Podcasts about vibrant community

In this episode of the Grazing Grass Podcast, esteemed cattle consultant Steve Campbell shares his remarkable journey from a stocker cattle manager to a leading figure in grass-finished beef production. Following a life-altering leg injury in 1999, Steve's career took a transformative path as he embraced regenerative practices, heavily influenced by the Stockman Grass Farmer magazine. His expertise in optimizing grass and mineral content has led to groundbreaking methods for disease prevention, such as eliminating pink eye and foot rot. Steve's commitment to sustainable cattle management, along with his innovative approach to genetic and epigenetic cattle selection, makes this episode a treasure trove of insights for those interested in elevating cattle development.Topics covered in this episode:Selecting cattle for grass efficiencyGenetic and epigenetic cattle selectionSelecting bulls for cattle improvementAssessing cattle fertility and indicatorsGrazing management and cattle selectionThis episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about sustainable cattle management and regenerative agriculture. Steve Campbell's profound insights into strategic breeding, disease prevention, and the optimization of grass and mineral content provide invaluable knowledge for both seasoned grazers and newcomers. By listening, you'll gain practical tips and tools to enhance your cattle management practices and improve meat quality while addressing challenges such as fertility and udder quality. Don't miss the opportunity to learn from a true pioneer in the field.Links Mentioned in the EpisodeTailor Made CattleVisit our Sponsors:Noble Research InstituteRedmond2025 Manderley Farms Grazing ConferenceGrazing Grass LinksNew Listener Resource GuideProvide feedback for the podcastWebsiteInsidersResources (Coming Soon)Community (on Facebook)Check out the Apiary Chronicles PodcastOriginal Music by Louis PalfreyChapters(00:00) - Introduction (00:28) - Meet Steve Campbell: Background and Early Life (04:29) - Transition to Grass Finishing (07:19) - Learning and Implementing Rotational Grazing (20:28) - Selecting Efficient Cattle for Grass (33:56) - Exploring Dairy Cow Ownership (34:24) - Selecting the Right Bull for Your Herd (35:22) - Understanding Bull and Cow Anatomy (38:04) - Calving Ease and Gestation Insights (38:58) - The Importance of Bull Shoulders (42:54) - Epigenetics and Herd Improvement (43:50) - Environmental Adaptation of Cows (48:13) - Indicators of Fertility in Bulls and Cows (55:11) - Famous Four Questions (01:04:16) - Conclusion and Resources

Sit back, get a warm beverage and look back at the highlights of Season 3 with us.We've been at this for a while now (three seasons, one year, and 24 episodes to be exact). We had guests from a wide range of industries: from automotive to CAD software, and from developer tooling to systems programming.Our focus this time around was on the technical details of Rust in production, especially integration of Rust into existing codebases and ecosystem deep dives. Thanks to everyone who participated in the survey last season, which helped us dial in our content. Let us know if we hit the mark or missed it!For the future, we hope to present an even more diverse set of guests and topics. If you have any suggestions, please reach out!We'll be back in April. In the meantime, check out our dedicated learn page for additional content about Rust adoption.

What does a vibrant catholic community look like? Hosted by Father Gale Hammerschmidt, alongside senior Kate Wiesner and Father Trevor Buster. We also touch on the exciting transition of Father Drew Hoffman to Wichita State University and his podcast "About Four O'Clock," crafted for those discerning the priesthood.In this episode we recount the joy and inspiration found at SEEK. With thousands of individuals from diverse backgrounds, the gathering becomes a melting pot of shared purpose and transformative interactions. We share stories of rekindling old friendships and forging new ones while balancing personal connections with attending stimulating talks. With engaging speakers offering unexpected insights, SEEK becomes a crucible of transformation for both eager and seasoned students alike.As the patroness of this year's SEEK, Joan of Arc inspires us with her story of courage and faith, urging today's youth to embrace leadership in faith. With the ongoing growth and success of the St. Isidore's community, we reflect on the profound impact SEEK has had, igniting a spark that encourages college students to become passionate disciples and leaders.Register for SEEK here: seek.focus.org

In this engaging conversation, Harriett Weber shares her experiences at the West Cumberland Senior Center, highlighting the history and activities of the Seven Oaks Club, her passion for quilting, and her community involvement. She reflects on the evolution of women's roles in organizations, her career as a nurse, and the legacy of Weber's Candy Store, all while emphasizing the importance of friendship and creativity in her life. takeaways Harriett Weber has been a member of the Seven Oaks Club since 1971. The Seven Oaks Club has a rich history dating back to 1895. Quilting serves as a therapeutic and creative outlet for Harriet. The Downing Street Quilters meet regularly to share and create quilts. Harriett emphasizes the importance of community involvement and support. The role of women in clubs has evolved significantly over the years. Harriett's career as a nurse has shaped her perspective on community service. Weber's Candy Store has a legacy of over 120 years in Bridgeton. Harriett enjoys teaching quilting to others at the Senior Center. Friendship and creativity are central themes in Harriet's life. Sound Bites "I could be here daily and not get bored." "We have a very, very short business meeting." "I have been quilting ever since." Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Seven Oaks Club 02:56 History and Evolution of the Club 05:33 Community Impact and Contributions 08:13 Membership and Participation 11:01 Diverse Interests and Activities 14:07 Quilting: A Personal Journey 16:59 Career and Community Involvement 19:50 Legacy of Weber's Candy Store 22:58 Involvement in Local Organizations 25:47 Reflections on Life and Community 45:47 Introduction to Honey the Hunter 48:24 The Vibrant Community at West Cumberland Senior Center 50:49 The Art of Quilting and Seasonal Decor 52:38 The Quilting Process and Community Involvement 53:29 Conclusion and Future Visits

A park in Dublin's northeast inner city could be one of the city's most vibrant and well-utilised. That's according to a body of research by group ‘A Playful City' Pat gets the details from Neasa Ni Bhriain, Director of a Playful City.

Ever wondered what it takes to create a vibrant and engaging environment for seniors? Or how a retirement community can feel more like a resort? Join us on this episode of Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact as we sit down with Haley DiDonato, the dynamic Director of Life Enrichment at Carlsbad by the Sea Retirement Community.Haley's journey is nothing short of fascinating. From sports marketing with the San Diego Padres to senior real estate, her diverse background has uniquely positioned her to excel in her current role. We dive into her impressive career path and how she's channeling all her experiences into creating a lively atmosphere for the residents.Discover the magic behind Carlsbad by the Sea, a picturesque retirement community nestled near the beach and Carlsbad Village. Haley shares insights into the wide array of activities she curates, from educational presentations to resident-led events, ensuring that everyone's needs are met.We also explore the community's strong local ties, including partnerships with St. Michael's by the Sea Episcopal Church and the Carlsbad Village Association. Haley highlights standout programs like the Men's Shed Group and the innovative Senior Women's Basketball League, both fostering community spirit and active living. Plus, get a sneak peek into exciting upcoming projects, including a new memory care facility and the Older and Bolder Expo.Tune in to hear how Haley is making a difference, one enriching activity at a time. Contact Information:- Carlsbad by the Sea Retirement Community: Search online for more details.- Men's Shed Group: Reach out to Carlsbad by the Sea or find their Facebook page.- Older and Bolder Expo - Carlsbad Chamber- Sept 14thDon't miss this inspiring episode! Did this episode have a special impact on you? Share how it impacted youCarlsbad Podcast Social Links:LinkedInInstagramFacebookXYouTubeSponsor: This show is sponsored and produced by DifMix Productions. To learn more about starting your own podcast, visit www.DifMix.com/podcasting

Elon Musk Says Dubai Is A Beautiful City! An Employee Praised Her Former Emirati Boss Who Showed Her Compassion During A Personal CrisisA Dubai Tourist Is So Impressed With Taxi Drivers That He Would Just Come Back For ThemA Tourist From Morocco Was Invited To A Stranger's Home In The Burj KhalifaReema Mahajan Who Helped Building a Vibrant Community of 100,000 Indian Women in the UAE

Reema Mahajan Who Helped Building a Vibrant Community of 100,000 Indian Women in the UAE

Metafilter contains the seeds for everything from Twitter to Reddit to comments sections on blogs, and it’s older than podcasts, the blog boom, Facebook, and well, basically everything online. Owner Jessamyn West sat down for a deep conversation with Mike about how MetaFilter’s reliance on community-focusd governance and person-scale moderation has helped it achieve its […]

With a vision of “Thriving farms, vibrant community, and fresh food for all”, Fairshare CSA Coalition strives to bring farms to the community and the community to farms with their […] The post Thriving Farms, Vibrant Community, and Fresh Food for All appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

SummaryIn this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Dana Schlagenhaft, Executive Director of Downtown Bentonville Incorporated (DBI), a private, not-for-profit organization uniquely positioned as a driving force to build and promote a welcoming, secure and lively downtown Bentonville. Established over two decades ago, DBI has played a key role in revitalizing the city and making it a place that people are eager to visit, discover and share with others.Downtown Bentonville Inc. works to activate downtown spaces through expertly executed events, advocating for current and future downtown businesses and amplifying the voices of all Bentonville residents. Events include the Bentonville Farmers Market and Virtual Farmers Market, First Friday, the Art Market, the City of Bentonville's Lighting of the Square, the Bentonville Christmas Parade, Market at Record, New Year's Eve celebrations, Bentonville Toyland, Shop the Block, and Downtown Bentonville Art and Culinary Week. Additionally, DBI hosts a live show Sundays on KFSM Sundays called DWTN Now where Dana and her co-host, Aaron Nolan, highlight the unique stories of Downtown Bentonville.During the episode, Dana shares her fascinating journey and her role in bringing to life the festive community events. She also expands on Downtown Bentonville Incorporated's mission, the unique spirit of the Greater Bentonville Area community and her thoughts on Bentonville's vibrant future.Thanks for tuning in!Show NotesTimestamps in this blog are for the audio-only version of the podcast; video timing differs.(0:53) Introduction to Dana Schlagenhaft(3:03) About Downtown Bentonville Incorporated and Its Mission(4:20) Exploring DBI's Events(6:09) Telling Unique Stories through DWTN Now(7:43) Supporting Small Businesses Downtown(9:10) How DBI Partners with Local Organizations(10:57) Dana's Vision for the Future(13:20) Dana's #BecauseBentonville Story(14:45) What's Upcoming for DBI(16:45) Advice for Getting Involved in Downtown(18:25) How to Help Further DBI's Mission(20:02) Closing Question ‍LinksDana Schlagenhaft (dana@downtownbentonville.org)Downtown Bentonville IncorporatedJames Bell Bentonville Economic DevelopmentGreater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce

Brandon Houston, founder of the Collingwood Foundry shares his entrepreneurial journey from running a web development agency to pioneering a coworking space that has grown into a central hub of community and innovation in Collingwood, Ontario. Key topics include: The power of starting small and building a connection and reputation with the local community. The evolution of Collingwood Foundry into a space that members don't just work in, but genuinely love and support. The challenges and triumphs of bringing coworking to a smaller town and the vision for expanding the Foundry's influence. An exploration of culture-setting and hospitality in coworking, with creative initiatives like the use of the Donut plugin to foster member interactions. Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Brandon's LinkedIn profile Collingwood Foundry website Everything Coworking Featured Resources: Free Masterclass: 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Opening a Coworking Space Coworking Startup School Community Manager University The Everything Coworking Academy Follow Us on YouTube

In this episode, host Craig Dalton interviews Dean Dahl, the founder of Good Ride Gravel, about his journey into gravel cycling and the upcoming gravel event he is organizing in Chilliwack, British Columbia. Dean shares his background in skateboarding and mountain biking and how he found a similar sense of adventure and exploration in gravel cycling. He discusses the unique characteristics of the Chilliwack area, including its diverse terrain and the growing gravel cycling community. Dean also explains his vision for the Good Ride Gravel event, which focuses on creating a community-oriented experience that celebrates both the sport of gravel cycling and the natural beauty of the region. He highlights the different routes available for participants, ranging from a beginner-friendly 50-kilometer ride to a challenging 150-kilometer route with significant elevation gain. Dean emphasizes the importance of sustainability and community engagement in organizing the event and shares his plans for a lively post-event atmosphere with local sponsors providing ice cream, craft beer, coffee, and food. Good Ride Gravel Support the Podcast Join The Ridership  About the Guest(s): Dean Dahl is an event organizer and gravel cyclist based outside Vancouver, British Columbia. He grew up in the Vancouver area and has always had a passion for outdoor activities. Dean has a background in skateboarding and mountain biking, which eventually led him to discover gravel cycling. He currently resides in Yarrow, British Columbia, a small town just outside of Vancouver, where he enjoys the quiet and scenic surroundings. Dean has experience organizing events in the nonprofit sector and has a deep understanding of the cycling community. He is the founder of Good Ride Gravel, an event that aims to bring together gravel cyclists of all levels and create a vibrant and inclusive community. Episode Summary: In this episode, host Craig Dalton interviews Dean Dahl, the founder of Good Ride Gravel, about his journey into gravel cycling and the upcoming gravel event he is organizing in Chilliwack, British Columbia. Dean shares his background in skateboarding and mountain biking and how he found a similar sense of adventure and exploration in gravel cycling. He discusses the unique characteristics of the Chilliwack area, including its diverse terrain and the growing gravel cycling community. Dean also explains his vision for the Good Ride Gravel event, which focuses on creating a community-oriented experience that celebrates both the sport of gravel cycling and the natural beauty of the region. He highlights the different routes available for participants, ranging from a beginner-friendly 50-kilometer ride to a challenging 150-kilometer route with significant elevation gain. Dean emphasizes the importance of sustainability and community engagement in organizing the event and shares his plans for a lively post-event atmosphere with local sponsors providing ice cream, craft beer, coffee, and food. Key Takeaways: Dean Dahl's passion for outdoor activities, including skateboarding and mountain biking, eventually led him to discover gravel cycling. Chilliwack, British Columbia, offers a unique mix of flat, smooth trails and challenging mountainous terrain, making it an ideal location for gravel cycling. The Good Ride Gravel event aims to bring together gravel cyclists of all levels and create a vibrant and inclusive community. Participants can choose from three different routes, ranging from a beginner-friendly 50-kilometer ride to a challenging 150-kilometer route with significant elevation gain. The event will feature a lively post-event atmosphere with local sponsors providing ice cream, craft beer, coffee, and food. Notable Quotes: "I realized this is actually a lot like the feeling I used to have as a skater... discovering strange little places and hitting obstacles. I get that same feeling when I'm gravel riding." - Dean Dahl "We want to be able to provide something that is an amazing opportunity, a gravel adventure that has a high-end component to it." - Dean Dahl "We're celebrating gravel, but we're celebrating you as an individual. And we're celebrating the fact that you want to be a part of something good." - Dean Dahl Resources: Good Ride Gravel - Official website of the Good Transcript: [TRANSCRIPT] [00:00:00] - (): Craig Dalton: Hey Dean, welcome to the show. [00:00:05] - (): Dean Dahl: Hi there Craig, it's good to be here. [00:00:08] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah, good to finally connect. I'm glad to see you got a sip of water right in before we started recording. I thought I had a sneeze teed up, but it seems to be holding itself. Well, you're welcome [00:00:17] - (): Dean Dahl: to go for it. We can edit that out, right? [00:00:20] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah, exactly. Although the listener knows that I'm not much of an editor, so it is what it is. [00:00:27] - (): Dean Dahl: Getting live and real. On the podcast. [00:00:30] - (): Craig Dalton: Let's set the stage a little bit. Where are you, where are you talking to me from? [00:00:33] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah, I'm from, uh, I live in Vancouver or just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia, and, um, yeah, my name is Dean Dahl and been out here in a little town called Yarrow, British Columbia. **** - (): And, uh, it's about an hour, if there's good traffic, east of Vancouver in, uh, the Fraser Valley. [00:00:54] - (): Craig Dalton: And did you grow up in Canada? [00:00:56] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah, I did. So, I grew up in the Vancouver area, uh, recently moved actually out of the city, um, about five years ago. Um, me and my wife and our kids moved out here and it's quite a different, uh, change. **** - (): It's quiet out here, uh, kind of like, uh, sort of semi rural farming kind of community. With lots of great outdoors, but nothing happens after 9 a. m. or 9 p. m. Sorry. And, uh, being in the city, like I was right in East Van in the thick of it. And, uh, I was used to living life after 10. P. m. So it's a change, but you know, the scenery is great. **** - (): So that's awesome. And lots of good biking, which I'm sure we'll talk about [00:01:35] - (): Craig Dalton: for sure. Yeah. I'm always interested to explore like how people found the bike. Obviously, you know, many of us had bikes introduced to us very early on in our lives, and it would give us a sense of exploration and freedom from a population perspective, there's very few of us who take that through line into our mid lives and are still riding a bike. **** - (): So what was your journey to the bike? Like, and, you know, we can ultimately get to how you found gravel cycling. [00:02:02] - (): Dean Dahl: Oh yeah, sure. Um, off and on, like probably everybody listening to this, uh, had the classic BMX bike or whatever little cruiser thing and made jumps with it and got my nose banged up a bunch when I was a little kid, which is all kinds of fun stories in themselves, but whatever. **** - (): Um, My, I was just actually thinking about this the other day. My uncle was a really interesting character in that he had a real passion for serving young people. And, uh, he lived in the same town I did, and he actually started up a small group for, for teenagers and young kids. And he would take us on camping trips and hiking trips and, uh, overnighters and things like that. **** - (): And, um, kind of set up his own organization with it. And I remember going on, um, You know, in the Pacific Northwest, we have a whole bunch of what we call the Gulf Islands here, all up from Seattle, up the coast, all the way to Alaska. They're beautiful. And around Vancouver, uh, he had arranged this, uh, this bike tour for us to go when I was in grade 11, around one of the local Gulf Islands. **** - (): And, uh, I got a road bike for it and. Put panniers on it. And it was kind of my first expression of being able to be on the road, packing, gearing up stuff. And I thought, this is amazing. So from that point on, I got really interested in bike riding, but that was, you know, fun. But then, um, I kind of got distracted by skateboarding and turned into like a course skater for years and years. **** - (): Um, and, uh, did a little bit. Uh, on the side of that, I discovered mountain biking in kind of the mid nineties, I guess, and bought, uh, you know, an old Kona hard tail thing and lived on the North shore at the time and was doing mountain bike racing a couple of seasons there and got just really exhausted from. **** - (): pushing my bike up the hill and then slamming as I was riding down it. So that was a short lived season. Uh, but it was still really fun. Like I was talking to you, Craig, before, um, I realized now that a lot of the mountain biking I did in the past was actually gravel riding without drop bars. I remember having a picture of John Tomac Um, on my wall at some point and him, I thought he was so cool because he was mountain biking and yet he was, he had drop bars on his mountain bike and I was like, those are dark bars. **** - (): Like I had when I was touring around salt spring Island and he's riding a mountain bike. Like I'm right, like I want to ride a mountain bike and myself. He brought those worlds together and I didn't click at the time what was going on, but now that I'm gravel riding a lot, I think, yeah, yeah, that's cool. **** - (): That that's, that's the deal. [00:04:46] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah. It's funny when you think back to that period, it's like, why didn't it click then? And I think there's so many like little reasons why it wasn't right until sort of your, your 2014 era for the bikes to actually come together and form the basis of what is gravel riding today. **** - (): Uh, it's super interesting. And I love those old Tomac photos for sure. [00:05:10] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah. Well, you know, I w I wonder if, uh, mountain biking had to find itself or discover itself and had to really move away from all things road bike so it could find its own identity and now maybe it's mature enough that people can dip in and out of that road style, the gravel style without a feeling, I guess. **** - (): Threat to mountain biking? I don't know. [00:05:30] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah, who knows? Who knows? I'm interested, you know, you mentioned your, your passion for skating for many years. Do you see there, like, any similarities between skating and cycling in terms of what it delivers to you? Or are they two just distinct areas of your brain and body? [00:05:48] - (): Dean Dahl: No, uh, well, I think that, um, for gravel cycling and skateboarding, there's actually a lot of similarities and I'll talk to them about them in a second. But in terms of my experience going from skateboarding into cycling, not that I've stopped skating, but I do it a lot less, that ground is not getting any softer as I get old. **** - (): Um, I just got into road biking because I realized that I'm not skating as much as I needed to, to keep fit. And I needed something that was low impact. So I got a road bike and just started racing and that was amazing, but it was a totally different rush except from hill bombing, which felt the same. Uh, but then gravel biking came along and I realized this is actually a lot like the feeling I used to have as a skater. **** - (): Like, Going to the city with my crew, uh, going on a road trip and looking around the dark corners and alleys of a city and out in these strange little places where you can find these cool skate spots and you're right, you're rolling to them and from them and you're hitting. You know, whatever obstacle and thinking, Oh, this is amazing. **** - (): I get that same feeling when I'm gravel riding, like I'll ride for my house. And I'll be like, Hey, I've never seen that part of the hill before. I should go check it out and see if there's any trails there and riding with my friends. And we're discovering, Oh, let's try this. Oh, it's a dead end. Let's turn around. **** - (): Let's go do this. And it just felt like, you know, when I was 10 years younger, skating cities and. That kind of thing. So I would say that there's a not really, really, really a practical line, but really an emotional feel that I get from gravel riding that connects to skateboarding. [00:07:29] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah, that lands with me. **** - (): I mean, I think as I think about designing routes for my own personal use in any given week, there's some creativity in looping together the trails, the roads, the mountain bike, single track sections, and. A given route in a given area of our little mountains here can feel radically different depending on how you approach it and what you tie together with it. **** - (): And I think much like skating where bringing your crew on an adventure, like you're taking the lead and you're like, Hey, I found this spot and then let's skate over to this spot. Gravel ride route planning and bringing a group out there. I think it's quite similar in that you just want to show them a new way to experience the, you know, the terrain around your house. [00:08:17] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah. Yeah, totally. And it's really fun actually. Um, as I've gotten into gravel riding, I'm, uh, connecting, uh, through Instagram, but a whole bunch of different ways with skaters that I used to skate with back in the day that also bought gravel bikes and, uh, that are cruising around and they're hitting trails in the city and doing things. **** - (): Actually, you want my one friend just posted on Instagram, uh, on his gravel bike. He's got a really nice titanium gravel bike, but he's like riding downstairs and like, um, doing little ollies on banks and stuff. And I'm like, dude, you're skating on your bike. That's hilarious. It's hilarious. that escape deal, but he's doing it on a gravel bike. **** - (): Right. So he's got the same adventure. [00:08:59] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah. I love it. I love it. We're going to get into a great gravel event that you're organizing for this may, but I wanted to tease out earlier in your life, You know, Had you been producing events and had you had any experience doing events before kicking this one off? [00:09:16] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah. Um, I've, uh, I'm kind of an event planner. Um, a lot of my career has been spent in the nonprofit world. And, uh, so I actually kind of helped found a skateboarding nonprofit within a larger nonprofit organization. Um, so I was doing a lot of skateboarding events and doing a lot of fundraising events for the larger umbrella organization as well. **** - (): And, uh, as I got more into my career, I became better at it. So I kind of moved up into more senior circles in those nonprofits that I was working for. So a lot of the events that I was running, um, especially towards the end of my nonprofit career, uh, were, um, fundraisers and, uh, they were the classic peer to peer, you know, I'm going to do this a hundred kilometer, uh, cycling event and I'm going to raise money for this cause it's going to be great. **** - (): And so I did, uh, a lot of those. And over the years, I kind of honed that to doing a lot more kind of bespoke tours where we'd get a small group of people. They'd raise a lot of money each and it wasn't a huge amount of people because we thought we could provide a better experience by doing something smaller, uh, really intentional with our, uh, with our friends that would want to ride with us and we'd still raise a lot of money and it was great for the organization. **** - (): So I have a history in that, um, and, uh, that. I guess. And well, as well as that, the last couple of years, I was hosting specific gravel races. And again, they had a fundraising component to them, uh, but they were a lot more in the, they were increasingly becoming more sport oriented. And, uh, that was partly intentional on my part. **** - (): And we can talk about that later, but I found that there's a, an odd space that the cycling community, specifically the gravel community sits in where it's, um, uh, It's attractive to both people in the nonprofit realm who see something like a gravel event as something dynamic and a vital, like a community with lots of vitality in it. **** - (): And they want to be a part of that because it's an exciting thing that can represent their nonprofit through which they can raise money. So that's one way of looking at that community of cyclists. The other is through the business realm that sees it as, Oh man, this is a great marketing opportunity for me to sponsor races or to put my name on it. **** - (): Our brand on this cool new community. And, uh, for my, from my perspective, the races that I was organizing, I just really felt like the organizations that I was helping produce these events for didn't understand the community of cycling and they weren't treating it well enough. They weren't going through the due process of looking on the race calendar. **** - (): Are we intersecting with another race that's happening in the same city? Are we actually doing the due diligence to get permits properly, to make sure the police know about our presence on the road? Are, do our cyclists know how to ride properly on these, on these trails? Um, And I'd get calls from mountain bikers or gravel cyclists after and be like, Hey, what's going on? **** - (): I heard about this event and people on the, you know, on my favorite trail are complaining about all the cyclists on the trail. I just realized, Oh man, through a good intention of doing a nonprofit work, raising funds through cycling, we're actually doing a disservice to the community of cyclists. Through it. **** - (): And I really wanted to address that in the events that I do to be able to create an event. That's actually not just something that you show up to do your race and you're gone and not something that you show up to because you have this other thing that you're raising money for, but to have something that really honors the community and says, this is something amazing. **** - (): We're all passionate about this. Let's build a community and let's make this community amazing. So that's a long answer to your story about my history and running events. [00:13:06] - (): Craig Dalton: So, I mean, let's name, let's name, let's talk about good ride gravel. Yeah. Like let's talk about one, you know, you talked about some of the motivations about why you created it, but let's kind of dig into that. **** - (): Let's dig into, What's your vision for this event this May? [00:13:24] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah. Uh, we are basically hosting a kind of a sport forward event that really focuses on the community of gravel cyclists. Uh, there's a, uh, an increasing amount of them here in the lower mainland in Metro Vancouver area. And, uh, they are an emerging group and they are. **** - (): Kind of, kind of referencing back to my skateboarding days, they feel like a skate scene in a sense in that it's just this new thing and people are trying to discover what it's all about. And they're really stoked on being able to do things that are, you know, really gnarly in some cases and really smooth on the other adventuring, like what you're talking about. **** - (): And we want to be able to provide something that is an amazing opportunity, a gravel adventure that has a high end component to it. So you can come, you can race it. We've got podium prizes with cash. Um, so those people on the sharp end of this, uh, of the scene, uh, we've got a couple of pros coming, which is great. **** - (): And they're pushing their community to come and enjoy it. But on the other end, we have people that have never really tried gravel cycling again. But during COVID they bought a gravel bike and they've been riding it for a couple of years. And now COVID is kind of, we're kind of finding our way past COVID and these people want to get involved in events. **** - (): They have this passion for cycling. Now they want to find the community connected to that passion. And so whether they're pro cyclists, whether they're sponsored racers or whether they're just those adventure people that want to get out and ride for an entire day and see if they can do it, we're all going to come together at the same point. **** - (): And we're going to focus on, Hey, this is actually a community thing. It's more than just a race. We're celebrating gravel, but we're celebrating you as an individual. And we're celebrating the fact that you want to be a part of something good. And so that's kind of what it's about. And on top of that, I really believe that when people get together, they want to feel like they're a part of something bigger than just themselves. **** - (): And so we have a fundraising component to it. I found this really cool, small nonprofit in the city that we're doing this event called Restorative Cycle, and they just work through a restorative justice process to help people that have been, um, that are underserved in the community or that have had issues, uh, in the criminal, um, system. **** - (): In the past, um, to help them back on their feet by providing bikes for them, programs for them, uh, even like bicycle repair. So we're going to be able to sponsor that group and raise some money for them. But again, it's about a community getting involved to benefit a larger community beyond it. So that's kind of the nature of what the good ride gravel is about. [00:16:02] - (): Craig Dalton: Gotcha. And so for this particular event, you're coming at it as a sort of solo operator. You're not confined by previous relationships you had that were defining the event. This can be your baby and your vision, right? [00:16:17] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah, definitely. That's very freeing in some cases and you know, probably as you know, if you've organized events before, that's also like, Oh, crazy time. [00:16:27] - (): Craig Dalton: Super scary. Yeah. Yeah. A hundred percent. I have a lot of, a lot of respect for anybody who holds up their hand and, and organizes events because it's, it can be thankless work and you just hope that the event day goes off well and you get those, uh, vibes of appreciation from all the riders who have a great day out there. [00:16:45] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah, and you know, it's been fun Craig listening to your podcast and hearing from the other guests that you had their joys and struggles in finding their way through organizing these events running these races been really fun to hear the stories from the people that you're talking about. About these events. **** - (): And I really, um, I really feel what they're feeling. So I sit right in that too, but I love it. And again, for this event, it's our first year doing this specific event. Uh, our team has run events before, so we're familiar with cycling with gravel cycling, but we're trying something new. And so we're. Being honest that we don't have a lot of resources to make this happen, and we don't have a lot of time because we all have other things that we're doing. **** - (): I'm not going to make a full time career out of this race. I want to do things along with this. So we're going to keep it sustainable. We're going to start small and we're going to do it really well. And, uh, from there, we're going to evaluate and see, okay, what can we do next year to incrementally build this up? **** - (): You know, we want to be, I don't want to burn anybody out, including myself. And we want to make sure that our people that come really, really enjoy the vibe of it and feel like, yeah, I could do this again. I could bring a friend next time. [00:17:59] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah. Let's talk about the community of Chilliwack BC. Why, why there, what's so special about it from a community perspective and also a terrain perspective? [00:18:09] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah. Uh, Chilliwack is again, like it's an hour outside of, uh, Vancouver, British Columbia. It's kind of right on the border. Actually from my house, I can see into the United States, uh, which is kind of fascinating. So it's literally right on the edge and it borders at the very end of the Eastern Fraser Valley, which is a massive river Delta of the Fraser River that comes down into the ocean. **** - (): So, um, there is a really unique mix of a Dead flat, um, kind of prairie as the Fraser dumps out into the ocean and also it's on the very eastern or the western border of the Cascade mountain range, which goes down into Washington state. And so you get this really interesting, uh, and almost drastic. **** - (): Confrontation where you'll be riding flat, flat, flat, flat, flat for a long time. There's lots of dike trails around here that are like buttery, smooth, perfect for riding on. It feels great. And then all of a sudden smash you're right on better mountain, which is like, you know, mountain bike heaven for a lot of people in the Vancouver area. **** - (): And you're climbing serious terrain right now. And it just doesn't stop. And then you're at the forest service roads and. You could literally ride forever from there. Like Canada is a big place and it goes on forever. So there's that really interesting scenario of, uh, you know, something that's really, um, smooth and flat and fast, and also something that's really technical and aggressive, um, for that. **** - (): So in terms of the, uh, the, uh, the draw it has, it's an emerging community. It's a, it used to be a small kind of a farming city that's turned into a bedroom community of Vancouver. A lot of people are commuting from Chilliwack and Abbotsford, the Eastern Fares Valley to Vancouver, similar to what has gone on with Squamish. **** - (): And a lot of people call this like the next Squamish, Vancouver's new backyard. In that it's close enough that you can live here. It's a bit cheaper than living in the city and yet you're far enough away that you feel like, Oh man, there's a lot of terrain to explore. Lots of forest service roads, you know, let's just go out and have some fun. [00:20:18] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah, sounds ideal for those Vancouver based riders and around there who maybe don't know where to go up there to have this as a jumping off point for their exploration of that valley. [00:20:28] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah. [00:20:30] - (): Craig Dalton: When you think about the three different routes you've laid out, what were the different goals there? And maybe you can sort of talk about each route in terms of the distance and the amount of climbing you're going to be doing. [00:20:41] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah, sure. And sorry, I don't know miles that well I'll be in kilometers meters. Yeah. So maybe put in the show notes, you could put all the mile or the Imperial stuff. Uh, yeah, we got three routes this, uh, this, for this event in May. And, uh, starting off as we just got our party ride, it's 50 kilometers. It's. **** - (): Dead flat. It's all on these beautiful, buttery, smooth dike trails. And uh, it's going to be just a fun tour. We've got kind of a bit of a lollipop route that goes out and back, explores a couple different communities. Uh, but it's pretty much all off road. There's a small portion at the beginning, a couple of kilometers that you have to ride on the road, and then it's just all flat gravel. **** - (): And it's meant to be just something, Hey, I've never done a gravel event before. Oh, I just got this bike and I feel a little nervous, but, um, can I do this? Yeah, I can. It's 50 kilometers. I'm, I got all my friends along. Um, it's going to be great. So we've got a bunch of snack stations and, you know, photo booth kind of things, you know, fun stuff to make it feel like, Oh, this is a fun little event. **** - (): And it's again, that entry thing that people can do it and feel like, okay, I'm ready for something more challenging next year. So that's our 50k. We just call it the good ride. And, uh, then we have our, what we call our very good ride. I don't know, they're cheesy titles, but whatever. And it's a hundred K and it is kind of a medium course. **** - (): It starts to explore that terrain that I was talking about. Up the side of mountains. So you're starting on, um, you're doing about, I don't know, five or six K to access the first forest service road. Then you start climbing. It gets a bit intense. You come down, it's great. And then you hit a really heavy climb. **** - (): You're going to max out at 20 percent on that climb. And it's a mixed terrain, a bit of a technical downhill. And then you get to celebrate the fact that you did those two climbs and that technical stuff with that. gravel dike thing and you're doing the same lollipop route that the 50k people did. So you get a really kind of even mix of, um, some, you know, good single tracks, some good forest service road with the smooth kind of finish, uh, to bring you to the event village again. **** - (): The big one, which we call our crazy good ride is, um, it's going to be 150 kilometers and it's about, uh, just over 2000 meters of elevation, probably 2200 meters of elevation. And that elevation is serious. Like it, uh, it, it's a good. Wall in front of you, uh, great forest service roads with all kinds of mixed terrain. **** - (): You're just right from the start going hard and going up and down and up and down and experiencing everything out here. It's wet. It's like rainforest. So there's no big sprawling gravel roads. It's like, okay, you've got the tree canopy. You're in this Emerald green forest and there's moss and ferns everywhere. **** - (): And you're riding mixed terrain, some mud, some gravel, some dirt, All kinds of stuff and it's up and down, up and down, up and down. And, uh, again, you've finished all that after about 90 kilometers, a hundred kilometers, and then you get to ride that really smooth. Um, Dyke lollipop thing to finish again, um, to, to, you know, sprint to the finish, so to speak. **** - (): So it's a good mix of both for everybody. You get the smooth terrain if you want to just take it easy for the day and do the 50 or you get the hardcore experience of, man, I can't believe I did this for the 150. [00:24:07] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah. It's kind of interesting the way you're describing it. I was thinking about, you know, if you're at the pointy end of the sphere, attacking all that aggressive terrain. **** - (): To begin with for the first a hundred K and then having this relatively in perspective, tame terrain for the last 50 K, it's just going to be really interesting to see how it pans out. Like there's a group of merge from the forest and the climbing, uh, together, or, you know, or the technical riders separating themselves from the pack and then doing a 50 K time trial on the smooth terrain to try to bring it home. [00:24:42] - (): Dean Dahl: I know. Well, it's very interesting because if you can keep a pack going somehow through that last, uh, that last climb, the last one that's, it's about 450 meters of elevation and then a technical, there's about two kilometers of technical single track to get you back down. To the flat. Um, if you can stay in a group there, then you can draft and it becomes an entirely different race because the last 50 kilometers, it's all, it's, you almost need to be a good road rider to make that happen if you want to finish first. **** - (): Right. So, yeah, [00:25:12] - (): Craig Dalton: yeah. It's one of those interesting races. I really enjoyed, for example, my conversation around the rule of three. Growl in Bentonville, Arkansas with Andy Chastain. And it's just fascinating to kind of game play out if you are racing these things. Cause a lot of us go in it and we're just kind of out there to enjoy the ride and test ourselves to see if we can, you know, achieve a crazy good ride. **** - (): But for those at the front end of the spectrum, it's, it's pretty interesting to kind of game play out where your skillset lies and technical riders are going to have to bury themselves to get enough of a lead that. A pack won't hunt them down in those last 50 K. [00:25:50] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah, yeah, it's totally true. So it'll be really interesting. **** - (): And again, you know, you're, you're right. Not everybody's going to be racing this, uh, but it's got a great race ability at the front end of the sharp end. Like you say. So it's good. And I've got it all staggered out. So, um, people won't be arriving at the same time in case there's a sprint, but close enough that we'll all be in the event village after the event together. **** - (): And people can celebrate racers coming in and adventurers coming in at the same time. So, [00:26:21] - (): Craig Dalton: yeah, that was going to be my next question. Just sort of around the race village and what kind of post event atmosphere and shenanigans you have planned for riders. [00:26:29] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah. Yeah. Um, again, it's a fairly small event. **** - (): We're only. Capping it at 200. So, and that's intentional because we need to be able to start small and be sustainable, make sure we do this right. Um, and then we'll start expanding it from there. Uh, but we've got a lot of great sponsors locally. Um, I have a lot of friends in the area and they all are small business owners and they're like, yeah, this is amazing. **** - (): I want to be a part of this. So we've got an ice cream. This, uh, uh, boutique ice cream place just down the street from where we're going to be starting, uh, has a massive ice cream set up and they're handing you an ice cream cone, you know, and you cross the line. We've also got a local beer craft beer sponsor. **** - (): That's going to be giving everybody a pint. If you're showing up to race, if you're you register, you got to celebrate with a pint from this brewery. And, uh, we've got a local cafe as well that actually a coffee roaster, that's going to be providing coffee at the event village. And we've got a local cafe that's actually going to be setting up a cafe in the middle of absolutely nowhere on our course at the top of one of the biggest climbs. **** - (): So you're going to finish this climb and you're going to just feel like you totally. Destroyed yourself and you're going to turn the corner and there'll be tables there. They'll be doing pour overs, there's croissants and scones. They've got the tables, all that kind of stuff for you. So it'll be a fun, really kind of a neat surprise. **** - (): So the event village is actually spread through the course, so to speak, uh, which will be really fun. We've also got a food truck, uh, I'm going to be having donors and falafels for everyone as well. So, you know, we're just trying to bring the hype and, you know, I'm talking to sponsors locally and just saying, Hey, kind of like what Andy said, actually, in, when you're talking with him, he was so interesting in that he was talking about how he just wants to be able to create a great thing and just let sponsors dictate how they want to bless the event. **** - (): And, uh, I like that style and I think I'm kind of going for that style too, or. Somebody's got a food truck that serves falafels and doners and shawarma. I'm I'm down. Let's do that. Let's let's figure something out. Right. [00:28:33] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah. You [00:28:34] - (): Dean Dahl: have a cafe. Let's set up a cafe in the middle of the route. That'd be amazing. **** - (): So yeah, so that's kind of the event village feel. [00:28:41] - (): Craig Dalton: That sounds awesome. When you think about the community, is this the type of community? And I often like think and talk about this. Like when you have a rural community and you stand up an event like this, yeah. All the businesses around town are like, bring it on, like no downside. **** - (): This is awesome. Anything that will bring people to the community. Does Chilliwack have that vibe? Or is it still close enough to Vancouver where there's a little bit of like, actually, we don't want a lot of more people discovering us. [00:29:09] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah, there's a bit of that vibe and, uh, Chilliwack, again, like I said, it's a, it's an emerging community. **** - (): It's probably, you know, close to a hundred thousand people. So it's actually not a small town. I mean, well, maybe that is a small town compared to some places. Um, but it, uh, yeah, it sits in an awkward, uh, Spot and it's discovering itself and there's some really great things happening and there's also a oh man A lot of people from the city are moving out here, you know It's the roads are a lot less quiet than they used to be our trails you know, I used to ride my horse on this trail all the time and now there's You know, people running all the time and cyclists all the time. **** - (): So there's a bit of that thing. And also, um, again, Chilliwack is discovering itself in terms of how to be a community as it grows. And it's fascinating. Like, yeah, I love the idea of watching, um, cities grow and the urban planning idea fascinates me. And I'm seeing it on a local level in this city, which has got some really great, um, potential, uh, to see people really want to adopt this as their spot. **** - (): At the same time trying to struggle with the people that have always lived here who are saying well we don't want it not in our town like we don't need another race we got two races already so there's both the yes let's get involved let's do this and also the well just do your thing and that's kind of it that's kind of a Vancouver thing too the west coast of Canada is very much like uh yeah you just do your thing and you know just leave me alone and just do it whatever. **** - (): So [00:30:41] - (): Craig Dalton: that brings up a question around land access, you know, any issues around getting on the land that you want to, that you're going to do the event on? Is it land that we can go out and ride today? [00:30:53] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah. Uh, well, that's a great question. And we are actually really excited because we are actually on the lands of the Stolo people, the traditional ancestral people, the Solo nation and the Swahili nation. **** - (): And, uh, they have been really gracious in being allow us right down to being able to use some of the roads in their community that we can pass by on our route. Um, so we're very excited to be able to, um, kind of honor these communities and recognize them at the same time as being able to practically make use of the, the roads in their communities at the same time. **** - (): So that's good beyond that too. Um, we're actually working with. Five different jurisdictions of ownership are stewardship of the various lands that we're going to be on everything from the city of Chilliwack to the regional districts to different communities that have different park zones and things. **** - (): So the permitting process is extensive, and I was actually working on that a lot this morning just before talking to you. Um. It's exciting to do because you get to spread the word about a cool event and these people are like, yeah, that's amazing. Have you dotted this T by or dotted this I by the way, but what you're doing is great. **** - (): Keep it going and fill out this form. As long as they [00:32:07] - (): Craig Dalton: keep saying yes, it's [00:32:10] - (): Dean Dahl: when the [00:32:10] - (): Craig Dalton: fourth land manager says no and you're just like, wait, I have this great route that needs your section of land. [00:32:17] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah, that's totally true. But you get through that. You just got to take your time and, uh, you pay a little bit of money along the way for it, but you just do the due diligence, right? **** - (): And you, you know, respect the process and then it's all good. [00:32:33] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah. Well, I love what you're working on up there, Dean. It looks like a great event and from everything you've described, looks like an amazing piece of Canada that we should be exploring on our gravel bikes for sure. And I love, I love that you come with a different sports mindset as well. **** - (): Obviously you've been around bikes your whole life, but having that skateboard influence, I always think it's interesting and refreshing when event organizers have. A totally different context for what an event can be. Like you can only imagine as a cyclist, like what a skate event might look like versus a cycling event. **** - (): So bringing that unique mindset, I think is, is something new and great that you're bringing to the gravel community. [00:33:16] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah. I mean, it's all I know is like skate scene and my experience in cycling. So I'm just going to do what I do, but we'll find out. It's cool or not. And my team is, they're, they're not skaters, uh, but you know, they're like, Oh, that sounds cool. **** - (): Let's do that. That'd be amazing. I've never seen that in a sailing race before, but whatever, it'll be great. I love [00:33:37] - (): Craig Dalton: it. Yeah, for sure. Well, best of luck. We'll make sure everybody knows about your event on May 11th ticket. There's still some slots available, so we'll put a link to registration in the show notes for everybody. [00:33:49] - (): Dean Dahl: Yeah, that'd be amazing. Craig, great to talk with you. Love your podcast. Keep it going. I know that's a lot of work and, uh, but keep at it because you're exploring something really interesting. And like I said before, the community around gravel cycling is so vibrant and it's growing and, uh, you know, you're a great voice to represent all kinds of things in this community. **** - (): So thank you. [00:34:13] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah, I appreciate the kind words and I appreciate you sharing everything you did today. Thanks, Dean. [00:34:17] - (): Dean Dahl: All right on.    

One of these things is not like the other, which is to say that these words are written as a script for a podcast edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement that's made up of stories from recent editions of the newsletter. I'm Sean Tubbs, and this is an experimental time for Town Crier Productions. Why? There are many reasons I could state but for now, perhaps it's just better to get on with this edition. This version of the podcast includes:* A red flag day last week resulted in brush fires all across Central Virginia including Albemarle and Louisa, and Deputy Chief John Oprandy briefed reporters on March 21 (read the story)* The City of Charlottesville's participation in a health and social metrics program has garnered national recognition (read the story)* Charlottesville will hold a meeting this upcoming Wednesday to give an update on improvements to Stribling Avenue to make it safe for people to walk and bike on (read the story)* Charlottesville seeks dismissal of lawsuit to overturn new zoning (read the story)* Albemarle County budget officials provide more information about the payment that the University of Virginia makes in lieu of taxes (read the story)* Charlottesville City Council goes through applications made through the Vibrant Community Fund and City Manager Sam Sanders pushes back against requested tweaks (written version to be published in next edition of the newsletter) 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

How Mary Joan Hinson is Redefining Local Art in North Florida "Welcome to a world where every color, every stroke, and every mural tells a story not just of an artist, but of a community. Today, we unravel the tapestry of Mary Joan Hinson's artistic journey, an odyssey that paints a vivid picture of passion, perseverance, and the transformative power of art." Summary In this podcast episode, Tracy Rigdon interviews Mary Joan Henson, an artist and educator from North Florida. They discuss various topics, including Mary's journey as an artist, her approach to creating art, the challenges faced by local artists, and the importance of supporting the local art community. Tracy also expresses his admiration for Mary's artwork and highlights the need for more murals and public art in Jacksonville. They conclude the episode by encouraging listeners to engage with and support local artists. Takeaways - Mary Joan Henson is an artist and educator based in North Florida, known for her impressive artwork. - Mary's art is characterized by vibrant colors, depth, and the use of swirls and shapes. - The local art community in Northeast Florida faces challenges in terms of recognition, opportunities, and support. - There is a need for more murals and public art in Jacksonville to revitalize the downtown area and showcase local talent. - Artists play a crucial role in society, connecting people to their inner selves and the world around them. ** “Thank you for joining me on The Contrast Project Lounge Podcast. Don't miss out on future episodes! Make sure to subscribe to The Contrast Project Lounge Podcast on Spotify for Podcasters and our YouTube channel. or wherever you stream!” ** "While we may not always agree, I respect your right to express your opinions. I encourage you to join our community by following and subscribing to our channels. Together, we can create a space where ideas can be shared, challenged, and evolved." ** Music Tracks by Alex Grohl on Pixabay (Where applicable) ** Feel free to LIKE, SHARE AND COMMENT and SUBSCRIBE. Follow The Contrast Project online: ** https://www.thecontrastproject.tv/ ** ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/TheContrastProjectJax ** ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/the_contrast_project/ ** https://www.instagram.com/contrast_podcast_backup/ ** https://www.threads.net/@contrast_podcast_backup ** ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ContrastProjTV⁠⁠  ** https://www.youtube.com/@thecontrastproject7242 ** Streaming on all major platforms, including: ** https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-contrast-project ** https://spoti.fi/3D4BHdg ** https://apple.co/3PGNSEE ** https://ihr.fm/3riy010 ** https://bit.ly/Contrast_Radio_Public Amazon : https://amzn.to/45UmqsC  ** You can help support The Contrast Project Lounge Podcast by visiting:  https://ko-fi.com/contrastprojectloungepodcast #LocalArtists #PublicArtRevival #ArtisticJourney #MuralMagic #CommunityCanvas #ArtInJacksonville #SupportLocalArt #ArtEducationMatters #CreativeCommunity --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-contrast-project/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-contrast-project/support

Welcome to the Cocktails & Culture Podcast hosted by Benjamin Coy and Brigethia Arai. On this episode of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#CCPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, we celebrate Women's History Month discussing iconic women characters in TV and Film. Get your cocktail (or mocktail) and #PourUp with us! Join our VIBRANT COMMUNITY for a chance to win $100! Here are the ⁠#giveaway⁠ rules: 1) Subscribe to our e-mail list: ⁠https://forms.gle/q22tyQK1TfbPNPwi7⁠2) Tag 2 friends below***For an (1) EXTRA entry, follow us on ⁠#Instagram⁠, ⁠#TikTok⁠, and X. The winner will be selected through a random drawing and will be announced on April 1st! Connect with us! Cocktails & Culture: Instagram: @cocktailsandculturepod (https://instagram.com/cocktailsandculturepod) Twitter: @weareccpod (https://twitter.com/weareccpod) TikTok: @cocktailsandculture (https://www.tiktok.com/@cocktailsandculture) YouTube: @CocktailsCulturePodcast (https://youtube.com/@CocktailsCulturePodcast) Benjamin Coy: Instagram: @benjiecoy (https://www.instagram.com/benjiecoy/) TikTok: @benjiecoyy (https://www.tiktok.com/@benjiecoyy) Brigethia Arai: Instagram: @brigethia (https://www.instagram.com/brigethia/) TikTok: @brigethia (https://www.tiktok.com/@brigethia) Drink responsibly! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cocktails--culture-podcast/message

The second of two special Citizens Club of Springfield forums with area residents sharing their experiences moving to Springfield after starting in another country along with a brief history of immigration policy.

Welcome to the Cocktails & Culture Podcast hosted by Benjamin Coy and Brigethia Arai. On this episode of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠#CCPod⁠⁠⁠⁠, we catch up with all the drama happening in Bravoland. We discuss, #RHOP, #MarriedToMedicine, and the [alleged] scheme that Todd set up in Porsha Williams' return to #RHOA! Get your cocktail (or mocktail) and #PourUp with us! Join our VIBRANT COMMUNITY for a chance to win $100! Here are the #giveaway rules: 1) Subscribe to our e-mail list: https://forms.gle/q22tyQK1TfbPNPwi72) Tag 2 friends below***For an (1) EXTRA entry, follow us on #Instagram, #TikTok, and X. The winner will be selected through a random drawing and will be announced on April 1st! Ebony Vintage Weekend Fashion Show If you're in the DC area--come to the Ebony Vintage Weekend Fashion Show on Sunday, March 17th at 4PM. Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ebony-vintage-weekend-pop-up-and-fashion-show-tickets-835380464457?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl Connect with us! Cocktails & Culture: Instagram: @cocktailsandculturepod (https://instagram.com/cocktailsandculturepod) Twitter: @weareccpod (https://twitter.com/weareccpod) TikTok: @cocktailsandculture (https://www.tiktok.com/@cocktailsandculture) YouTube: @CocktailsCulturePodcast (https://youtube.com/@CocktailsCulturePodcast) Benjamin Coy: Instagram: @benjiecoy (https://www.instagram.com/benjiecoy/) TikTok: @benjiecoyy (https://www.tiktok.com/@benjiecoyy) Brigethia Arai: Instagram: @brigethia (https://www.instagram.com/brigethia/) TikTok: @brigethia (https://www.tiktok.com/@brigethia) Drink responsibly! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cocktails--culture-podcast/message

The Neighborhood News Nestled conveniently close to the 202 freeway, downtown Chandler, Crowne Plaza, and the Arizona Railway Museum, this neighborhood offers the perfect blend of accessibility and leisure. Downtown Chandler: https://downtownchandler.org/ Crowne Plaza: https://www.sanmarcosresort.com/ Arizona Railway Museum: https://www.azrymuseum.org/ Join us as we explore the abundance of amenities that make Haven a desirable place to call home. For families, there's a delightful Children's Playground where kids can frolic and make lasting memories. Residents also enjoy access to a spacious Clubhouse/Rec Room, perfect for hosting gatherings or socializing with neighbors. Beat the Arizona heat in style at the refreshing Community Pool, offering a cool retreat for relaxation and fun in the sun. And for those cooler months, the Community Pool is heated, ensuring year-round enjoyment. Security and privacy are paramount in this gated community, providing residents with peace of mind and a sense of exclusivity. Additionally, staying fit and healthy is a breeze with the convenient Workout Facility, equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for all your exercise needs. https://www.trestlemanagement.com/ With its prime location, Haven offers not only an array of community amenities but also easy access to nearby attractions. Explore the charm of downtown Chandler, indulge in fine dining at Crowne Plaza, or delve into the rich history of railroads at the Arizona Railway Museum. Come experience the lifestyle you've been dreaming of at Haven in Chandler, where luxury, convenience, and community converge to create an unparalleled living experience. Schedule your visit today and discover why Haven is the perfect place to call home. MacPea Photography specializes in crafting visually stunning imagery that resonates with emotion and authenticity. Whether it's a wedding celebration, a family portrait session, or a corporate event, MacPea Photography approaches each project with professionalism, creativity, and a commitment to exceeding client expectations. With a distinctive style that blends contemporary techniques with timeless elegance, MacPea Photography transforms fleeting moments into lifelong memories, making them a trusted choice for anyone seeking to immortalize life's unforgettable moments. Connect with MacPea Photography: https://www.macpeaphotography.com/ Browse available homes for sale in Chandler AZ here: https://myre.io/0FNUik1cY14g Moving to AZ - Must Have Resources: https://katielambert.exprealty.com/ask/325f5f1cd2e71838a080d19cae76b270 Search new build homes anywhere in the Phoenix, AZ Metro area: https://www.showingnew.com/evoaz Research Schools in any area: https://www.greatschools.org/ To learn more about AZ real estate and to keep up on trends and market conditions, join us in our Homeowner Education Group on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/teamevoazhomeowners Preview more neighborhoods in the area here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvQwjaqVCSSDOffb1lHhzcwADOObKrS1I Follow us on You Tube for Neighborhood News, Housing Market Updates, Tips for Buyers on and Sellers and More! https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvQwjaqVCSSDOffb1lHhzcwADOObKrS1I Contact https:// EvoAZ.com to buy or sell your home! Brought to you by Real Estatie Katie of Team EvoAZ at eXp Realty The information given in this video and/or any of our videos is not intended to promote the buying and/or selling or abstaining from buying and/or selling of any real estate. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform on a very specific market. This information should not be construed as advice. Please consult your attorney, CPA, real estate agent, or wealth manager directly in regard to any specific sale, purchase, or financial decisions you make based on the information provided in our videos.

Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.   Today is Tuesday, Jan. 30  WVU-Tech enlists Chef Paul Smith to boost its culinary program. A grant from the Chemours Belle plant will fund STEM education for area students. And the mountain community of Helvetia prepares to usher out Old Man Winter…on today's daily304. #1 – From WVNS-TV – The West Virginia University Institute of Technology has announced a partnership with Chef Paul Smith. The partnership will be related to the school's two-year culinary program that is hosted at the WVU Tech's Beckley campus that opened in 2020, and is offered through Potomac State College. Paul Smith was the first West Virginian to be a James Beard Foundation award finalist and he operates various restaurants in Charleston. “The partnership with Chef Paul Smith will promote and facilitate our goals of improving culinary skills of students, diversifying our curriculum and fostering community involvement through enhanced hospitality opportunities in our state,” said Chef Devin Noor, program director and teaching assistant professor of culinary arts. “Chef Paul not only brings enhanced culinary techniques but also creativity, dedication and passion that will greatly enhance student experience at WVU Tech.” Read more: https://www.wvnstv.com/top-stories/wvu-tech-culinary-program-announces-partnership-with-chef-paul-smith/   #2 – From CSR WIRE – The Chemours Company's Belle plant recently awarded a nearly $99,000 Vibrant Community grant to Explore the New Manufacturing as part of the company's commitment to invest $50 million in its communities to increase access to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills, safety initiatives, and sustainable environment programs by 2030.  The investment will directly benefit middle and high school students participating in educational learning programs designed to support STEM, technical careers, and development opportunities to fuel a high-potential, future workforce. The grant will benefit students in Explore's Kanawha Valley and Mid-Ohio Valley hubs. “As a chemistry company, we are passionate about inspiring the next generation of STEM professionals through early access to STEM education and mentoring,” said Nicholas Martino, Chemours Belle plant manager. “This is more important than ever with 800,000 expected job openings in STEM-related fields by 2031.” Read more: https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/792986-chemours-belle-plant-invests-west-virginia-education-and-manufacturing #3 – From GAZETTE-MAIL – Who needs a shadow-skittish groundhog prognosticator popping up every frigid February when a burning effigy might better hasten the arrival of spring? (It also might not, but at least there's food, music, masks, and other amenities.) All of that (minus the groundhog) will be observed next month when the Swiss mountain community of Helvetia hosts its 57th annual Fasnacht. The pre-Lenten celebration is referred to as “the feast before the fast” during which an effigy of Old Man Winter is set afire to beckon and welcome the arrival of spring. The event takes place from 3 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10, in the town square of the Randolph County community. Revelers can expect Appalachian and Swiss music, decadent foods, a parade illuminated by candle-powered lampions, and the opportunity to don colorful, homemade masks to scare away Old Man Winter (and compete for prizes). Read more: https://www.wvgazettemail.com/dailymailwv/daily_mail_features/fasnacht-to-bid-festive-fiery-farewell-to-winter-in-helvetia/article_5c598655-0e9e-5388-9de2-8817a44e6f9a.html   Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo.  That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.

Do you have a community of Biz Besties that you can rely on for support, collaboration, and people you want to learn from?We often think about community as with our potential students or clients, but we also need to surround ourselves with a community of like minded business owners who help us stay on track as the CEO of our own business.I share tips on what to look for and where you can find "Your People!".

Christina Garnett, Principal Marketing Manager of Offline Community and Advocacy at HubSpot, shares her hierarchy fo customer delight. Download the free powerups cheatsheet: https://marketingpowerups.com/048

Follow Veteran Steven Forsyth on Telegram at  https://t.me/TheLighthouseHealing View the Notice to Reopen Crimes Against Humanity Genocide Letter https://file.io/zbFoJHrj27qd

Learn more at TheCityLife.org --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/citylifeorg/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/citylifeorg/support

Follow and/or Donate to Pastor Pawlowski https://www.streetchurch.ca & visit his new Rumble channel https://rumble.com/c/ArturPawlowski

 a Vibrant✨Community of Star Seeds led by Brad & Honey

Follow Bishop Jim O'Connor on Rumble

"God is Love" 1 John 4:8

Welcome to another exciting episode of "What In East Dallas Is Going On?!" Join your hosts, Camille, Rich, and Hayes, as they take you on a captivating journey through the heart of East Dallas and dive into the enchanting world of why the Lakewood Home Tour exists.Founded in 1952, the Lakewood Early Childhood PTA (LECPTA) is a remarkable non-profit organization deeply intertwined with the local, state, and national Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) network. This episode unveils the fascinating history and purpose of the LECPTA, which plays a crucial role in fostering community engagement and support.Discover the rich tapestry of East Dallas and Lakewood Elementary's school boundaries, stretching from Abrams in the west to Patrick Drive and Northwest Highway in the north, White Rock Lake to the east, and East Grand and Glasgow in the south. While many parents reside within the Lakewood Elementary school zone, this podcast highlights the inclusive nature of the LECPTA. It's open to anyone who shares the desire to enhance the East Dallas and Lakewood community, creating a brighter future for our children and families.Tune in to "What In East Dallas Is Going On?!" to explore the Lakewood Home Tour and how this incredible organization is making a difference in the lives of East Dallas residents.Find out more about them at https://www.lecpta.org Connect with us! Instagram - Facebook www.visiteastdallas.comPartner with us! connect@visiteastdallas.com

Follow US Army Airborne Major & Bishop Jim O'Connor speak the Grace of God 

Chocolako is committed to working with forward thinking creatives and professionals, yoga teachers and yoga practitioners of all levels, who are open to embrace continuous awakenings, outperform limiting stories and reach more expansive versions of themselves. Her focus is to support, uplift and uplevel curious souls to remember their unique pathway. Learn more about Chocolako here: http://chocolako.com/ Follow Chocolako on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chocolako/ Join the Online Yogi Immersion: https://digitalyogaacademy.lpages.co/the-online-yogi-immersion/ ABOUT DIGITAL YOGA ACADEMY Digital Yoga Academy is an Online Yoga Business School, teaching yoga teachers essential business and marketing skills. Powerful business skills that you're not taught in yoga teacher training! You'll get all the support you need to turn your passion and expertise as a yoga teacher into a successful yoga business. Join over 10k yoga teachers worldwide on the same journey as you!

This week we finished our series "Created for Community". Pastor Ben unpacked the heart of Ephesians 2:19-22 and the metaphor of the spiritual house built upon the cornerstone of Christ. In this sermon we discover how we, as living stones, contribute to the enduring strength and beauty of authentic Christian fellowship.For more information about Integrity Church visit our website, http://liveintegritychurch.orgConnect with us on social media throughout the week to stay up to date on events and things happening at Integrity!Instagram: @integrity_churchFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/liveintegrity/For more information about Integrity Church, visit our website, http://liveintegritychurch.org Connect with us on social media throughout the week to stay up to date on events and things happening at Integrity! Instagram: @integrity_church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liveintegrity/

Do we celebrate middle school, grade school and kindergarten graduations?? Then, honoring Paul Eshlemen, who brought the 'Jesus' film to the ends of the earth--and a fantastic conversation with Pastor Josh Moody of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois about how to maintain integrity while leading a large congregation--and how his perspective has changed over the course of his ministry career.  Follow The Common Good on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Hosted by Aubrey Sampson and Brian From Produced by Laura Finch and Keith ConradSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we chat with LeAnn Littlewolf, a Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe citizen and co-Executive Director for the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) in Duluth. AICHO's community informed programs aim to create a stronger, healthier, more stable Native community in Duluth. As co-Executive Director, LeAnn brings three decades of experience in community leadership and advocacy, culturally informed strategies for community and economic development. She shares about her path to leading at AICHO, how her work and AICHO's service are built around community needs and engagement and what is next for AICHO.AICHO's programs include emergency and transitional housing; health equity and food sovereignty initiatives; and community arts and cultural programming. Learn more about AICHO at: https://www.aicho.org/ Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine is produced by Minnesota Native News and Ampers, Diverse Radio for Minnesota's Communities with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. Online at https://minnesotanativenews.org/ Native Lights is a weekly, half-hour radio program hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and siblings, Leah Lemm and Cole Premo. Native Lights is a space for people in Native communities around Mni Sota Mkoce -- a.k.a. Minnesota -- to tell their stories about finding their gifts and sharing them with the community. 

Community is never found. It is always built. How did it happen in the New Testament?

Today is the day we say goodbye to 2022, a full 365 days after we said goodbye to 2021. Where will be a year from now and is it possible to have enough data to make a guess?A lot has happened in the past 365 days, and Charlottesville Community Engagement has written down as much as possible in the 173 regular installments. How many in 2023?  Before we answer that in approximately 8,570 hours, a sincere thank you to the audience as well as a sincere hope your New Year will be whatever you need it to be. I'm Sean Tubbs, ready to say hello to January. On today's show:* A candidate emerges for the at-large seat on the Albemarle School Board* A second person joins the race for Charlottesville's open seat in the House of Delegates* Plans are filed in Albemarle County for a small project at end of Charlottesville's East Market Street* Bus service between Staunton and Charlottesville will expand in the new year* A quick look at bills filed for the 2023 General Assembly including one that would ban School Boards from changing student names on their own * The number of applications for nonprofit social services funding is up in Charlottesville, and City Council is asked if they would consider providing more money 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

Talking BizTech" is an online podcast hosted by Chief Saqif. The podcast is about business and technology. The Entrepreneur Rob Puschelberg is a guest on Season 2 episode 13 (season finale) who talks about his vibrant community and how it is encouraging people to shop local. Checkout the CSTB store - https://cstubeboss.store/ Checkout the website of this vibrant community (our Community dollar) https://ourcommunitydollar.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chiefsaqif/message

Artist, Mother & Author Brandi Hofer shares so many nuggets of wisdom in this inspirational episode. From raising three kids while furthering her art career, to opening an art program for students in her local school district, Brandi's passion for creativity is contagious. Here's what we discuss: Brandi's journey as an artist and mother, and the shift she experienced in her practice once she invited her children to paint with her. The ways in which Brandi's approach to creativity pushes long-standing boundaries in the art world and ultimately shows mother artists what's possible. Advice for making art when you're running on a tight schedule and have limited time to create. (Hint: yes, it's still possible!) What inspired Brandi to write her new book, Colour Me Happy! See your everyday ordinary as extraordinary, and the message she hopes to communicate to artists and mothers around the world. About BrandiBrandi Hofer is an artist, muralist, author, and educator. Hofer is most well known for being a successful collected Canadian Artist, exhibiting internationally and across North America. In 2021 she was featured by Create Magazine in their article 28 Contemporary Artists You Need To Know About. Her podcast Colour Me Happy! Has garnered attention as one of the best art podcasts to binge this season by Create Magazine! She will head to New York September 2022 with PXP Contemporary Gallery to the Affordable Art Fair with work from her Taylor Collection inspired and based off of the photography work by photographer Taylor Lorenz.Hofer's first book Colour Me Happy! See your everyday ordinary as extraordinary is set to come out October 2022. She has some upcoming big, literally BIG,  announcements and projects happening in the next couple of years.She recently founded an Art Academy partnering with LPSD Lloydminster for students in her local public school district. Aiding in the creative learning in her community.Her artwork has been featured on national television and can be found in international publications. She has experience in creating custom artworks for designers and translates her artwork into large-scale murals. Some of her collectors include Jillian Harris, Sarah Baeumler, Andrew Salgado, Jann Arden, and Sarah Nicole Landry (thebbirdspapaya).Hofer has attended creative residencies at Red Deer College, Toronto Island, the Marnay Art Centre outside of Paris France, and in Montreal, Quebec. Her work has appeared in HGTV's House of Bryan as well as Island of Brian, and featured in a General Motors commercial. Most recently herself and her family at their in-home art studio for an international commercial for Walmart.IG: @brandihoferstudiosWebsite: https://www.brandihofer.ca/bhstudiosVisit our website: www.visionaryartcollective.comJoin our newsletter: www.visionaryartcollective.com/newsletterFollow us on Instagram: @visionaryartcollective + @newvisionarymag

What's your favorite local business in Durham? Think about how many unique places you could discover by asking this question. Sheila Amir started The Bulls of Durham out of complete curiosity. We talked about her perspective on what it means to buy from and support local businesses, how she's growing an entrepreneurial ecosystem, and what's next for her business in this digital world. Be sure to visit https://thebullsofdurham.com/on-wednesdays-we-work?aff=AngelaHollowell to find out more about their online membership opportunities!

What recourse do we have except to simply pursue this August 5 in the best manner possible? On this Blogger Day, I celebrate with another installment of Charlottesville Community Engagement, a newsletter and podcast intended to shed light on various happenings in and around the area. I’m the writer and host, Sean Tubbs. What are you writing these days? Sign-up for free, but paid subscriptions come with benefits and the satisfaction you’re helping pay for the PACER bills! Ting will match. See below! On today’s program: The former Commissioner of Revenue in Greene County has been sentenced to three months in federal prison for attempted witness tamperingUnemployment drops to pre-pandemic levelsCharlottesville seeks input on what kind of person should be the next police chiefAlbemarle Supervisors endorse a pan for improvements on Rio Road but one member says that doesn’t mean final decisions have been madeCharlottesville City Council is briefed on the preparation for the next fiscal year First shout-out goes to the Charlottesville Jazz Society In today’s first subscriber supported public service announcement, are you looking for something new to listen to in the form of live music? The Charlottesville Jazz Society has you covered with an ongoing list of dozens of events coming up at venues across the area. That ranges from rumba guitar duo Berta & Vincent at Glass House Winery this Saturday afternoon to the Charles Owen Trio at Potter’s Craft Cider on Saturday, August 28. The Charlottesville Jazz Society is your source to plot out your musical journey and you can get started at cvillejazz.org. Thanks to a subscriber for being on both Patreon and Substack to qualify for this shout-out.Greene’s former Commissioner of Revenue sentenced in witness tampering caseThe former Commissioner of Revenue in Greene County has been sentenced to three months in federal prison for intervening in an investigation of his son’s drug distribution charges. Larry Snow, 73, pleaded guilty in May to one count of attempted witness tampering for trying to dissuade a confidential informant. “According to court documents, Larry Snow used his access as the former Commissioner of Revenue to a Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) database as part of an effort to retaliate against and tamper with the confidential informant, Person A, after Person A aided law enforcement in controlled purchases of methamphetamine and heroin from Bryant Snow,” according to a release from the United State Attorney for Western District of Virginia. Specifically, the elder Snow sought to print out material identifying the informant for his son to use to intimidate and to discredit that person while incarcerated at Central Virginia Regional Jail. Snow resigned in May 2022 as Commissioner of the Revenue in Greene, having been elected in 2019 while under indictment. National employment returns to pre-pandemic levelsThere were 528,000 nonfarm jobs added across the United States of America in July, according to the latest employment figures released this morning by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate is at 3.5 percent. “Both total nonfarm employment and the unemployment rate have returned to their February 2020 pre-pandemic levels,” reads a release that was sent out this morning. The report also notes that the number of permanent job losers is now lower than February 2020. The long-term unemployed is defined as those jobless for more than 27 weeks, and that figure is also below pre-pandemic levels. Other statistics in the release are worth noting. In July, 7.1 percent of the workforce continued to telecommute due to the pandemic. The labor force participation rate is defined as “the percentage of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years and older that is working or actively looking for work.” That figure was at 62.1 percent in July, lower than the February 2020 figure of 63.4 percent. The next employment numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics will be out September 2. Charlottesville seeking input on police chief searchHow much experience should the next Charlottesville Police Chief have? What leadership qualities would you like to see? What should the police department leader’s top priority be?Those are some of the questions in a survey that the firm POLIHIRE is conducting as part of their contract to conduct a search for the next chief. The survey is open through August 15 and is available in English and Spanish. (fill out the survey)The person hired will replace Acting Chief of Police LaTroy A. Durrette who has been in the position since former City Manager Chip Boyles fired RaShall Brackney after three years on the job. Brackney sued the city and several individuals for race, color, and gender discrimination, as well as interference with contract, unlawful retaliation, violation of the state’s whistleblower statute, and more. According to a series of waivers filed in the case, all defendants have until sixty days after July 1 to respond to the case. Albemarle Supervisors endorse Rio Road Corridor PlanThe Albemarle Board of Supervisors has officially endorsed a plan that offers guidance for how future intersection improvements on Rio Road may look in the future. “This is a planning level document that establishes a vision for improvements along the corridor with sufficient analysis of the conceptual design to understand whether the proposed concepts can address future and existing conditions and can meet [Virginia Department of Transportation] and other relevant engineering standards,” said David Benish, development process manager for Albemarle County. The county hired the civil engineering firm Line + Grade to develop the plans. Supervisors were last briefed on the work last October and the Planning Commission saw the draft in May. The work was split into two sections to reflect two different roadway characters. “Phase one is very much an arterial roadway [with] five lanes with a continuous left-hand turn lane in the middle,”  said Dan Hyer with Line + Grade. “Whereas phase two still resembles in many locations the local collector that it is. It’s very much a local road.” Hyer said the work involved analyzing crash data such as at the intersection of Hillsdale Drive and Rio Road. Eighty-nine percent of crashes at the location are left-hand turns. As such, recommended changes are to eliminate that movement at Hillsdale, Old Brook and Northfield. “The solution that we have recommended basically absolves all left-hand turn movements by replacing the two intersections with a singular dog-bone or bean-shaped roundabout,” Hyer said.  Belvedere Drive and Rio Road would be turned into a “Continuous Green-T” intersection and Albemarle has applied for funding. A roundabout is funded at John Warner Parkway and Rio Road and that will soon get under design. The second phase of the project is broken into three segments, with the northern one including two planned developments. The Board of Supervisors approved the 328 Rio Point apartment complex last December, and an application has been filed for 43 town homes just to the south in a project called Rio Commons. “And we think that if those developments can work with this plan that the corridor can transform in a positive way and that some of the risks that we’ve identified can be mitigated through the build-out of these developments,” Hyer said. Supervisor Ned Gallaway of the Rio District was the lone vote against the Rio Point development last December. He said he was concerned about more people in the area.“As we approve the sidewalks and the access down to the Parkway, we’re only creating more pedestrian activity and that’s going to introduce a vehicular piece which is going to be really dangerous so I think we need to get our heads around that sooner rather than later,” Gallaway said.Gallaway said his endorsement of the plan did not mean that he supported the specific recommendations involved. He said there is a competing plan to reroute Hillsdale Drive that would take away the need for the bean-shaped roundabout. “We know that that intersection is completely problematic and needs a solution but it just may not be the solution that’s in the study so if we vote to approve the study, it doesn’t mean we’re necessarily voting to approve that project,” Gallaway said. As for phase two, Gallaway said he would like to see more traffic calming to slow down the speed of traffic, similar to the bump-outs on Park Street in the City of Charlottesville between the U.S. 250 bypass and downtown. Gallaway said he was grateful staff was able to work to get the corridor study done. The vote to endorse the plan was unanimous and it will now be considered as part of the update of the Albemarle County Comprehensive Plan, otherwise known as AC44.Second shout-out: Save the date for Rivanna Conservation Alliance’s Community Watershed clean-upIn today’s second Patreon-fueled shout-out: Mark your calendar for RCA’s third annual Rivanna River Round-Up community watershed cleanup coming up on Saturday, September 24. The RCA organized the first round-up in September 2020 as a safe way for the community to give back to the river during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last two years, a total of 245 volunteers have cleaned up 67 miles of streams, nearby trails and the Rivanna River, removing 192 tires and 213 large bags of trash from the waterways. Details will soon be made available and you can get those by signing up for the Rivanna Conservation Alliance newsletter at rivannariver.org. You can get your own shout-out for a $25 a month Patreon contribution! For more information, visit Information Charlottesville.Charlottesville City Council briefed on planning for next year’s budget Fiscal Year 2023 is just over a month old, but the budget process in Virginia never really stops as local governments seek to provide services. In April, Council adopted a $212.9 million general fund budget that was 10.76 percent higher than the one for the year before. That’s built on increased assessments for both real estate and personal property as well as a one-cent increase in the real estate tax rate. That was the first such increase in several decades. There are about 30 weeks until whoever is City Manager in March 2023 presents a recommended budget and 36 weeks until Council is expected to adopt their amended document. Council got a briefing this past Monday and learned about some of the factors coming up and some suggested the schedule be moved up. (view the presentation)Will the budget continue to grow at a double-digit level, or will it be more modest? How much will it cost to implement pay and benefit increases that may come through a collective bargaining ordinance? What about the cost of inflation? While the answers aren’t yet known, the foundation is being laid for whatever will end up happening. At the end of August, city departments will be sent packets to request funds for capital projects and these will be due by the early October. There’s at least one change to that process.“We’re going to include a Planning Commission member on the review team,” said Krissy Hammill, the city’s director of budget and performance analysis.Requests from nonprofits and outside agencies are due sometime in mid-October and recommendations from the Vibrant Community team will be completed in mid-January. Also around that time will be another change to the budget process.“It’s called the city manager budget forum,” Hammill said. “The date for this will be January 10 and it will be held at Carver Recreation Center. This will be an opportunity for the city manager to make a presentation and to engage in public discussion.”Hammill said the growth in the budget for next year is expected to be more modest than the 10.76 percent increase from FY22 to FY23. She’s also keeping an eye on inflation.“We already know that there are cost increases that we’re seeing both just in general things as well as capital projects due to supply chain issues and inflation,” Hammill said. “We’re not sure of what exactly what the revenue impact would be for a potential recession if there to be one.” There will likely be higher compensation costs for city employees due to collective bargaining as well as a need to carry on the ongoing costs of positions funded using one-time money. Between now and the budget adoption, Council may have an updated strategic plan paid for through the city’s use of American Rescue Plan Act funding. “The time is right,” said interim City Manager Michael C. Rogers. “In doing the strategic plan right, we’ll get a consultant to engage you individually and collectively over the next few months and by the time we get to April, we ought to have a new direction or at least some themes.”City Councilor Michael Payne said he wanted to make sure there is funding to address a human resources phenomenon known as compression, funding for climate, and for city investment in nonprofits to build subsidized housing. “How can we get our adopted Affordable Housing Plan and that $10 million a year into a more stable place in terms of how we’ll fund it at $10 million a year which is what the plan calls for,” Payne said. Payne also wants to make sure there is funding to invest in public transportation. Rogers said a compensation study is expected to be completed by the end of the year. “That will tell us where we are compared to other jurisdictions in the region in terms of our salaries,” Rogers said. “It will define a competitiveness gap.”The Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors were briefed on their compensation study on Wednesday. Rogers said the August 15 Council work session will feature a presentation of the collective bargaining ordinance followed by a first reading on September 6 with adoption currently anticipated on September 19. “And we expect that there will be a push to begin to recognize collective bargaining units after that,” Rogers said. Another direction to budget staff is to reexamine a policy where 40 percent of new revenues created by additional real estate taxes goes to Charlottesville City Schools. Some on the current Council have called for that agreement to be revisited, and Rogers said budget staff would look into it and begin preliminary discussions with the school system.“And at some point the Council probably should have that meeting with schools to discuss an issue like this,” Rogers said.As for increased spending on public transit, Rogers said current planning by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District is relevant. A governance study for how to implement a proposed Regional Transit Vision is about to get underway.“The long term play is probably the discussion about a regional transit agency, and what are the dynamics that need to be in place for us to move that forward,” Rogers said. “It’s been talked about a long time.” The current calendar calls for the second public hearing on the budget to be held on April 3, 2023 and for adoption at a special meeting on April 11. City Councilor Sena Magill said she wanted to adjust the schedule so that the final public hearing does not happen during the week City Schools are on spring break. “And it’s just one more way that it makes it harder for some people to serve on Council,” Magill said. Charlottesville Mayor Lloyd Snook said he would like to see the budget process moved up further so that Council could have more influence. The budget is introduced to the public the first week of every March. “There are places, particularly in Northern Virginia, where Council is involved in budget discussions by mid-December,” Snook said. “They’re not waiting until February or March and the practical effect of what we do is that our opportunity for actually commenting on things is compressed into about four weeks.” Snook said he would like to see the budget introduced in early February. Rogers said he would look into seeing if that could be accomplished, but it would leave for no break at all for budget staff. Hammill suggested holding budget development work sessions when needed. One such work session that comes to mind is the one last September when Council signaled its willingness to transfer a financial commitment for the West Main Streetscape toward school reconfiguration. That gave staff direction as they built the FY23 budget.Payne pointed out that Albemarle County has adopted their budget in May for the past two years. Rogers and Hammill said they would return with more options. For all of my stories on the budget process in Charlottesville, visit Information Charlottesville.Housekeeping notes for edition #416When will the next installment of Charlottesville Community Engagement? Good question. I can tell you there will be a Week Ahead out on Sunday as well as the Government Glance which is a look at what’s coming up in all of the localities across the Fifth Congressional District of Virginia. Reporting for today’s installment included a look-up on the Public Access to Court Electronic Records to learn a little more about the lawsuit filed by the former Police Chief. Today’s search only cost $2, but this is the kind of cost it takes to produce informational content that intends to keep you up to date. So, if you’re like to support this program which includes expenses like court reporting, consider a paid subscription through Substack. If do so, Ting will match your initial payment! And, if you sign up for their services through this link you’ll get a free standard install, your 2nd month free, and a $75 downtown mall gift card! Enter the promo code COMMUNITY for full effect. Music comes from the D.C. entity that currently goes by the name Wraki, selected randomly from a bin of basement-recorded cassette tapes. You can support that work by purchasing the album Regret Everything for whatever you would like to pay. Now, off to prepare for a trip to a different location in which I will continue to produce a couple editions of Charlottesville Community Engagement. It’s my pleasure to do so and I do hope you will help support me to keep this going for a long time come. 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

In this week's episode of the Reporter's Notebook, Clara and Emily talk water. Emily's covering water conservation and the ongoing drought. Clara's more focused on the Samohi surf team shredding waves (and their competition). There's also talk about the Santa Monica History Museum's newest exhibition: "Broadway to Freeway: Life and Times of a Vibrant Community" and the results of a Malibu City Council discussion on creating homeless housing — outside Malibu.