Podcasts about live arts

CCE-850ALast week I asked listeners of the podcast to let me know if they were tuning in, and sure enough, several of you did reach out! So, perhaps this Friday edition of the newsletter going out as a podcast will continue. Today's edition doesn't have any new information but instead is an audio summary of some of what has been going on with voices from some of the decision-makers.I'm Sean Tubbs, and this one's a bit of a puzzle to put together. In the print edition below you'll see new versions of a couple of the stories as I had to develop a new script. I have not included the images, but these podcasts will now have normal shout-outs. No more house ads!Two stories in this edition, both about Charlottesville's budget for FY2026:* City Council makes last minute decisions at final work session before tonight's vote on $265M budget* Council adopts $265.2 million budget after another conversation about transit fundingFirst shout-out: Plant Virginia NativesSpring is here and there's still time to plan for upgrades to your outdoors. You can take some time to get ready for spring! Check out Plant Virginia Natives!Plant Virginia Natives is part of a partnership with ten regional campaigns for ten different ecosystems across Virginia, from the Northern Piedmont to the Eastern Shore. Take a look at the full map below for the campaign for native species where you are in the Commonwealth. For the Charlottesville area, download a free copy of the handbook: Piedmont Native Plants: A Guide for Landscapes and Gardens.Plant Northern Piedmont Natives is for anyone who works with native plants, whether you are a property owner, private consultant, landscape designer, nursery operator, conservation group, or local government.(image)A summary of the April 10, 2025 Charlottesville City Council budget work sessionOne of the challenges of doing a podcast version at the end of a week is that I may have to rearrange two previous stories in order for the audio edition to make sense. That's the case this week with Charlottesville City Council's adoption of a $265.2 million budget for fiscal year 2026. That happened on April 14 at a special meeting.But before we get to that, we have to go back to the work session held on April 10.In Charlottesville, the budget process never really stops. In fact, it keeps on going up to the last minute of adoption. New items were added at the work session that had not previously come up.At the beginning of the April 10 work session, they learned about additional spending that can happen because new funding has been found since the beginning of the budget process in March.“We do have supplemental revenue over and above the proposed budget of $774,263,” said Krisy Hammill, the city's budget director.The driver of that change was an additional $700,000 increase in Business and Professional Licenses that had not been factored in.There were many numbers thrown around during the final work session. Before Council signed off on how to spend that money, City Manager Sam Sanders went through how $915,620 in “Council Discretionary Funds” would be spent to leave a balance of $440,406 to spend.“Kind of thinking that with all the volatility that we have in DC, there could very easily be a series of moments that come up and that this would give you the flexibility to make some decisions and how we could support gaps in what could happen based on decisions and how it actually lands in the community,” Sanders said.Staff codified a list of what Council had already decided to spend over the course of four budget work sessions.* $250,000 to the Blue Ridge Coalition for the Homeless to cover the costs of a federal grant not obtained because there was an error related to a recent leadership transition.* $162,000 to the Piedmont Housing Alliance to pay for the cost of staff who work on eviction prevention.* $50,000 in cash to the Piedmont Housing Alliance related to eviction prevention.* An additional $43,150 to the Boys and Girls Club for a total of $116,000 in the FY26 budget.* An additional $28,800 to Lighthouse Studios to fund two programs for a total funding of $40,000 in the FY26 budget.* An additional $6,000 to Loaves and Fishes to bring their total funding to $50,000 for FY26.* An additional $1,200 to Piedmont CASA for a total of $10,000.* An additional $6,600 to Live Arts for a total of $16,000.* An additional $7,100 to Legal Aid Justice Center for a total of $40,000* An additional $1,500 to SARA for a total of $25,000.* A total of $104,261 in capital improvement program funds will be redirected to the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial. Read this story for more information.At the meeting, Hammill handed out a spreadsheet that provided more details about other programs that were added to the list such as an annual payment to the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center. This was initially left out of the budget because the organization did not fill out an application through a portal called Zoom Grants.The payment to the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center was $228,993 in FY2024 and $246,993 in FY2025. The organization is considered fundamental which means it no longer has to compete for funding through the Vibrant Community Fund process . The payment for FY2026 will be $228,200.“By not submitting through Zoom Grants, they didn't appear on the list, but they didn't know that they had to still submit through Zoom Grants,” Sanders said. “So we have some course corrections that we need to do there and making sure that everyone understands what they have to do still, even though they're in a non competitive round.”Sanders said there was a similar error with the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority. That government body is considered “fundamental” but also sought additional funding.“We have to have a conversation with them about their pursuits of funding going forward to your point they could be here and in the competitive rounds,” Sanders said. “I don't particularly care for that. I think that makes it double dipping.”Sanders said Deputy City Manager James Freas and the Office of Community Solutions are currently performing an audit of CRHA as a way of building a better working relationship.City Councilor Michael Payne, a member of the CRHA Board, called for a joint work session to plan for the likelihood of reduced federal funding for public housing units.At one point in the conversation, Council initially signaled a willingness to add an additional $16,000 to the United Way for their Prosper program. Deputy City Manager Ashley Marshall made a pitch for the program at the April 10 meeting. The program had previously been called the Financial Resiliency Task Force.Another last minute item is $30,000 for the Tonsler League headed by former City Councilor and current CRHA Chair Wes Bellamy. The organization had expected that the City of Charlottesville would have received an additional $250,000 from the state government for operations, but Governor Glenn Youngkin recently vetoed that from the budget.“He received a $250,000 grant for this current year that ends in June,” Sanders said. “I am planning to check with him to see if. If he will expend all of that and avoid the risk of having to send anything back.”Council supported giving the Tonsler League $30,000.At half an hour into the final budget work session held three days after the final public hearing, Sanders asked Council if there was any other item they might want to fund and gave them the current balance.“The question that we are really posing at this point is, is there anything else that you all have been pondering?” Sanders asked. “Because we try to remind you that this is the end of the road and we are truly down to $394,000 that today, right now at this moment, is your Council Strategic Initiatives Fund.”That prompted Councilor Lloyd Snook to express a concern.“So we haven't even gotten to the fiscal year and we've already cut it down?” Snook asked.“That's correct,” Sanders said.Snook said he felt the process was not appropriate.“I find myself trying to figure out what possible process we're advancing here,” Snook said. “And the answer is it's still back to whatever anybody throws up against the wall at Council at the last minute. I just think that's a terrible way to do business.”Sanders said he understood Snook's concern.“I understand and appreciate the last minute nature of it and I'm not a fan of always doing that and I think in these, this, these two moments specifically, we can identify a way to bring you critical information so that you can have that presented to you and then you can make that determination on if you believe the item is ready to go forward,” Sanders said, adding that both Marshall and Bellamy could appear before Council to formally make a pitch.There were at least three Councilors who supported funding for Tonsler, but not yet for the Prosper Program.There was also a long discussion about increasing the number of transit drivers to 82 in order to restore service to pre-pandemic levels. This comment from Sanders finishes off that discussion and sets up a conversation for the future.“I think what I heard was that you are not going to attempt to unpack the budget at this late stage and find a way to make 82 drivers a reality,” Sanders said. “But what you are indicating is that you support the desire for added drivers and that you're looking to have us revisit that with you at some point in the future later in 2025 for the possible consideration of the use of one time funds for the bridge that would be required to get us to the next budget where we will realize the true cost.”Sanders also said he still wants to hold on to the $22.4 million surplus from FY2024 in case federal programs are cut.“The conversations that are being had in regards to SNAP and Medicaid are real in that they're big,” Sanders said. “And if those cuts were to occur, we will see a number of our constituency impacted directly by that.”Sanders said that while the city is blessed to have a large surplus, it will go very quickly if the local government picks up what had been a federal program.Tonight's meeting to adopt is not the end of the process. Because of a second advertising error, Council still has to hold a public hearing on the tax rates and that will take place at the next regular meeting on April 21. By law, Council cannot adopt those tax rates at that meeting and must wait at least three days. A second special meeting will be held on April 24.I had hoped to tell you more about the next three items by going back to the audio, but I've got to get to the next set of stories:* Sanders had an update on a potential low-barrier shelter. The General Assembly's version of the budget had $1.5 million going to the City of Charlottesville for this purpose, and Youngkin cut this in half. The budget has not yet been finalized and Sanders said Senator Creigh Deeds is still trying to make the case to restore the funding.* Sanders said he believes the city would need to provide operating funds to any grocery that sets up at 501 Cherry Avenue.* There is still a possibility that the city might provide funding for UVA's affordable housing project at 10th and Wertland. They will be asked to submit a request as part of the next funding cycle this fall.Second shout-out: Piedmont Master Gardeners seek items for Green Elephant SaleIf you are cleaning out your garage or basement this winter and have garden implements or yard ornaments you no longer need, the Piedmont Master Gardeners will take them off your handsThe Piedmont Master Gardeners are seeking donations of new and used garden tools, hoses, decorative items, outdoor furniture, and virtually anything else that can be used to maintain or enjoy a home landscape. From February 1 through April 30, these "Green Elephant" donations may be dropped off at 402 Albemarle Square between 10 a.m. and noon on Wednesdays or Saturdays. The Master Gardeners are not able to accept plastic pots or opened chemicals.The Green Elephants will be offered for sale to the public during PMG's Spring Plant Sale, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 3, at Albemarle Square Shopping Center. Proceeds will support the many free and low-cost horticulture education programs the Piedmont Master Gardeners offer to the community.To arrange a pickup of large items or for more information, contact the Piedmont Master Gardeners at greenelephant@piedmontmastergardeners.org.(image)Council adopts $265.2 million budget after another conversation about transit fundingCharlottesville City Council adopted a $265.2 million budget for the fiscal year that begins on July 1 at a special meeting on April 14 but not before another review and summary from City Manager Sam Sanders. He had introduced a $264,474,183 budget on March 4.“Things have changed a little bit, as it always does, from the proposed date to your adoption date,” Sander saidThere have been five budget work sessions and two public hearings on the document itself, but yet to come is a public hearing on the tax rates for 2025.“What I'll point out to you just in basic highlights, is that the revenue expenditure at this time has now risen to $265,248,446,” Sanders said.The tax rates have not changed for 2025, but another year of growth in assessments has resulted in more revenue. The assessor's office reported an average of a 7.74 percent increase in late January.One spending change in the budget is an additional $600,000 for Charlottesville Area Transit which partially came out of a push for local advocates.“We added a transit mechanic to help with operations,” Sanders said. “We are also maintaining fare free service across the system and absorbing the absence of the flexible federal funds because those funds are now not available to us as they have been.”Other highlights:* There's $5.4 million over the next five years for sidewalk repair and construction* There's $12.7 million in spending on affordable housing initiatives in FY26* The FY26 budget is the first to apply to a fourth collective bargaining unitCity Councilor Michael Payne asked about the status of a $22.4 million surplus from FY2024. Sanders made the decision to keep the amount in reserve and Council has so far agreed. The idea is to keep the money available while a new era for the federal government continues to settle in. He also said he has been meeting with nonprofit groups who have been making presentations on funding they have lost from the federal government.“So they are first trying to recoup what they've spent and hope that they might actually get some continuation,” Sanders said. “So that is beginning to build. We're beginning to see that finally the city organization itself has not incurred a loss. But we still continue to monitor just believing that it's just a matter of time. It's not a matter of if, it is actually a matter of when.”A generally-held practice in municipal budgeting is to not use one-time money such as surpluses to hire staffing.“Something like staffing is not ideal because we can't guarantee that funding to occur year to year,” said City Councilor Natalie Oschrin.The conversation went back to transit. The City of Charlottesville owns Charlottesville Area Transit and has full control of its operations. Albemarle County and Charlottesville have entered into an entity called the Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Transit Authority but so far that is entirely about planning for transit operations.Albemarle Supervisors vote to join Regional Transit Authority, December 15, 2024Charlottesville joins regional transit authority; Council holds first reading on federal transit allocations, December 28, 2024Charlottesville Area Transit has no independent board of directors which makes Council the sole authority over its operations. There had once been an advisory body made up of citizens but that was eliminated sometime during the pandemic.An advocacy group called IMPACT made up of various churches has been pressuring Albemarle and Charlottesville to increase the amount they spent on transit to hire additional drivers. Their specific number has been 82, a number believed to enable Charlottesville Area Transit to increase service.“The solution to long wait times is very straightforward: we need more bus drivers,” reads their website. “Right now, Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT) has budgeted 67 drivers. Getting to wait times of half an hour will require at least 80.”In Virginia, cities and counties are completely independent of each other. There are regional services such as that provided by the Rivanna Water and Service Authority, but localities have to adopt budgets independently.IMPACT's public event was held on April 8, over a month into the budget process for Charlottesville and about six weeks after Albemarle County Executive Jeffrey Richardson introduced that locality's budget.At their work session on April 10, City Council indicated they wanted to support IMPACT's request but the timing is not right for the existing budget. They agreed to hold conversations about how to get there shortly after the budget is adopted.Vice Mayor Brian Pinkston and Charlottesville City Council were the two members of Council who went to hear from IMPACT at what they call the Nehemiah Action.“The commitment that the two of us made was to try to get something for this coming the fiscal year that we're working on now, which means some sort of amendment or whatever,” said City Councilor Brian Pinkston.Several members of the group were in attendance at the meeting and Pinkston addressed them directly from the dais and encouraged them to get involved earlier in the budget process.“I want people to know that this is not the end,” Pinkston said. “We heard you last week, we're working on it. And what you're hearing now is the sort of public outworking of the conversations that need to happen.”For over four years of reporting on transit issues, take a look at this tab on Information Charlottesville.Council adopted the budget after a final explanation of last minute changes such as $30,000 for the Tonsler League to help keep it going after Governor Youngkin vetoed an anticipated $250,000 from Virginia's budget.Council will hold a public hearing on the tax rate for 2025 on April 21 and then will hold a special meeting on April 24.Postscript for #850AToday's edition was intended to have additional audio but I ran out of time. Also the podcast edition can be less than half an hour long. The version that airs on WTJU has to be at least 29 minutes long. There was no radio version last week so I'm going to put another story or two in that version from #846-A. Behind the scenes I have quite a bit of organization that allows me to seemingly produce more content than entities with budgets that are much larger than mine. One day there will be more of everything. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Ep. 131 Mark Ross and Erika Finley: Does Your Board Reflect Your Community? Josh finally asks the important question, what would our hosts name their bands! Then he shares his conversation with Mark Ross and Erica Finley when they spoke at APAP 2025. Mark and Erika share how they got started in the arts, the interesting history of Community Concert Associations, volunteerism, and more. Mark Ross and Erika Finley work for Live on Stage (https://www.liveonstage.biz/), Live Arts and Attractions (https://www.livearts.biz/), and Matt Davenport Productions (https://mattdavenportproductions.com/) wearing multiple hats including agent, marketing, and national sales. Volunteerism article we mentioned: https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2024/11/civic-engagement-and-volunteerism.html Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions – https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

The arts are alive in Anne Arundel County and Annapolis. J. Ernest "Ernie" Green has been at the forefront for many years as the Conductor and the Musical Director of Live Arts Maryland! From the Annapolis Chorale to the Chamber Orchestra we have all come to know and love the work of the talented people in our community! Each season brings exciting and new music along with some of our favorites--can you say Handel's Messiah at St. Anne's Episcopal Church? Broadway to rock and roll--there's a good chance you can see it all at one of their performance venues-- St. Anne's Episcopal Church, Maryland Hall, or in their own Studio at the Annapolis Mall (not far from the Container Store, Library, and SPCA's Paws at the Mall). If you have not witnessed Live Arts Maryland, you are missing out. And if you get a chance to sit down with Ernie over a beer or a cup of coffee--do it. But for now... Have a listen! LINKS: Live Arts Maryland (Website) Live Arts Maryland (Facebook) Live Arts Maryland (Instagram) Live Arts Maryland (YouTube) Live Arts Maryland (Twitter | X)

Today's episode features world famous visual artist Zoë Buckman (b. 1985 Hackney, East London): a multi-disciplinary artist working in sculpture, installation, and photography, exploring themes of Feminism, mortality, and equality. We talk about her origins and the line she tows between soft and hard both as an artist and advocate. Zoë is an intersectional feminist and we talk about what that means as a Jewish woman in 2024. More about Zoë: Notable solo shows have included BLOODWORK at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery London, Nomi at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London, No Bleach Thick Enough, at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London, Heavy Rag at Fort Gansevoort Gallery New York, Let Her Rave at Gavlak Gallery Los Angeles, Imprison Her Soft Hand at Project for Empty Space, Newark; Every Curve at PAPILLION ART, Los Angeles; and Present Life at Garis & Hahn Gallery, New York. Group shows include those at SF Moma, The Broad Museum, The Museum of Art & Design, NYC, The Parish Art Museum, The Baltimore Museum of Art, MOCA Virginia, The Camden Arts Centre, London, The Studio Museum in Harlem, The Children's Museum of the Arts, The Shirley Fitterman Center NY, MASSIMODECARLO Gallery Hong Kong, Mother Gallery, Beacon NY, Paul Kasmin Gallery NY, Goodman Gallery South Africa, Jack Shainman Gallery NY, Monique Meloche Chicago, NYU Florence Italy, Grunwald Art Gallery, Indiana University, and the Democratic National Convention, Philadelphia, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Atlanta, GA and The National Museum of African-American History & Culture, Washington, DC Buckman studied at the International Center of Photography (ICP), was awarded an Art Matters Grant in 2017, The Art Change Maker Award 2019 at The New Jersey Visual Arts Center, and The Art and Social Impact Award 2020 at Baxter St NYC, and completed a residency at Mana Contemporary in 2017. Public works include MENDED: a Times Square Midnight Momenta, a mural, We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident, in collaboration with Natalie Frank at the Ford Foundation Gallery of New York & Live Arts in NYC, and various billboard projects with For Freedoms. In February 2018 Buckman unveiled her first Public Sculpture presented by Art Production Fund on Sunset Blv, Los Angeles, a large scale outdoor version of her neon sculpture Champ, which has been up for several years. Buckman's work is included in the permanent collections of The National Portrait Gallery, London, The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, The Baltimore Museum of Art, The Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, The Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, The Chrysler Museum Virginia, and The Studio Museum in Harlem. More @zoebuckman on Instagram and at ZoeBuckman.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Sisters in Law, CAWLS Lawyer Sarah interviews Jo-Anne Driessens and Donna Robinson from the Arts Law Centre of Australia about the rights and protections that artists have under the law, including copyright, estate rights, and more. Both Jo-Anne and Donna are part of the "Artists in the Black" team at the Arts Law Centre, and they work with Indigenous artists and art centres all around the country, including in the Northern Territory. Hosted by lawyers from the Central Australian Women's Legal Service (CAWLS) in Mparntwe/ Alice Springs, Sisters in Law provides information about the law, women's rights and access to justice. Broadcast Live on 8CCC 102.1FM + listen On Demand and subscribe to our podcast!    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From December 7-9, Limón Dance Company will present Women's Stories at New York Live Arts, dedicated to former Limón dancer, the late Jennifer Muller. A program that centers the female perspective, Women's Stories highlights the women who shaped the company's canon. Our guests are Israeli artist Hilla Ben Ari, and Limon Dance Company's Artistic Director Dante Puleio. For more, visit Limon.nyc.

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Episode Notes Virginia's Superintendent of Public Instruction resigned last week after being in the job for a year. What happened? Live Arts has a new show opening this month: CRUMBS FROM THE TABLE OF JOY | Live Arts Charlottesville city schools wanted to address staffing issues by hiring formerly incarcerated people--but the General Assembly didn't touch the issue. This winter, Charlottesville's homeless center staff is facing double the usual demand--a problem exacerbated by an extra-warm winter and rising inflation. The General Assembly has wrapped its session, but the budget is still in limbo--and so is the state's Cannabis Control Agency. Nuclear advocates are pushing for small, modular nuclear reactors--but there's a lot of questions about how that'd work for Virginia.

To complete his previous two interviews unearthing the secrets of technical theatre design, this week Drew McOnie speaks to Nina Dunn. Nina is the UK's most prominent female video designer and works across theatre and live events. She prides herself on bridging scenic, narrative and lighting disciplines using the infinitely flexible medium of integrated live video. Credits: Interview: Nina Dunn Presented and co-produced by Drew McOnie and Siân Prime Produced and edited by Scratch Post Productions Music: “Seize the Day” by Andrey Rossi - made available by uppbeat.io The Theatre Blueprint is a collaboration between The McOnie Company and SYNAPSE, the programme of business development support at Goldsmiths, University of London.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thecitylife.org/2023/02/07/battery-dance-presents-battery-dance-now-3-8-11-at-new-york-live-arts/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/citylifeorg/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/citylifeorg/support

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thecitylife.org/2022/10/08/zvidance-presents-the-world-premiere-of-migrations-at-new-york-live-arts-november-3-5-2022/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/support

Matthew Reynolds discusses learning from the past, cultivating unconditional belonging in (and beyond) our classrooms, crafting our equity lens, and the nerve-wracking excitement of publishing his new book, "BIGGEST, FULLEST, BRIGHTEST: Shifting the Consciousness of Humanity". We explore: Why the past is our education, and how we can learn from our past selvesHow do we make friends with our shadow selves? We talk about Matthew's effort to use unconditional love to foster unconditional BelongingHow do we expand as we grow?How much of your thinking is your thinking?How can we find joy within the Work of crafting our equity lens?How to engage our bodies in our process of expanding our selves.Matthew's evolving views on Cancel CultureBree is giving a copy of this book to every Visionary in Progress 1:1 client in the next year. About Matthew:Matthew Reynolds has over 35 years of experience as a performer and instructor in the Theater Arts and Dance. Matthew helped create the Crater Renaissance Academy of Arts and Sciences in Southern Oregon right out of his Masters of Arts Teaching program. He spent 12 years in the classroom where he built equity in his program, with his students, guided by the mission of "Creating Community through the Arts." Matthew now finds himself advocating for equity within the arts and education spaces. He looks forward to helping others craft their equity lens so that they may live their biggest, fullest, and brightest lives. About Matthew Reynolds Consulting, LLCMatthew Reynolds Consulting, LLC offers a range of services designed to enhance community relations, improve intra-organizational communications and awareness, and enrich lives through engagement, education, workshops, and presentations. Previous partnerships include Culturally Responsive Teaching with Professors at Southern Oregon University, Equity Building with Live Arts theater, and Building Equity through Community with Southern Oregon Education Support District. Crafting Your Equity Lens is a tool that, when utilized consistently, grows into being a person's “truth vision.” It has integrity, accountability, authenticity, vulnerability, self-worth, and unconditional love at its core. It is Building Belonging. It is a Call to Action. As people continue to heed the call to action and begin to build belonging, equity and justice will lead us into the new normal. A world that has our own ideas of community and belonging in it - helping each other to grow, experience joy, celebrate each other's humanity - and allows each person to know for themselves what living their biggest, fullest, and brightest means. Contact Matthew: https://www.mrrconsulting.org/contact Order the book! https://www.boldenfBook a Call with Bree @ The Lovely UnbecomingJoin the Pause to Go Discussion GroupLeave a voice message HERE!Follow us @ Instagram!Thanks to our Sponsor! https://codebasecoworking.com/ Special thanks to WTJU 91.1 FM & The Virginia Audio Collective for the support and the space to record! Did you love this episode? Leave us a review !

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thecitylife.org/2022/09/23/fjk-dance-announces-2022-season-at-new-york-live-arts/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/support

Niketra steps on to the stage to explore new ideas and possibilities in live arts and entertainment. Take action towards the life you dream of and know you are worthy and deserving of your desires. Visit website https://linktr.ee/luxlezlife Discover my music on Rapchat @cajunspice. Join the Creative Community with a monthly subscription to unlock exclusive content for members only. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/nikbcreative/message

This week we are joined by Boris Garbe, a former teacher of Grant's that has gone on to inspire thousands via the Mills Gallery here in Central Florida. Boris has a no BS attitude about art, stating that he does not give a sh!t about the art, but cares only about the artist, and well, that resonates with us. Each project that comes through 3DM has it's story which is greater than the sum of it's parts. We will be talking all about his history, what it took to open an art gallery, and how this ideology of "people over products" has made him so successful. A bit about Boris: In 2016, after 15 years as a Spanish and sign language teacher, I decided to join the Orlando arts scene by opening an art space called Mills Gallery. At that point in my life, I knew very little about art. I decided to remain honest about that and surround myself with a team of experts who would guide and advise me at every turn. Gallerist Lael Dewahl showed me the ropes about how to run a gallery, and designer and artist Victor Bokas designed the logo as well as the official look for the gallery. I worked with local filmmaker Marvin Welch to create a series of films that introduced my gallery to Orlando and showed them what my overall goal was. My wish was to create a gallery that was attractive to young people, as well as a place that was available to and representative of all artists, regardless of their sex or gender. Mills Gallery became a pioneer project for gender equality in the Orlando arts, and we strive to exhibit an equal amount of female and male artists annually. In 2019, I decided to bring curator Kyle Eagle on board on a permanent basis. Eagle is one of the important movers and shakers in the Orlando area, and already within a short year Mills Gallery has soared to new heights. As of 2020, we have turned Mills Gallery into two galleries, with the second one, LUMP Gallery, named after the fat little dachshund that was the gallery's mascot until his passing in August of 2019. Starting in 2017 I also branched out in other areas of the entertainment world. I, along with my co-host, the artist Marla E, host a web series called KISS MY ART. Marla and I had a podcast called LIVE ARTS that ran for two years as well as a radio segment on the Connections show on IHeart radio. Starting in 2019, Marla and I started doing a live version of our web series at the renowned MAXINE's ON SHINE restaurant in Orlando. In late 2019 Kyle Eagle and I began production of a podcast called THE EXPERIENCE WITH CHRIS FIO starring break-out local talent Chris Fioravantti. The podcast premiered in February 2020 with some of the highest ratings ever experienced by its distributing company PFT Media. Check out more here: https://www.buzzla.com/interview/meet-boris-garbe-of-mills-gallery-lump-gallery __________________________________ Do you have an idea you want to get off the ground? Reach out to the Making Awesome Podcast through https://3DMusketeers.com/podcast and someone will get you set up to be a guest!

For those who like the rhythm of numbers, 3/3 is the sixty-second day of 2022. For those who do not, disreputable sources tell me that this is I Want You to Be Happy Day, If Pets Had Thumbs Day, and Talk in Third Person Day. With that, Sean Tubbs truly wants you to know that this installment of Charlottesville Community Engagement has nothing to do with any of those things besides this introductory paragraph. Sean Tubbs would be happy if you signed up for the free newsletter, but cannot imagine a pet with a thumb? On today’s program:Albemarle County holds the first public hearing on staff’s recommended $565M budget for fiscal year 23 and it appears a turf battle is brewing A land use advisory group gets a first look at the rezoning to add homes at the North Fork Research Park The University of Virginia’s Buildings and Grounds committee will rename a building after the late Senator John Warner Governor Youngkin signs eight relatively non-controversial billsFirst shout-out goes to Camp AlbemarleToday’s first subscriber-supported public service announcement goes out to Camp Albemarle, which has for sixty years been a “wholesome rural, rustic and restful site for youth activities, church groups, civic events and occasional private programs.”Located on 14 acres on the banks of the Moorman’s River near Free Union, Camp Albemarle continues as a legacy of being a Civilian Conservation Corps project that sought to promote the importance of rural activities. Camp Albemarle seeks support for a plan to winterize the Hamner Lodge, a structure built in 1941 by the CCC and used by every 4th and 5th grade student in Charlottesville and Albemarle for the study of ecology for over 20 years. If this campaign is successful, Camp Albemarle could operate year-round. Consider your support by visiting http://campalbemarleva.org/donate.Albemarle holds first public hearing for $565M budgetThe first of several opportunities for the public and elected officials to mark up Albemarle’s next budget got underway with a handful of people taking advantage of the first public hearing. The total budget is $565.1 million, and that’s made up of several different components including the general fund, the school fund, the school special revenue fund, the special revenue fund, the capital improvement fund, and the debt service fund. “These funds can be highly variable year to year,” Richardson said. “As an example, the FY23 recommended budget includes the influx of $12 million in remaining one-time funding through the American Rescue Plan Act. Additionally the nature of capital projects and their related borrowing will vary year to year based on the timing of projects beginning.” This next year’s budget includes funding for High School Center 2 as well as the final phases of the construction of a new General District Court in downtown Charlottesville that would serve both communities. Richardson said for those wanting to make a year-to-year comparison of budgets, the general fund is where to look. “It’s where all tax revenue is received and its the primary ongoing funding source for the school fund, the capital fund, the debt program,” Richardson said. “It also doesn’t involve pass-through grants that may vary from year to year.” The general fund is built on maintaining the same property tax rate of 85.4 cents per $100 of assessed, but an increase in the rate for the food and beverage tax and the transient occupancy tax. There is funding from the new cigarette tax and proposed revenues from a plastic bag tax. There is also a proposed 86 cent drop in the personal property tax rate due to a spike in used car values in the past year. See also: Richardson presents $565M “Transform Albemarle” budget to SupervisorsThe public hearing was the first chance for professional groups and community members alike to influence the budget. A representative from an environmental group supported additional funds for Biscuit Run and for the transportation-leverage program, but lamented that the capital budget anticipates no new funds for a program where Albemarle funds the acquisition of conservation easements. “As you all know, our land and water resources are vital for the future of our region and are a critical component of what makes Albemarle County a special place to live,” said Rex Linville of the Piedmont Environmental Council. “In fact, the Albemarle County Comprehensive Plan acknowledges this and specifically calls for the county to ‘strengthen the Acquisition of Conservation Easements ACE Program by providing a stable, dedicated funding source and staff resources for administering the program.” Later in the meeting, Supervisor Ned Gallaway said that the program is under review at this time and that is not being zeroed out. “We’ll do a proper evaluation and Mr. Richardson, I presume if we wanted to put funds into the ACE program, even though its zeroed out now because of the pause, that we would have plenty of reserve options to go if we had projects to fund,” Gallaway said. Several people want the county to restore $2.9 million in funds to install lights and artificial turf for athletic fields at Darden-Towe Park, which is owned by both Albemarle County and Charlottesville. That was anticipated in the FY2020 budget but has not proceeded.“Quite frankly, I am very disappointed that this extremely important community project has been pushed to the wayside,” said Robyn Mattern.The project was paused in the FY21 budget due to the pandemic and was not recommended to be resumed. Charlottesville would also need to provide a portion of funding in their capital fund. Mike Ginsberg also spoke to the issue and he argued for more athletic facilities for youth sports at Darden Towe Park. “In my time coaching child soccer in Charlottesville for the past 20 years, I have seen hundreds of multisport turf complexes across America and Europe,” Ginsberg said. “Every sports complex mirrors one another in that they all have numerous turf fields lined for various sports like soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, football.” . The FY23 budget anticipates $3 million in spending at Biscuit Run Park in FY23 and $5.3 million in FY24, and that will include new athletic fields. The executive director of Live Arts appeared before Supervisors to thank them for the recommendation of $5,000 in funding next year. “I just wanted to let you know the focus of this grant is rebuilding our 1,200 person volunteer corps after it was decimated during the pandemic,” said Anne Hunter. Hunter was the last speaker at the public hearing. After that, Supervisors had the chance to provide direction in advance of next Wednesday’s budget work session. At one of those events, there will be a discussion about the future of athletic fields in Albemarle and whether Supervisors want to unpause the project. “We are planning to present to the board at the March 23 work session,” said Assistant County Executive Trevor Henry. “It’s not just a turf field discussion. It’s also going to be a discussion led by Parks and Recreation on overall field needs. We will talk a little about the history of the Darden Towe turf project and the current CIP request for four natural grass fields at Biscuit Run Park. Darden Towe Park is within the Rivanna Magisterial District represented by Supervisor Bea LaPisto-Kirtley. She said she looked forward to the work session.“Because I do feel that we need to have a really good sports venue here in Albemarle County,” LaPisto-Kirtley said. “Biscuit Run, I think, is the optimum place to have that. I’m just going to put that out there already.”Supervisor Chair Donna Price said she also wanted a sports plex within Albemarle and looked forward to the discussion.“I also continue to have questions as do many of our community members based upon various opinions that have been shared with us about the advisability of artificial turf versus natural grass because there are advantages and disadvantages of each,” Price said. The first work session begins at 3 p.m. on March 9. (meeting info)UVA building to be renamed for late SenatorThe University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors this week, including the committee that reviews land use items. Tomorrow the Buildings and Grounds Committee will consider a proposal to rename Maury Hall after the late Senator John Warner. The university’s Naming and Memorials Committee reviewed the name and found that Matthew Fontaine Maury has no connections to UVA except for an 1855 speech when he gave a lecture supporting slavery.“During the 1850’s, Maury was an outspoken advocate for the policy that slave-holding states should establish a commercial slave network with Brazil and other parts of South America,” reads the staff report. Maury Hall was built by the U.S. Navy in 1942 as an ROTC facility and continues to house that program even though the military branch no longer owns the building. The naming committee has recommended renaming the building after the late Senator Warner who died in May 2021. Warner temporarily left his studies at the UVA School of Law at the start of the Korean War in 1950 and returned at its conclusion. After some years in private practice, he was Under Secretary of the Navy and served as Secretary of the Navy in the mid 1970’s. If approved by the Board of Visitors, Maury Hall would become John W. Warner Hall. The Buildings Committee will also see a schematic design for the new UVA Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital at Fontaine Research Park. The existing structure will be upgraded to a 60-bed hospital with all private rooms.The Buildings and Grounds Committee will also review revisions to the Major Capital Plan, which was last revised in June 2021. There is a proposal to begin design for a Center for the Arts, the School of Architecture Center for Design, and an engineering academic building. Four major capital projects are also being proposed to be added. They are the Institute for Biotechnology, Ivy Corridor Landscape and Infrastructure Phase IIA, Memorial Gym Infrastructure and Accessibility Renewal, and Monroe Hall Addition HVAC Renewal. Shout-out to the Piedmont Master GardenersThe second shout-out today goes to the Piedmont Master Gardeners to announce their 2022 Spring Lecture Series featuring leading experts on sustainable landscaping, indigenous gardening wisdom and small fruit production at home. For all four Thursdays in March, you can buy a virtual ticket for these informative events. On March 3, acclaimed garden designer and photographer C. Colston Burrell will discuss Beauty, Integrity and Resilience: Can A Garden Have Everything? On March 10, Renée Gokey and Christine Price-Abelow of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian will discuss  “The Three Sisters: Indigenous Origins and Best Growing Practices.” For the rest of the sessions, visit piedmontmastergardens.org/events.Places29-North Committee gets first look at North Fork rezoning to add residentialThe University of Virginia is working to locate up to 1,500 units of affordable housing at three locations, one of which is the North Fork Discovery Park on U.S. 29 near the Charlottesville Regional Airport. The Places29-North Community Advisory Committee got a look at a rezoning that UVA’s real estate foundation needs in order to place some of those units. (watch the February 10, 2022 meeting)“We’re at the very early stages of this [and] there are a lot of much more detailed things that will be coming out at a later date,” said Bill Fritz, Albemarle’s lead reviewer for the project. Albemarle community advisory committees play the role of information clearing house more than an advisory body, as any resolutions adopted by the group are non-binding. They often host community meetings for land use applications. This land is currently all zoned Planned Development Industrial Park and the University of Virginia Foundation seeks to change a portion of it to the Neighborhood Model District. “That district has the widest variety of uses of all of the districts that we have and in that particular portion of the property… they are proposing to be allowed to do residential development and some commercial development,” Fritz said.The land is within the Places29 Master Plan, which was adopted in February 2011. “Even though North Fork does not currently permit residential, which is why we’re here, it was clearly contemplated back with the Places29 Master Plan when that was adopted ten years ago,” said Valerie Long, an attorney with the law firm Williams Mullen.Since then, the UVA Foundation has covered the costs of extending Lewis and Clark Drive to Airport Road, providing more connectivity to the area. They’ve also been slowly adding more businesses to support companies that have offices in the research park. For instance, Foods of All Nations runs a café and there is also a large outdoor area enabled with wi-fi. “However to support those amenities you actually need people who live near or who will spend money on those service-oriented companies,” said Deborah Van Eersel, chief administrative officer at the UVA Foundation. “We think that bringing housing in makes it more vibrant. We’ve talked about multifamily, townhomes, and single-detached housing to create active, diverse communities. We’ve talked about affordable housing.”In the application, the UVA Foundation is asking for a minimum of 200 and a maximum of 1,400 units. “That’s quite a range,” said Supervisor Bea Lapisto-Kirtley (Rivanna). “We acknowledge that most certainly,” Long said. “We wanted to provide flexibility to accommodate the market demand and interest but also it’s a new thing for North Fork so we think there will be a lot of interest.” Part of that range may depend on water supply. Learn more about that aspect of this development in Allison Wrabel’s February 20 story in the Daily Progress.UVa Foundation wants to add up to 1,400 homes at North Fork, February 20, 2022There is no date yet for when the project will go to the Planning Commission for a public hearing. Fritz said the county is expecting a resubmittal based on input from staff and the public so far.  Read the latest round of comments back to the UVA Foundation in this February 9, 2022 letter. Youngkin signs eight more billsAs the 2022 Virginia General Assembly continues to reach its end point, legislation continues to either be passed, passed by indefinitely, continued until next year, or some other fate. The ultimate fate that any legislator wants is for a bill to make its way to the Governor’s mansion for consideration. Governor Glenn Youngkin signed eight more bills yesterday and it is worth documenting upon these. HB518 changes the way that transient occupancy taxes are collected and alters the steps “accomodations intermediaries” must take when submitting revenue to the Department of Taxation. HB3 will allow a sales tax exemption on gold, silver, and platinum bullion to remain in place until June 30, 2025. This would have expired at the end of this June.The sunset of Major Business Facility Job tax credits will now be June 30, 2025 rather than this June 30. (HB269)Another sales tax exemption is also being extended for three years, this time for components used in building or renovating aircraft components. (HB462)HB148 allows a locality to certify pollution control equipment themselves rather than have that done by the state government. James Madison University and Virginia Tech will both be able to float up to $101 million in bonds for “revenue-producing capital projects” now that HB165 has been signed into law. Some changes to the Shipping and Logistics Headquarters Grant program have now been made. (HB324)Some definitions of contributions to the Virginia Retirement System will also happen with the passage of HB473. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Broadway star Sutton Foster and director and choreographer Kathleen Marshall talk to Samira Ahmed about staging the musical Anything Goes, one of the hottest tickets of the year at The Barbican, ahead of a Boxing Day screening on BBC 2. In light of the increasing uncertainty facing the performance sector because of the Omicron variant, we talk to Mark Davyd, CEO of the Music Venues Trust and Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Lucy Powell. And Stephen Keyworth has adapted cult classic novel and film The Princess Bride for BBC Radio 4, beginning on Christmas Day. He joins Samira to discuss the challenges of creating satisfying swordfights for radio. Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Tim Prosser Photo: Sutton foster and the cast of Anything Goes, performing at The Barbican, London Photo credit: Tristram Kenton

Welcome to this inspirational podcast where we explore the interconnection of the themes Flourish and Unite with Event Artist, mother, and world traveler, Andy Greenlee. Andy details the artistic journey that led her to “dive in” to the Live Arts world as well as her personal journey of self-care as a way to show up whole and present for her children, her inner circle, and her professional community. Balancing travel, work, and family, Andy talks about finding “magic and comfort” in familiar spaces and how she has experienced unity in flourishing.You can learn more about Andy's live painting events here and follow Andy on Instagram here.

This week, we are absolutely delighted to be speaking with Curtis Bannister! The 2021 recipient of the Actors Equity Foundation Roger Sturtevant Award as well as a 2021 Drama League Award nominee, Curtis Bannister is praised by TimeOut Magazine as “radiating with slowly simmering energy” and a “quiet revelation” by the L.A. Times as he continues to establish himself as one of the most dynamic and multi-genre performing artists of his generation in theatre, opera & film. Bannister begins his 2021/22 season with a return to the role of Coalhouse Walker Jr. in Ragtime with Music Theatre Works, makes his U.S. solo recital debut with The Festival of new American Music and debuts with Hearing In Color and WFMT (Classical Chicago Radio) as Carlos in the new chamber opera, Undying Love, inspired by the iconic song of the same name by legendary rapper, Nas. Curtis will also make his anticipated debut with Drury Lane Theatre in the lead role of Jim Hardy in Irving Berlin's Holiay Inn, and his New York City operatic debut as Florestaan in Fidelio with Heartbeat Opera and the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Live Arts; this production of Fidelio will also tour the west coast with performances at The Broad Stage (L.A.) and the Mondavi Center (Davis, C.A.). Bannister ends the season starring as Juba Freeman in the world premiere opera production of Quamino's Map with Chicago Opera Theater. Bannister made his debut at the Tribeca Film Festival in the world premiere feature film “The Conductor” and can be seen as Marquee in season 2 of the Apple TV+ series, Dickinson, as well as as Reimers in NBC's hit series Chicago Fire. More resources: Lucia Lucas This episode was produced on the unceded ancestral territory of the Kiikaapoi, Peoria, Bodéwadmiakiwen, and Miami. This episode was edited by Emery Lade, with original intro and outro music by Marc Young. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prints-unedited/support

For 37 years, he's been at the helm of a dynamic organization that encompasses three beloved performing arts groups in Annapolis. Listen as Live Arts Maryland Artistic Director J. Ernest Green shares the evolution of an ever-young organization dedicated to providing live musical experiences that enrich audiences and resonate for a lifetime.

Catherine Martin, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Gaeltacht, Sport, Arts and Media

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thecitylife.org/2021/08/13/the-metropolitan-museum-of-arts-department-of-live-arts-receives-endowment-from-the-stavros-niarchos-foundation-snf/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/support

Today I chat to the organisers of the NEW Preston Live Arts Festival running from 21st to 30th June this year! Celebrating dancing, singing, writing, acting, creation and much more! If you are around, I would highly recommend heading down to Preston.

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 projects that are underway. In today’s installment:Albemarle Supervisors are briefed on status on economic development planning exercise for the area around the Woolen MillsA conversation about policing and security at public housing sitesA new creative director at Live ArtsMartinsville and Henry County agree on reversionThis show is nearly a year old now, having launched to the public the second week of July during the pandemic. Sometimes the various segments come together as a theme. Sometimes, there are just things I want to get on the record, somewhere. In today’s show and for much of this first week of June, there will be a lot of catching up. There’s a new artistic director at Live Arts. Susan E. Evans will take over effective today, arriving from the San Francisco Bay area where she most recently ran the 187-seat Old Town Theatre in Lafayette, California. Before that, she was artistic director at the Douglas Morrison Theatre in Hayward, California and before that she was with the Eastenders Repertory Company, also in the Bay area. “I am drawn to the active verb in Live Arts’ mission: forging—theater and community striving toward bringing folx together, vigorously exchanging perspectives through art,” Evans is quoted in a press release. There were over 140 applications for the position. Live Arts was founded in 1990. The city of Martinsville and Henry County in southside Virginia have reached an agreement in which Martinsville will revert to a town. In late April, the two governing bodies met in a mediated closed session according to the minutes of the May meeting of the Virginia Commission on Local Government. That body must approve the agreement when it is finalized. According to the Martinsville Bulletin, the seven-member Martinsville City Council and the six-member Henry County Board of Supervisors met at a joint meeting on May 26 and agreed on a rough sketch of a memorandum of agreement for the reversion. The agreement doesn’t specify when the reversion will take place, but the two parties have agreed to let the Commission on Local Government pick the date. In 2019, the Albemarle County Economic Development Department began a planning study of the roadway that leads to the Woolen Mills factory, a historic property that has renovated in recent years by developer Brian Roy. The main entrance is along Broadway Avenue, which extends from Carlton Avenue at the border between the city of Charlottesville and Albemarle County. In all, there are about 45 acres of land that were the subject of an interim study presented to the Board of Supervisors in November of 2019. “The goal at that time was to leverage the public and private investment that had taken place and projected to take place at the Woolen Mills redevelopment and the Willow Tree relocation at that site,” said J.T. Newberry in the economic development department. Much of the land is zoned for light industrial use, and several businesses are operating in the area. Construction of the new Woolen Mills Industrial Park is underway. The Board of Supervisors was to have seen the results of an implementation study in April 2020, but the pandemic put a pause on the work.“Nevertheless we have tried to stay engaged with stakeholders on the corridor,” Newberry said. “There have been a number of projects that have continued on the private side.”After the interim study, Albemarle staff met with city staff at least twice, and the blueprint has been run by the Planning Commission, the Economic Development Authority, and the Office of Equity and Inclusion. The latter suggested a new approach to the project following the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the topic by Charlottesville, Albemarle County and the University of Virginia. Roger Johnson is the director of economic development for Albemarle.“We are going to pause our project and go back and review the Broadway corridor through an equity lens,” Johnson said. “We don’t know if that will change anything substantively or not but we expect that it will.” That will include a meeting with the city’s new Deputy City Manager of Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Ashley Marshall. Next steps could include creation of a business association for the area, similar to the Downtown Crozet Association. Another would be to create an arts and cultural district for the location. “Some other types of activities we are contemplating are to complete pedestrian and bike connectivity, multimodal streetscape, enhanced public transportation,” Johnson said. Those activities are now considered to be long-term goals. A map of the area covered by the Broadway BlueprintThe Piedmont Master Gardeners and Virginia Cooperative Extension will host an online presentation by author Douglas Tallamy on “The Nature of Oaks” at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 3. Admission is $15. Register by 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 2, at piedmontmastergardeners.org/events to reserve a spot in the program. A longtime professor at the University of Delaware and author of widely acclaimed books such as Bringing Nature Home and Nature’s Best Hope, Tallamy has shown how we can help save nature’s ecological riches in our own backyards. In his latest book, The Nature of Oaks, he explains how adding native oak trees to our home landscapes is one of the best ways to help heal the planet. At the beginning of May, a contract for a security firm to patrol public housing sites lapsed.  At the same, a series of shootings has taken place, including an April 30 incident at Westhaven where bullets struck multiple vehicles and apartment buildings. The Board of Commissioners of the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority discussed the matter at their meeting on Monday, May 24.  Commissioner Laura Goldblatt is a member of the CRHA safety committee and had an update. “There was a lot of discussion and has been a lot of discussion at the past few about the roles that residents want to see for police and what they want policing to look like in their neighborhoods but also the role that they want various community-based safety initiatives to play,” Goldblatt said. “And also a perceived lack of services or a desire for creativity around certain services so we spent a lot of time discussing mental health and trauma services.”Goldblatt said there is a need for trauma counselors who understand the experience of living in public housing. She said some residents have anxiety about the lack of security services at the moment. “I know we have been working towards a [request for proposals] about the various kinds of services we would sent out for,” Goldblatt said. Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker said she’s been meeting Police Chief RaShall Brackney and CRHA Executive Director John Sales about the security issue.“Chief Brackney’s position is that in response to the security firm no longer being present, that they are being asked to increase police presence and this is coming on the heels of a lot of change but a loud community to not having cameras, not having police presence and now there is a request for that increase,” Walker said. “From a community that is asking to defund, where there is being a significant amount of resources being spent on increased patrol on the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday time frame right now.”Charlottesville Police have stepped up patrols in the past few weeks to prevent additional shootings. Chief Brackney is seeking a letter from CRHA about the rules of engagement for future patrols in order to ensure everyone in the community is on the same page with regards to why officers are there. “So that we could be clear that as we were being asked to increase our presence in the community, as we were being asked to use whatever tools and technologies that we have to be able to respond to the increase in violence in the community, as well as the fact that as of May 2, there was no security team or security profile there in the community,” Brackney said. Chief Brackney said she wants the letter to guard against comments from the community about over-policing.“So when there is a lot of presence, I want the community to understand that this is something the residents are asking for of us as well,” Brackney said. Brackney said as of May 20, there had been 121 shootings in the city, with many of them taking place on or near CRHA properties. She said that’s up 51 percent over this time last year. Shelby Edwards, the executive director of the Public Housing Association of Residents, said she was not certain her organization was ready to sign such a letter. “And I love and appreciate the idea of uniformity as far as approach but what I think we always  wonder as we continue to serve the community, if we sign a letter that says we co-signed, and to be clear to the public, we have not co-signed anything, there is no letter quite yet, I just wonder if anyone goes down on CPD’s watch, how would that look for us?”Walker said she supported an agreement because it could set up better relations between police and the community into the future as people in positions of power change. “In the past, police have just come into the community and policed how they want,” Walker said. “I think creating this kind of partnership, having it in writing also gives an example of what future policing looks like if its needed and hopefully we can prevent some of the harm by organization like CRHA and PHAR being able to say ‘hey, this is what we did in 2021 and we want to follow a model similar to that.’”Goldblatt said if there is to be an increase in police presence at public housing sites, she wanted additional mental health services. Chief Brackney said she understood and hoped that police presence would not be required in the future.“I would also wish that we should understand and appreciate that police presence isn’t the only things that are triggering events in our communities,” Brackney said. “It would seem to me that the reasons we’re getting called there should be triggering events for our communities as well. And I’m sure they are. I come from those communities and grew up in those communities.”For the past four weekend, four officers have been dedicated overnight to sites Westhaven, South First Street and Sixth Street and there have been no shootings. “Police presence does make a difference,” Brackney said. “We also know that police presence, people will find a different place to go, and they will find another pathway so we have to be careful that we don’t push it into another community or another area, but that we get to the root causes of it to start.”CRHA Executive Director John Sales said in an email to me today that so far there is no letter, but one is in the works. Stay tuned and more from this CRHA meeting in an upcoming episode of this program.Thanks for reading! If you’re new to the program, I’m Sean Tubbs and I’ve been writing about public policy of and on since I was a student at Virginia Tech. I’m producing this work as a way of helping members of my community better understand what’s happening in local and regional government, as well as the economy that fuels the area. My goal is to bring you information in a way that directs you to new information you may not yet have considered. Let me know if you have any questions! This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Find out what The Black Pledge is from two actors who are pushing live arts organizations in Canada to deal with anti-Black racism and discrimination.

Today's Patreon-fueled shout-out is for the Plant Northern Piedmont Natives Campaign, an initiative that wants you to plant 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! *Virginia has set another one-day total for new COVID-19 cases today with 2,544 new cases bringing the total since March to 213,331. The seven-day average for new cases is now at 2,010. The seven-day average for positive tests has declined slightly to seven percent statewide. The total number of new cases per 100,000 population statewide is now 288.4. That number was 230.4 a week ago and 205.3 two weeks ago. In the Blue Ridge Health District there are another 36 cases today, with 12 from Albemarle, eight from Charlottesville, seven from Louisa, four from Nelson, three from Fluvanna, and two from Greene. An additional COVID-19 fatality has been recorded in Nelson, bringing the total for the Blue Ridge Health District to 81. Statewide the death toll is 3,912. Sometime today the nation will cross the quarter-million mark for COVID deaths. Different parts of Virginia continue to have different experiences with the pandemic this month. While not reliable as a sole indicator of community spread, percent positivity can give a glimpse into what’s happening. Central - 5.2% Eastern - 6%Far Southwest - 15.2%Near Southwest - 10.8% Northern - 8.2%Northwest - 5.5%The Charlottesville School Board last night cautiously directed staff to continue planning to begin hybrid in-person education in January, though some members stated they would continue to watch the COVID numbers. (presentation from meeting)“I also want to say that the Board at our January 4, or at our next meeting after the December 19 meeting looks at the data and says the data is going in the wrong direction, which I fully anticipate it doing, that we have to pull back,” said Chair Jennifer McKeever. Under the current plan, pre-K through 6th grade would begin phasing back to class on January 11 and 7th through 12th would return on February 1. Sherry Kraft is another member of the School Board.“I’m comfortable with the idea of affirming or voting to continue working on these preparations with the understanding that we are not locking ourselves that we’re not locking ourselves into what the model says right now,” Kraft said. Two-thirds of Charlottesville households with students want their students to return in-person according to materials presented to the School Board. Overall, 83 percent of households with students returned the survey. White families had a 92 percent return rate and households identified as People of Color had a 76 percent return rate. Teachers were also asked to give their preference on returning and were given four options and could only choose one. Of 275 elementary teachers surveyed, 97 said they wanted to be in-person, 77 said online, 26 said both in-person and online, and 75 said they would go wherever they were needed. McKeever said she was concerned there might not be enough teachers to move forward.“I want elementary schools to start and to the extent that we have enough teachers, I don’t want us to get into a situation where [human resources] has to tell a teacher that ‘I need you back in the class’ or I need you to resign’,” McKeever said. Superintendent Rosa Atkins said the school system will do what it can to stay intact. “COVID will not last forever,” Atkins said. “We are going to get through this. It’s a difficult time for everyone and there are a lot of adjustments we’re all having to make. But we want to make this as clear and transparent as possible. We don’t want to lose any of our teachers. We want them to stay. We want to work with our staff. Keep them on board.”The School Board will make a final decision at their meeting on December 16. They directed staff to find a way to reduce asynchronous learning in 7th graders and up. The Board also agreed to hire a firm that can provide temporary bus drivers to provide extra trips to get students to school. COVID restrictions limit capacity to 20 students and assistant director for pupil transit Sherry Eubanks said the additional drivers are required to make sure everyone can get to school. “We currently are using every driver we have to drive the students that we are transporting right now, so without extra help, even getting the 383 students to school is going to be a struggle,” Eubanks said. The Board approved a process through which a contract will be worked out for the temporary drivers. *A volunteer group of computer programmers and technical experts will hold an information session tomorrow to find out more about what projects it can work on to benefit the greater Charlottesville community. Jonathan Kropko is the volunteer lead with Code for Charlottesville.“Code for Charlottesville is a local chapter of Code for America which is a national network of groups that begin volunteers with tech or data or code or design or research skills to work on a project for a community partner,” Kropko said. So far, Code for Charlottesville has worked on projects for the Legal Aid Justice Center, the Charlottesville Fire Department and the Charlottesville Office of Human Rights. To find new partners and volunteers, they are holding a work session tomorrow at 4 p.m for people who want to be part of the leadership team. Kropko said the goal of the session is to listen to what the community wants. “There’s a huge movement in the tech industry, the phrase they use is social good and I want to put that in quotes,” Kropko said. “Because a lot of time when they talk about the tech for the social good, it’s not really doing anything good for society. A lot of time these projects fizzle out without doing anything useful.”Kropko said the goal of the information session is to try to come up with useful projects. He said that starts by recruiting volunteers. “You have to do a good job with organizing so that people know what they are working on and what the goals are,” Kropko said. “And you have to do a really good job communicating with your partner in the community. The Code for Charlottesville MeetUp begins tomorrow at 4 p.m. for people interested in civic tech. Register here. *The Virginia Festival of the Book has announced it will hold next year’s literary celebration in a virtual capacity. The 27th annual festival will take place virtually from March 13 to March 26. “All virtual events are free and purchasing participating authors’ books is encouraged but not required,” reads the announcement on the Virginia Humanities website.Since April, the Virginia Festival of the Book has been holding online events called Shelf Life and they say they have had more than 22,000 viewers. *Today in meetings, the Charlottesville City Council will hold a budget work session at 1 p.m. and are expected to make some decisions on the capital improvement program. Last week they were asked to either make cuts or give consent to a plan to fully utilize all of the city’s borrowing capacity. The draft affordable housing plan calls for $10 million in spending every year for ten years. There’s a multimillion dollar project to create a new streetscape for West Main. There’s a long-running request from the schools to reconfigure the middle schools. And on Monday, they were told they’d need to spend up to $4 million to build a roundabout to calm down traffic on 5th Street.  I’ll be producing a story on that to let you know what happens. *Tonight at 7 pm, Live Arts will hold another Coffeehouse. These are a series of musical acts from local artists. There are musical performances by Rob Craighurst, Courtney Jacobs, Tanya Kae, Joshua Tucker and more. This is available for free on their YouTube channel, but they are asking people consider paying what they can. Learn more on the Live Arts website. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Do you have triskaidekaphobia? Then today is not the day for you, for it is November 13th, 2020, the second time this year that the 13th day of the month has fallen on a Friday. The last time was back in March, and we all know what happened next. So let’s be extra careful today after hearing this installment of the Charlottesville Community Engagement newscast and newsletter. I’m your host, Sean Tubbs. Today's Patreon-fueled shout-out is from a supporter who wants you to consider a donation for Monica Johnson, a Pro Strongwoman who will be competing in a charity powerlifting event on November 21 called Make Every Rep Count. Gregory Carey-Medlock is donating 30 cents for every pound Monica squats to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. You can choose between three other charities.  Learn more at Shenandoah Power. Sponsors accepted through November 14. There are another 1,235 cases of COVID-19 in Virginia today, and the seven-day average for positive tests remains at 6.5 percent for a second straight day. The seven day-average for new daily cases is 1,499. In the Blue Ridge Health District, there are four new cases today. This is a good time to remind you that these numbers are always subject to change as new information comes in. For instance, Albemarle’s total number of cases dropped by one to 1,688 since the pandemic began. This could mean that the person’s locality was originally reported incorrectly. Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson all added one case each. The seven-day average for new daily cases in the district is 22 and the percent positivity has increased to 2.1 percent. The University of Virginia COVID-19 tracker shows 66 active cases with 47 of them students. These numbers have been increasing this week and watch for an update later on this afternoon.*Flood waters have receded all across Virginia, and the Town of Scottsville has contended with the highest level the James River has reached since 2010. According to the National Weather Service, the river crested at 19.5 feet and will slowly lower throughout the next 24 hours. The town’s fire department reached the second stage of flood control alert and closed off the flood control walls at Perry Street. Scottsville has experienced many floods throughout its history, according to the Scottsville Museum. A levee has been in place since 1990.*Charlottesville’s appointed officials sought fiscal clarity from Charlottesville’s elected officials during a budget work session last night that sought to gauge Council’s willingness to seek additional revenues to pay for major projects. John Blair is the interim city manager. “As you all know there are a number of large scale capital projects that have been talked about in various iterations through the past few years but what I’ve asked our budget team is to provide you with some numbers that are going to demonstrate using your debt capacity for various projects,” Blair said.  Blair said that the city is close to its debt capacity and more projects will likely require tax increases, but he said that topic was not directly before them. Blair’s budget for FY2022 will not be unveiled until March. It will also be the first to be prepared under this Council. “Obviously I think a number of you have interest in various capital needs whether it be affordable housing, education, infrastructure,” Blair said. He also said this would send a message to would-be city managers about the kind of city this Council wants it to be. For now, the budget is in the very early stages of formation because exact revenues aren’t yet known.  Budget staff needed to know Council’s thoughts on whether to change a key policy to increase the amount of bonds that could be sold to pay for capital projects. Doing so will increase the amount the city needs to spend on debt service to pay back those who buy those bonds for a steady return. We have been in fiscal year 2021 since July 1, and a decision was made by Council earlier this year to continue with $25.8 million of projects in the capital budget, and they signaled support for a total five-year plan of $124.1 million. “We were going to fund $84 million of this five year plan with bonds, and if you recall, due to COVID, just about all of the cash that was originally intended to go to the CIP was held in a reserve with the general fund to offset any of the unknowns,” said Krissy Hammill, Senior Budget and Management Analyst for the city of Charlottesville. Practice has been to use a mixture of cash and bonds to pay for capital projects and since 2010, the average has been 37 percent. For this year’s capital budget, 93 percent will be paid for through bonds. Currently the city has about $90 million in government debt, $80 million of which is for bonds that have been approved for projects but not yet issued.“That means that we typically issue bonds on a cash-needed basis so we don’t issue the bonds until the project is either imminent or underway because we do have spending requirements that once we issue the bonds we typically need to spend that money within 24 months,” Hammill said.Hammill said the city has been building up a fund balance to help reduce the amount of cash that needs to go to debt service each year. But at some point, the city will need additional cash from property taxes to make up the difference. Hammill showed a hypothetical situation where $32 million in new bonds are floated each year through FY2027. That would increase the debt service steadily over time, from $11 million in F2022 to $19.2 million by FY2026. “You’ve basically built in the need for a penny of additional revenue, that’s equivalent to basically a penny a year,” Hammill said, adding that in further years, the need for additional revenues would continue to grow. To put it colloquially, Hammill effectively stated that the city can float an additional $52 million in bonds without maxing out the credit card. Potential projects include additional spending at the future parking garage, reconfiguration of city schools and continued investments in affordable housing. What did Council have to say? I’ll have a report out on that by tomorrow morning, potentially in a Saturday edition of this program. (take a look at the slides)*The city of Charlottesville is looking for a new human resources director. City spokesman Brian Wheeler confirmed Thursday that Michele Vineyard will leave the position after just over a year. The job is advertised for between $100,000 and $156,178 and the position closes on November 30. Vineyard began work on October 21, 2019 at a salary of $145,000 according to an article that month in the Daily Progress.  Wheeler said she will continue to work with the city on a part-time basis to help with the transition to a new director. *How can communities across the mid-Atlantic prepare for predicted bouts of irregular weather and erratic storms? The nonprofit group Resilient Virginia is seeking to draw awareness to the importance of creating plans to be ready for sudden shocks and stresses related to climate change. Annette Osso is the group's managing director. "As we know and we've seen the Commonwealth is facing increasing challenges from extreme weather events whether they be storms, flooding, sea level rise, tornadoes, and unpredictable weather patterns that impact economic and social life," Osso said November 9 during the latest presentation that is part of her group's 2020 Resiliency Academy. Speakers were from the Resilient Rural America Project, which creates educational modules for residents and decision-makers in rural areas on how to increase resilience. Dr. Gwen Griffith is the program director of the Model Forest Policy Program. "The rural lands and waters are vital to all of us, urban and rural alike, in terms of serving our needs," Griffith said. "Rural economics of course is a vital part. It's the underpinning of all of our other economic systems."Griffith said those services include rivers that provide water to urban areas, and trees and lands that offset greenhouse gas emissions. "And those natural services are definitely being impacted as changes conditions are happening around the globe and right here in Virginia," Griffith said. "And the most common form of those changes is being seen as extreme weather impacts." Griffith said in the last five years, there has been $535 billion worth of disaster losses due to extreme weather. However, she said those dollars can sometimes be considered an investment if they can restore conditions in a way that mitigates future weather effects. "We know now that for example when you do flood mitigation for river flooding, you could have a return of as much of $7 in savings from every $1 you invest in that mitigation activity," Griffith said.   Next up for Resilient Virginia is planning for the conference coming up next July.  A slide from Griffith’s presentation. Download the whole thing from the Resilient Virginia page for their 2020 Resiliency Academy*The Jefferson-Madison Regional Library is further extending hours for curbside service at the Central Library and the Gordon Avenue Library. “We're pleased to offer more options for patrons picking up curbside items; adding an additional evening for those working during the day, and Monday morning for those who want to pick up earlier in the week,” said Camille Thompson, Gordon Avenue Library Branch Manager.Central Library (curbside service only): Mondays 10am to 7pm; Tuesdays through Saturdays 10am to 5pm; Sundays 1pm to 5pmGordon Avenue Library (curbside service only): Mondays and Wednesdays 10am to 7pm; Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays 10am to 4pmThere are also expanded hours at the Greene County Library and the Louisa County Library. For more information about hours and services, visit jmrl.org.In addition, the Friends of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library will begin collecting donations for its annual book sale at the Gordon Avenue location only, Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  I’ll repeat - at the Gordon Avenue location only. *Looking for a movie to go and see tomorrow night? The City of Charlottesville will show the 2013 film Free Birds about two turkeys who travel back in time to prevent the advent of Thanksgiving. Tickets for the event at Charlottesville High School are $20 a car load. (buy tickets)*In meetings today, the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority will hold an emergency meeting on safety issues today at 2 p.m. to discuss recent violence, the police response, and the hiring of Millennium Security. (meeting link)If you're looking for something to listen to, consider a radio play from Live Arts! They will debut ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA IN SPACE! The work on YouTube is written and directed by Alexander Bulova, a videographer, writer, and director living in Fairfax, Virginia. (learn more)*One correction today. Yesterday I reported on State Farm deciding to vacate its operations center on Pantops. I incorrectly stated they owned the property when in fact it is held by an investment group called JDM II SF NATIONAL LLC which purchased many State Farms operations centers across the country in 2014, from another group that purchased them from State Farm in 2013. The property records in Albemarle’s GIS lists the same Bloomington, Indiana, address for the owner as the corporate office of the insurance company.Before you go, if you’ve enjoyed this program and would like it to continue, please consider a financial contribution.  Support my research by making a donation through PatreonSign for a subscription to Charlottesville Community Engagement, free or paidPay me through Venmo This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s Patreon-fueled shout-out comes from an anonymous supporter who wants to say - "We keep each other safe. Wear a mask, wash your hands, and keep your distance."Today at noon is the deadline for mail-in ballots to arrive at local registrars in Virginia in order to be counted. Ten out of eleven of the state’s Congressional Districts have been resolved, but challenger Nick Freitas has not conceded in the 7th District Race and trails incumbent Abigail Spanberger by 4,744 votes. The Virginia Department of Elections website estimates that 90 percent of the absentee ballots were counted, but continues to state that *these statistics may not take into account all surrendered absentee ballots.*As of this recording there was still no resolution of the presidential election and early voting and mail-in ballots were still being counted in Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. *There are another 1,568 cases of COVID-19 in Virginia today as reported by the state Department of Health. That brings the seven-day average for new daily cases to 1,304. The number of deaths reported by the VDH actually declined by six people for a total today of 3,682. The seven-day average of new positive test results increased to 5.9 percent, up from 5.8 percent yesterday and up from 4.9 percent on October 6. After a week of single-digit increases for new cases in Albemarle and Charlottesville, both localities went back to double digits today. Albemarle added 18 new cases and Charlottesville added 22 cases. Including those numbers, the soon-to-be-named Blue Ridge Health District added 43 cases. The percent positivity rate for today is 1.8 for PCR tests and 2.1 for all tests. The University of Virginia COVID-tracker displays 41 active cases with 19 of them students. Case counts in far Southwest Virginia continue to rise. Wise County now has a total number of new cases per 100,000 population of 613. That number is 531.2 in Washington County, 896.3 in Scott County, 819.8 in Lee County, and 486.9 in Montgomery County, the home of Virginia Tech. For comparison, Albemarle’s total number of new cases per 100,000 population is 105.8 and Charlottesville’s is 220.3. Fluvanna’s is 97.08, Greene is at 116.3, Louisa is at 114.2,  and Nelson is at 40.44. * A regional housing initiative coordinated by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission will soon launch an online portal to help people locate affordable places to live. Christine Jacobs is the chief operating officer and housing director for the TJPDC, and she told Commissioners last night that the portal will serve a dual purpose.“One of them is to provide streamlined access to the resources that currently exist throughout the region both in the localities in the region and the state and so that will be one piece of the website,” Jacobs said. “Another piece of the website will be a way to connect property owners and developers that have affordable units with community members that are searching for those units.” The website will at first focus on rental issues, but Jacobs said it will increasingly expand to cover for sale units. TJPDC executive director Chip Boyles said roll-out of the regional housing locator has been expedited due to a looming crisis.“We have really hurried this along as Christine talked about because we think it is so crucial to have the rental portal in place when evictions begin from some of the families that haven’t been able to take advantage of the rental assistance programs,” Boyles said. The regional housing locator will be presented at the Regional Housing Partnership’s next presentation on November 12. Boyles also asked Commissioners for their input on a potential name change for the TJPDC.“A number of agencies and churches are looking at changing their name from Thomas Jefferson to other things,” Boyles said. “It’s something we looked at a few years ago but we haven’t looked at since.” No one made a comment about the change at the meeting. The health district will become the Blue Ridge Health District on January 1. *On Wednesday, the Albemarle Board of Supervisors voted 4-2 to deny a special exception to allow a homestay operation on Northfield Road to have five rentable rooms, as opposed to the two allowed by-right. Supervisor Donna Price told the TJPDC Board that Albemarle has rules in place to protect residential neighborhoods. “We see those as being different from AirBnB type thing because it’s supposed to be an accessory use as opposed to a primary source of revenue and obviously the difference between a location in a residential neighborhood versus in a rural area, distance to other properties, all of those things we have to take into account,” Price said. Price said that special exceptions currently go with the land rather than the owner, and the Board has asked the county attorney to investigate legislation to make a change. *Oral arguments got underway this morning in the Virginia Supreme Court for the city of Charlottesville’s appeal of a court ruling that the Robert E. Lee Statue in Market Street Park was a protected war memorial at the time City Council voted to remove it. An injunction remains in place to keep the statue in place even after legislation passed the Virginia General Assembly this year. *Work has concluded one month early on a grade-separated interchange on U.S. 29 in Warrenton. The firm Shirley Contracting Company was awarded a design-build contract in February 2018 to remove a traffic signal at Lord Fairfax Drive and Business U.S. 29. Construction began in March 2019 and the interchange partially opened this summer. (project website)VDOT spokesman Will Merritt gave credit to Shirley Contracting and subcontractor Dewberry for the early completion. “The interchange was built slightly to the north of the old signalized intersection which allowed the design-build team to complete the majority of the project without interfering with traffic,” Merritt said. “The design of the project coupled with favorable weather and a mild winter in 2019 allowed the project team to get ahead and finish the project one month ahead of schedule.” Credit: VDOT/SCC-L.Gutierrez*Interstate highways cut off wildlife habitat and lead to hundreds of collisions with vehicles each year. Albemarle’s Natural Heritage Committee learned about efforts by the Virginia Transportation Research Council to reduce such incidents through better design.“Wildlife crossings which are either underpasses or overpasses across a road are really already established over the past two to three decades as the most effective way to reduce collisions and connect that habitat across roads,” said Bridget Donaldson of the VRTC. She said the next federal transportation bill may have up to $250 million in funding for such crossings. Nine states including Virginia have passed legislation to create plans for where such places could go. Donaldson has worked on a pilot project for fencing along U.S. I-64 in Albemarle County. *No meetings today, but two things to preview. Tonight, Live Arts will hold another virtual studio visit. Box Office Manager Darryl Smith will speak with local artist, actor, poet and storyteller Edwina Herring beginning at 7 p.m. (Live Arts website)On Sunday, the Jefferson Madison Regional Library and the Friends of the JMRL will hold another in a series of pop-up book sales at the Gordon Avenue Library from 10 a.m. at 2 p.m. Visit the library website for more information. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Meet the creative team behind Lost Home, Win Home. It’s an original work by Charlottesville-native Shelby Marie Edwards running at Live Arts this weekend. In this one-woman show, Edwards interrogates her experience growing up in Charlottesville in relation to the white supremacist rally of August 2017. We also talk about Albemarle County’s decision to bring more students back to in-person school in November. 

Today’s Patreon-powered shout-out:The Local Energy Alliance Program wants you to consider a Home Energy Check-Up as the first step toward lowering your energy bills. For a $45 consultation, Albemarle and Charlottesville residents can have their homes audited to see what can be done to reduce energy consumption. Sign up today!”*There are another 1,183 new cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth today as reported by the Virginia Department of Health. The seven-day average for positive tests has increased to 4.8 percent, up from 4.7 percent on Thursday. The Blue Ridge Health District added another 40 cases with 14 new cases in Albemarle and 18 in Charlottesville. Another death was reported from Charlottesville bringing the total to date to 32 in the city and 75 in the entire Blue Ridge Health District. The seven-day average for positive PCR tests remains at 3.2 percent today. However, that increases to 3.5 percent when you factor in all the kinds of tests. The University of Virginia reports 105 active cases as of Thursday, with 78 of those students. There have been 1,019 cases among UVA personnel since August 17. Ten percent of quarantine rooms are in use as are six percent of isolation rooms. The Blue Ridge Health District is within the Virginia Department of Health’s Northwest Region. According to the agency’s pandemic metrics page, the region has seen an increase in the number of cases over the past 16 days though percent positivity has been decreasing for 37 days, as are the number of outbreaks and the number of affected health care workers. The VDH deems the region as being “at moderate community transmission.” Virginia’s Central Region is at “substantial community transmission” according to the metrics page. *The Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s Board of Directors was briefed last night on the status of long-planned public housing redevelopment projects. “We want to add to our community’s inventory of affordable housing,” said Dave Norris, the CRHA’s redevelopment director. “We haven’t finalized what that number is going to be yet but we are confident in saying over the course of this redevelopment effort we’re going to add hundreds and hundred of new units of affordable housing to the city’s stock.” Norris said the CRHA gets one annual subsidy from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development but he said it does not cover the annual cost. “It’s never sufficient and it hasn’t provided and it doesn’t provide the funding we need to maintain our housing stock and operate the agency it really should be operated,” Norris said. “Through redevelopment we are incorporating new streams of financing that will put us in more of a sustainable position.” Norris said ground is soon to break on the $19 million renovation of Crescent Halls, which will see 105 rebuilt units. The work will see two floors under construction at any given time. “The skeleton of the building is in decent shape so we’re not having to knock down the building,” Norris said. The other imminent project is a two-phase redevelopment of South First Street with the first step being 62 new units and a community center constructed on a current ball field. When that is completed in 2022, existing residents of South First Street can be relocated into the new building, and 113 units will be built where the existing structure. A third phase at South First Street might also happen, as well as a renaming. “I think that’s going to be part of the upcoming resident planner conversations as we flesh out the plans for phase 2,” Norris said. Financing for the projects comes through the federal and state Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, $5 million from the Dave Matthews Band, $10 million from Red Light Management, and $15 million in capital improvement program funds from the city of Charlottesville. “All told we’ve now secured commitments if not actual funding for over $70 million in the last year and a half for our redevelopment efforts,” Norris said. Norris said construction will begin a month after the financing deals are completely close. City Council will consider a funding agreement at their meeting on Monday. *Albemarle County has unveiled the latest update of its development dashboards, which track the number of residential units and other buildings that are working their way from proposal to occupancy. The website states there are currently 53 active construction projects in Albemarle and that another 11 projects are under review. Visitors to the site can filter results based on where they live. (dashboard)*The Virginia Department of Health has lifted a harmful algae advisory that had been in place in parts of Lake Anna. The Middle Pamunkey Branch of Lake Anna had been under an advisory for some time but samples taken in mid-September and earlier this month indicate safe levels. Some species of algae contain hazardous toxins that are harmful if accidentally swallowed. (press release)*Time is running out to apply for the second round of Albemarle County’s Community Lift Grants, which is intended for nonprofits. Groups can apply for up to $50,000 toward lost revenues and would-be applicants are asked to fill out an inquiry form by Monday. On Monday, Charlottesville will open up the second round of grants to city businesses. This round will offer up to $825,000. Grants of up to $10,000 are available. Both programs are funded through the federal CARES Act. *Tonight, Live Arts will debut another program as part of its Forge Ahead season. However, the theater company is moving away from Facebook Live in favor of the YouTube platform. Live Arts will hold another Coffeehouse performance tonight this time with Four County Players. Musical performances by Shannon Montague, Doug Schneider, and Kristen Bell. Dance performance by Mariko Schaper Doktor and Perry Medlin. The Coffeehouse will be hosted by Edward Warwick White and Linda Zuby. In addition, Live Arts is also selling tickets to virtual performances this weekend of the play Lost Home, Win Home by playwright Shelby Marie Edwards. The show “follows the individual perspective of a Black Charlottesville native as she recounts the events leading up to the Unite the Right/Neo-Nazi rally that occurred on August 12, 2017.” This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Tuesday, October 6, 2020Today’s edition is made possible through contributions through Patreon or subscriptions through the newsletter. Your support enables the research and the writing, and I am deeply humbled and thankful to those who have stepped up to date. Thank you!*The director of the Thomas Jefferson Health District told the Charlottesville City Council last night that COVID cases at the University of Virginia do not appear to be spreading to people not affiliated with the school, but the recent rise in cases is a cause for concern. “We have not seen a large number of cases amongst community members that we’ve been able to link back to students,” said Dr. Denise Bonds. “That being said, we are seeing more cases among individuals who work at UVA either as faculty or over in the hospital and they are our community really but they also affiliated with UVA.” Since UVA announced a return to in-person classes on August 28, Charlottesville has added 758 new cases and Albemarle added 366 cases. Dr. Bonds said she could not rule-out cross-spread, but contact tracing has linked UVA cases back to other UVA staff, faculty or personnel. She said she and her staff work with UVA Health and she is supportive of the school’s efforts to place further restrictions on person to person contact.“They are beginning to think about the cold weather and what’s going to do that to what where their students go and hang out,” Bonds said. “I think they are trying to be very proactive about it but this is not the only University town and it’s not the only University town seeing an increase in cases amongst University students.” Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker said she wanted to know the extent UVA was considering the safety of people who transfer infected UVA students to quarantine and isolation rooms. “What does the cab driver know about this transport and how are we protecting them?” Walker asked. “I just think in those conversations with the University if we’re just making sure that we’re covering everybody that’s involved in this situation.” Dr. Bonds said she would follow up. She also encouraged everyone to wear masks, even when outdoors in part aerosol droplets still carry outside. She also said it was important for people to get a flu shot. “It’s really important particularly this year for everyone to get a flu shot,” Bonds said. “The symptoms of flu and COVID overlap significantly and we really need everyone to be protected against the flu. It’s a very effective way of either preventing yourself from getting the flu or certainly reducing your flu symptoms.”Dr. Bonds also encouraged people to begin to think through their holiday plans. For more on Council’s briefing, look for a new episode of the Charlottesville Quarantine Report later on today. *The Virginia Department of Health reported another 625 cases of COVID-19 today, with another ten cases in the Thomas Jefferson Health District. That’s the lowest one-day total since September 15 when three new cases were reported. The district reported another two fatalities with one in Charlottesville and another in Louisa. There have been 73 deaths to date in the district and 3,291 deaths in the state since March. *Speaking of the local health district, its name will change to the Blue Ridge Health District effective January 1 according to a news release sent out this morning. “Changing our name is symbolic of the deeper work we are doing as an organization to create an inclusive, equitable environment for our staff and clients and to acknowledge and address the impact of racism on health,” said Dr. Denise Bonds, TJHD District DirectorBonds requested permission to change the name last fall. Only two other health districts in Virginia refer to a person while the rest refer to geography, Lord Fairfax and Mount Rogers. The move continues a trend in our area away from naming things after Thomas Jefferson. *City Councilor Lloyd Snook paid tribute to John Conover at the beginning of the City Council meeting last night. Conover died last week after a long career of community services, including serving on the board of Live Arts. He served one term in Council from 1980 to 1984 and during that time helped prevent the Virginia Department of Transportation from widening a bridge on Ridge Street that would have led to a four-lane highway running south from downtown.“He noted that we already had a history of running four-lane roads through Black neighborhoods like Preston Avenue and Ridge-McIntire and Fifth Street Extended, and we should not do it again even if only for a few blocks because he did not want Ridge-McIntire and Fifth Street Extended to be shown on maps as a cut-through between U.S. 29 and I-64,” Snook said. For more on the life and times of John Conover, read Bryan McKenzie’s article in today’s Daily Progress. *A nonprofit organization of developers has announced a new program to help cover the cost of building repairs for low-income residents, small businesses and others struggling during the pandemic. The Building Goodness Foundation is seeking $300,000 for C’Ville Builds, which seeks to finish 25 projects between now and the spring of 2022. So far they’ve collected about a third of their goal. *A pilot project to increase space for pedestrians and cyclists on the Belmont Bridge is now in its second week. The city’s bicycle and pedestrian coordinator said there has been initial support. “There has been a lot of enthusiasm for the pilot,” Said Amanda Poncy. “We received a number of thank you emails before the barrels even went up. We [have] also installed count equipment and will be further evaluating over the coming weeks.”Construction of a new replacement for the Belmont Bridge is currently scheduled to begin next year. *2020 has been an atypical year for Charlottesville’s City Market, but the market has placed second in a contest held by the American Farmland Trust.  According to a news release, more than 1,250 markets across the country entered. The market will receive $500. “In 2020, the Charlottesville City Market had to make several operational changes due to COVID-19 and switch from an in-person downtown shopping experience to a pre-order and pick-up model at several locations throughout the year,” wrote City Market Manager Justin McKenzie in a release. “The market staff would like to thank the vendors and loyal customers for continuing to make the market a success during these trying times.”The City Market usually operates on a city-owned parking lot downtown. The market will likely not do so again until physical distancing measures are repealed. *Today in meetings, the Albemarle County Planning Commission will have a virtual public hearing on a rezoning to expand the Forest Lake Shopping Center. Charlottesville City Council will hold another meeting at 4 p.m. to discuss the future of Boards and Commissions. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s Patreon-fueled shout-out: "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"There will be more money available for rent and mortgage relief in our area. The regional organization that provides support to local governments in our area has received a third round of $450,000 from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to go to people in need. Christine Jacobs is the housing coordinator for the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. “The way that it works is as they front us the first tranche of money, and then we report to them with a remittance report, “Jacobs said. “Based on our usage, we continue to qualify for funds based on that demand.” Jacobs said as of September 24, the Rental and Mortgage Relief program has written $535,000 in checks to individual households in the district. “We’ve served 308 and households to date,” Jacobs said. “But a couple of those are folks that are returning for a second or third month of support.” Jacobs said the DHCD has increased the amount of rent relief they will pay to 100 percent of arrears. In all, about a $1 million in funding will be distributed in the first two rounds of the program, which includes surrounding counties. The program was announced in July. Jesse Rutherford is on the Nelson County Board of Supervisors.  “It’s amazing how quickly $1 million just went poof!” Rutherford said. The TJPDC is working with Nelson County on a grant to revitalize the unincorporated town of Lovingston as well as a plan to bring more broadband internet to the county through fiber. “In today’s times, it’s kind of nice to have some good or exciting news,” Rutherford said. “You don’t really get it too often. So Lovingston is one thing to look forward to, and fiber.”The TJPDC’s Board of Directors met last night. The representative from the Greene Board of Supervisors gave an update on the water supply plan battle between that county and the governmental entity it shares with Madison and Orange counties. “We are currently in litigation with the Rapidan Service Authority, our water authority,” said Dale Herring. “Basically we have asked them to allow us to withdraw and they have said no. And they have barred the Greene County representatives from voting or speaking on topics and they are making decisions related to the water rates and water projects in Greene county.” Herring said Greene plans to move forward with impoundment of White Run to create a new reservoir for an urban water supply. Terry Beigie of the Greene County Record has a story yesterday about a second lawsuit the county is filing against the Rapidan Service Authority. *There are another 966 new cases of COVID-19 in Virginia as reported this morning, and another 49 cases in the Thomas Jefferson Health District. That’s another 16 cases in Albemarle and another 24 cases from Charlottesville. The statewide seven-day average for positive tests is at 4.5 percent for the third straight day. Calculations for the Thomas Jefferson Health District were not available at production time. There are now 250 active cases at the University of Virginia according to the official COVID-19 tracker, with 235 of those students. In all, 33 cases were reported yesterday with 28 of them students. The number of quarantine rooms in use increased to 30 percent and the number of isolation rooms in use remained steady at five percent. *The University of Virginia’s Center for Politics took another gaze into Sabato’s Crystal Ball yesterday, before news broke that the president of the United States and the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19. Prior to that the biggest election news of the week had to do with Tuesday’s debate. “It was the worst, most awful presidential television debate in American history and you’re talking to an old guy here and watched everyone live and in real time including the four Kennedy-Nixon debates in 1960,” said Larry Sabato. “I remember it well because I had to beg my parents to stay up.” Sabato also called the debate the worst advertisement for American democracy. To watch the rest of the event, visit the Center for Politics’ YouTube channel. *This October is the first-ever Pedestrian Safety Month recognized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to the agency’s website, the reduction of available light at dusk is a major reason to raise awareness. “From September to February, over 30% of pedestrian fatalities occur between 6 p.m. and 8:59 p.m.,” reads the website which offers tips for both motorists and pedestrians.  The Virginia Department of Transportation has a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan which aims to decrease the amount of people struck by vehicles each year. In 2018, pedestrians 12 percent of all traffic deaths in Virginia. One of the goals of the action plan is to identify road improvements as part of the Highway Safety Improvement Program. This week, the city of Charlottesville began a pilot project on Belmont Bridge to increase the amount of space for pedestrians and cyclists. *Live Arts will have another studio visit on Facebook Live as part of their Forging Ahead season. Darryl Smith will speak with painter Sarah Boyts Yoder about her work. According to the materials, her work reflects “a visual lexicon of symbols that she has generated over time, her colorful, abstracted works articulate how space extends and collapses all around us in liminal celebrations of cacophonous graffiti.” This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s installment comes to you thanks to the Charlottesville Podcasting Network. Bringing you audio from the community since 2005, and getting ready for another 15 years and beyond. *There are another 902 cases of COVID-19 reported in Virginia today, above the seven-day average of 862 new cases per day. In the Thomas Jefferson Health District there are another 35 cases, and the seven-day average for new daily cases is now at 40. The University of Virginia’s COVID-19 official tracker added another 15 cases yesterday, and lists 221 active cases. That’s defined as “new cases with a positive test during the past ten days” and these numbers only cover tests “administered or provided through UVA.” The tracker did not alter the number of isolation and quarantine rooms in use. There were still listed as seven percent and 26 percent respectively. On Tuesday morning, residents of the Hancock dorm were ordered to participate in prevalence testing according to an article in the Cavalier Daily. Later that day, President Jim Ryan imposed a five-person or less gathering limit. “Testing residence halls is part of our ongoing asymptomatic prevalence testing program,” said UVA spokesman Brian Coy. “In some cases that’s in response to a known uptick in cases in a residence hall, in some cases it’s wastewater indications or some other factor.”*The Virginia Department of Health also monitors water quality in the state’s rivers and lakes. An advisory remains in place for the Middle Pamunkey Branch of Lake Anna due to the ongoing presence of a harmful algae bloom. However, an advisory for the Upper North Anna Branch has been lifted due to water samples that show levels of algae have dropped to safer levels. According to a release, “some harmful algae, called cyanobacteria, can cause skin rash and gastrointestinal illnesses, such as upset stomach, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.” (VDH release) *Operations at branches of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library are supported by a group called the Friends of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library which raises funds for books, equipment, and other essentials for a successful system. However, the pandemic has meant the main event has not been possible to put on. Peter Manno is the manager of the Friends of the Library.“What we’ve had for over 50 years are some pretty well renowned and wonderful book sales that now are spring and fall, for a long time they were spring only, and that is 90 percent of our funding,” Manno said. “The libraries closed down just two weeks before our traditional spring sale.” That has meant that the basement of the Gordon Avenue Library has been filled with books donated by members of the community. The fall sale has also been canceled, but Manno said the Friends have held two Pop Up Sales and will have another this one Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Gordon Avenue Library. “It’s a big change from our usual book sale where you would come in and you would browse the books, handling them, they would be individually priced on the inside,” Manno said. “Obviously that’s not going to fly for safety reasons.”Instead, volunteers have pre-packaged and sealed bags with at least five books from a specific genre for $5 a bag. “For this sale coming up we have mystery, literary fiction, popular fiction, sci-fi/fantasy, biographies, young adult books, and books for preschool aged kids, pre-literate kids, picture books fundamentally,” Manno said, adding that the first two sales exceeded expectations. The Friends of the Library have not been accepting new books since March, but Manno said they may be able to do so in the future. Visit the library website for more information. *Tonight, Live Arts continues its Forging Ahead Season with two short plays that will be livestreamed beginning at 8 p.m. The Locally Sourced series consists of material created by members of the Live Arts Playwrights Lab, and will be made available without a ticket. The theater company asks that people contribute what they can or purchase a season pass. For a list of what’s on tonight, visit the Live Arts website. In meetings today, the Places29-Rio Community Advisory Committee meets at 6 p.m. They will see the same presentations from Jim Heilman of the Electoral Board and Brad Sheffield of Jaunt on that agency’s ideas for on-demand transit.   (meeting info) This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

This week we talk to activists as they mark the removal of the confederate “Johnny Reb” statue in front of the Albemarle Courthouse. Plus COVID-19 has been found in four dorms at UVA. If that’s not enough news for one week, Charlottesville is also getting a new city manager. Stick around for our final segment where we sit down with the folks at Live Arts to talk about their upcoming entirely virtual season of community theater.

Today’s Patreon-fueled shout-out is for Abundant Life Ministries, “working hard to create a better future for the Charlottesville community.”*The University of Virginia has recorded 52 positive tests on its COVID-19 tracker after three days of only reporting single digit numbers. All of the cases are from students and that brings the total to 430 positive cases since August 17, with 382 of them students. The Cavalier Daily reports that the high number is due to a testing machine being “temporarily offline.”“The large number of cases include a number who were tested earlier in the week and do not represent a sudden spike over the last 24 hours,” said deputy spokesman Wes Hester in a statement.Changes will be made to the UVA dashboard today, according to the Cavalier Daily. Students in the Balz-Dobie dormitory remain in mandated quarantine while waiting for test results after five residents tested positive. Those five tests were not reflected in the 52 cases reported Thursday, but UVA announced this morning that follow-up testing yielded another ten cases in Balz-Dobie for a total of 15. “In accordance with the University’s COVID-19 Prevention, Detection, and Response Plan, students who tested positive have been notified and are being placed in isolation housing,” reads an update on UVA’s Facebook page “All students with positive tests are doing well. Their close contacts, including roommates, are being placed in quarantine housing.Statewide there are another 1,242 cases of COVID-19 this morning, and a total of 77 new cases in the Thomas Jefferson Health District. Of that figure, sixty are reported as being from Charlottesville and eight are from Albemarle. That may represent the cases at the University of Virginia. There are only five new cases from Fluvanna County, which has seen a spike this week due to a test of all inmates and staff at the women’s prison there. *Early voting starts today at registrar’s offices across Virginia and runs for 46 days through November 3. What will the results be?“Three words --  we don’t know,” said UVA presidential prognosticator Larry Sabato on a Center for Politics webinar Thursday. “That’s why your crystal ball is being more cautious than certainly we were in 2016 and frankly more cautious than some are being this year. This is an unprecedented presidential election. We have never had a presidential election during a pandemic.” Sabato said there has also not been a presidential election during such a severe downtown in the economy. He said different models published in recent weeks by the Center for Politics show different results. “Alan [Abramowitz] believing that Biden will win fairly handily and Jim [Campbell] projecting a close popular vote which to me says that Trump will win the electoral college in all probability,” Sabato said. “The fact that these two very able political scientists could produce results so different should suggest to all of us that while we love to jump to conclusions and we love to jump to conclusions and we love to fill in and color a map and not leave any states out, we really ought to express a little bit of humility.” Episode 5 of the Sabato’s Crystal Ball - America Votes 2020 is available for viewing on YouTube.*A nonprofit group that matches caring adults with children that need guardians is seeking new families. Community Attention Foster Families works in Albemarle, Charlottesville and Greene County and trains people to become “compassionate caretakers” who support vulnerable children. Those sessions take about 27 hours to complete and prepare families for the experience. “Becoming a foster parent is an incredible way to give back to our local community,” said CAFF Recruitment Specialist Nicole Hawker,  in a press release. “You have the opportunity to empower children and youth as well as their biological families towards hope, healing and family restoration.”Hawker will lead an informational session on foster care on Monday. If you or someone you know is interested in participating, send her an email at CAFFinquiries@charlottesville.gov.There were 218 children in foster care in the three communities as of the beginning of this year. *Tonight is the launch of Live Arts new season, albeit an atypical one that is being streamed on Facebook rather than at the theater on East Water Street. The Forging Ahead Season will begin at 7 with a “coffeehouse” hosted by Shelby Marie Edwards and with live performances from  Amrita Shankar, Johnny Butcher, Monica Edwards, and Nathaniel Star. The event is free but Live Arts will request viewers to pay what they can and to purchase a season pass. (watch) This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Usually this is the spot where there’s a Patreon-fueled shout out, but the cupboard is bare today. $25 a month gives you four mentions in the newsletter and newscast! There is a large spike today in the number of COVID-19 deaths reported by the Virginia Department of Health. The agency lists 2,839 fatalities today, a rise of 96 over yesterday. “Regarding the death data for Tuesday, September 15, 2020, there is an existing data backlog,” reads a disclaimer posted on the site today. “VDH is working diligently to identify COVID-19 related deaths using vital record death certificate information.” There are another 943 cases statewide and the seven-day testing rate decreased to 7.1 percent from 7.2 on Monday. The first person from Nelson County has died due to COVID-19, according to new data released this morning for the Thomas Jefferson Health District. The two other deaths are one individual from Albemarle and another from Louisa County. The district reports only three new cases today, with no new cases in Albemarle. That’s the first time that has happened since June 17. The University of Virginia has reported a total of 369 positive cases since August 17, with 321 of those as students. The UVA COVID Tracker is not updated on weekends. Governor Ralph Northam is expected to address Virginia and the press at a news conference today at 2 p.m. *Last week, a subcommittee of the University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors got an update on several new projects, including the 60,000 square foot home of the School of Data Science. They also got details on the 223,000 square foot UVA Hotel and Conference Center. Both are part of first phase of the Emmet / Ivy Corridor, a future section of the UVA campus that the UVA Foundation has slowly been acquiring over the years. Renderings presented to the Buildings and Grounds Committee depict a pond in the southeast corner of the precinct, a pond fed by streams that will be daylit throughout the site. It has now been two years since the Cavalier Inn was demolished to make way for the new era for this part of the community. *A joint fund to help improve the virtual learning experience for low-income students has received a potential boost from two area philanthropists. The Charlottesville City Schools Reopening Fund is powered by the city’s Parent-Teacher Organizations and raised $56,500 in its first month of operations. Now the Bama Works Fund of the Dave Matthews Band and the Smith Family’s “Always Am” Fund will each chip in $25,000 if an additional $25,000 can be raised by the community. You can donate here. “School-level committees have begun authorizing expenditures for headphones, manipulatives, books, supplies for home classrooms, assistance to families for virtual learning center tuition, and more. To ensure resources are directed equitably, distribution percentages are based on each school’s population of students receiving free and reduced lunch,” reads a press release that went out this morning. “The use of the funds are determined by individual school level committees comprised of a PTO representative, teacher, administrator, and an equity committee representative.” *Tonight, the Albemarle Planning Commission will hold a work session on how applications for new neighborhoods calculate the number of vehicle trips they will generate. The Albemarle Board of Supervisors received a briefing on September 2 on the“traffic impact analyses” (TIA) that go into land use planning.“TIA’s are also sometimes referred to as traffic impact statement, and they evaluate a proposed project’s effect on the transportation system,” McDermott said. “They are done for rezonings and special use permits and they are requested when a development would substantially affect transportation on public roadways.”  These studies can also help developers and planners come up with ideas for ways to mitigate the impacts on the new development, currently usually discussed in terms of proffers. “They have to be specifically attributable to the development that is proposed, they have to be reasonable, and they are offered by the applicant, so we can’t require those,” McDermott said. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. In another work session, the president of Jaunt will give a presentation on the on-demand service his agency will pilot in the coming months. (agenda) (presentation)In other public meetings, the Charlottesville Board of Architectural review will consider two applications to alter two Individually Protected Properties, or IPPs. These are structures protected by historical protection or design ordinances which require review by the BAR. In one case, an applicant seeks permission to demolish outbuildings on a historic property in Fifeville that dates back to the 1860’s. In the other, another applicant wants to build a new apartment building on the sideyard of an historic building in the Rugby neighborhood. (Fifeville staff report) (Rugby staff report)  *Live Arts continues to prepare for the beginning of their Season Launch this Friday. The move to all virtual performances, for now, begins with a Coffehouse featuring performances from  Amrita Shankar, Johnny Butcher, Nathaniel Star, and Monica Edwards. The event begins at 7 p.m. on the Live Arts Facebook page. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s Patreon-fueled shout-out is for Abundant Life Ministries, “working hard to create a better future for the Charlottesville community.”*There are another 1,111 cases of COVID-19 reported this morning by the Virginia Department of Health and another 10 deaths. The seven-day average for positive tests has increased to 7.8 percent. There are another 35 cases in the Thomas Jefferson Health District with 26 of those listed as being from Charlottesville, seven from Albemarle and two from Louisa. Another Albemarle resident has died for a total of 57 in the district to date. The positive rate for the district has increased to 7.3 percent. Last night, the Charlottesville School Board was briefed on local conditions by Dr. Beth Baptist, the director of city schools. She has access to VDH health metrics that are not available to the public. She reported that the city of Charlottesville on August 31 had a much higher seven-day positive rate than surrounding counties.“For the overall health district we are at 7.1 percent,” Baptist said. “Charlottesville is 9.7 [percent]. When we get to ten, that’s when it becomes a red indicator and so we’re very close to that. Last week it was 3.6 [percent].” City schools open virtually on Tuesday, the same day that the University of Virginia will open to in-person instruction. This morning the University of Virginia COVID Tracker has recorded another 20 cases reported, all of them students. That brings the official total to 194 total cases, with 155 of them students. Students are expected to move into residence halls this week. Meanwhile, James Madison University students are moving out of dorms there as that school has opted to go virtual for at least the month of September. The image below is a screenshot taken this morning before the tracker was edited.* Governor Ralph Northam has asked the Virginia Supreme Court to extend the moratorium on evictions in the Commonwealth. A temporary halt on eviction notices expires at midnight on Labor Day. The Governor wrote Chief Justice Donald Lemons to point out that the General Assembly is still in session with a bill pending to address the issue, and new federal directives on a nationwide eviction moratorium is still being assessed. That action came this week in the form of a Centers for Disease Control directive. “While my administration works with our federal counterparts to understand the implementation of the CDC order, and while we continue to work with the General Assembly on protections that  will enable more landlords and tenants to utilize the rent relief funding, I write to seek additional time from this Court,” reads the letter. Northam specifically wants the moratorium to last through the end of September. (Northam’s letter)*The General Assembly remains in special session this week, and members of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission got a brief update last night. David Blount is the legislative liaison for the TJPDC. “They have a over $200 billion budget gap to fill for the rest of the fiscal year 2021 and fiscal year 2022,” Blount said. “I think they’re going to cover that largely by using the money that was frozen from this past regular session and they went and reduced that to largely fill the gap.” Blount said he did not anticipate the state will tap into a reserve fund at this time. Both the House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate meet at noon. (General Assembly schedule)TJPDC Directors had the opportunity to update their counterparts from across the region. Albemarle Supervisor Donna Price relayed the news about the decision to remove Confederate markers in Court Square on September 12.“We expect that we will have several applications in [from] groups or organizations that are interested in receiving those items and we’ve been very pleased with the community engagement we’ve had in keeping our constituents informed of the process,” Price said. Price said the Albemarle Board plans to continue to keep meeting virtually as cold and flu season approaches and with no concrete plans for a vaccine. Fluvanna County is using its CARES money for economic development and expanding Internet coverage along Route 6 and U.S. Route 15. Supervisor Tony O’Brien said the county is also hopeful for more businesses to locate in the community, especially now that public water is coming to Fluvanna’s portion of Zion Crossroads. “We continue to see some positive growth on the economic development site,” O’Brien said. “We should have some announcements coming out in the near future but we’re getting a lot of momentum there and we’re sharpening up our economic development package.”Nelson County is also investing in broadband with a recent $1.25 million investment to expand access to the Internet, and another package is underdevelopment. “We’re looking at doing that again and trying to get to another 500 plus households within the next 12 months,” said Jesse Rutherford of the Nelson County Board of Supervisors. Dale Herring of the Greene County Board of Supervisors updated the TJPDC on the impasse over Greene’s proposed water supply plan. In July, the Rapidan Service Authority voted to stop collecting facility fees intended to pay for the impoundment of White Run for a new reservoir. The RSA consists of officials from Madison and Orange counties as well as Greene.“We voted to pull out,” Herring said. “They voted to not allow us to pull out. The resolution that the board has approved stated that if we were not allowed to pull out of the authority, we would seek legal action. At this point in time we are trying to determine what needs to be done. The bottom line is they have the authority to say there’s not enough water to approve our project, and they also have the ability to say they will not expand the water access.”Herring said the RSA has offered another solution but it not acceptable to the Board of Supervisors. The Greene County Board next meets Tuesday. *Tonight, Live Arts will hold the first in a series of Friday events the theater company plans to use to stay engaged with its patrons. Darryl Smith is the Box Office Manager at Live Arts.“This season, Live Arts is embracing First Fridays in our lovely community here,” Smith said. “Every first Friday of the Month, I will go out into the community of artists and performers and do a little of snippet, an interview about their art and the inspiration about their art.” Tonight, Smith will speak with writer Jocelyn Nicole Johnson who will read from some of her work, including a story in the form of a list called “Buying a House Ahead of the Apocalypse.”“I’m going to read a super, super short reading,” Johnson said. “I actually wrote this last summer before the pandemic and before quarantine. I was thinking about even last summer about how to plan for a future that seems particularly fragile or even tilting towards catastrophe.” Tonight’s interview is free to the public and will be streamed on Facebook Live, but you don’t need an account to access it. “This will be a way to give people a taste of what a Virtual Studio Visit will be like,” said Katie Rogers, marketing coordinator for Live Arts. The company is switching to a Season Pass model for programming that offers weekly content including radio plays and more. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s Patreon-fueled shout-out is for Abundant Life Ministries, “working hard to create a better future for the Charlottesville community.”*On Friday evening around 5 p.m., the University of Virginia announced they would proceed with plans to begin in-person instruction on September 8, two weeks later than originally planned. That also means that residence halls will open to students at two-thirds capacity, or about 4,400 people. “We know some will be delighted to hear this news and others will be disappointed,” reads a statement signed by officials including President Jim Ryan. “To be frank, it was a very difficult decision, made in the face of much uncertainty, and with full awareness that future events may force us to change course.”The statement goes on to explain the decision was made in part because local conditions in Virginia and the Thomas Jefferson Health District have been improving. He also said “thousands of students” have been slowly returning to Charlottesville and UVA to work in labs, the medical and nursing schools, and professional students.“One thing we have learned from this virus is that you can do everything in your power to plan and prepare, but it still might not be enough, as things can change rapidly,” Ryan and others wrote. “That is why we will continue to monitor conditions closely and, if necessary, will put more restrictions in place, move classes online, and, if need be, send students home.”As of this morning, the official number of positive cases of UVA faculty, staff, and students is listed on the COVID-19 tracker as 115 since August 17, with 83 of those students. This morning, another three positive cases were reported, with two of those students.*The Virginia Department of Health has reported an additional 3,002 cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth since Friday morning, for a total of 120,494 to date. That includes 1,217 cases reported Saturday, 938 reported Sunday and 847 reported today. The positive test rate increased yesterday to 7.4 percent, up from 6.5 percent a week earlier.   In the Thomas Jefferson Health District, there have been another 103 cases of COVID-19 reported since Friday morning, with 52 reported Saturday, 34 reported Sunday, and 17 reported this morning. The positive rate jumped to 6.7 yesterday, up from 5.6 a week earlier. Today the figure decreased to 6.6 percent. *The latest report from the people putting together the University of Virginia’s COVID-19 forecasting model states that surges in health districts across the Commonwealth are abating. According to analysis by the UVA Biocomplexity Institute, only one health district, Mount Rogers in far southwest Virginia, is considered to be surging. The model currently suggests there could be around more 57,000 cases in Virginia by Thanksgiving, or 187,883. Adjustments were recently made to the model to anticipate the effects of seasonal change. (model report)“With the new modeling approach, the current course predicts that confirmed cases already peaked at 7,358 cases per week during the week ending August 9th,” reads the report. “Anticipated seasonal changes in the Fall due to schools and universities re-opening, changes to workplace attendance, and the impact of weather patterns could lead to a surge beginning around Labor Day.”The third page of the report talks about the effects schools re-opening could have on transmission in Virginia’s localities. *Albemarle County has announced the launch of another round of LIFT grants funded by the CARES Act. This time around, county officials are seeking applications from non-profit groups. Applications are not yet opened, but would-be applicants are asked to complete a form to be notified when the window opens. The Community Investment Collaborative will administer the funding. *A coffeeshop on Elliewood Avenue that has been closed since the pandemic began is reopening today. Grit sent an email to customers Saturday morning to notify of the change and to state that “safety protocols have been implemented” including a continued ban on indoor seating. Grit’s four other stories have been open to take-out and curbside pick-up but the store on the UVA Corner has been closed. *Two members of a group charged with overseeing urban design in Charlottesville have resigned, including chair Mike Stoneking. Stoneking and architect Fred Wolf have both sent letters to the city stating they now longer want to serve on the PLACE Design Task Force, which was created in 2012. Carrie Rainey, the city's urban design planner, sent a letter to remaining members telling them they could call for a special meeting to appoint new leadership. That meeting will happen on September 10 at the regular time. *Developer Katurah Roell has submitted new plans for a mixed-use building on Roosevelt Brown Boulevard in Charlottesville. A sign for the SoHo building has been standing on the half-acre property has been standing for several years. Staff in the city's Department of Neighborhood Development Services had approved a site plan for 6 residential units and over 40,000 square feet. The new plan would increase the residential units to 24 and would cut the commercial space to about 11,000 square feet. Both projects are allowed by-right under the zoning, which is a special district created for the Cherry Avenue corridor. In recent years, the city commissioned the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission to create a small area plan for the area to guide future development. City Council has not yet adopted the plan. *With no end in sight for physical distancing rules and bans on public gatherings, there are no scheduled curtain openings for live theater. However, Live Arts is shifting to an online model that begins with programming this week. Jeremy Duncan Pape is the interim creative director at Live Arts. “One of our primary focuses is obviously going to be on flexibility and adaptability because there is so much that we don’t know about the state of the word for the next year or so we have a lot of ideas,” Pape said. This year’s season will be driven by local content. Ann Hunter is the executive director at Live Arts. “When COVID hit, seems like a lifetime ago, Live Arts had a choice to either hunker down or to forge ahead and we chose the latter. That choice led to the creation of a reimagined forging ahead season,” Hunter said. She added that they are asking patrons to purchase a season pass to help subsidize the cost of programming for those with limited means. “The goal here is pretty simple, to lower the economic barrier to theater during a time of social, emotional and financial hardship for our neighbors,” Hunter said. Programming kicks off this weekend when box office manager Daryll Smith interviews writer Jocelyn Nicole Johnson as part of a First Friday event. You can get a preview in the Live Arts Season Reveal which is available on YouTube. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s Patreon-fueled shout-out comes from an anonymous supporter who wants to say - "We keep each other safe. Wear a mask, wash your hands, and keep your distance."*There were no major incidents marking the third anniversary of the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, but there were several peaceful commemorations, including a six-hour takeover of Market Street Market in an event known as #ReclaimCville. More than thirty faith leaders held a virtual interfaith service that reflected on the push to remove Confederate statues that lead to violent clashes three years ago yesterday. Here’s the preface of the Michael Cheuk of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective. The full 40 minute video of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective service is available on YouTube. *The University of Virginia will hold another town hall about reopening on Friday, and this time it will be for parents and family of returning students. Similar meetings were held this past week for staff and for the community at large. For an audio summary of the community town hall held Monday, listen to the most recent episode of the Charlottesville Quarantine Report. One thing you’ll hear on the program is Dr. Mitch Rosner explaining one way that UVA officials will monitor the student population for COVID.“For the dorm buildings, we will be testing the wastewater effluent,” Rosner said. “The wastewater of buildings contains viral genetic material that can be detected by these PCR tests at a very high sensitivity. If we detect that a building’s wastewater tests positive, we will go in and test all the students.”  *The Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners will welcome newcomers to the governance structure of the agency that owns and operates public housing in the city. The CRHA Board of Commissioners will hold a virtual work session beginning at 5 p.m. to be introduced to new executive director John Sales as well as two new commissioners. Sales started the job earlier this month after serving as the city’s housing coordinator. Also being introduced are Lisa Green and A’Lelia Henry as the new commissioners. Green is at the end of ten years of service as a City Planning Commission. They’re all joining the CRHA at a time when the first new public housing units are being constructed in a generation with the expansion of South First Street. (register for the meeting)*Do you know how decisions are made about transportation projects in our area, and how you can have your say? A good place to start is the Public Participation Plan (PPP) of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization, a 13-page document that seeks to explain the process that decides what gets built and where. The MPO is seeking public comment on the draft through September 10. The MPO Policy Board will vote on the updated plan on September 23. If you have any questions about the process, I’d like to hear them potentially for a future story. (more info)One recent transportation decision was made by the Charlottesville City Council when they decided to move forward with a Smart Scale application to pay for changes to the intersection of Preston Avenue, Grady Avenue and 10th Street. The city’s PLACE Design Task Force will discuss the area at their first meeting since the pandemic began. Chair Mike Stoneking has sought a broader discussion of the Preston Avenue Corridor, which has been redeveloping slowly. I produced a written report and podcast about Council’s vote that may be of interest to anyone before the meeting begins. (PLACE agenda)*The Charlottesville Police Civilian Review Board (PCRB) will meet virtually at 6:30 p.m. and will begin by speaking with two members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus. The General Assembly will convene on August 18 for a special session that will include criminal justice reform. They will also discuss the board’s status, hiring an independent counsel, and the executive director position that will be filled in the near future. (agenda)Albemarle’s Solid Waste Alternatives Advisory Committee will meet virtually at 4 p.m. One of the items on the agenda is a presentation from the president of the Glass Packaging Institute on the organization’s circular glass initiative in Virginia. (register)*Live Arts begins a four-night virtual run tonight of a presentation of In the Heights by the Live Arts Teen Theater Ensemble. In the Heights is by Lin-Manuel Miranda, also the person behind Hamilton. Jessica Harris is the assistant director of the production.  “Our performances will be presented in webinar style which means you and hundreds of other audience members can watch the show live from your home without being seen or heard yourselves,” Harris said.  (buy tickets) *Before we close the show today, we have a small correction. In yesterday’s edition, we incorrectly reported the organizers of a panel discussion on the Memorial to Enslaved Workers. The event was put on by the Virginia chapter of the American Institute of Architects. We conclude by stating that as of publication, the C-VILLE STEM Fundraiser is at $29,555 dollars, or very close to its goal of $30,000 to build boxes of scientific supplies for up to 2,100 students in Charlottesville city schools who would otherwise not have them at home. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Work. Shouldn't. Suck. LIVE: The Morning(ish) Show with special guest Dave Archuletta, Chief Development Officer, New York Lives Arts. [Live show recorded: April 16, 2020.] DAVE ARCHULETTA Since 2015, Dave has served as Chief Development Officer at New York Live Arts, where he is responsible for leading the organization’s fundraising efforts including individual giving, special events, institutional funding, and fiscal sponsorship. He is also responsible for the management and development of Live Arts education initiatives such as its partnership with the local James Baldwin High School and work with youthful detainees on Rikers Island. Prior to joining New York Live Arts, Dave lived in San Francisco where he served as Executive Director of Joe Goode Performance Group (JGPG). While leading JGPG, he oversaw the capital campaign and buildout of the new Joe Goode Annex performance space, its capitalization and its public programs. Previously he was a consultant and producer in Berlin, Germany, and before that he served as Program Director of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company (BTJ/AZC) in NYC. In his role at BTJ/AZC he developed the Company's licensing program, increased touring revenue, and under his leadership the Company entered markets in Singapore and Taiwan for the first time. Dave also oversaw the development of the Company's education and community engagement programs and was instrumental in producing the Company's first talk series, Breaking Ground with Bill T. Jones at Harlem Stage, funded by JP Morgan Chase. Dave has also held positions in the dance touring division at IMG Artists, and the performing arts curatorial department at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Dave is a UC Berkeley graduate with dual degrees in Art Practice & Rhetoric (film emphasis). He is also an independent music producer, living in the LES with his wife, abstract artist Megan Olson and their senior cat Dandelion.

Listen to a recording of a talk Hope gave at the national conference of the Alliance for Arts in Research Universities (A2RU) in November 2018, about the ways she is using her solo play with music, SKIN, to hopefully impact and even help audiences to heal, and how she is demonstrating those impacts through audience research.Watch a video excerpt from SKIN on the Episode Details page on our website healmetoopodcast.com. You can also read the text of Hope's talk at the A2RU conference on Hope's Blog. While you're there, join our email list to hear about future pop-up #HealMeToo Festival events.Closing music credit: Hope Singsen & Dillon Kondor, performed by Micah Burgess.Subscribe now. Let's talk about how we can #HealMeToo.Listen and subscribe to the #HealMeToo Podcast on Apple Podcasts at bit.ly/hm2pod. Or visit healmetoopodcast.com to find links to other platforms. Support the show (https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/healmetoo-festival)

The Royale Podcast is a limited run podcast that chronicles the creation process of the play. Hosted by GFM's Music Editor Ivan Orr, we hope that this inside look into this production will inspire you to support Black Theater and Black Art. The Royale is not about boxing. It is about a fight. This play asks questions most white people never have to encounter in a lifetime because you are born into a society that answers it for you every minute of every day. For those of us in Black bodies, these are questions we live our lives bobbing, weaving and sparring with. What is your worth? What are you willing to sacrifice to prove your worth? When is the sacrifice too much? How do you make that decision and not go insane from the sadness and anger the inevitable consequences produce? How do you demonstrate your humanity when no one believes you are human? As Director, I invited some of the best minds I know, my cast members and the Artistic Director of Live Arts to help me talk about the issues and possibly answer some of the questions. Professor A. D. Carson, Professor Kwame Otu, my lovely cast and Artistic Director Bree Luck all were vital to the telling of this story and my vision. - Leslie Scott-Jones For more information about The Royale please visit http://livearts.org

The Royale Podcast is a limited run podcast that chronicles the creation process of the play. Hosted by GFM's Music Editor Ivan Orr, we hope that this inside look into this production will inspire you to support Black Theater and Black Art. The Royale is not about boxing. It is about a fight. This play asks questions most white people never have to encounter in a lifetime because you are born into a society that answers it for you every minute of every day. For those of us in Black bodies, these are questions we live our lives bobbing, weaving and sparring with. What is your worth? What are you willing to sacrifice to prove your worth? When is the sacrifice too much? How do you make that decision and not go insane from the sadness and anger the inevitable consequences produce? How do you demonstrate your humanity when no one believes you are human? As Director, I invited some of the best minds I know, my cast members and the Artistic Director of Live Arts to help me talk about the issues and possibly answer some of the questions. Professor A. D. Carson, Professor Kwame Otu, my lovely cast and Artistic Director Bree Luck all were vital to the telling of this story and my vision. - Leslie Scott-Jones For more information about The Royale please visit http://livearts.org

The Royale Podcast is a limited run podcast that chronicles the creation process of the play. Hosted by GFM's Music Editor Ivan Orr, we hope that this inside look into this production will inspire you to support Black Theater and Black Art. The Royale is not about boxing. It is about a fight. This play asks questions most white people never have to encounter in a lifetime because you are born into a society that answers it for you every minute of every day. For those of us in Black bodies, these are questions we live our lives bobbing, weaving and sparring with. What is your worth? What are you willing to sacrifice to prove your worth? When is the sacrifice too much? How do you make that decision and not go insane from the sadness and anger the inevitable consequences produce? How do you demonstrate your humanity when no one believes you are human? As Director, I invited some of the best minds I know, my cast members and the Artistic Director of Live Arts to help me talk about the issues and possibly answer some of the questions. Professor A. D. Carson, Professor Kwame Otu, my lovely cast and Artistic Director Bree Luck all were vital to the telling of this story and my vision. - Leslie Scott-Jones For more information about The Royale please visit http://livearts.org

The Royale Podcast is a limited run podcast that chronicles the creation process of the play. Hosted by GFM's Music Editor Ivan Orr, we hope that this inside look into this production will inspire you to support Black Theater and Black Art. The Royale is not about boxing. It is about a fight. This play asks questions most white people never have to encounter in a lifetime because you are born into a society that answers it for you every minute of every day. For those of us in Black bodies, these are questions we live our lives bobbing, weaving and sparring with. What is your worth? What are you willing to sacrifice to prove your worth? When is the sacrifice too much? How do you make that decision and not go insane from the sadness and anger the inevitable consequences produce? How do you demonstrate your humanity when no one believes you are human? As Director, I invited some of the best minds I know, my cast members and the Artistic Director of Live Arts to help me talk about the issues and possibly answer some of the questions. Professor A. D. Carson, Professor Kwame Otu, my lovely cast and Artistic Director Bree Luck all were vital to the telling of this story and my vision. - Leslie Scott-Jones For more information about The Royale please visit http://livearts.org

The Royale Podcast is a limited run podcast that chronicles the creation process of the play. Hosted by GFM's Music Editor Ivan Orr, we hope that this inside look into this production will inspire you to support Black Theater and Black Art. The Royale is not about boxing. It is about a fight. This play asks questions most white people never have to encounter in a lifetime because you are born into a society that answers it for you every minute of every day. For those of us in Black bodies, these are questions we live our lives bobbing, weaving and sparring with. What is your worth? What are you willing to sacrifice to prove your worth? When is the sacrifice too much? How do you make that decision and not go insane from the sadness and anger the inevitable consequences produce? How do you demonstrate your humanity when no one believes you are human? As Director, I invited some of the best minds I know, my cast members and the Artistic Director of Live Arts to help me talk about the issues and possibly answer some of the questions. Professor A. D. Carson, Professor Kwame Otu, my lovely cast and Artistic Director Bree Luck all were vital to the telling of this story and my vision. - Leslie Scott-Jones For more information about The Royale please visit http://livearts.org

Kathleen Pletcher is the Executive Artistic Director of FirstWorks, a Providence-based arts performance and educational non-profit, which she founded in 2004 on the heels of her work overseeing the highly successful First Night Providence..  FirstWorks has produced dozens of events in Rhode Island across a wide spectrum of multimedia art, and are partner in the ever-expanding PVDFest, now entering its fifth year.The Bartholomewtown Podcast was awarded a producer's grant for this year's PVDFest, and I'm excited to explore some of the artists and producers involved in the festival over the coming months here on the pod.Our conversation touched on Kathleen's journey as an artist, including her time in New York as an experimental puppeteer, the immeasurable aspects of the impact that live art brings to community and how the intersection of art, media and design can be the rising tide that lifts Rhode Island's future.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bartholomewtown?fan_landing=true)

Warm Up The Dance - Live ARTS Audio by GeniusinHD

They are back! Their first show in the aftermath of hurricane Irma, and these two are Talking Art! The weather might be starting to cool down, but the Southwest Florida arts scene is heating up. Join Dave and Nanette as they talk about theater goings-on in Southwest Florida, from Asolo Conservatory's production of "Julius Caesar" now touring in the schools to Charlotte High School's "Our Town" to "Wanted" and "White Rabbit, Red Rabbit" at the Ringling International Arts Festival and Urbanite Theatre and so much more. Listen in, get caught up on the "Live Arts" scene and share some laughs as these two explore "The Worlds of Art" like you've never heard it before! So many shows, so little time...

Live Arts with Savona

Sweat equity. It’s the blood, sweat, and tears that you put into a project that really offers the trust and the appreciation of the people that you are doing this for. — Farris Bukhari   Today’s guest is Farris Bukhari, Founder and Creative Director of 10b live arts incubator, Inc. Farris is a multi-disciplinary theater practitioner with over 20 years of experience as a writer, actor, director, producer, coach, and workshop leader. Farris sits down with the Innovation City team to talk about building a unique and vibrant live arts community in Miami, Miami’s incredible cultural wealth, and how his own background growing up in Jordan inspired the development of 10b.

On LIVE Arts with Savona we hear PART TWO of the panel discussion with the artist JR and gallerist Jeffrey Deitch talk about his career and installation SO CLOSE.On the exterior of Pier 94 at the Armory Show, the artist and 2018 Academy Award nominee, JR, debuted a monumental work, transforming archival Ellis Island photographs into a large-scale installation.Presented in partnership with Artsy and Jeffrey Deitch, SO CLOSE(2018) was the marquee feature of the fair’s Platform section, curated by Jen Mergel, who selected fifteen site-responsive works sited around Pier 92 & 94 under the theme, The Contingent.

On LIVE Arts with Savona we hear the artist JR and gallerist Jeffrey Deitch talk about his career and installation SO CLOSE.On the exterior of Pier 94 at the Armory Show, the artist and 2018 Academy Award nominee, JR, debuted a monumental work, transforming archival Ellis Island photographs into a large-scale installation.Presented in partnership with Artsy and Jeffrey Deitch, SO CLOSE (2018) was the marquee feature of the fair’s Platform section, curated by Jen Mergel, who selected fifteen site-responsive works sited around Pier 92 & 94 under the theme, The Contingent.Part One of this talk with the artist.

SPECIAL READING -- WHY HAVE THERE BEEN NO GREAT WOMEN ARTISTS?In honor of the late Linda Nochlin, Savona Bailey-McClain, Host/Producer for the radio show State of the Arts NYC have reached out to women curators, artists, creative professionals and performers to read this groundbreaking essay. Readers are: Prairie Miller, Michele Pred, Kathleen Reckling, Queen Esther, Pamela Jean Tinnen, Brittany Clarke, Lina Puerta, Lumi Tan, Lisa K. Dent, Alessandra Mondolfi, Michelle Hartney, Ann Lewis and Savona Bailey-McClain. Special thanks to the team at Hostos Community College from the Digital Media Program, Adrian Rodriguez, Cesar Perez and Steven Pierrette.

Imagine there was a paved trail for walking and biking between downtown Charlottesville and Monticello, or a trail from Crozet to the University of Virginia. Would people use them? What benefits might they provide? Who would oppose them? Whose property would they be built on? Local planners and environmental organizations are initiating a conversation to take years of greenway and trail ideas from plans to reality. “We have done a lot of planning in this community … and none of them are necessarily bad, but they are not all well integrated, and they don’t identify the low-hanging fruit,” said Rex Linville, of the Piedmont Environmental Council. “They are also not plans that are steeped in community support.” Using a $180,000 grant from the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, the PEC and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission are convening community members in an approach they believe will yield results. At an event Wednesday at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, attended by about 125 people, the PEC brought two greenway experts to Charlottesville to share some best practices. Chuck Flink, president of Durham, North Carolina-based Greenways Inc., has authored a book on the subject and is a leading designer of greenway systems, having worked in more than 250 communities around the country. “Greenways have greatly added life in the economies of many communities across America, and I submit that they really have become America’s new Main Street,” said Flink. “It’s where we go, when we slow down long enough, that we are not in automobiles and we are actually seeing people, greeting each other and exchanging pleasantries.” Flink made the case that greenways have numerous benefits, including in the environment, education, mobility, social needs and the economy. He said the locations being discussed for greenway connections in Charlottesville, such as downtown to Monticello, cover distances that are very feasible for these projects. As an example of good public engagement, Flink described in detail the 25-mile urban Wolf River Greenway, a project he is currently working on in Memphis, Tennessee. The $50 million project is a public-private partnership, with half the funding coming from private sources. “This has been a project that’s been on the books for over 30 years but they couldn’t really move it off dead center,” Flink said. *** When he asked city officials in 2014 about the public engagement process to date, he discovered a major challenge. “They said, ‘We haven’t done any public engagement. We don’t want to do any public engagement. We don’t want to know what our residents think about this greenway because we think it’s going to be very controversial,’” Flink said. “I said, ‘Well, we are going to do public engagement.’ We spent nine months and spent a lot of money and a lot of time going out doing a whole series of meetings.” Beyond traditional planning charrettes, Flink specifically sought to engage residents in their neighborhoods and at their community events. In his work around the country, he sees similar challenges. “You are going to face a lot of opposition,” said Flink. “You are going to face people who don’t understand why you are doing this, why they should be involved, why their land has to be committed to this. But at the end of the day, the experience that we have all across America is that these are very, very positive facilities and resources.” Linville said he thinks a similar approach to community engagement will be important in Charlottesville, as greenways here would cross diverse neighborhoods with different needs, interests and concerns. “If we are moving forward to implementation of a greenway system, of a bike and pedestrian network, it needs to be something where the people have buy-in and that they have given input so that system is something that’s really going to benefit them and take them from where they are to where they want to go,” said Linville. “Also, if they are not engaged on the front end, they are not going to feel welcome on the back end.” *** Max Hepp-Buchanan, director of Bike Walk RVA, a project of nonprofit sports backers, brought a perspective from the Richmond area, where the trail-building expert said he had to transition to “straight-up advocate” for Chesterfield County’s Bikeways and Trails Plan. Hepp-Buchanan said the project to merge competing plans for bikeways and trails, which was ultimately approved in November 2015, involved significant public engagement and outreach, and, in the process, opened up a hornet’s nest of opposition from other activists. “It was a hot topic, people got really interested, and so did the opposition,” said Hepp-Buchanan. “Behind the scenes, they were getting organized and they were starting to make the calls and [to send] the emails that gave our elected officials pause.” Hepp-Buchanan said they learned it matters a lot who is in the room for the planning discussions. “You need to bring people to the table who aren’t your traditional messengers,” he said. “They need to talk to the elected officials, as well, and you need to paint a bigger picture.” Bike Walk RVA orchestrated a grassroots campaign to engage residents in lower-income neighborhoods to document their stories of how a greenway could help their mobility so that it wasn’t just the “old white men in Lycra” speaking on behalf of bicyclists at the public hearings. In Charlottesville, Linville said he thinks the time his team will spend over the next 18 months will identify key greenway priorities for local government to implement with the community’s support. “Part of what we are trying to achieve is to identify what we have community support for and then to try to prioritize those projects based upon that,” he said. “The ones that have the greatest support are the ones most likely to be successful.” The Charlottesville Area Community Foundation and the Piedmont Environmental Council will host their next community event on greenways from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Live Arts. More information is available at pecva.org/cvillegreenways. Download

FIELD MEETING is an annual signature program of Asia Contemporary Art Week. FIELD MEETING Take 5: Thinking Projects was a two-day exclusive forum for arts professionals dedicated to newly conceived performances, lecture-performances, and lively discussions by over 25 compelling figures, hosted at the Asia Society Museum & SVA Theatre, New York on October 14 & 15.

Savona interviews Barbara Pollack, independent curator and critic, who writes regularly about contemporary art for such publications as the New York Times, Artnews, Art and Auction, and Art in America. Most recently, she curated the exhibition Sun Xun: Prediction Laboratory at the Yuz Museum in Shanghai. Since 1994, has covered the development of China's contemporary art scene and its market for publications including Vanity Fair, New York Times, Washington Post, Departures, Art in America, Artnews, Art and Auction, Modern Painters and artnet.com; has written profiles and catalogue essays for many major artists in China including Ai Weiwei, Liu Ye, Zhang Xiaogang, Li Songsong, Zeng Fanzhi, Lin Tianmiao, Wang Qingsong and Yin Xiuzhen; recipient of grants from the Asian Cultural Council and Andy Warhol Foundation; since 2001, Professor, School of Visual Arts. Fellow, MacDowell Colony for the Arts. Author: The Wild, Wild East; An American Art Critic's Adventures in China. Expertise: cultural leaders, art, global art movements in emerging centres, particularly China

This episode of Live Arts with Savona focuses on Afro Latino culture and religion with cultural historian FERNANDO Prudhomme.

For this episode of Live Arts with Savona, we are in the studio with Michele Oka Doner is an internationally renowned artist whose career spans four decades. The breadth of her artistic production encompasses sculpture, design objects, furniture, jewelry, public art and video installations.Doner’s work is fueled by a lifelong study and appreciation of the natural world, from which she derives her formal vocabulary. Her work encompasses materials including glass, bronze and silver and in a variety of scales she mirrors the world around her – from the small and intimate to the large and magnificent.

This episode Savona talks with Mr. Als after he won the Pulitzer, the first theater critic to win in 40 years. And we talk about the exhibition he curated for the David Zwirner Gallery in Chelsea on Alice Neel. Known for her portraits of family, friends, writers, poets, artists, students, singers, salesmen, activists, neighbors, and more, Alice Neel (1900-1984) created forthright, intimate, and, at times, humorous paintings that have both overtly and quietly engaged with political and social issues. In this exhibition, Als brings together a selection of Neel’s portraits of African Americans, Latinos, Asians, and other people of color. Highlighting the innate diversity of Neel’s approach to portraiture, the selection looks at those often left out of the art historical canon and how the artist captured them; as Als writes, “what fascinated her was the breadth of humanity that she encountered.”

Intervista a Marianna Andrigo dell'associazione Live Arts Cultures - che gestisce lo spazio C32 a Forte Marghera - in occasionje della performance finale della summer class dell'Art Week.

Intervista a Marianna Andrigo dell'associazione Live Arts Cultures - che gestisce lo spazio C32 a Forte Marghera - in occasionje della performance finale della summer class dell'Art Week.

Dramaturg Tom Middletitch chatted to hosts Katie and Rebecca about Genius, an immersive encounter with 8 unique thinkers and their perspective on the topic of their expertise. Tom explains what ideas lie behind the concept of neurodiversity, and how important it is for people to see life through an alternative lens. Genius is part of the Festival of Live Arts, and is being performed on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th March at the St Kilda Town Hall. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dramaturg Tom Middletitch chatted to hosts Katie and Rebecca about Genius, an immersive encounter with 8 unique thinkers and their perspective on the topic of their expertise. Tom explains what ideas lie behind the concept of neurodiversity, and how important it is for people to see life through an alternative lens.  Genius is part of the Festival of Live Arts, and is being performed on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th March at the St Kilda Town Hall. 

“You Are Nowhere” left audiences open-mouthed; “Send for the Million Men” and “Tarzana,” as well as gallery installations, film events, and works in progress yet to come. Mass Live Arts (MLA) is a festival of experimental theater and performance at the Daniel Arts Center at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. ADVISORY: Explicit, potty-mouth language throughout much of this episode, MLA is dedicated to presenting large-scale bold new works of contemporary performance in the Berkshires. MLA is also committed to fostering the creation of new American works through development residencies culminating in work-in-progress showings.… The post INDIEcent Exposure #6 — Mass Live Arts – Only Two Weeks Left appeared first on The Greylock Glass.

Sterling is joined by LA Talk Radio Network personality Sheena Metal who sits in for host Paul Stroili. Former, successful U.K. theatre producer Harold Sanditen talks about his new career as a cabaret performer. The Live Arts calendar features The Rat Pack Revisited at Fullerton Civic Light Opera???s Skyroom in Fullerton, CA; and Douglas Carter???s showbiz comedy The Little Dog Laughed at LA???s El Centro Theatre in Hollywood. Sterling reviews Kritzerland Record???s musical salute to Broadway composer Cy Coleman at the Gardenia Restaurant in Hollywood; and iGhost, a new, contemporary musical based on Oscar Wilde???s The Canterville Ghost at the Lyric Theatre in LA. Disney TV teen star Jennifer Stone (Wizards of Waverly Place) is interviewed about her career and participation in the Young Playwright???s Festival produced by the LA???s Blank Theatre Company. Stone shares her most embarrassing career moment. Sponsored by Breakdown Services (http://www.breakdownexpress.com/)

Cynthia Brian is a guest instructor at Arts for the Soul Retreat in Steamboat Springs Colorado the week of August 17-25. Grab your pen, camera, paintbrush, and favorite musical instrument and join our personal growth success coach. Meet the founder, John Sant Ambrogio, best selling author, Jill Murphy Long. Maya Rodale discusses her novel, The Heir and the Spare and in T42, Cynthia Brian and Heather Brittany enjoy their version of the 3 R's-Reading, Writing, and Relaxing.