Podcast appearances and mentions of graham paige

La familia Zapp viaja desde el 2000 en un auto Graham-Paige fabricado en Detroit en 1928. Herman y Candelaria Zapp salieron de Buenos Aires (Argentina) y por el camino han nacido sus cuatro hijos, cada uno en un país distinto: Nahuel Pampa (14 años) en Estados Unidos, Lucas Tehue en Ushuaia (Argentina), Paloma Huyaa en Canadá y Marco Wallaby en Australia. El 23 de diciembre 2016 les localizamos en Barcelona.

Automotive repair and racing experts Kevin Rehwinkel and Tom Claxton host this weekly car show Mondays 8 to 9 PM.  The focus is on latest technology, vehicle care and providing answers to listener car repair questions, racing at Mobile International Speedway the weekend coming up car warranty scams, turbochargers, and the 1938 Graham Paige, really weird conspiracy caller initially talking about the Graham

Overlanders es un podcast de viajes de entrevistas en el que no hay preguntas. Hay palabras...OPORTUNIDAD - VARIEDAD - EMPATÍA - RESPONSABILIDAD - LASTIMA - ABRAZOS - NIÑO/A - DIFICULTAD - ENFERMEDAD - REGRESO - SIEMPRECon estas once palabras, Herman y Cande nos llevan de viaje a sus recuerdos, momentos, reflexiones, aprendizajes, lugares o personas en este capítulo del podcast O.V.E.R.L.A.N.D.E.R.S.Salieron de Buenos Aires en el año 2000 con su auto (un Graham Paige de 1928), con idea de llegar hasta Alaska en seis meses. Resultado: aún siguen viajando por el mundo. Han recorrido los cinco continentes y han tenido cuatro hijos en viaje: Pampa, Tehue, Paloma y Wallaby. Para nosotros, la familia Zapp, es la punta del iceberg en cuanto a inspiración viajera y perseguir sueños se refiere.Si quieres saber más sobre ellos y su inimitable experiencia, entra en su canal de Youtube FamiliaZapp, encuéntrales en su instagram @familiazappfamily , en Facebook @herman.zapp o hazte con su libro "Atrapa tu sueño".A Lucía Sánchez y Rubén Señor presentadores y creadores de este podcast, los puedes encontrar en su blog de viajes en familia algoquerecordar.com, en sus redes @algoqrecordar o en su otro podcast Hola, Mundo. Además, puedes ver alguno de sus cortometrajes como "El síndrome del eterno viajero I y II" o documentales como “”Hola, Mundo” y Around Them".Música de Carlos Cerrada Cuesta: shorturl.at/lrwN7Las experiencias hacen que cada viaje sea único.Las palabras, que a cada persona le lleven a un lugar diferente.Overlanders

Elections bring changes, and fundamental changes will likely come to the way Virginia is governed as Republicans appear to narrowly win all three statewide seats and regain the House of Delegates. Closer to home, Democrats continue to hold all of the seats on the City Council and the Albemarle Board of Supervisors. What will the landscape be like as 2022 begins? That’s for another day, for this installment of Charlottesville Community Engagement is solely about election returns:In this newsletter:Republicans narrowly win all three statewide seatsAn incumbent is ousted in the Charlottesville City School Board raceGraham Paige fends off a write-in candidateBob Babyok is defeated in Louisa County, while two Nelson incumbents hold onBut first, a Patreon-fueled shout-out. Colder temperatures are creeping in, and now is the perfect time to think about keeping your family warm through the holidays. Make sure you are getting the most out of your home with help from your local energy nonprofit, LEAP. LEAP wants you and yours to keep comfortable all year round, and offers FREE home weatherization to income- and age-qualifying residents. If you’re age 60 or older, or have an annual household income of less than $74,950, you may qualify for a free energy assessment and home energy improvements such as insulation and air sealing. Sign up today to lower your energy bills, increase comfort, and reduce energy waste at home!*As of this writing, the Virginia Department of Elections website has recorded 2,723 of Virginia’s 2,855 precincts have reported and Republican Glenn Youngkin has 50.68 percent of the vote to 48.55 percent for Democrat Terry McAuliffe. The difference is around 57,000 votes. These results are considered incomplete because qualified absentee ballots can be accepted through noon on November 5 and the results will be certified on November 15. These numbers will change but probably not very much. While none of the results here are technically complete, the Associated Press called the race for Youngkin after midnight last night and he took the stage in victory. “Alrighty Virginia, we won this thing,” Youngkin said. McAuliffe also appeared before supporters but did not offer a concession speech but appeared to continue his campaign for a return to the Governor’s mansion. “When Ralph and I were elected eight years ago, we had made our state open and welcoming but the fight continues,” McAuliffe said. McAuliffe then listed several pieces of his platform.“We are going to continue that fight tonight and every day going forward,” McAuliffee said Youngkin takes over a Commonwealth that appears to be in good financial shape. Unemployment has dropped for sixteen months straight to a September figure of 3.8 percent. Virginia had a $2.6 billion surplus at the end of fiscal year 2021. In his comments, Youngkin called his victory a defining moment that will change the trajectory of the state. “Friends, we are going to start that transformation on day one,” Youngkin said More on that transformation later on in the newsletter If the results hold up, Youngkin will be sworn in on January 15. The 2022 General Assembly will convene three days before. The Republicans appear to have retaken the majority of the House of Delegates with 51 to 49 seats, according to information tallied by the Virginia Public Access Project. (VPAP)The Lieutenant Governor presides over the Senate which did not have an election yesterday and will remain under Democratic control with a majority of 21 seats of 40 seats.Republican Winsome Sears will be the next Lieutenant Governor with 50.82 percent of the vote with Democrat Hala Ayala at 49.08 percent. Sears is the first Black woman to be elected to statewide office in Virginia and she said her victory is the embodiment of the American dream.“When my father came to this country, August 11 of 1963, he came at the height of the civil rights movement from Jamaica,” Sears said “He came and I said to him, it was such a bad time for us. Why did you come? And he said because America was where the jobs and the opportunities were.” For Attorney General, Republican Jason Miyares has 50.49 percent of the vote to incumbent Democrat Mark Herring at 49.43 percent. The Republican ticket carried most localities across rural Virginia. Youngkin carried Nelson County with 55.58 percent of the electorate with all but absentee ballots counted. The Governor-elect also carried Fluvanna with 56.86 percent of the vote. Louisa County also went for Youngkin with 66.28 percent of the vote. The Republican’s margin in Greene County was even higher at 71.86 percent The story is different in Albemarle and Charlottesville. McAuliffe carried Albemarle with 61.86 percent of the vote and Charlottesville with 82.87 percent of the vote.Local racesNow let’s look at local races. In Nelson County, Central District incumbent Democrat Ernie Reed fended off a challenge from Republican Pamela Brice with 50.78 percent of the vote. North District Incumbent Tommy Harvey defeated Democratic challenger Mary Cunningham. Harvey was first elected in 1984. (Nelson results) In Louisa County, incumbent Robert Babyok Jr. appears to have been defeated by challenger Rachel Jones. Jones has 53.2 percent as of production time. (Louisa results)In Albemarle, all three Democrats on the ballot for Supervisor won because they had no opposition. Graham Paige retained his seat representing Samuel Miller on the Albemarle School Board with 73.84 percent over a write-in candidate. (Albemarle results)In the Charlottesville City Council race, Democrat Juandiego Wade got the most votes with 11,582 before the absentee ballots are counted. Democrat Brian Pinkston got 10,041 votes. Independent Yas Washington secured 3,407 votes and withdrawn incumbent Nikuyah Walker got 1,916.  (Charlottesville results)In the School Board race, four-term incumbent Leah Puryear came in fourth, meaning she will not serve a fifth. Incumbent Lisa Larson-Torres got the most votes with 7,329, followed by newcomer Emily Dooley with 6,633, and newcomer Dom Morse with 6,500. Christa Bennett placed fifth with 4,488 votes. In Greene County, Abbey E. Heflin has a close lead over Tina A. Deane in the Stanardsville District race at 960 to 917 votes. Bill Martin opted not to run for re-election. (Greene results)There were no contested races for Supervisor in Fluvanna County. (Fluvanna results)Preparing for the Youngkin administration Back to the Governor-elect. Between now and January 15, Youngkin will appoint candidates to the Secretariats ranging alphabetically from Agriculture and Forestry to Transportation. A new governor will shape the entire tone of state and local government. Youngkin’s victory speech called for new spending.“We will invest the largest education budget in the history of the Commonwealth,” Youngkin said. “We’re going to invest in teachers, new facilities, special education. We’re going to introduce choice within our public school system.” For Youngkin, that means more charter schools and giving parents more control over what is taught in public schools. But the call for spending also came with a call to reduce revenue that comes into the state. “Friends, we will reduce our cost of living on day one,” Youngkin said. “On day one, we will declare the largest tax refund in the history of Virginia.” Among taxes Youngkin wants to reduce is an increase in the Virginia gas tax that passed the General Assembly in 2020, as well as increasing deductions. He also called for more spending on salaries for law enforcement. “We’re going to comprehensively fund law enforcement because they stand up for us and we’re going to stand up for them,” Youngkin said. Younkin also said he would replace all members of the Virginia Parole Board. The governor-elect also promised investments in economic development. This past July, CNBC named Virginia as the number one state in the nation to do business. “We’re going to get this economy moving again, growing 400,000 new jobs, fostering 10,000 start-up,” Youngkin said. “Friends, Virginia will be open for business.”Here’s a quick look at the legislative races that touch Albemarle County: Republican incumbent Chris Runion defeated Democratic challenger Jennifer Kitchen in the 25th District with 62.36 percent to 37.51 percent. Democratic incumbent Sally Hudson fended off Republican challenger Philip Hamilton in the 57th District with 78.37 percent to 21.41 percent.Republican incumbent Rob Bell defeated Democrat Sara Ratcliffe in the 58th District with 63.4 percent of the vote.Republican incumbent Matt Farris won against Democratic Ben Moses with 64.64 percent of the vote. Moses raised over $600,000 in the campaign. Pre-filing for the 2022 General Assembly begins on November 15. Special announcement of a continuing promo with 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. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

In the first of three Patreon-fueled shout-outs:Fall is here, and with it, more moderate temperatures. While your HVAC takes a break, now is the perfect time to prepare for the cooler months. Your local energy nonprofit, LEAP, wants you and yours to keep comfortable all year round! LEAP offers FREE home weatherization to income- and age-qualifying residents, so, if you’re age 60 or older, or have an annual household income of less than $74,950, you may qualify for a free energy assessment and home energy improvements such as insulation and air sealing. Sign up today to lower your energy bills, increase comfort, and reduce energy waste at home!On today’s show:A quick update on campaign finance in Albemarle and CharlottesvilleCharlottesville City Council gets an update on sidewalks at Stribling AvenueMore funding is available for Virginia school systems to begin to replace their bus fleets with cleaner vehiclesLet’s begin with a quick COVID update and the continuing downward trend. The Virginia Department of Health reports 1,617 new cases today, and the seven-day average for new cases has dropped to 1,983. On October 1, those numbers were 2,552 and 2,780 respectively. Since October 1, there have been 732 deaths reported. The percent positivity has dropped to 6.8 percent, down from 9.1 on September 30. In the Blue Ridge Health District, there are 66 new cases reported today, This afternoon, the district announced changes to COVID tests they offer. Specifically, you can now register for a PCR test on the BRHD website. Antibody tests are not available for this service, which takes place at various places. (link)*The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has announced $10 million in grant funding for school systems to use to purchase replacements for diesel school buses. The money comes from Virginia’s share of the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust, a result of that company’s lying about the emissions ratings of their vehicles. In August, the DEQ announced the award of $10 million to 19 school districts, allowing for the replacement of 83 buses including two in Albemarle.This time around, localities can apply for either $300,000 for each electric bus and its charging infrastructure, as well as $15,000 for every propane bus. DEQ will hold webinars on October 26 and November 4. Applications are due February 1. Campaign finance reports for SeptemberThe latest deadline for campaign finance reports from candidates in Virginia were due Friday, and the results are in. None of Albemarle County’s three candidates for three seats the Board of Supervisors raised no funds between September 1 and September 30. All three races are uncontested, including newcomer Jim Andrews for the Samuel Miller District. The two Democrats in the Charlottesville continued to raise funds. According to data pulled together by the Virginia Public Access Project, Brian Pinkston raised an additional $20,589 in September with 26 contributions of over $100 including $2,500 from the Realtors Political Action Committee of Virginia. Pinkston spent $23,437 in September and had $14,399 on hand as the month concluded. Pinkston has raised $109,280, a record amount for a City Council campaign. (details on VPAP)Juandiego Wade raised an additional $14,636 in September, including a $4,500 check from the Realtors Political Action Committee of Virginia. That was among 29 contributions over $100. Wade spent $8,019 in the period and had a balance of $15,201 at the end of the month. Wade has raised a total of $96,400. (details on VPAP)Independent Yas Washington raised $100, spent $100, and ended the month with no money on hand.  (details on VPAP)Campaign finance reports are also required for School Board candidates. There are five candidates seeking three seats in Charlottesville. Let’s start with the three newcomers. Christa Bennett began September with $2,575.79, raised $60 in new funds, spent $611.67, and ended the reporting period with $2,024.12. (report)Emily Dooley began the period with $9,112,60, raised $2,375 in new funds, spent $903.40, and finished the month with $10,584.20. (report)Dom Morse started September with $5,342.32 in the bank, raised $1,783.35, spent $3,519.60, and concluded the reporting period with $3,606.07 in the bank. (report)Now the two incumbents. Leah Puryear had no campaign funds at hand on September 1, but raised $1,375 during the period. Her campaign spent $821.46 and had $553.54 on September 30. (report)Lisa Larson-Torres had $3,345.47 on hand at the beginning of the month, raised $50, spent $1,099.86, and had a balance of $2,295.61. Three of Albemarle’s magisterial districts have School Board races this year, and the at-large seat is not one of them. Unlike the Board of Supervisors, there are seven seats for the School Board. In the Rio District, Kristin Callsen is running unopposed. In the Jack Jouett District, Kate Acuff is running unopposed.In the Samuel Miller District, Graham Paige is running unopposed on the ballot, but there is a write-in candidate. Randy Zackrisson began September with $9,349.81 on hand and raised $5,587.72 and spent $2,462.87 to end the month with $12,474.66 on hand. (report)Paige began September with $1,721.69 and raised $5,984 but spent no funds during the month. That left him with $7,705.69 on hand as October began. The next campaign finance reports are due on October 25 for the reporting period between October 1 and October 21. You’re listening to Charlottesville Community Engagement. Time now for two more Patreon-fueled shout-outs. One person wants you to know "We keep each other safe. Get vaccinated, wear a mask, wash your hands, and keep your distance."And in another one, one brand new Patreon supporter 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, the community depends on a network of people writing about the community. Go learn about this place today!Charlottesville City Council held a work session yesterday on how to cover the costs of sidewalk improvements for Stribling Avenue to support a 170 unit development on about 12 acres of undeveloped land. James Freas is the director of the city’s Neighborhood Development Services department. “So, as many as you know, there’s a [Planned Unit Development] proposed for 240 Stribling Avenue,” Freas said. “The proposed project includes a mix of apartments, townhouses, two-family units.”Freas said Southern Development will proffer 15 percent of the units to be affordable or for-sale to 60 percent of the area median income. That means rent or the mortgage would be capped at 30 percent of those household’s monthly budget. “A critical issue and consideration of whether to rezone this property or not is the status of the sidewalk of Stribling Avenue itself,” Freas said. “Stribling Avenue does not currently have any sidewalks on it. It sees a fair amount of traffic and is a relatively narrow street as it exists today.”Southern Development has also offered to pay up to $2 million to cover the costs of building the sidewalk and worked with the economic development office to come up with an agreement on how to be paid back through using the incremental tax revenue that would be generated by the increased value of the property after development. In September, city engineer Jack Dawson said the cost estimate would be slightly higher. The work session was intended to provide an analysis of the estimate, but not a finalized estimate for many reasons. (Dawson’s analysis)“This has not gone through community engagement and stakeholder meetings which can add significantly to a project as you may be aware,” Dawson said. “And then projects of this type are not insignificant undertakings nor are they cookie cutter in design typology or execution. A sidewalk is not just a sidewalk.”Dawson described how additional right of way would need to be purchased by the city, how the drainage system would need to be built, and how many on-street parking spaces and trees would need to be removed. All of that adds up. “The original cost amount was $1.2 million with a 25 percent contingency of $1.5 million,” Dawson said. “And then after I did the analysis, I adjusted all of those things and it went to $2.4 million almost with a 20 percent contingency bringing it to $2.8 million.”The scope of the project does not include upgrades to Stribling’s intersection with Jefferson Park Avenue Extended. Upgrading the pedestrian crossing there would be a separate project that Dawson said is being undertaken by the city using existing funds. Vice Mayor Sena Magill asked if Stribling could be turned into a one-way road that would connect back to Fontaine Avenue along land in Albemarle County. Dawson said that would be tough and expensive. Outgoing City Manager Chip Boyles did not attend the virtual Council meeting, so it was up to Deputy City Manager Sam Sanders to sum up the button line.“Where we are is that we’re looking at the moment an $850,000 gap based on what the proffer that we have received is and what we have come up with our estimate,” Sanders said. “We have 170 units that are being proposed by the developer with 15 percent, so 25 units being offered up for rental for 10 years and ownership for 30 years at 60 percent of AMI.”Sanders asked Council if that investment would be worth it to achieve that level of affordability.“Because of the stresses that we face with the decisions that we have to make regarding schools and all of the various priorities that we have, that’s a tall order of coming up with that $850,000,” Sanders said. Councilor Michael Payne was not sure the return on investment was worth it. “It seems realistically like that $850,000 just is not really feasible in terms of being ahead of other priorities,” Payne said. Payne said investing in Piedmont Housing and other entities would be a better use of funds. Councilor Lloyd Snook said he favored the use of incremental tax financing for projects, but also said the $850,000 was too much for the city to cover at this time. The rezoning application will return to the Planning Commission at a later date. Special announcement! Today’s the third day of a new promo with 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 Mall This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

In today’s Patreon-fueled shout-out...your local energy nonprofit, LEAP, offers FREE home weatherization to income- and age-qualifying residents. If you’re age 60 or older, or have an annual household income of less than $75,100, you may qualify for a free energy assessment and home energy improvements such as insulation and air sealing. Sign up today to lower your energy bills, increase comfort, and reduce energy waste at home!On today’s show:The Blue Ridge Health District will move its vaccination clinic to Fashion Square Mall Albemarle and Charlottesville both get updates on budgetsCharlottesville Fire Department seeks to reduce risks through neighborhood assessmentsInitial site plan filed for parking lot for future Biscuit Run parkExit 124’s conversion to a “diverging-diamond” is underwayAn update on displacement at the Red Carpet InnThe pandemic has a knack for breathing new life into commercial spaces that have gone dormant if only for a temporary basis. Beginning next week, the Blue Ridge Health District will provide shots at the former J.C. Penney space in Fashion Square Mall. They have been doing so in the parking lot of the former K-Mart. The UVA Health System is providing shots at the former Big Lots.The Health District continues to go through health care workers eligible under Phase1A. Dr. Denise Bonds is the director. “There’s a few individuals we still haven’t reached yet, and then of course there are new individuals that have just taken jobs within that area and we will continue to prioritize those individuals,” Bonds said. “We are still working through our 1B essential workers and as I said we’re moving into manufacturing and farm and agriculture. We are vaccinating individuals who are 65 and older and those who are 16 to 64 with high-risk medical conditions.”Bonds said the district and UVA have administered nearly 100,000 doses. Next week they are expecting 11,650 doses, with 5,800 of those first shots and 2,000 the one-shot Johnson and Johnson version. The move to the J.C. Penney will allow the district to have up to 30 people administering vaccines at a time. Ryan McKay is the policy director for the Blue Ridge Health District, which has outgrown the tent. “While that tent has been serving a tremendous purpose and service to the community, it does present some challenges for us we operate,” McKay said. “When we have larger volumes of people, it puts people outside as opposed to inside. It sort of limits the amount of vaccinators we can have and the number of chairs we can provide for observation areas.” The J.C. Penney space offers 100,000 square feet of room and will begin operations on March 23 starting four days a week. “Provided that the vaccine allocation increased, we could administer up to 2,000 doses per day out of that location,” McKay said. Source: Blue Ridge Health DistrictEveryone who wants a vaccine is now being asked to go ahead and register with the Commonwealth at vaccinate.virginia.gov. Kathryn Goodman is the communications manager for the Blue Ridge Health District.  ‘We want everybody to pre-register right now,” Goodman said. “It doesn’t matter what phase you are in or when you will qualify. We want everyone registered in the state system.”Today, Governor Ralph Northam announced that schools and universities will be able to hold in-person graduation events later this spring. Events held outdoors will be capped at 30 percent of capacity or 5,000 people, whichever is less. Events held indoors may have up to 500 people or 30 percent capacity, whichever is less. According to a press release sent out today, Virginia school systems will receive $1.9 billion in direct funds from the American Rescue Plan adopted by Congress earlier this month. Source: Blue Ridge Health DistrictCharlottesville City Council met for more than six hours Monday and covered a lot of ground that I won’t fully get to in this newsletter. Council first got an update on the city’s financial forecast. Staff continue to monitor a potential $9 million shortfall in the current fiscal year with decreased meals and lodging taxes. Ryan Davidson is one of Charlottesville’s two senior budget analysts. He said one solution may be to use funding from the American Rescue Plan, but staff have not yet gone through all of the fine print. “We’re still going through what that means for us and restrictions and where it can be used but we do anticipate using some of this but we still need to figure out how we’re going to get, but we do anticipate using some of this to manage the shortfall,” Davidson said.  Next month’s report will include an updated forecast based on having three quarters of fiscal year 2021 in the books.  Download the full presentation on the city’s websiteThe Albemarle County also held a budget work session on Monday. At the beginning, Chief Financial Officer Nelsie Birch suggested dedicating a future work session to how Albemarle’s portion of the ARP funding would be used. That will give her and her staff to get more information. “I still at this point don’t actually know the amount of money we’re going to be receiving,” Birch said. “It’s somewhere around $21 million.”More from Albemarle in a moment. Council also got a report from the fire department on their new approach toward Community Risk Reduction, which is intended to lower service calls through various preventative measures. Joe Powers was hired from Henrico County to be the first deputy chief for community risk reduction. “We’re one of the few fire departments across the United States that has invested in community risk reduction at an executive level,” Powers said. “From a traditional standpoint, we’ve always heard of fire prevention as a part of the fire department. We’re changing that mindset and taking it from a section of the fire department and making it an organizational process.”Part of the work involves reviewing neighborhoods, looking for specific threats, and then tailoring targeted messages. “The entire city doesn’t need a program on cooking fires or pedestrians crossing the street,” Powers said. “Maybe it’s certain intersections or certain neighborhoods.”A lot of the work has to do with gathering data that can help the department move away from one-size-fits-all approach to community education efforts. Another name for it is neighborhood risk assessment. “We also need to understand where our structure fires, but more so we need to know where asthma is occurring, allergic reactions, hazardous material calls, and cardiac arrests because all of those risks in areas of the city can be mitigated with our partners and in the fire department,” Powers said. I’ll have more from the City Council meeting in a future installment. The department has conducted risk assessments of individual neighborhoods such as this one for 10th and Page (full presentation)Albemarle Supervisors went through the county school system’s request as well as capital projects at their work session Monday.  Graham Paige is the chair of the Albemarle School Board.“We are projecting the current revenues of $205.8 million which is an increase of $12 million over the current fiscal year,” Paige said. “The majority of that increase, that $6.9 million, is a general fund transfer from local government which as you know is increasing in response to higher real estate assessments and other local tax revenues that so far have been impacted by COVID-19 less than anticipated.” Paige said the school board’s request is balanced, but if revenues come in higher than expected, the hope is that income can go to pay for a salary increase. The request includes an increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour. One factor in the size of the school budget is the number of pupils. Katrina Callsen is the vice chair of the Albemarle School Board.“Next school year we are projecting an increase of more than 800 students over current enrollment,” Callsen said. “So moving from the 13,208 to 14,046.” Albemarle school staff will continue to adjust its budget as more information about state revenues comes in. They’ll adopt their budget in May, after Supervisors have adopted the county’s overall budget.Supervisor Bea LaPisto Kirtley took the opportunity to ask about summer school. There is a plan to hold a morning session and afternoon session for learning recovery. Superintendent Matt Haas also said the school system is reaching out to community partners to help provide some of the lessons and assistance with logistics.“We are putting out a request for proposals from our community partners that work with our students and often they have been great partners with the school system for field trips,” Haas said. That request for proposals carries the title “Summer Programming for Students and closes on April 2. Source: Albemarle CountySupervisors were also briefed on the $56.9 million capital budget for FY22. Several projects were paused in the current budget due to projected decline in revenues related to the pandemic as well as concerns about the uncertainty of the bond market. Albemarle’s chief of budget, Andy Bowman, said the bond market has stabilized, even if the rest of the economy has not yet done so. Interest rates are also lower than they were when the pandemic began, which will save the county money on debt service.“Working with our financial adviser, we were able to reduce our projected interest rates and that results in a savings of about $400,000,” Bowman said.Four new requests are proposed to be funded in the FY22 capital budget.“They are additional funding for economic development public/private partnerships,” Bowman said. “We also have $3 million in additional funding for the transportation leveraging program, another $6.3 million for Mountain View Elementary School expansion and site improvements, and the final project was a trailhead for the Moores Creek trail that will then make a connection to a greater trail network in the future.” Supervisor Ned Gallaway of the Rio District noted that opposition to development projects often draws upon concerns of overcrowded schools. “There is going to be a coming concern for elementary school seats up 29 north that has to be on discussion at some point,” Gallaway said. Today, the Albemarle Board of Supervisors appropriated one-time money from reserve funds for two projects. One is for a $1.1 million solid waste “convenience center” to serve southern Albemarle and the other was to have been $3 million to expand broadband projects.  However, the Board reduced that to $350,000 for now to see if funding from the ARP can be used for this purpose. (this paragraph was updated after publication)There’s another $3 million being set aside in a reserve known as the Business Process Optimization intended to build new systems for the Community Development Department. Kristy Shifflet is the county’s project management director.“In FY21 we’ve begun building a roadmap, really how might we replace a new community development system as well as an enterprise resource planning, or ERP, effort in order to update our business systems for the modern workplace,” Shifflet said. “We understand this is a large undertaking but our technology in these areas are aging and limited.”The new system could help speed up review of land use applications. (review Albemarle’s recommended FY22 budget) Albemarle will hold another budget work session on March 18 and will set the tax rate for the current calendar. The current property tax rate is $0.854 per $100 of assessed value, and staff has not recommended an increase. You’re reading Charlottesville Community Engagement. In this subscriber-supported public service announcement, the days of live music at clubs are in our future, but if you feel safe and want to check out people playing together in a safe environment, the Charlottesville Jazz Society has a running list of events coming up on their website. The Charlottesville Jazz Society is dedicated to the promotion, preservation and perpetuation of all jazz. Check them out in the link in the newsletter.  The eventual opening of a county park at the state-owned Biscuit Run property is one step closer to reality. The initial site plan for the first phase of Biscuit Run park has been filed with the Albemarle Community Development Department. The improvements are for a parking area with 75 spaces as well as an entrance from Route 20. The project has a capital budget of $2 million and is the first of many phases to add amenities to the 1,200 acre park, according to the Winter 2021 report from the Department of Facilities and Environmental Services.  Future phases have not yet been programmed in the capital budget. Source: Albemarle CountyAnother planned infrastructure project is moving forward into a more intensive construction phase. The conversion of Interstate 64’s Exit 124 to a “diverging diamond” increases the amount of vehicles that can travel through the signalized interchange. “The diverging diamond interchange briefly shifts vehicles to the opposite side of the road, eliminating traditional left turns that must cross over oncoming traffic,” reads a press release. “The new interchange will improve safety by reducing the number of spots where vehicles could collide and can handle more than 600 left-turn movements per hour, twice the capacity of a conventional interchange.”The speed-limit on U.S. 250 in the area has been reduced to 25 miles per hour. The project is expected to be completed by the fall of 2022 and is one of six projects being constructed by Curtis Contracting. Funding came from the second round of the Smart Scale process from the Virginia Department of Transportation. Curtis Contracting has already completed work at I-64’s Fontaine Avenue interchange and a connector road between Berkmar Drive and Rio Mills Road is nearly finished.Curtis Contracting will also build roundabouts at both the intersection of U.S. 250 and Route 151 and Profitt Road and Route 20.Source: Virginia Department of TransportationAnd finally today, Albemarle’s communications and public engagement director appeared at today’s Supervisors’ meeting to address concerns related to a recent rezoning applied for by the Piedmont Housing Alliance, Virginia Supportive Housing and the Thomas Jefferson Coalition for the Homeless. On February 17, Supervisors approved a change for the land where the Red Carpet Inn operates on U.S. 29 for a project that will eventually see between 80 to 140 housing units for people with low incomes. However, news reports have recently surfaced that existing residents of the Red Carpet Inn will be displaced. Emily Kilroy explained that there was a communication error. “The Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless has shared that as media reports came out about the family that had been living at the Red Carpet Inn on more of  a long-term basis, that when they became aware of the communication issue, they reached out to get a list of all the long-term tenants that have been living there,” Kilroy said. “There were ten households that were impacted with the closure of the Red Carpet Inn and they have made contact with all ten of those households. Seven of them have reached back out for support and they are working on an individual basis to find the best solution for their needs to get those individuals rehoused elsewhere in the community.” This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

In today’s Substack-fueled shout-out, Code 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 the Code for Charlottesville website to learn more, including details on three projects that are underway. On today’s show:Albemarle Supervisors hold their first work session on the proposed $466 million budget for FY22Virginia Festival of the Book kicks off tomorrowAlbemarle expands in-person instruction on Monday, and schools are still looking for input on name of Murray Elementary SchoolCharlottesville City School returned to in-person learning for kindergarten through 6th grade this week, and next week Albemarle County will move forward to its next phase of in-person learning. Graham Paige is the chair of the Albemarle School Board. “We will open in stage 4 on March 15,” Paige said. “This move was approved by the Board on February 11 and in this stage, pre-K through third graders will be able to receive four days of school instruction and grades four to 12 will have two days of in-school instruction. We expect approximately 7,600 students will receive in-person instruction with nearly 6,000 other students opting to receive virtual.” Paige said a survey showed that only 60 percent of respondents said they had suitable Internet access to participate fully in virtual learning. A soft opening took place this week to help new students get to know their learn their new school. Paige said the future name of Virginia L. Murray Elementary School will soon be decided this week, and it could perhaps remain the same. The school system is reviewing names. Respondents to a recent survey suggested keeping the name. “While the large majority of survey participants supported retaining the school’s current name, the most popular suggestion for a new name was Ivy Elementary School in reference to the school’s location in the western part of the county,” Paige said. An online survey continues to be open through March 18. To find out more, visit the school system’s page on renaming. In other school news, Charlottesville Superintendent Rosa Atkins has announced she will retire effective May 31. We’ll have more from that announcement on a future program. *The Virginia Festival of the Book gets underway tomorrow one year after canceling the last one in the early days of the pandemic. Jane Kulow is the director of the event, which will be held entirely online this year. “This will be our 27th outing,” Kulow said. “This year’s festival runs two full weeks. Saturday, March 13 to Friday March 26, 2021. It is all virtual, it is all free, and it includes books in all genres and for all ages.” Unlike in previous years, events will be held one at a time which means someone could theoretically watch every single hour live. “We believe we’ve found a way to offer some of our best features, and make the festival more accessible than ever,” Kulow said. “We invite you and everyone to explore the schedule and find events to attend.” Kulow spoke to the Albemarle Board of Supervisors on March 3.   View the schedule hereThe Albemarle County Board of Supervisors have begun their detailed review of the recommended $466 million budget for fiscal year 2022. The season has been slightly extended this year with adoption scheduled for May 5 after a series of work sessions. On Wednesday, the Board began with a look at the operating budget and began recommending potential things to add or to cut. Andy Bowman is the chief of budget. “Fiscal year 22 is really going to be a transitional budget,” Bowman said. “Our economy is stabilizing but it has not stabilized. Our community is adapting as our circumstances change and people are impacted by the pandemic in very different ways.” Budget schedule for FY22On Monday, they’ll talk about the school budget and next Thursday they’ll talk about public safety. At the Thursday meeting, they will also set a maximum tax rate for advertisement if they decide to increase from the current $0.854 per $100 of assessed value. County Executive Jeff Richardson’s recommended budget proposes no increase. But on Wednesday, Bowman told the supervisors that the transitional budget is intended to prepare for a post-pandemic world. “So even this is a transitionary budget, we had to reflect in making recommendations on what are those things we can do to build a bridge now to make sure that we are an even more resilient  organization and community when we reach the other side of our future?” This year’s budget is 17 percent higher than the current fiscal year, and Bowman said a lot of that is due to a larger capital improvement plan. “The board may recall at the state of the Fiscal Year 21 budget, many capital projects have been put on hold and some of those have been restarted and that certainly plays into that as well,” Bowman said.  Since Richardson unveiled his budget in late February, the General Assembly adopted a state budget. Bowman said staff are continuing to review how that might affect Albemarle’s budget, so there may still be adjustments based on new revenues. They’re also reviewing the American Rescue Plan to find out that affect the budget. “In my mind, I think of this as almost another round of the CARES coronavirus relief funds that were received in the last calendar year,” Bowman said. The recommended budget does not include any of those federal funds, and budget staff are checking to see what the rules for their usage will be. Virginia is expected to receive $6.8 billion for state and local aid from the ARP, according to the Associated Press.The county is putting $3 million in one-time funds toward expanding broadband in Albemarle and by creating an Office of Broadband Access. Supervisors directed staff to go in that direction in a joint meeting with the Albemarle Broadband Authority on February 17. Trevor Henry is the assistant county executive.“We all experienced the tsunami of internet need that occurred over the past year and really we have all been in that mode since a year ago,” Henry said. Henry said that even households that thought they had good access to broadband taxed their connections when almost every group event went online. “And so the work that has come since a year ago has only intensified the critical needs and we have a lot of opportunities in front of us now to do some meaningful work,” Henry said. “We have programs at the federal, state and local level.” Some of the work will be to pay for the “last mile” where clusters of structures are near a fiber line but their owners may not be able to afford to make the connection. Details of the program will come back to the board later this spring. But to make it work, staff will also need to be hired. “The addition of an operations person, an administrator, will help us set up purchase orders, taking care of all of the billing, taking citizen requests, responding, tracking that data,” Henry said. “Those kinds of metrics, making sure that the action items on all of the various meetings related to broadband get tracked and captured and we’re working to executive them.”Albemarle will also work on an effort to help people pay for the service once. Supervisors were all supportive of the recommendations to move forward. Both Louisa and Nelson have announced plans to move toward universal broadband through public-private partnerships with electric cooperatives. Earlier this month, the Louisa Board of Supervisors announced a $15 million investment. There’s a meeting today facilitated by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission to see how the model being used in Louisa and Nelson can be expanded to cover what’s known as the “middle mile.” Legislation to allow Dominion and Appalachian Power to expand their broadband efforts passed the General Assembly this year and awaits action by Governor Ralph Northam. (HB1923)The work session also covered public safety. Supervisor Diantha McKeel observed that new legislation requires localities to change the way service calls related to mental health crises are handled. “I know there’s some discussion about creating a team between so the police don’t have to respond by themselves to many of our mental health calls,” McKeel said. “There’s nothing in the budget Andy right now around that initiative.”Bowman confirmed that and suggested Police Chief Ron Lantz will be giving an update on that in the near future. Another new expense in the budget is the hiring of five people to staff the North Garden Volunteer Fire Company during the day with fire and rescue service by the fall of 2022. “Currently there are no county staff down there, they are entirely volunteer,” Bowman said. “We received a letter from them in the fall requesting supplemental staffing during the weekday daytime.The budget also includes purchase of an ambulance for the North Garden department. Bowman said that over the past four budgets, the county has added 32 full-time equivalents to fire and rescue. Some of those positions have been supported by grants from the federal government and to increase coverage to meet the needs of a growing population. A more in-depth discussion of public safety budgetary issues will be held at the March 18 work session. On March 22, they will talk in detail about transit. Charlottesville Area Transit had requested $1.47 million but the draft budget only recommends a million. Albemarle would contribute $6,137 a year for the new Afton Express and $2.18 million for Jaunt. CAT provided an update on proposed route changes at the February 24 Regional Transit Partnership. “In fiscal year 21, there are two studies that are taking through the Regional Transit Partnership,” Bowman said. “One of those is a longer-term regional transit vision plan and the other one is funded in 21 looking at some Albemarle specific transit services and we’ll be looking to what comes from that report for FY23 and beyond.”  Supervisors wanted more information on several things, including current response times for North Garden, the status of daytime staffing of the Earlysville Volunteer Fire Company, the and cost of operating the future Biscuit Run county park. This patron-supported public service announcement is from an anonymous supporter. Do you want to support your public library by picking up a mystery bag of books? The Friends of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library are resuming their Pop-up Book Sale this Sunday at the Gordon Avenue library. For $5, you can pick up a sealed, pre-selected bag, choosing from mystery, popular fiction, literary fiction, classic literature, biographies, sci-fi / fantasy. The JMRL Pop-Up sale begins this Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Gordon Avenue Library. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

On today’s show:Albemarle local government and school employees may get a $1,000 bonusThe MPO Policy Board is briefed on several transportation projectsCharlottesville’s public housing board held an emergency meeting todayAnd Albemarle County begins taking public comment on a new housing policyToday's Patreon-fueled shout-out is for the Plant Northern Piedmont Natives Campaign, an initiative that wants you to grow native plants in yards, farms, public spaces and gardens in the northern Piedmont. Native plants provide habitat, food sources for wildlife, ecosystem resiliency in the face of climate change, and clean water.  Start at the Plant Northern Piedmont Natives Facebook page and tell them Lonnie Murray sent you!     The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and the Albemarle School Board met last Thursday to begin the public side of the budget cycle. In Virginia, school boards do not have the power to raise their own money, so legislative bodies have to factor in school needs when setting a tax rate.  “We’re here to kind of kick off and get started with the things that roll right into our budget season which is right upon us,” said Albemarle Supervisor Ned Gallaway. “We are pleased to be with the supervisors as we start out with this budget season,” said Graham Paige, the chair of the Albemarle School Board. Recently, Albemarle unpaused several capital projects that were delayed due to the uncertainty involving the pandemic’s effect on the local economy. These include an addition at Crozet Elementary School. But, the main topic for Thursday’s meeting is a major factor that Albemarle’s budget staff need to consider as they tally up projected expenditures. Matt Haas is the Superintendent of Albemarle Public Schools. “I’m really grateful for this opportunity to be here with the Albemarle County School Board, the Board of Supervisors and our staff to have a conversation with what I think we all might consider is a high priority, compensation for our employees,” Haas said. Albemarle Superintendent Matt HaasHaas said this previous year has been very difficult for schools around the world as normal was turned upside down. There’s a lot of work that goes into providing the services associated with public schools. “Since then our employees, our teachers, our nurses, teaching assistants, building services staff, principals, bus drivers, aides, our child nutrition staff, and our leadership team have come together [and] treated every day as an opportunity to learn and improve, both virus mitigation and safety, providing for student and family needs in terms of meals and essentials and amazingly, high-quality teaching and learning, whether it is provided online or out at the school,” Haas said. This year, school employees did not get a raise due to the county’s decision to play it safe fiscally. A projected increase to a minimum wage of $15 an hour was also shelved. Still, Haas sounded optimistic.“As you know, it’s a new year, “ Haas said. “Although some of the events we have witnessed since January 1 might make it seem like we’re still experiencing 2020, we’re now actually in 2021 and due to the smart moves of our local government and school finance staff, we are in better position than I thought we might have been right now.” But, are conditions favorable enough to increase compensation? On January 20, the Board of Supervisors were told that overall tax assessments in Albemarle were up 1.4 percent, which could bring in additional revenue depending on the property tax rate. Andy Bowman in the county’s budget office sounded a realistic tone. “T his will be the slowest growth in our reassessments since the Great Recession and that will be especially impactful in the revenue picture next year,” Bowman said. “As the Boards may know, a little more than half of the county’s operating revenue comes from real estate taxes.”Bowman said the budget office sees the economy as uncertain and unstable at this time. “We are seeing that the county revenues are stabilizing but we have not stabilized,” Bowman said. “And as the pandemic continues, we are not through that, either.” However, Bowman said budget staff have identified a source of revenue to provide for a one-time funding for several ways to shore up the county, including employee compensation using the term “stablizing the county’s workforce”. The budgets are still being prepared and will be presented in mid to late February. A third of the school’s budget comes from the state, and the rest comes from local taxes. That means the school’s budget depends on what is proposed in Virginia’s budget. Maya Kumazawa is the budget and planning director for Albemarle Schools. She said the system will receive more money than expected in the current fiscal year. “There are a few things listed in FY21 that add up to approximately $5 million that we are anticipated to receive in the current year above what we have adopted, so this would fall under one-time funding as Mr. Bowman described,” Kumazawa said. “In addition for next year, the Governor’s proposed budget includes a two-percent one-time bonus for SOQ funded positions which is likely to turn into a raise pending more information about revenue forecasts.” The elected officials were told that other major employers have already made the jump to $15 an hour. Dana Robb is with Albemarle’s human resources department.  “We are still seeing trends of some local employers moving towards [$15 an hour] or have, such as the city of Charlottesville, University of Virginia, and Sentara Martha Jefferson,” Robb said. The Commonwealth of Virginia is also increasing its minimum wage to $15 gradually through 2026. So, what’s the one-time proposal? Lorna Gerome is   Albemarle’s human resources director and she said the county was proposing…“To provide a lump-sum payment of $1,000 for all regular full-time employees and some portion of that for part-time,” Gerome said. “This would come out of existing year-end fund balance and we would be able to do it this spring.” For local government, that would use a maximum of $850,000 of the county’s surplus. For the school government, that would be a maximum of a $2.7 million drawdown of their fund balance of $8.6 million. The idea of the one-time payment had general support from both elected bodies. Here’s Supervisor Bea LaPisto-Kirtley of the Rivanna District. “I think this $1,000 lump sum payment is a way of saying ‘we see you, we recognize you, this is what we can do for now and we appreciate all you have done for us in making sure that local government runs for all of the people of Albemarle,” LaPisto-Kirtley said. Others, however, were concerned that the county has not been able to increase salaries. Dave Oberg represents the White Hall District. “From my perspective, I appreciate the thought of hey, look, we’re going to give a bonus,” Oberg said. “I get that. But the problem is that I think there’s a danger that assuages our guilt. We didn’t give you the raise that we thought we would give you, but we’re giving you a bonus. And I just think that’s a problem.” Supervisor Bea LaPisto-KirtleyLast week, the regional body that takes votes on transportation projects met for the first time in 2021.One item on the agenda was a public hearing on a cost increase for the Belmont Bridge replacement. That project has been in the planning stages for over ten years and set to get under construction this year. The cost estimate for the project is $31.1 million, or about six million higher than the most recent estimate included within the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s transportation improvement program. Charlottesville’s capital budget for the current fiscal year includes $5 million toward the project, and the draft capital improvement program includes $2.5 million. No one spoke at the public hearing. State and federal funding for the Belmont Bridge predate the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Smart Scale process. Results of the fourth round were recently released. VDOT engineer Chuck Proctor told the MPO Policy Board that the area was successful in getting many projects recommended.“In the MPO area there were 15 total projects, 13 of them were funded,” Proctor said. “The only ones that weren’t funded were the Hillsdale Drive South extension and the Fray’s Mill intersection on 29.”That last project is in the scope of an MPO study that will soon get underway to look at U.S. 29 between Airport  Road in Albemarle County and the intersection with U.S. 33 in Greene County. “The purpose of this corridor study is to develop broad transportation recommendations that complement the existing land use designations in the study area,” said transportation planner Jessica Hersh-Ballering. “This will not just be personal motor vehicles. This will be transit, bicycle, and pedestrian transportation. Source: Thomas Jefferson Planning District CommissionOn January 20, the Greene Planning Commission recommended approval of a zoning amendment that will allow construction to begin on 1,180 new homes off Preddy Creek Road. (Read Terry Beigie’s story in the Greene County Record to learn more)There’s also the possibility that Greene County could be added to the jurisdictional boundaries of the MPO. Sandy Shackelford is the director of planning and transportation at the MPO. “We’re also going to be recommending that we use a consultant to do an MPO strategic plan, specifically as we start looking at the possibility of changing the MPO boundaries,” Shackleford said. “We think this is a really good opportunity to review and define who it is that we’re serving. Who is our client? Is that the elected officials? Is it members of the public at large? Is that our local government bodies and staff? We really want to spend some time thinking about who it is that we are doing this work for.” MPO members were interested in a recommendation from staff to find ways to raise additional revenue for transportation projects through public-private partnerships. City Councilor and MPO Chair Michael Payne said he would welcome work from staff on how transportation programs can be altered to help address climate change. “Connecting our climate action plan project to our capital projects and transportation projects, [and] think about how they interact with induced demand and emissions from transportation,” Payne said. Toward the end of the meeting, the MPO was briefed on a pair of grants intended to expand transit in the region. One is a $350,000 grant to create a regional vision for transit, and the other is a $106,215 feasibility study for expanded transit in Albemarle. “The $350,000 for the vision plan is intended to go beyond any work that the Regional Transit Partnership has already done,” said Hersh-Ballering. “Like what Richmond did, we’re trying to come up with a really clear plan for what kind of investment all of our transit agencies are going to make in the future. It will not get down to the details of route planning or determine how many vehicles to buy.”  Finally, this was the last MPO meeting run by Chip Boyles, who will become City Manager on February 15. Christina Jacobs will serve as interim director of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission while a search is conducted by Boyles’ replacement. Albemarle County has released a draft housing policy that seeks to increase the number of units by thousands. “By fostering a variety of housing types that are affordable to individuals and families with diverse incomes, Albemarle County seeks to ensure a thriving, sustainable community for all, today and well into the future,” reads a description of the plan on the online questionnaire for Housing Albemarle. The plan is based on forecasts that show Albemarle growing to a population of over 138,000 people by 2040. The Housing Albemarle draft suggests 11,750 more units are needed by then, and the document is intended to suggest ways to get there. That could include increased density in development areas, creation of permanently affordable housing on county-owned land, and designation of Housing Rehabilitation Zones. (Weldon Cooper projections) The questionnaire will be open through February 15. The Board of Supervisors will have a public hearing on Housing Albemarle on March 17. Finally today, the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority held an emergency meeting to discuss the employment contract of executive director John Sales. Sales joined the agency last August after a brief stint as the city’s coordinator. At the end of a closed session, CRHA Commissioner Lisa Green read a motion.“I move that the Board direct the Chair with the assistance of counsel to communicate directly with the executive director regarding proposed changes to his employment agreement,” Green said. Personnel matters are one reason government bodies can close meetings to the public. There was no other information about what the contract change might include, but Brandon Collins of the Public Housing Association of Residents had this to say.“PHAR on the whole thinks that Mr. Sales is doing a fabulous job,” Collins said. “We’re really glad he’s here and we hope that’s reflected in whatever it is you all are talking about today.” This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

This installment’s Patreon-fueled shout-out is for me to say… "Early voting is underway for all registered voters. Vote in-person or request a ballot by mail. Register to vote by October 13. Visit elections.virginia.gov/registration/voter-forms to do so!”*The Albemarle School Board has voted 4-3 to proceed with a return to school for students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade beginning on November 9, a month from today. What is known as Stage 3 will also involve more in-person students for instruction on English as a second language, special education, and for those without broadband internet. This was the recommendation of Superintendent Matthew Haas. “It is our job of course to balance the expert advice we have about the health and safety issues with school against what’s in the best educational interest of our kids,” said Kate Acuff, representative from the Jack Jouett Magisterial District. She said she was concerned about the potential for the achievement gap to grow, and that parents should have the option to decide for themselves whether to proceed. Before the vote, one of the members said they got an email from a bus driver concerned that students on pupil transport would not be sitting six feet apart from each other because all seats would be used. One administration official acknowledged that would be the case, but that mask-wearing and hand sanitizing would be sufficient mitigation. Another School Board member asked whether athletic activity would include competition.“Our athletic directors have been working through a lot of different protocols,” said Jay Thomas, director of secondary education. “In July for three weeks they actually piloted conditioning. What would happen is that they are in the process of putting together and finalizing protocols and procedures for each of the sports to be able to condition in November for VHSL sports that start the first week of December.Superintendent Matthew Haas said there are already 1,000 students whose parents or guardians who have pulled out of the school district all together. He said there are many who cannot do so. “The people who have the means have their children either in pods in the community, spending thousands and thousands of dollars to pay, I hate to say it, but paying some of our teachers who have resigned or have gone on long-term leave to be their teachers in that pod,” Haas said. Haas said attendance for synchronous virtual learning for high school students is below 60 percent for those on free or reduced lunch. Acuff, Dave Oberg, Jonno Alcaro and Katrina Callsen voted for the move. Graham Paige, Judy Le and Ellen Osborne voted against. Let’s hear some of their voices. Osborne said she was concerned that some of the students would have new teachers. “We always hear how important the relationships are and now we’re willing to disrupt that for going to school every other day, and I’m not convinced that the trade-off is worth it,” Osborne said. Le thought the move will be premature. “The risk is too great, I still think the list is great,” said Judy Le. “And then we’re going to break that for the reward that is questionable of two days of in-person learning and three full days of asynchronous, and breaking these relationships.” Paige cited three reasons why he voted against the proposal. “That’s the fact that cases in our area continue to rise,” Paige said. “The positivity rate is above the state average and we can’t really say with any certainty what’s the transmission rate going to be because we don’t have walls that separate us from UVA or the city.”Dave Oberg understood all of these arguments.“My gut, just my gut, my heart says why would we risk it? But my brain says, listen, we have experts who have done this analysis who have said as long as these things are followed, it’s safe,” Oberg said. “I haven’t seen any analysis that’s contrary to it.” Acuff said that if the number of cases suddenly rise with more outbreaks, they can reconsider the decision. Haas has the authority to go back to a lower stage at any point. “I was very much heartened by the improvements in our communication with the health department, the improvements in testing ability, the protocols for contact tracing and just the turn-around in terms of the testing,” Acuff said. After the vote, Paige said the Board would pull together to support the transition despite the split vote. “We’ll be moving forward then as a unified system, not as a 4-3 split but a 7-0 division,” Paige said. *There are another 1,114 cases of COVID in Virginia today, and the statewide seven-day average for positive tests remains at 4.8 percent. In the Blue Ridge Health District, there are another 39 cases, with another 17 in Charlottesville and another eight from Albemarle. Yesterday, the city surpassed Albemarle in total counts. Today there have been a total of 1,438 cases in Charlottesville compared to 1,417 in the county.  The seven-day average for the Blue Ridge Health District is 5.3 percent today, up from the 4.5 recorded on October 1. Some demographic information of note. Since the pandemic, 44 percent of cases have been between people between the ages of 10 and 30. However, there are no deaths within that range. All of the 73 deaths to date have been people over the age of 50, with over the vast majority of those of people over the age of 70. The Blue Ridge Health District is within the VDH’s Northwest Region, where overall the number of cases has been increasing for eight days, with burden considered in the high threshold. Percent positivity in the region has also been increased steadily, as has the number of healthcare workers with positive cases. This data can be seen on the VDH’s pandemic metrics page. The University of Virginia reported 219 active cases yesterday, with 189 of them students. Twenty-one percent of quarantine rooms are filled, as are eight percent of isolation rooms. *The election is three and a half weeks away, and the talk this week has been split between the president’s positive COVID diagnosis and the vice presidential debate on Wednesday. The Center for Politics at the University of Virginia took another look into Sabato’s Crystal Ball this week and invited vice presidential expert Joel Goldstein to weigh in. “To put into perspective, it was a debate where the fact that the candidates are older than has ever happened before in our history, and the fact that the president has been diagnosed positive for with COVID puts some more greater emphasis on the vice presential candidates,” Goldstein said. “It’s also the first time that a woman of color has been a vice presidential candidate or on a national ticket.” To watch the rest of Goldstein’s review as well as commentary on the fly, visit the Center for Politics channel on YouTube. *More than 1,000 homes and businesses in Albemarle County and Charlottesville were without power this morning, according to Dominion Power. This included City Hall, where in-person voting still continued despite the outage. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Graham Paige is a candidate for the Samuel Miller seat on the Albemarle County School Board. Three of the seven seats on the board will be determined in the November 7 election. Other candidates in this race include Julian Waters. Each candidate was interviewed by Charlottesville Tomorrow and asked 11 questions about their qualifications, priorities and important education issues.  Included in the box at the right are links to the full transcript and audio recording of those interviews. Bio: I am the adult Sunday School teacher, a trustee and organist at New Green Mountain Baptist Church in Esmont.  I am active in fraternal and civic organizations including the 100 Black Men of Central Virginia and Sons of Esmont Lodge, GUOOF.  I serve on the board of the Scottsville Museum and Southern Albemarle Family Practice.  I earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Hampton University and Master of Education from the University of Virginia and taught for 30 years (including 25 at WAHS and Jack Jouett Middle in Albemarle County).  I also served on the Long Range Planning Committee as the Superintendent’s Equity and Diversity appointee. Education:  I have a Bachelor of Science degree from Hampton University and Master of Education from the University of Virginia.  Current Occupation:  I am retired after teaching in public schools for 30 years (25 years in Albemarle County at Jack Jouett Middle and WAHS)). Previous political experience: I have served as the Samuel Miller Representative on the Albemarle County School Board for the past two years after winning a special election following the resignation of Eric Strucko from the Board. Before winning the special election, I served for three years on the Long Range Planning Committee as the Superintendent’s Equity and Diversity appointee. Age on Election Day: 71 Neighborhood: Esmont Hometown: I was born on March 20, 1946 in Charlottesville, VA and grew up in Esmont. Interests: I enjoy reading, playing Scrabble on IPad and attending the Esmont Senior Citizens Center. I am active in New Green Mountain Baptist Church as a Sunday School Teacher, Trustee and organist. I also am a member of several fraternal and civic organizations including the 100 Black Men of Central Virginia, Sons of Esmont Lodge- GUOOF, Esmont School Alumni Association, Albemarle County Democratic Party and the Scottsville Museum Board. Phone number : 434-286-3639 Email: gtpaige@aol.com Website: paigeforschoolboard.weebly.com and Paige for School Board on Facebook Download

Julian Waters is a candidate for the Samuel Miller seat on the Albemarle County School Board. Three of the seven seats on the board will be determined in the November 7 election. Other candidates in this race include Graham Paige.  Each candidate was interviewed by Charlottesville Tomorrow and asked 11 questions about their qualifications, priorities and important education issues. Included in the box at the right are links to the full transcript and audio recording of those interviews. Bio: Julian Waters is an Albemarle County native who recently graduated from Western Albemarle High School after 13 years in the public school system. Julian is an avid drone and model aviation hobbyist, a passion which he shares with his father and friends. For the past two years he has led a drone-centered STEM course for students at Henley Middle School. He is currently on a one-year deferment from ODU while he runs for the School Board and will explore local education options should he win the election. Education: Advanced Diploma, Western Albemarle High School Current Occupation: Part-time deli worker, Bellair Market. Previous political experience: None Age on Election Day: 18 Neighborhood: Owensville Hometown: Ivy Interests: I love spending time with friends and family and enjoy spending time outdoors. I have a secret ambition to one day become an actor and I'm also a certified SCUBA diver. Phone number : 434-466-7811 Email: juliandwaters@gmail.com   Website: www.juliandwaters.com Download

The five candidates for Albemarle County School Board on the 2017 general election ballot appeared at a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters on Thursday. The event took place at the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library’s Central Branch in downtown Charlottesville.   Three county School Board seats are up for election this year. Graham Paige is running for a second term as the Samuel Miller District representative. Julian Waters, a 2017 graduate of Western Albemarle High School, is challenging Paige.   Katrina Callsen and Mary McIntyre, both newcomers to local politics, are running for the Rio District seat on the School Board. Rio District incumbent Pam Moynihan is not running for reelection.   School Board Chairwoman Kate Acuff is running unopposed for a second term as the Jack Jouett District representative.   Paige taught in Albemarle County schools for over 20 years and has served as a member of the school division’s Long Range Planning Advisory Committee. He was elected to the School Board in 2015 to fill the unexpired term of Eric Strucko.   “I have had a lot of experience in the classroom, and being involved with parents and other people in the community,” Paige said. “I am committed to maintaining the excellence that we enjoy in many areas, while also improving areas in which we recognize problems.”   Waters, 18, has served as a student adviser for several of Albemarle County’s high school redesign initiatives. “It’s important for us to have someone fresh out of the system, who can speak directly to students and teachers,” he said.   Waters said his priorities as a School Board member would be expanding early childhood education and preschool access, reforming and improving transportation, and increasing teacher compensation.    McIntyre holds master’s degrees in music education and literacy instruction. She has taught at schools in Virginia, North Carolina, and Hawaii, and at an American military base in Germany. She worked at Agnor-Hurt Elementary last year as a part-time reading instructor.    “Everybody carries the experiences they’ve collected through their life, and those experiences help guide the decisions that they make,” McIntyre said. “My life has always been centered around education.”   Callsen, a graduate of Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law, taught middle school math for two years as a Teach for America corps member. She said her parents, who did not graduate from high school, taught her to value education, hard work, and public service.    “That mindset was what pushed me to attend Yale when I thought college was impossible. And it’s what motivated me to become an educator, and work with children,” Callsen said.    Acuff, a health policy consultant, said Albemarle’s public schools were among the best in Virginia. However, she said more work was needed to ensure greater equity for economically disadvantaged students.   “I am very dedicated to working through possible interventions and opportunities for students, so we can engage every student,” she said.    Questions submitted to the candidates by the PTO Council of Albemarle County focused on overcrowding in schools and school modernization needs.   Paige said Western Albemarle High School in Crozet would soon need additional building space to alleviate overcrowding there. He said redistricting could be necessary as a last resort to evenly distribute Western Feeder Pattern students in the lower grades.   Waters said creative student grouping and instruction could provide immediate, short-term solutions to problems caused by overcrowding.    “Insuring that we have the necessary organization done with students and teachers can help us, in addition to exploring increased capacity in terms of infrastructure,” he said.    Acuff said the county may need to accelerate a planned expansion of Crozet Elementary School to accommodate the community’s growth. She encouraged county residents to attend the Oct. 26 School Board meeting, at which the board will receive recommendations for high school improvements from a consultant.   In 2016, Albemarle County obtained a 61-acre site for a new high school near the intersection of U.S. 29 and Rio Mills Road as a proffer for the Brookhill subdivision. Callsen said she was concerned that building a high school in this location along the new Berkmar Drive extension would “...further divide our students along socioeconomic and racial lines.”   McIntyre said the School Board should consider collaborating with the county government to establish health clinics, food pantries and other community resources on the campuses of new schools.      “Schools as insular, siloed, buildings... are the schools of the past,” said McIntyre. “The schools of the future have more of a community center atmosphere.”   All four of the candidates at Thursday’s forum said they would oppose any state policies that give residents tax credits or vouchers to send their children to private schools. The candidates also were supportive of Virginia’s current restrictions on charter schools. Albemarle County already operates two of the eight public charter schools in Virginia.   Candidates were also asked to share their budgeting philosophy for the school division; their thoughts on frequent changes to curriculum in the county schools; and their opinion of the School Board’s decision to close B. F. Yancey Elementary School.   Election day is Nov. 7.    Download

The six candidates in the three contested races for local office in Albemarle County appeared at the Senior Center on Wednesday at a campaign forum sponsored by the Senior Statesmen of Virginia. “We’re bringing the election down to the local level where it is significant and important for all of us to know what’s going on and to know the people who are in office locally,” said John McCauley, president of the Senior Statesmen of Virginia. This is the third time Board of Supervisors hopeful John Lowry, a Republican, and incumbent Democrat Liz Palmer have faced off at a campaign forum this election cycle. “I was chair of the airport board when the new airport was being built and was chair of the economic development authority for 12 years,” Lowry said. “I am running for office because I believe I can better represent the constituents’ interests in the Samuel Miller District.” Palmer was first elected in 2013, when she defeated incumbent Republican Duane Snow. “I’m having such a good time and feel we’ve done a good job and I want to continue,” Palmer said. “When I moved here I was struck by the condition of our water infrastructure, which is where our built environment meets the natural environment.” The county’s Comprehensive Plan designates 5 percent of Albemarle’s 726 square miles as the growth area. Candidates were asked if that should be expanded to spur economic development. Lowry said the county first needs to fully staff its economic development department following the resignation of its first ever director late last year. “We don’t have an economic development director,” Lowry said. “I think we should have an economic development real estate manager.” Palmer said there are plenty of economic development opportunities in the rural areas and so there is no need to expand the growth area. “What we’re trying to do is leave the rural areas for rural purposes,” Palmer said. “We have wineries and breweries. We have farms that are successful. We are looking now at a project that will process hops from different farms. We have cattle operations. We have all sorts of things in the rural areas.” Candidates also were asked if they would seek to change the revenue-sharing agreement wherein the county pays the city of Charlottesville a portion of its tax revenues to prevent annexation. The agreement was signed in 1982 and is still in effect despite a moratorium on annexation that remains in place. Palmer said she would ask the city to begin using the money to pay for infrastructure to address issues at the city-county borders. “There are a lot of congestion problems in the periphery,” she said. Lowry said the agreement is a contract that was very poorly written. “I wish it had been written in with a sunset agreement,” Lowry said. “The only way to break the contract would result in lawsuits.” Lowry said he would first pursue relief at the General Assembly. School board races After about 45 minutes, the event shifted over to the two contested School Board races. Katrina Callsen and Mary McIntyre met for the first time in a campaign forum in their race to succeed Pam Moynihan for the Rio District’s School Board seat. “Three important things to know about me is that I care about children, I care about my community and I care about education,” said Callsen, a graduate of Yale University who once served with Teach for America. “Education is one of the best chances we have to deal with systemic inequities,” she said. “Now is the time to put someone on the board who has a proven track record working with children.” McIntyre moved with her family to Albemarle County in 2016. “I’m a teacher and a mom and not a politician, so all of this is new to me,” she said. “I haven’t had a traditional education career but I’ve taught in four other school systems.” McIntyre said that in her travels she has found universal truths about public education. “Every child wants to learn but across the country we are struggling to meet the needs of all students,” she said. “We need to address social and economic justices in our community. Until we do that, we are going to continue to have an achievement gap.” Graham Paige, the incumbent School Board member for the Samuel Miller District, answered questions alongside challenger Julian Waters, a 2017 graduate of Western Albemarle High School. Paige pointed to two particular accomplishments since he was first elected to fill the seat vacated by Eric Strucko. “One is the accomplishment of the first phase of renovations at Red Hill Elementary School,” Paige said. “The second is the expansion of foreign language classes in our schools.” However, he said there is a need to continue making improvements, especially to close the achievement gap. Waters, who was born in 1999, said he has lived in the county his entire life. “If there’s one thing I have noticed in our schools it is that change is constant,” Waters said. “As we continue to move forward, it is critical for us to have a perspective on the School Board that has recent experience in the classroom.” Waters said he wants to expand pre-school education to prepare more students for learning and to make sure all students have transportation access to the county’s academies. Other questions probed the candidates’ positions on teacher salaries, multiage classrooms, redistricting and the appropriate level of homework. All candidates for school boards in Virginia run as independents. Supervisor Diantha McKeel, running as a Democrat, was in attendance at the forum but was not invited to participate because she is unopposed in her race for a second term to represent the Jack Jouett District. Democrat Ned Gallaway also was not invited to participate because he is unopposed in his race to succeed Brad Sheffield, a Democrat who did not seek re-election, in the Rio District. Kate Acuff, the Jack Jouett representative to the School Board, also is running unopposed. School Board candidates will meet again at a forum held by the League of Women Voters of the Charlottesville Area at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 19 at the main branch of the Jefferson Madison Regional Library. Supervisor candidates will meet again at a league forum at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 26 in Lane Auditorium at the Albemarle County Office Building. TIMELINE FOR PODCAST: 00:45 - Introduction from moderator Terry Cooper 01:50 - Opening statement from Republican challenger John Lowry 04:15 - Opening statement from Democratic incumbent Liz Palmer 07:00 - Question #1: The county's Comprehensive Plan limits its growth area, the area in which economic development may occur. Do you favor or oppose keeping the five percent limit? Would you be willing to swap land within the growth area that is not suited for development because of topographical reasons for other land that is suited for economic development? 12:00 - Question #2: Can light manufacturing bring in revenue that exceeds the cost of county services for it and its employees? If so, what conditions would have to be obtained for that to happen? 15:40 - Question #3: Question about conservation easements 19:10 - Question #4: Question about revenue-sharing 23:30 - Question #5: Question about addressing traffic issues in growth areas 26:30 - Question #6: Question about releasing answers to Together C'ville survey 29:00 - Closing statement from John Lowry 31:20 - Closing statement from Liz Palmer 34:10 - Introduction for School Board candidate forum 36:50 - Opening statement from Katrina Callsen 39:20 - Opening statement from Mary McIntyre 42:00 - Opening statement from Graham Paige 44:50 - Opening statement from Julian Waters 47:10 - Question #1: Teacher compensation 53:10 - Question #2: Multi-age classrooms 58:20 - Question #3: Redistricting 1:05:05: Question #4: Follow-up on redistricting 1:10:45: Question #5: What is your view on how much homework is appropriate? 1:16:40: Question #6: Budgetary question 1:21:45: Question #7: What are your views on charter schools? 1:27:00: Closing statement from Julian Waters 1:28:10: Closing statement from Graham Paige 1:30:15: Closing statement from Mary McIntyre 1:32:00: Closing statement from Katrina Callsen   Download

Carl Reese - Endurance Rider & Record Setter You’ve probably heard of the Cannonball Baker or Cannonball Run. In 1933 Erwin George “Cannon Ball” Baker drove from New York City to Los Angeles in a Graham-Paige model 57 Blue Streak 8 in 53.5 hours. No one broke that record for 40 years. Car and Driver writer Brock Yates and editor Steve Smith organized the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, which took place 5 times between 1971 and 1979. It was an illegal road race from coast to coast to celebrate the United States Interstate Highway System and to protest strict traffic laws which were coming in to effect at that time. The first run was not a competitive race, as there was only one team running in a 1971 Dodge Custom Sportsman van. But by the time they were running the last race it was known as a wild race. They ran everything from Ferraris to pick-up trucks. It was mostly a secret event, with few witnesses. As more and more people have tried to rush to break Cannonball Baker’s time, the route has become established and is commonly referred to as the Cannonball Baker or Cannonball Run. Carl Reese is a contractor from California, and in his spare time he’s an endurance rider that has set seven world records in less than a year. One being the solo motorcycle “Cannonball” from Los Angeles to New York.  Carl Reese set out to break the motorcycle record previously set by George Egloff in 1983, who completed the cross country run in 42 hours. Carl broke the record completing the run in 38 hours and 49 minutes. He’s now working on a documentary that highlights the history of transcontinental driving records. www.carlreese.net   Best Tips for Extended Motorcycle Travel from the Experts   We’ve consulted with some skilled and knowledgeable riders, one being a Professor at Kent University who has studied rider fatigue on what advice they would have for the average rider who wants to do some extended riding on their motorcycle. They have some great advice to improve your riding experience.   Sam Marcora Sam Marcora is a motorcyclist and the Director of Research at Kent University. In 2013 he studied fatigue in motorbike riders on a 3 month ride from London to Beijing and through Central Asia and Tibet. www.kent.ac.uk/sportsciences/staff/academic/s-marcora.html   Christophe Barriere Varju Christophe Barriere Varju is an endurance rider, a Motocross Champion and he’s been in the Dakar Rally four times in Africa and South America, the toughest and most dangerous motorsport race in the world. He’s the subject in an award winning film, Dream Racer, about running the Dakar.  www.dreamracer.tv   Shirley Hardy-Rix Shirley Hardy-Rix is a world pillion motorcycle traveller and author from Australia. She has travelled the world two up on a BMW with husband Brian Rix, and they have just completed their third trip. www.aussiesoverland.com.au   Nick Sanders Nick Sanders is an adventure motorcyclist and author. He’s best known for his extreme motorcycle trips. Nick has ridden around the world 7 times, has motorcycled the length of the Americas 8 times and holds a record for a “double transit from Alaska to Ushuaia and back in 46 days. www.nicksanders.com   Brought to You By:   Max BMW Motorcycles Shop our Online Store featuring parts diagrams for every BMW model. Ordering parts and accessories has never been easier. Choose your bike, look at the diagrams and place your order. We have over 45,000 parts in-stock and our Parts Express team processes and ships orders six days a week via UPS, FedEx and USPS. www.maxbmw.com   BestRest Products Home of the CyclePump Tire Inflator, TireIron BeadBrakR, EZAir Tire Gauge, and other adventure motorcycle gear.  When you’re on the road you’ll want a compact and reliable method of tire inflation.  The CyclePump runs off your bike’s electrical system and it’ll fill a flat tire in less than 3 minutes.   It’s made in the USA and it comes with a 5-year warranty.  BestRest also makes tire changing and tire repair kits that are small enough to fit in your saddlebag.  The crew at BestRest are adventure riders themselves, so they know what you’ll need when you’re exploring the world. www.CyclePump.com   Aerostich The best way to ride more is to make riding your easiest, fastest way to get from A to B…simple everyday commuting and errands, long-distance adventure riding, or whatever. For 33 years Aerostich has been designing, making and selling equipment that makes riding anywhere, in all-weather – easier, safer, more comfortable and more fun. No other riders’ gear offers the proven protection, precise fit or lifelong value of an Aerostich. Prove it to yourself with the Ride-More Guarantee. If you try any Aerostich one piece R-3 or Roadcrafter Classic suit for one month, and are not riding more than you did before receiving it, send it back and you will receive a full refund, no questions asked. For complete details and to view all of the available equipment for riders, and for a 10% discount on your first Aerostich purchase, or free shipping on the next order for existing customers, visit www.aerostich.com/arr.   Giant Loop A rider owned company born from a desire to carry camping gear on enduro bikes into the demanding, rugged high desert country of eastern Oregon.  Giant Loop is the exclusive North American importer for Rally Raid Products Honda CB500 kits, parts and accessories.  Giant Loop offers adventure proof packing systems, modular customizable bags and gear for small enduro bikes to adventure touring machines. Choose the individual components to carry the gear you need on the bike you ride. “The best hard-core saddlebag and tank-bag solution we’ve found…” - Cycle World Magazine, Nov 2015. Proven by adventure riders on every continent but Antarctica.  Get free shipping in the USA with promo code: ARR.  www.giantloopmoto.com   Puget Sound Safety Off Road PSS Off Road provides world class motorcycle training to new and avid motorcyclists. Since 1996 they have been dedicated to offering programs that suit the interests and needs of adventure, dual sport and dirtbike riders. Their training programs are skill focused, catering to all types of bikes and riders. Learn from top notch instructors with decades of riding and travel experience. Riders aged from as young as 6 to 60+ will benefit from one of their multi-day training camps or tours. www.pssor.com More at www.AdventureRiderRadio.com    

n Familie van ses oorkruis die afgelope 13 jaar die wêreld in 'n reuse 1928 Graham Paige-motor. Hulle het al 250,000 kilometer afgelê in 55 lande. Die ouers en hulle vier kinders, waarvan die jongste drie en die oudste tien jaar oud is, woon gereeld in die motor met sy hout wielvellings en speke, soms kamp hulle, of gaan by gasvrye mense tuis wat hulle op die reis ontmoet. Veronica Fourie het die Argentynse gesin in Port Elizabeth teëgekom.