also a vacancy in the position of bike pedestrian coordinator after the last person left the job at the end of 2021 to work for a consultant. “We expect that position to post very soon and see that position as really being able to take a lead role in doing exactly this type of work and that is coming up with innovative, innovative, and low-cost ways of improving pedestrians, particularly children’s safety, in the neighborhoods around our schools,” Freas said. Creasy said that the traffic engineer and the Safe Routes to School coordinator no longer work in NDS. Instead they work for the Public Works department, a decision made by former City Manager Tarron Richardson. Creasy said NDS does coordinate with public works, but more people are needed to implement what’s in the Comprehensive Plan. “We do have really good support for continuing to move forward in this direction,” Creasy said. “We have tools in place but we just need to fill them with humans so that we can keep the work going.” Creasy said she is aware of grassroots efforts to make things better, but coordination with the city is needed. Freas said that one remedy would be to paint bump-outs at curbs to provide more space for people. “It’s a significant safety improvement and you can do that with paint and potentially flex-posts, but even to do just that, you do have to do some engineering design, you do need to coordinate with public works street folks,” Freas said. Freas said that there’s a possibility of maybe having something done within six weeks, but he cautioned that it will be hard to do in that time frame. “I think, A, the school department’s plans are really good, I think they have some good solutions in place, and B, I think we can build towards that and start contributing the safety improvements we need to make as we go forward,” Freas said. Commissioner Rory Stolzenberg said he supported the idea of an official letter to City Council, but also said funding needed to be in place to implement the solutions.  “Is it safe to assume there is not within the currently allocated budget enough money to really address the things that staff would potentially want to address?” Stolzenberg asked. “Or potentially to hire outside traffic engineers to take some of the load of our in-house resources?” Freas said he would need to have a scope of work before answering that question. “We don’t have an identified line item for that right now so we would be cobbling together money from other sources,” Freas said. Stolzenberg said he would like the Planning Commission to recommend identifying money in the current fiscal year so incremental improvements can be made throughout the school year. He pointed out that Council voted in late June to purchase property for parking.“Council just spent $1.65 million on a parking lot with 40 spaces,” Stolzenberg said. “It seems to me that we can find money within the currently allocated [Capital Improvement Program] that could be reallocated to make sure that kids don’t get run over by cars on their way to school.” Stolzenberg also asked if the city has explored the ability to install cameras in school zones to capture people who speed. Freas and Creasy said they did not know if the city has done that research. The Commission agreed to send a letter to Council seeking support for the work. Stolzenberg said he would draft that document. The discussion took place just before the Commission’s joint public hearing with City Council. Vice Mayor Juandiego Wade said he heard the message.“It doesn’t have to be a war and peace type of document,” Wade said. “We understand the issues and we’re hearing a lot of from the citizens now.” Two more Talk and Walk sessions are scheduled this month. Do you have a specific concern? Drop me a line and I’d like to hear about it. Housekeeping notes for the conclusion of today’s newsletter:Thanks for reading! Today’s show is a rare Saturday show. Coming up next is the Week Ahead for July 18, as well as the Government Glance at the Fifth Congressional District. That’s a separate Substack. Music in the podcast version is composed by an entity currently going by the name Wraki. You can purchase the latest tracks on Bandcamp in an album called regret everything.  I certainly hope you will check it out! Finally, I can’t say enough positive things about Ting’s generous sponsorship. If you sign-up for Ting service, you’ll get:Free installationSecond month of Ting service for freeA $75 gift card to the Downtown MallAdditionally, Ting will match your Substack subscription to support Town Crier Productions, the company that produces this newsletter and other community offerings. So, your $5 a month subscription yields $5 for TCP. Your $50 a year subscription yields $50 for TCP! The same goes for a $200 a year subscription! All goes to cover the costs of getting this newsletter out as often as possible. Learn more here!Charlottesville Community Engagement is free to receive, but supported by paid subscriptions. If you subscribe, Ting will match your initial contribution! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Flag Day. National Bourbon Day. World Blood Donor Day. Monkey Around Day? These are some of the potential ways to mark June 14, the 165th day of 2022. What you choose today is up to you, but I do hope you’ll take a look or a listen at this installment of Charlottesville Community Engagement, a program that also wants you to make sure you know that some consider this is also National Pop Goes The Weasel Day. Now, where can I find some tupenny rice and some treacle?Know people interested in transit issues? Send them this particular edition of the newsletter so they can find out about the Regional Transit Vision plansOn today’s program:Details on the next steps for a second lawsuit to force a House of Delegates election this yearAlbemarle and Charlottesville’s elected bodies each take a look at the Regional Transit Vision plansGovernor Youngkin announces a series of grants to help increase capacity fo small agricultural producers, such as a water-powered mill in Nelson CountyAnd Albemarle County releases a report on climate vulnerability and risksToday’s first shout-out: ACHS to provide update on Race and Sports projectIn today’s first subscriber supported public service announcement, the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society continues work gathering stories for their project Race and Sports: Athletics and Desegregation in Central Virginia. Tonight at 7 p.m. they will provide an update on Facebook Live and Zoom with two people who lived through the era. Garwin DeBerry graduated from Burley High School in 1965 and Steve Runkle graduated from Lane High School in 1960. They will be sharing how the families, neighborhoods, and communities in which they grew up shaped their experiences and of school desegregation. Tune in to the ACHS event on Race and Sports tonight at 7 p.m. (Zoom registration)Status hearing held for new lawsuit seeking House of Delegates election this NovemberThe state of Virginia has until June 24 to file a motion to dismiss a new lawsuit that seeks the Commonwealth to hold an election for the House of Delegates this year. Richmond resident Jeffrey Thomas Jr. filed a federal suit in the Eastern District of Virginia last week that picks up similar arguments made by Richmond attorney Paul Goldman for why some think the House districts currently in place are unconstitutional. Goldman’s suit was dismissed for lack of standing nearly a year after he filed. Thomas and representatives from the Virginia Attorney General’s office were in court yesterday for a status update in the case. Judge David Novak issued an order requiring both parties to file a joint stipulation of facts by June 17. Thomas will have eight days to respond to whatever the state of Virginia files. The state will have five days to respond. No date has been set for another hearing. For more information, read coverage in the Virginia Mercury. Albemarle County releases climate vulnerability assessmentOne item on tomorrow’s agenda for the Albemarle Board of Supervisors is a 176-page document that identifies how the county and its residents will be affected by shifting weather patterns. The Climate Vulnerability and Risk Assessment looks ahead to how extreme heat, drought, wildfires, and flooding may affect the area. There’s also the threat a changing climate will bring new pests that will affect crops. (read the document)The assessment is a step toward developing a climate resilience plan.“Some of the changes are unavoidable and even while we try to mitigate and reduce the severity of climate change, we also need to prepare for some of those impacts,” said Gabe Dayley, Albemarle’s climate protection coordinator. Dayley said the climate action plan is intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet regional goals to be carbon neutral and fossil free by 2050. He made his comments on the Let’s Talk podcast produced by Albemarle’s communications and public engagement department. “Our vulnerability and risk assessment looks at the kinds of specific local weather changes that we can expect,” Dayley said. “Things like increasingly intense and long heat waves or sudden and more severe rainstorms that lead to flash flooding.” Visit the county’s website to hear more. The report was put together with support and work from the Piedmont Environmental Council. In disclosure, that group is a sponsor of the Week Ahead newsletter. Water-powered grain mill in Nelson gets support from AFID grantThis is Ag Week in Virginia, and Governor Glenn Youngkin has announced the latest recipients of the state Agriculture and Forestry Industry Development grant program. The program provides matching grants to small agricultural producers such as Potter’s Craft Cider which used a $50,000 grant as part of a package to move operations into Neve Hall off of U.S. 29 in 2019. This time around the grants focus on infrastructure. Nelson County requested financial assistance for Deep Roots Milling to upgrade a water-powered grain mill built in the late 18th century. According to the press release, the $22,500 in state funds will help pay for a new sifting room and new bagging equipment. Other recipients include $25,000 for Piedmont Processing of Gordonsville in Orange County to add more cooling space for its slaughterhouse, $25,000 for barge to serve a collective of oyster farms in Northampton County, and $9,000 for a commercial kitchen expansion in Bedford County. Read the press release for more information.  Today’s second goes to WTJU and the Radio Relics project In today’s second Patreon-fueled shout-out:  This year, WTJU 91.1 FM turns 65 and to mark the occasion, there’s a new micro-museum exhibition this summer! Radio Relics traces WTJU’s storied history of broadcasting for our community. As part of our 65th anniversary celebrations, WTJU has curated photos, artifacts, and t-shirts – so many t-shirts! – spanning more than six decades.The exhibition is free and will be open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from June 3 through July 29. The museum space is a renovated, vintage camper parked behind WTJU’s studios at 2244 Ivy Road in Charlottesville. WTJU’s Radio Relics exhibition shows off some of the artifacts collected over the years, many contributed by former WTJU General Manager Chuck Taylor.  In fact, there’s even a new initiative to raise money through the Chuck Taylor Fund for WTJU History. Contact General Manager Nathan Moore to learn more. Or donate today!Albemarle and Charlottesville officials weigh in on Regional Transit Vision Consultants hired by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission are moving into the second phase of a community engagement effort for a $350,000 plan to create a regional transit vision to make public transportation a more attractive option. They have developed both a constrained plan that would anticipate around $26 million funds that might be generated through becoming a regional transportation authority with taxation power, as well as one that assumed funding would be found to increase the frequency of service. That has an estimated $70 million price tag. The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors had their review on June 1. “These concepts are here to help you imagine and understand what kind of outcomes are available at two different levels of investment,” said Scudder Wagg of Jarret Walker + Associates. This work will be completed before a second study will begin on how transit operations should be governed in the future.“So this transit vision study really is identifying the potential improvements to the regional transit system and establishing that long term goal and plan vision and the governance study is really what are the steps to get to that vision that we’ve defined,” said Tim Brulle of AECOM. He’s the project manager for the vision plan. The idea in both visions is to increase how often buses move through the community. “Frequency means freedom effectively,” Wagg said. “The more frequent service is, the much shorter the wait is, the much likelier you are to get somewhere soon.”Wagg said at the moment, around 60 percent of residents of urban Albemarle and Charlottesville are close to some transit service, but only about 15 percent are close to frequent service. Both visions expand the number of areas covered by on-demand service where people can call for service on the same day. Currently, a ride on Jaunt has to be booked a day in advance. But in general, the plan without identified funding would increase service. The unconstrained vision would seek to increase fixed-route service to seven days a week from morning into the evening. “One of the key things that is likely to significantly improve access to opportunity, particularly for people who work in retail, service, and hospital jobs where many people have to work evenings and many people have to work Sundays,” Wagg said. “Those types of jobs where if you aren’t there for them on Sunday, they have to have a car and therefore have to incur the high costs of owning a car.” Supervisor Ann Mallek is the sole elected official left from an effort in the late 2000’s to create a regional transit authority. She wanted to make clear the community tried once before for a sales tax to fund increased transit, but a referendum did not make it out of the General Assembly. “Money doesn’t just appear when we don’t have the authority to raise it,” Mallek said. Supervisor Ned Gallaway said service along urban corridors in his district needs to be frequent to accommodate the new units that have been approved during his tenure, such as the Rio Point project that got the okay last December. He pointed out proponents argued transit could help mitigate traffic congestion.“Over a thousand units, 1,300, 1,400 units that are going to build out there, and if they’re sitting on a sixty-minute transit line, that’s not going to work,” Gallaway said. Gallaway said the on-demand transit pilot that Albemarle will begin next year will go a long way to helping determine what the county needs.Supervisors Bea LaPisto-Kirtley and Diantha McKeel had already seen the presentation because the Jefferson Area Regional Transit Partnership got a briefing in late May. McKeel wanted clarification on the role the University of Virginia Transit System would play in the vision. “We tend to think about UVA as doing their own thing,” McKeel said. “That’s what they’ve done for years with their students and faculty and staff. Having said that, I know they are working really hard with us at the regional transit partnership about coming together on transit in this community.” Wagg said that the unconstrained vision anticipates more involvement by UVA. “There is an obvious and enormous transit demand within and around a university and the Grounds at UVA needs really a high frequency service within a pretty limited space so it is understandable they run their own service,” Wagg said. Wagg said an idea in the unconstrained vision is to trade resources with UVA. For instance, a  Bus Rapid Transit system similar to the Pulse in Richmond could travel down U.S. 29 and terminate somewhere on Emmet Street. “And then the University could run a more community service that serves the Grounds as a primary focus but also serves the community at large,” Wagg said. Charlottesville City Council had their review on June 6. The presentation was much the same as what Albemarle and the Regional Transit Partnership saw, but Wagg repeated why having to wait on a bus that comes once an hour is an obstacle.“Relying on service every 60 minutes is extremely hard,” Wagg said. “You can think about relying on a 60 minute route is a little bit like if there was a gate at the end of your driveway that only opened once an hour. You had best be in your car with your coffee ready to go at 7 a.m. if you need to get out at 7 a.m. to get to work. And if you miss it, then you are not leaving until 8 a.m.” Wagg reminded Council that many of the current CAT routes do not operate on Sunday. City Councilor Brian Pinkston said the unconstrained vision is compelling and certainly appeared to be more attractive. But he expressed some skepticism. “This would be a great system to enact but how do we change behavior such that people would use it?” PInkston said. Wagg said if people have choices about how to get around, they’ll take transit. “A major reason people don’t take transit today is because it’s very unlikely to be useful to the trip they want to make,” Wagg said. For instance, Wagg said a trip from Pantops to the Piedmont Virginia Community College would take a very long time with multiple transfers. “Changing that dynamic of ‘will someone choose to ride’ is making it far more likely that the trip that they look up will be reasonably competitive to take transit,” Wagg said. Vice Mayor Juandiego Wade said he was concerned that outreach efforts have not been robust.“I’m just afraid that you may get input from the same people and we kind of know what it is,” Wade said. “We’ve got to do a better job of getting input. I can tell you if this is all you’re going to do, I can assure you of what we’re going to get.” Extra service will mean extra drivers, and Councilor Michael Payne said their needs must be taken into consideration up front. “We can drop any plans or changes we want but if we don’t have sufficient drivers to run those routes, it won’t work,” Payne said. “I know we’re already seeing significant problems in being able to maintain frequency of our current routes because of a shortage of bus drivers.” Payne is another member of the Regional Transit Partnership. He said the unconstrained vision should be a goal, but a realistic approach needs to be taken. “How do we, once this is finalized, bring it back down to earth and figure out what are the level of investments we need to specifically plan for here in the city and what are the specific steps needed to start to get Jaunt, [Charlottesville Area Transit], and the University Transit Service working together to move to that Regional Transit Authority?” Payne said. And that’s where the governance study would come in. If there was to be a regional authority, that could also include surrounding counties. The Greene County Board of Supervisors gets their review of the plan tonight, and its the Fluvanna Board’s turn on Wednesday. The next step is a virtual meeting on June 23 in which the consultants will present both the constrained and unconstrained visions. There’s also a community survey that seeks to gather input on the unconstrained and constrained visions. What do you think? No use telling me. Fill out that survey!Support the show by checking out Ting!For over a year one year now, Town Crier Productions has had a promotional offering through Ting!Are you interested in fast internet? Visit this site and enter your address to see if you can get service through Ting. If you decide to proceed to make the switch, you’ll get:Free installationSecond month of Ting service for freeA $75 gift card to the Downtown MallAdditionally, Ting will match your Substack subscription to support Town Crier Productions, the company that produces this newsletter and other community offerings. Your $5 a month subscription yields $5 for TCP. Your $50 a year subscription yields $50 for TCPThe same goes for a $200 a year subscription! All goes to cover the costs of getting this newsletter out as often as possible. Learn more here! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Today the year turns 161 days old, but don’t get too used to that number, for it will be replaced quite soon with another, and another, and so on. But 2022 is still not yet at the halfway point, and you’ve got three weeks left until that not-quite-august occasion on July 1. The occasion right now is this installment of Charlottesville Community Engagement, and this person writing is Sean Tubbs.  There’s lot of information in every installment of this newsletter and podcast. Send it on to more people to help grow the audience!On today’s program:The University of Virginia is asking developers to send in qualifications to build two mixed-use communities as part of an affordable housing initiativeTwo redevelopment projects being undertaken by the city’s public housing agency may not get financing through low-income housing tax credits this yearCharlottesville City Council officially kills the West Main Streetscape Louisa County Supervisors discuss a referendum for a sports complex and whether it should include turf fields on existing athletic fieldsAnd Charlottesville will only one outdoor pool at a time for the time being First shout–out: JMRL to kick off the Summer Reading ChallengeIn today’s first subscriber-supported public service announcement, the Jefferson Madison Regional Library wants you to read as much as you can this summer, and for encouragement and incentives, they’re holding another Summer Reading Challenge. There’s an Ocean of Possibilities this year and the Central Library will kick off the challenge this Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Central Library. It will be a party with music, food, and fun! The Friends of the Library will pop up a mini-book sale and a Books on Bikes parade! You can learn more about the Summer Challenge and how you or your family members can win awards and receive prizes. Visit jmrl.org to learn more about the kickoff event, this Saturday! University of Virginia issues first request for qualifications for affordable housing developerThe University of Virginia is moving forward with an initiative to use property owned by its real estate foundation to create units that will be reserved for people whose incomes are below the area median income. The UVA Foundation issued a request this morning for qualifications from firms to develop two separate projects, including a two-acre site on Wertland Street. The other is a 12-acre site on Mimosa Drive known currently as Piedmont. “UVA/UVAF intends to enter into a ground lease with one or more development team(s) best suited to satisfy UVA/UVAF’s requirements and desired features,” reads the request for proposals. UVA announced a goal of building between 1,000 and 1,500 affordable housing units in March 2020, but momentum was stalled by the pandemic. These two sites as well as the North Fork Research Park were identified in December after initial work for the project was conducted by the firm Northern Urban Real Estate Ventures. A similar request for qualifications for a firm for North Fork will be made at a later date. Under the arrangement, the UVA Foundation would continue to own both sites and the developer would own the structures and other improvements. “UVA/UVAF seeks to maximize the amount of affordable and workforce housing at each site and as such, will provide the land as a part of the Project,” the request continues. “UVA/UVAF will not otherwise contribute funding to the Project.” The developer will be responsible for preparing the plans and getting all of the necessary approvals, including archaeological studies. They’ll also have to have experience getting financing through Virginia Housing. Other development requirements include:Deliver a moderate to high-density mixed income housing communityOffer a maximum number of affordable housing units, with an emphasis on creating mixed-income communities that include, but are not limited to, units in the 30 percent to 60 percent area median income rangeCoordinate with UVA/UVAF and local jurisdictions on the utilities and infrastructure that will serve the development, and coordinate on the design aesthetic that interacts with the surrounding community.Demolish the existing improvements as needed to accommodate the Project, with the exception of historic structures (applicable only at Piedmont).City officially cancels West Main Streetscape projectCharlottesville City Council has voted to officially cancel the $55 million West Main Streetscape project as well as other projects in an effort to get the city’s transportation house in order. The Virginia Department of Transportation will now administer a project to extend a turn lane at Route 250 and Hydraulic Road. A project to coordinate traffic signals on Emmet Street has also been canceled, as has a Smart Scale funded project at the intersection of Preston and Grady. The details were discussed at a work session with the Planning Commission on May 24. (read my story)“While this is called cancellation of those projects, that’s in regards to the funding with VDOT, so as discussed, especially some of the safety projects, these are not going away forever, they’re just going away as Smart Scale projects,” said City Engineer Jack Dawson. The West Main Streetscape began with a $350,000 study authorized by Council in February 2013 which also led to a rezoning for the street. Over the years, Council authorized more and more funding as a local match for VDOT funds to build the project which was to be split into four phases.  The project lost support as a plan to renovate and expand Buford Middle School became a priority for the current City Council. Charlottesville Mayor Lloyd Snook said the project has been on life support for at least a year. “In a sense, this is almost a formality for us to recognize that which has already been made clear to us and decisions we have made ourselves over the last few years,” Snook said. “This is just finally pulling the plug on it.” The Commonwealth Transportation Board next meets on June 21 and may take up the official resolution to defund the project. Virginia Housing does not recommend funding for two CRHA projectsThe Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority has appeared to have fallen short in its attempt to get financing for two planned redevelopment projects in a current funding cycle. Virginia Housing, the entity that authorizes low-income housing tax credits in Virginia, has issued its final rankings for this year pending approval by their Board of Commissioners later this month.  Credits for 47 units in the Sixth Street Phase One project have not been recommended to be funded through what’s known as the Housing Authority pool. An application for additional credits for 113 units for the second phase of the redevelopment of South First Street also did not rank high enough to move forward. Virginia Housing granted credits for the second phase in 2020 and this second application was to fill in a funding gap caused by higher construction costs. South First Street Phase One is currently under construction and is expected to be occupied earlier this year. That 62-unit project did receive low-income housing tax credits in 2021. The only application recommended for funding from the Housing Authority pool this year is for new construction of 68 units in Norfolk by a company called Brinshore. In that project, 47 of the units would be supported through the credits. CRHA executive director John Sales said is hopeful the Virginia Housing Board of Commissioners will reconsider the rankings at their next meeting in Richmond coming up later this month on June 21 and June 22.“The Board in the past has fully funded Public Housing redevelopment efforts,” Sales said. “We are hoping the Board does the same thing this year when making final allocations.”Sales said if Sixth Street’s request is not funded, CRHA will pursue another financing opportunity later this year or reapply in 2023. He said the South Street Phase Two project will move forward if another source can be found to fill in the funding gap.   You can download the full list of rankings from the Virginia Housing website.Lifeguard shortage causes Charlottesville to limit outdoor pool hoursWith summer just getting under way, the Charlottesville Parks and Recreation Department has made the decision to restrict hours at both Onesty Pool and Washington Pool so that only one of them will be open each day. “The Department is actively recruiting lifeguards and if the staffing levels increase and are able to operate both pools concurrently, we will update the operating hours,” reads a press release that was sent out this morning. For now, Onesty will be open Thursday through Saturday between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Washington Park Pool will be open those hours from Sunday to Wednesday. The indoor Smith Aquatic Center is now open every day after being closed for a couple of years. Outdoor spray grounds are also open. Visit the city’s website for more information. Second shout-out: The Plant Northern Piedmont Natives Campaign It’s getting close to the end of springtime, and one Patreon subscriber wants you to know the Plant Northern Piedmont Natives Campaign is a grassroots initiative of motivated citizens, volunteers, partner organizations, and local governments who want to promote the use of native plants. Did you know that National Pollinator Week is June 20th-26th this year? There are many ways to celebrate and learn more about our native pollinators, and here's a great one to start with:Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is hosting an in-person/virtual Pollinator Power Symposium on June 23rd, and there is an excellent line up of speakers scheduled for the day! There are plenty of resources on the Plant Northern Piedmont Natives Facebook page, so sign up to be notified of lectures, plant sales, and more! Louisa County may seek a referendum for a sports complexDiscussion of a sports complex with new athletic fields in Albemarle County stalled at the end of the budget cycle, but Louisa County is considering a referendum on the issuance of $16.5 million in bonds for that purpose. The Louisa County Board of Supervisors discusses a draft petition for the referendum at their meeting this past Monday. For a referendum to get on the ballot, a Circuit Court judge has to sign an order by August 18. “This is for a bond issue of up to $16.5 million and it lists four baseball fields, four rectangular fields for sports, concessions, lighting, parking and related facilities, a field house at the high school football field and renovation of existing sports facilities,” said Louisa County Attorney Helen Phillips. Phillips said the language in the ballot question has to be in plain English and not in legalese.Supervisors discussed the proper wording, and whether the suggested wording was too broad. There is a possibility of two different ballot questions. One would be for the complex, and one would be for the field house and other renovations. “In the discussions we’ve had about going to referendum, I don’t recall anything other than just going to referendum to see if people would get behind building a sports complex,” said Mountain Road District Supervisor Tommy Barlow. Supervisor Fitzgerald Barnes said he sees the need for a complex that would expand the county’s offerings, but that the existing school fields also need to be addressed. “What we don’t have in this county is synthetic surfaces for girls’ softball where they could play in the rain,” Barnes said. “These fields would allow, number one, not having to water them, not having to fertilize them, not having to cut them. They would be maintenance free fields.” Barnes said this could help the county increase revenue from lodging taxes. Supervisor Toni Williams of the Jackson District said the ballot question as suggested appeared to assume that the county has already decided to proceed with the project. “It appears that the cake is baked in this that the decision has been made to build them,” Williams said. “Maybe the real special election should ask, first of all, do you want these facilities in the county, and if you want them, do you authorize the Board to pay for them by bond?” Supervisors gave direction to divide the referendum into separate questions. Final language will be discussed and approved at future meetings. The location for a future sports complex has also not yet been selected. For more information on this and anything else happening in Louisa County, visit Engage Louisa by Tammy Purcell. Town Crier Productions has a sponsorship thing with Ting!For over a year one year now, Town Crier Productions has had a promotional offering through Ting!Are you interested in fast internet? Visit this site and enter your address to see if you can get service through Ting. If you decide to proceed to make the switch, you’ll get:Free installationSecond month of Ting service for freeA $75 gift card to the Downtown MallAdditionally, Ting will match your Substack subscription to support Town Crier Productions, the company that produces this newsletter and other community offerings. So, your $5 a month subscription yields $5 for TCP. Your $50 a year subscription yields $50 for TCP! The same goes for a $200 a year subscription! All goes to cover the costs of getting this newsletter out as often as possible. Learn more here! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Hello and welcome to another episode of Charlottesville Community Engagement for June 9, 2022. While I increasingly wonder if I am a cartoon character, I am certain I am not the subject of National Donald Duck Day and if you listened to the beginning of the podcast version, you would have proof. Additionally, my name is not Earl and I am not sure an entire day needs to be devoted to strawberry rhubarb pie. I am certain I’m Sean Tubbs, and that the show really begins now. This ongoing compendium of information is supported by paid subscriptions, but you can get it for free. If you do pay, Ting will match your initial payment! Please support the work! On today’s program: Another federal lawsuit is filed to seek a House of Delegates race this yearThe Louisa County Board of Supervisors goes on record unanimously opposing a change to the regional library system The head of the area’s tourism bureau briefs Council on hotel occupancy and efforts to promote Black-owned destinationsVirginia to receive $76.4 million from the latest carbon allowance auction brokered by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative First shout-out is for LEAP’s new Thermalize Virginia program In today’s first Patreon-fueled shout-out: Have you been thinking of converting your fossil-fuel appliances and furnaces into something that will help the community reduce its greenhouse gas emissions? Your local energy nonprofit, LEAP,  has launched a new program to guide you through the steps toward electrifying your home. Thermalize Virginia will help you understand electrification and connect you with vetted contractors to get the work done and help you find any rebates or discounts. Visit thermalizeva.org to learn more and to sign up! Another lawsuit filed to force House of Delegates race this NovemberAnother Richmond area resident has filed a federal lawsuit in the Eastern District of Virginia claiming that the House of Delegates boundaries in place for the November 2021 election are unconstitutional. The action comes two days after a three-judge panel ruled that Paul Goldman did not have the legal standing to make the claim that the Board of Elections erred in certifying elections for outdated legislative boundaries. Jeffrey Thomas Jr. had filed to be added to a suit filed by Paul Goldman last October, but Monday’s opinion rendered that request to intervene moot. Yesterday Thomas filed a “petition of mandamus” that asks the court to consider his claim that he has suffered a legal injury because the 71st House District where he resides has a 2020 Census Count that contains more people than it should. “Plaintiff and all other voters and residents in [House District] 71-2011 have had their voting strength and political representation unconstitutionally diluted or weakened by their failure of Defendants to conduct, enact, or oversee decennial constitutional reapportionment, redistricting, or elections,” reads paragraph 10 of the petition.Paragraph 17 of the petition states that the smallest House District has a population of 71,122 and the largest has a population of 130,082 according to the 2020 Census.  Thomas states his own district is ten percent over the ideal size and that the Virginia Constitution doesn’t permit a deviation above five percent. Paragraph 29 and 30 point out that Thomas is now within the new 78th House District, which has a population of 87,774 people. Thomas seeks a repeat of 1982 when a federal court ordered elections for the House of Delegates for similar reasons in the Cosner v. Dalton case.“Conducting House of Delegates elections in 2022 under constitutional lines is a proper remedy under the Cosner precedent,” reads paragraph 58.  Thomas is requesting that attorneys for the Commonwealth of Virginia make a reply or file a motion to dismiss within 48 hours of their receipt of the petition. Louisa Supervisors unanimously oppose name change for regional libraryAt their meeting this past Monday, the seven-member Board of Supervisors for Louisa County voted on a resolution to formally oppose any change of the name of the Jefferson Madison Regional Library system. A group requested that action at the most recent meeting of the JMRL’s Board of Trustees.Supervisor Chair Duane Adams of the Mineral District asked for the resolution to be put on the agenda. “I think about $392,000 of our tax money goes to funding the Jefferson Madison Regional Library [and] we have a right to say how our money is spent,” Adams said. Adams said this resolution did not withhold the funding but simply stated opposition to a potential name change. “If the library board changes their name I will put a motion and resolution on the [Louisa] Board’s agenda to withhold our $392,000 and bring it back to the county,” Adams said. “What that would mean is we would withdraw from the regional library system.”Adams said the library would not close and service would continue. For comparison, the Fluvanna public library is independent of JMRL and that county’s budget is $457,442 for fiscal year 2023. Adams also noted there is no outcry against the name of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission or that there is a tobacco leaf on the Louisa County seal. “I think at some point we have to recognize that history and people is both good and bad,” Adams said. “Yes, the institution of slavery was evil, it was awful, it was despictable and I don’t think anyone would ever try to justify it.” Cuckoo District Supervisor Willie Gentry said he wanted to know more information about what the new name might be. “It’s kind of hard to say you oppose something when you don’t know what it’s going to,” Gentry said. “The second thing is, the name on the building is the Louisa County library.” Gentry, Adams, and the rest of the board voted to oppose the name change. The next meeting of the JMRL Board of Trustees will be held on June 27 at the Northside Library beginning at 3 p.m.Virginia receives $76.4 million in June’s cap-and-trade auctionVirginia has now participated in six auctions brokered by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, an interstate compact that seeks to incentivize investment in new sources of power generation that produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions. The Commonwealth joined the program in 2020 and legacy generators of electricity must purchase credits to exceed caps authorized by the General Assembly that year. The latest auction was held earlier this month, and Virginia will receive $76,418,182.90. By the terms of the state code, Virginia will direct 45 percent to the Community Flood Preparedness Fund and 50 percent to support energy efficiency programs for low-income households. Read more about the auction in this press release.Governor Glenn Youngkin has pledged to withdraw Virginia from RGGI out of a concern that energy companies such as Dominion pass on the costs to consumers. Earlier this year he signed an executive order seeking that outcome, but that action would require action by the General Assembly. Legislation to withdraw did not pass but the issue is likely to come back. At the local level, the city of Charlottesville will hold a virtual workshop tonight on the Climate Vulnerability Assessment, which the city will use to create a climate action plan. Top hazards identified are an increase in violent storms and periods of extreme heat. If you want to attend, you’ll have to register in advance. (register in advance)Watch a tutorial on RGGI auctions:Second shout-out is for a Charlottesville Jazz Society concert this Saturday:In today’s second subscriber-supported shout-out. On Saturday June 11, the Charlottesville Jazz Society and WTJU present Michael Bisio in a solo acoustic bass performance. Bisio is touring in support of his new solo bass recording "Inimitable". Opening for Michael Bisio will be Richmond violinist/electronics artist Zakaria Kronemer. The concert at Visible Records on Broadway Avenue will begin at 8 pm. A suggested donation of $10 at the door is requested.  For more information visit cvillejazz.org or call (434) 249-6191.Council briefed on tourism group’s efforts to bring in more visitorsHotel occupancy in Albemarle and Charlottesville continues to rebound with overnight stats in April of this year slightly above the previous year, but still below pre-pandemic levels.“We’re recovering a bit,” said Courtney Cacatian, the executive director of the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Our hotel occupancy is still limited by our workforce here.” Cacatian provided that information to City Council at a work session Monday that served as an introduction to the agency, which was created in 1979 to promote tourism in the area. She said the entity never stopped advertising during the pandemic, so there is pent-up demand reflected in the average daily rates. This April that figure was over $170 a day compared to around $100 in April 2021. (view the presentation) “The mission is really to enhance the economy, specifically in the tourism industry, and to generate tax revenue for the city and the county,” Cacatian said. “And we reinvest that funding back into the tourism economy to start that funnel again.” Cacatian has been in the position since August 2019, several months before the pandemic hit. The agency’s main source of funding is through the transient occupancy tax levied by Albemarle and Charlottesville, in addition to grants. The CACVB’s budget lags two year behind collection, which explains why the FY23 budget of $1.72 million is lower than the FY22 budget of $2.053 million Much of the funding goes into marketing. “And that marketing includes advertising, public relations, and sales efforts,” Cacatian said. “We’re the storytellers for Charlottesville and Albemarle and we get to tell people who don’t live here what we want them to know about us so that they come to visit.” CACVB also served as a pass-through agent for $680,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding that originated from the Virginia Tourism Council, as well as $750,000 in ARPA funding from Albemarle County. One of the marketing initiatives targeted to a national audience is called Discover Black Cville which went live on March 27. That began in August 2020 with listening sessions with Black businesses and attractions. “It was really important to me that we were making sure that our community had buy in before we launched nationally and you could tell on launch day how much community buy in and positivity had been created by this effort,” Cacatian said. The initial launch weekend led to several articles:My Trip To Charlottesville, Virginia Taught Me The Importance Of Black Ownership In America, Marsha BadgerCharlottesville, VA, To Highlight Black-Owned Businesses Through Community-Led Initiative, Brunno BragaCharlottesville Celebrates National Launch of Discover Black Cville, Mary MelnickVice Mayor Juandiego Wade was on hand for the event.“It was a room full of writers from different newspapers and I love meeting new people so it didn’t take much for me to get there and talk to them,” Wade said. “It was great. It was just a perfect weekend as far as the weather, the activity. It was smelling great outside with the different food so I hope they enjoyed it.”Councilor Sena Magill said she really liked what CACVB is doing with Discover Black Cville, but she said she was concerned about any funds being used to pay for short-term rentals that may not be properly registered with the city.“If the city is paying a large chunk of money and then we are providing advertising space for companies who are breaking our zoning laws and impinging on our affordable housing stock…” Magill said.“And then typically not paying the taxes either,” said Charlottesville Mayor Lloyd Snook.“Yeah!” Magill said. “I have some issues with that.” Cacatian said she would look into the matter. The Board of Directors for the CACVB next meet on July 11. Check the public notices section of their website for more information. Town Crier Productions has a sponsorship thing with Ting!For over a year one year now, Town Crier Productions has had a promotional offering through Ting!Are you interested in fast internet? Visit this site and enter your address to see if you can get service through Ting. If you decide to proceed to make the switch, you’ll get:Free installationSecond month of Ting service for freeA $75 gift card to the Downtown MallAdditionally, Ting will match your Substack subscription to support Town Crier Productions, the company that produces this newsletter and other community offerings. So, your $5 a month subscription yields $5 for TCP. Your $50 a year subscription yields $50 for TCP! The same goes for a $200 a year subscription! All goes to cover the costs of getting this newsletter out as often as possible. Learn more here! This is a public episode. 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Have you ever wanted something so bad that not getting it created a lot of tension and anxiety? How can we shift out of that needy, anxious, forcing and pushing energy into one of calm, flow and ease? Show Notes: What happens when we are in anxious energy when we want or need something, vs when we are in calm and easeWhat to do when you're not getting what you want/needHow to shift from anxious energy into flow and ease when what you want and need isn't coming/happeningWhat's really happening when you feel trapped in somethingWhat you actually need to be freeA question you can ask yourself that can totally shift your realityA strategic tool to use to shift you into flow and ease Resources and Workshops Mentioned in the Episode: Trigger-Free Workshop- Break free from any trigger and shift into flow and ease - ENROLL HERE Host Links: Follow Stephanie on IG @stephaniezellerspeaksTo learn more about 1:1 coaching and mentorship opportunities with host Dr. Stephanie Zeller - CLICK HERETo learn about Online Workshops offered by host Dr. Stephanie Zeller - CLICK HERE Have a question or topic for an episode? CLICK HERE to share your ideas Share some love by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts HERE