Podcast appearances and mentions of virginia constitution

The Harrisonburg City school board enacted a policy that required school staff to affirm the board’s view on gender identity including when it conflicted with the staff’s own religious beliefs. Upon any child’s request, the school district policy required staff to immediately begin using opposite-sex pronouns and forbid staff from sharing the information with parents. Middle-school teacher, Deb Figliola challenged the board’s policy as violations of the Virginia Constitution’s Free Speech Clause and the Virginia Religious Freedom Restoration Act. After arguments before the Rockingham County Circuit Court, the school district agreed to provide a religious accommodation to Figliola and other teachers. Join ADF Senior Counsel Kate Anderson, director of the ADF Center for Parental Rights, who represented Ms. Figliola and Sarah Parshall Perry of the Heritage Foundation as they break down the case.Featuring:Kate Anderson, Senior Counsel, Director of Center for Parental Rights, Alliance Defending Freedom(Moderator) Sarah Parshall Perry, Legal Fellow, Edwin Meese Center, The Heritage Foundation

Members of the General Assembly are debating restrictions on labor unions. Michael Pope reports.

Members of the Virginia General Assembly will consider a trio of constitutional amendments when they gavel into session in two months. Michael Pope has a preview.

TODD GILBERT Discusses Proposed Virginia Constitution Amendments full 853 Wed, 13 Nov 2024 16:01:00 +0000 SP92KQw5i0sQQm63E409C5ZogNk1RkRV news Richmond's Morning News with John Reid news TODD GILBERT Discusses Proposed Virginia Constitution Amendments On Richmond's Morning News, John Reid discusses the top stories of the day from around the world, nationally, in Virginia, and right here in the Richmond area.  Listen to news you can use, newsmakers, and analysis of what's happening every weekday from 5:30 to 10:00 AM on NewsRadio 1140 WRVA and 96.1 FM!   2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. News False https://player.amperwavepodc

High school French teacher Peter Vlaming was fired from his job in West Point, Virginia, for declining to refer to a female student using male pronouns. Vlaming filed suit in state court, alleging that the school board had violated his rights to the free exercise of religion and free speech under the Virginia Constitution. Late […]

High school French teacher Peter Vlaming was fired from his job in West Point, Virginia, for declining to refer to a female student using male pronouns. Vlaming filed suit in state court, alleging that the school board had violated his rights to the free exercise of religion and free speech under the Virginia Constitution. Late last year, the Virginia Supreme Court held that the Virginia Constitution provides more robust protections for religious freedom than the federal Free Exercise Clause as interpreted in Employment Division v. Smith. As the Court wrote, “the federal Smith doctrine is not and never has been the law in Virginia, and its shelf life in the federal courts remains uncertain.” In its place, the Virginia Supreme Court adopted a history-and-tradition approach that asks whether the religious claimant has committed or is seeking to commit “overt acts against peace and good order,” and whether the government’s interest in negating that threat could be satisfied by “less restrictive means” than denying a religious exemption. This opinion raises a host of interesting questions: Will the U.S. Supreme Court’s history-and-tradition test for Second Amendment challenges be expanded to apply to other constitutional rights? Will other state courts follow the Virginia Supreme Court’s lead in applying it to their own state constitutions? Did the Virginia Supreme Court get its history right? Could its historical analysis serve as the basis for the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit Smith? What rights should public schoolteachers have in the classroom? Should courts resolve conflicts between the alleged free-exercise and free-speech rights of teachers and the alleged rights of students to engage in their own forms of self-expression? Finally, what role, if any, does Title IX play in the analysis? This panel will address these and other questions raised by this important decision.Featuring:Prof. Stephanie Barclay, Professor of Law, University of Notre Dame Law SchoolProf. Kate Carté, Professor of History, Southern Methodist UniversityChris Schandevel, Senior Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom's Appellate Advocacy TeamAdam Unikowsky, Partner, Jenner & Block LLC(Moderator) Eric Treene, Senior Counsel, Storzer and Associates; Adjunct Professor at the Catholic University of America Law School

LINKS:Sponsor: My Own PACPod Virginia | PatreonLearn more about Jackleg MediaCheck out Black Virginia NewsIN THE NEWS:This week, Governor Glenn Youngkin stood outside the Capitol talking about a proposed sports arena in Alexandria -- speaking about it in the past tense. Leading the charge against the arena proposal is Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman L Louise Lucas, who says the deal is no good for taxpayers.In the era of Zoom, should state agencies and local advisory bodies be able to meet online? Delegate Elizabeth Bennett-Parker has a bill that would expand the number of meetings that happen virtually, but opponents say this would remove an important facet of face-to-face public service.Republicans who want to restrict the right to an abortion say they are tired of people being used as props. Democrats say they don't want a bunch of old, white men making decisions about women's healthcare. With government divided, the two sides are canceling out each other this year. But abortion rights are expected to be a major topic of conversation next year, when lawmakers will consider an amendment to the Virginia Constitution.TRIVIA: What is the NEXT memorial to be added to Capitol Square? (Hint: planning is already underway, and Senate Clerk Susan Schaar gave the memorial a financial boost last week)At the Watercooler:- Former Richmond FOIA Officer Connie Clay is suing the City of Richmond, alleging she was fired after being blocked from doing her duties- Breaking down the bills Governor Youngkin has signed, vetoed, and amendedLearn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia

LINKS:Sponsor: Early Impact VirginiaLearn more about Jackleg MediaCheck out Black Virginia NewsIN THE NEWS: The amendment to the Virginia Constitution introduced by Democrats protects the fundamental right to reproductive freedom. Supporters say it's a way to safeguard against future efforts to roll back existing rights. Opponents worry that the amendment actually expands existing rights.The last time Democrats were in control of the General Assembly, advocates for preventing gun violence were hopeful they could ban assault weapons. But, in the end, that didn't happen. Legislation to ban assault-style weapons has already been filed in the House and the Senate. But even if Democrats are successful this time, they'll still be sending it to Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, who is widely expected to veto the bill.Virginia has a two-year budget, which means that Governor Glenn Youngkin spent the first half of his time as governor revising and amending a budget he inherited from the previous governor. Now he'll finally get a chance to put together his own budget proposal -- a document often called the "legacy budget" because it's a governor's one and only shot at putting together a balance sheet from beginning to end. Tax cuts and education spending are likely to be key points of discussion as the new Democratic majorities in the House and Senate consider Youngkin's legacy budget in January.TRIVIA: Who was the first woman elected to the Virginia Senate? At the Watercooler:- Candidates are already running for races next year--both statewide and Congressional, on account of Virginia's election schedule and some unexpected openings.- Alexandria's City Council has unanimously voted to ditch single-family zoning--always ripe for controversy.Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia

Virginia's new General Assembly majority pre-filed two bills that would elevate abortion without limitation to a Constitutionally protected right.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The case involves the validity of a lien and the distribution of funds related to a property sale. The Caldwell Trust had a lien on the property, which was subject to a tax lien by the City of Richmond. The Caldwell Trust argues that the judgment lien is an interest in property rights, protected under both the US Constitution and the Virginia Constitution.The City of Richmond argues that the Caldwell Trust's lien is subordinate to the tax lien and the deed of trust, which must be satisfied first. The trial court found that the deed of trust had a lien of $14,000, which the Caldwell Trust does not challenge. The Caldwell Trust argues that the City of Richmond cannot keep the $14,000, as it is not entitled to it. The City of Richmond argues that it can keep the money if the first lien holder does not show up within two years, according to a statute. The Caldwell Trust argues that the statute is problematic and violates property rights. A writ was granted on the following issues: The Trial Court erroneously ruled that Appellant's lien claim established under Va. Code § 58.1-3967 to the net tax sale proceeds to be distributed after payment in full of the City of Richmond's statutory tax lien is not a constitutionally protected private property interest in the Disputed Tax Sale Proceeds. The Trial Court erroneously failed to rule that the provisions of Va. Code § 58.1-3967 granting the City of Richmond the right to the Disputed Tax Sale Proceeds remaining after satisfaction of all obligations due the City of Richmond under its statutory tax lien was an unconstitutional taking of the Caldwell Trust's property right in the Disputed Tax Sale Proceeds without just compensation under the United States and Virginia Constitutions.

The defendant challenged the admissibility of an in-court identification of him. Here's what the lower court (Court of Appeals) said: In the vast majority of contested criminal trials, a witness will take the stand and testify under oath that the defendant, who is present in the courtroom, is the person who committed the crime. It happens routinely in trials conducted in the courts of the Commonwealth and has happened for as long as there have been such trials and courts. Despite the fact such a question and answer in the course of a criminal trial was a common occurrence when the Virginia Declaration of Rights was adopted in 1776, when the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791, when the Fourteenth Amendment was ratified in 1868, and when every subsequent version of the Virginia Constitution has been ratified, Walker contends that such questions and answers potentially offend the due process protections enshrined in each of the referenced documents.

IN THE NEWS:Empty Seats: Several members of the General Assembly are moving to new addresses so they can run later this year under new district maps, as some incumbents may no longer live in the districts they represent. But a line in the Virginia Constitution means those members can't participate in any special session to deal with the budget this year.Collective Bargaining: Teachers and support staff and cafeteria workers across Virginia are trying to hammer out new collective bargaining agreements. It's happening in Albemarle, Arlington, Charlottesville, Fairfax and Prince William. Union leaders say groups considering collective bargaining in their local school divisions should be on the lookout for unreasonable requirements for union elections. Return of Payday Lending: A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office recommends that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau decide whether "earned wage access" cash advance qualifies as a loan.At the Watercooler:- White Supremacist propaganda is hitting an all-time high, especially in Virginia. According to the ADL, Virginia ranks #3 in incidents of hate, extremism, antisemitism and terrorism by state.- The March 20 issue of the New Yorker has an article by Virginia local D.T. Max about a famous Cuban author who turned out to be a compulsive liar, drawing parallels to Congressman George Santos.Trivia: What document is former Governor Terry McAuliffe signing in his official portrait?Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMediaSponsored by the Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Alliance of Virginia

In this week's episode of LRTL, Sadler and the Senator welcome Glen Davis, a Virginia State Delegate from the great city of Virginia Beach, to discuss the shenanigans afoot in the Virginia General Assembly that occurred in the state's budget negotiations allowing an unconstitutional (and previously unheard of) change of the state's criminal code, in yet another attempt to keep Virginia small businesses from participating in the emerging gaming market dominated by the out of state casinos. Hear first-hand how a small group of legislators subverted the Virginia Constitution and traditional legislative process to benefit out of state fat-cat corporations in an effort to hurt small business owners that run convenience stores, restaurants/bars and truck stops, and to defy the judicial system (and Sadler's recent court victory) in Sadler and Stanley's ongoing court battle to help these businesses that depend on skill games to keep their doors open and their workers employed. Del. Davis, Hermie and the Senator let you in on the secretive back-room process, why it is fundamentally flawed, as well as the reasons behind why a small handful of legislators intentionally kept the public and most of their state representatives from debating the issue; and, find out what you can do about it to make sure that your government keeps its word to be “by the people and for the people” in the future, so this never happens again. Listen as Hermie and Bill update you on how their lawsuit against big government overreach in protection of the little guy is progressing, and cheer them on as they stand up for truth, justice and the Virginia way! In Senator Stanley's “Leaning Right Moment,” the boys discuss how the left blames Florida Governor DeSantis for both the hurricane and its aftermath (and why even Democrats aren't buying what the liberals are selling here), why gas prices are on the rise once again and why the democrats record of failure on kitchen table issues that matter to everyday Americans keeps on growing, and what Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and her liberal elite pals believe is the proper (and clearly racist) role of illegal immigrants in today's society. In Hermie Sadler's “Turning Left Moment,” Sadler details the Sadler/Stanley Racing Team's upcoming race at the historic Hickory Motor Speedway, their fundraising efforts for the family of Chris Beazley, a member of the racing community who was tragically killed in a car accident by a drunk driver, and Hermie goes in depth on the increasing concern by Cup drivers that the NASCAR® NextGen car is more unsafe than the previous model, and what can be done to make it safer for the drivers in the future. And the fellas welcome back Manscaped.com to the show as a sponsor, so make sure you listen to the boys giggle as their side-kick Shep Moss attempts to read the script promoting this great product (which you can get 20% off of all purchases and free shipping worldwide when you enter promo code SADLER at checkout). The Leaning Right and Turning Left With Sadler and The Senator is proudly sponsored by Pace-O-Matic, an entertainment company which develops gaming software that players love to play and can use their skills to win, every time. Pace-O-Matic is focused on people having fun, the small businesses that love them, and generates millions of dollars in Virginia. Their skill games are played in restaurants, bars and convenience stores all across Virginia, and the revenues from these games help these family-owned businesses thrive.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:22).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments ImageExtra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 6-30-22. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of July 4 and July 11, 2022.  This is a repeat of a 2016 episode celebrating the July 4th holiday.  The episode features Virginia Tech master's degree graduate Kriddie Whitmore as a guest voice. SOUNDS - ~ 4 sec – Gray Treefrogs and fireworks. This week, for Independence Day episode, we drop in on a most unusual July 4th conversation: two Gray Treefrogs, surrounded by fireworks, are debating U.S. water history.  Sound unimaginable?  Well, just have a listen. SOUNDS - ~2 sec – Frogs and fireworks. Frog 1 – There those humans go again, shootin' off their fireworks and makin' it hard for us frogs to hear each other's calls!  What's all the ruckus about, anyway? Frog 2 - Why, it's July 4th!  They're celebrating this country's Declaration of Independence in 1776 from Great Britain.  I think it's cool—at least it's a break from hearing YOU guys calling every evening. Frog 1 – And just why are YOU so excited about the birthday of this big, bustling, human country?  Seems to me that it's been nothing but trouble for aquatic habitats and creatures like us since those first ships came over here from that Europe place.  Everywhere we try to hop, there's polluted rivers and lakes, lost wetlands and other habitats, and hot, dry pavement. Frog 2 – Well, yeah, you're right, partly.  This country's waters have had a pretty hard history.  And we amphibians have had the worst of it in some cases and places, with this permeable skin we have.  But you're forgetting about some positive things.  The humans' Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1972, and a bunch other important acts, too.  And right here in this state, Virginia, the constitution says it's the Commonwealth's policy to protect its atmosphere, lands, and waters from pollution, impairment, or destruction. Frog 1 - Have all those things done any good? Frog 2 – Well, not always or everywhere.  Just in Virginia, hundreds of water bodies are impaired and need expensive clean-up programs.  For instance, I've got cousins living near that Chesapeake Bay, and they tell me every year it's some things good, other things fair, and still others needing a ton of work.  But many rivers and lakes certainly are in better shape than they were 40 or 50 years ago; the Potomac River's one example.  Those humans have many competing interests, so sometimes what they do isn't so good for water, or lands, or creatures like us. But other times, it is.  People have learned a lot over the years about using and managing natural resources more sustainably, and all kinds of people work hard trying to do that. Frog 1 - Yeah, I guess you're right.  You know, it's not easy being a frog, but I guess it's pretty tough being a person, too. Frog 2 – Now that's a pretty realistic call! SOUNDS - ~3 sec – fireworks.Frog 2  – Hey, there's the fireworks finale.  And that sounds like the Air Force Concert Band playing one of my favorites, “The Washington Post,” by John Philip Sousa.  Let's have a quick listen, then we better get back under cover.  All the humans will be coming back from the fireworks soon. Both frogs – Happy July 4th!MUSIC - ~ 14 sec – instrumental. SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Virginia Water Radio episode replaces Episode 323, 7-4-16, and Episode 427, 7-2-18. Virginia Water Radio thanks Kriddie Whitmore, a 2016 master's degree graduate in Forestry from Virginia Tech, for participating as the guest voice in this episode. Thanks also to Jennifer Gagnon, Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Conservation, for reviewing a draft of the episode. This episode's frog and fireworks sounds were recorded Blacksburg, Va., around 9:30 p.m. on July 4, 2015. This episode's music was an excerpt of “The Washington Post,” written by John Philip Sousa in 1889, and performed here by the United States Air Force Concert Band on their 2001 album “I Am An American,” accessed online at http://www.allmusic.com/album/i-am-an-american-mw0002256231, as of 6-29-22.  Information about “The Washington Post” is available from the United States Marine Band, “Sousa-The Washington Post” (3:30 video), online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxrh1CrMmTY; and “The President's Own/John Philip Sousa,” online at http://www.marineband.marines.mil/About/Our-History/John-Philip-Sousa/. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com. IMAGE (Unless otherwise noted, photographs are by Virginia Water Radio.) Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) on the deck of a residence in Blacksburg, Va., Sep. 23, 2009. EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT CONSERVATION IN THE VIRGINIA CONSTITUTION Following are the four sections of Article XI, “Conservation,” of the Virginia Constitution, as accessed at the Virginia Legislative Information System, online at https://law.lis.virginia.gov/constitution/article11/, on June 30, 2022.Section 1. Natural resources and historical sites of the Commonwealth.To the end that the people have clean air, pure water, and the use and enjoyment for recreation of adequate public lands, waters, and other natural resources, it shall be the policy of the Commonwealth to conserve, develop, and utilize its natural resources, its public lands, and its historical sites and buildings.  Further, it shall be the Commonwealth's policy to protect its atmosphere, lands, and waters from pollution, impairment, or destruction, for the benefit, enjoyment, and general welfare of the people of the Commonwealth. Section 2. Conservation and development of natural resources and historical sites. In the furtherance of such policy, the General Assembly may undertake the conservation, development, or utilization of lands or natural resources of the Commonwealth, the acquisition and protection of historical sites and buildings, and the protection of its atmosphere, lands, and waters from pollution, impairment, or destruction, by agencies of the Commonwealth or by the creation of public authorities, or by leases or other contracts with agencies of the United States, with other states, with units of government in the Commonwealth, or with private persons or corporations.  Notwithstanding the time limitations of the provisions of Article X, Section 7, of this Constitution, the Commonwealth may participate for any period of years in the cost of projects which shall be the subject of a joint undertaking between the Commonwealth and any agency of the United States or of other states. Section 3. Natural oyster beds. The natural oyster beds, rocks, and shoals in the waters of the Commonwealth shall not be leased, rented, or sold but shall be held in trust for the benefit of the people of the Commonwealth, subject to such regulations and restriction as the General Assembly may prescribe, but the General Assembly may, from time to time, define and determine such natural beds, rocks, or shoals by surveys or otherwise. Section 4. Right of the people to hunt, fish, and harvest game. The people have a right to hunt, fish, and harvest game, subject to such regulations and restrictions as the General Assembly may prescribe by general law.SOURCES Used for Audio Chesapeake Bay Program, online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/; and “Slight improvements in Bay health and new economic data added in 2021 Chesapeake Bay Report Card,” June 7, 2022, news release, online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/news/blog/slight_improvements_in_bay_health_and_new_economic_data_added_in_2021_chesa.Commonwealth of Virginia, Constitution of Virginia, “Article XI Conservation,” accessed online at https://law.lis.virginia.gov/constitution/article11/. John D. Kleopfer and Chris S. Hobson, A Guide to the Frogs and Toad of Virginia, Special Publication Number 3, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (now Department of Wildlife Resources), Richmond, Va., 2011. Bernard S. Martof, et al., Amphibians and Reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1980. Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, “Water Quality Monitoring in the Potomac Estuary,” online at http://www.mwcog.org/environment/water/potomacestuary.asp.Thomas V. Cech, Principles of Water Resources: History, Development, Management, and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, N.Y., 2003.U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:“National Aquatic Resources Surveys,” online at https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys;“Summary of the Clean Water Act,” online at https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-water-act.Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, “Water Quality Assessments/Integrated Report,” online at https://www.deq.virginia.gov/water/water-quality/assessments/integrated-report.Zygmunt J. B. Plater et al., Environmental Law and Policy: Nature, Law, and Society, West Publishing Co., St. Paul, Minn., 1998. For More Information about Amphibians in Virginia and Elsewhere AmphibiaWeb, https://amphibiaweb.org/index.html. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, “Animal Diversity Web,” online at https://animaldiversity.org. J.C. Mitchell and K.K. Reay, Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles in Virginia, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries/Richmond (1999); available online (as a PDF) at https://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/atlases/mitchell-atlas.pdf, courtesy of the Virginia Herpetological Society.  (Herpetology is the study of amphibians and reptiles.) Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries):“A Guide to Virginia's Frogs and Toads,” online at https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/frogs-and-toads/;“A Guide to the Salamanders of Virginia,” online at https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/salamanders/;“Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/(the Gray Treefrog entry is online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=020007&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=19173);“List of Native and Naturalized Fauna in Virginia, August 2020,” online (as a PDF) at https://dwr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/virginia-native-naturalized-species.pdf;“Virginia is for Frogs,” online at https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/virginia-is-for-frogs/;“Wildlife Information,” online at https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/information/. Virginia Herpetological Society, “Frogs and Toads of Virginia,” online at https://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/amphibians/frogsandtoads/frogs_and_toads_of_virginia.htm. For More Information about Federal Environmental and Natural Resources LawsCornell University Law School/Legal Information Institute:“Environmental Law,” online at https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/environmental_law; “Natural Resources,” online at https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/natural_resources. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Laws and Regulations,” online at https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations.  The section for the Clean Water Act is online at https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-water-act; the section for the Endangered Species Act is online at https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-endangered-species-act; the section for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is online at https://www.epa.gov/nepa. For More Information about Virginia Natural Resources Laws Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources Web site, online at http://naturalresources.virginia.gov/.  See the “Agencies” link to access the various Virginia state agencies involved with resources regulation and management. RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the “Amphibians” and “History” subject categories. Following is the link to another episode on Gray Treefrogs.Episode 528, 6-8-20. Following are links to other episodes done for July 4th. Episode 168, 7-1-13 – Water and the Revolutionary War.Episode 220, 6-30-14 – Water origins of Virginia Declaration signers.Episode 273, 7-6-15 – The Great Road on the Virginia Peninsula.FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION Following are some Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) that may be supported by this episode's audio/transcript, sources, or other information included in this post. 2020 Music SOLs SOLs at various grade levels that call for “examining the relationship of music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge.” 2018 Science SOLs Grades K-4: Living Systems and ProcessesK.7 – Plants and animals have basic needs and life processes.1.5 – Animals, including humans, have basic life needs that allow them to survive.2.5 – Living things are part of a system.3.5 – Aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems support a diversity of organisms.4.3 – Organisms, including humans, interact with one another and with the nonliving components in the ecosystem. Grades K-5: Earth and Space Systems3.7 – There is a water cycle and water is important to life on Earth. Grades K-5: Earth ResourcesK.11 – Humans use resources.1.8 – Natural resources can be used responsibly, including that most natural resources are limited; human actions can affect the availability of natural resources; and reducing, reusing, and recycling are ways to conserve natural resources.3.8 – Natural events and humans influence ecosystems.4.8 – Virginia has important natural resources. Grade 66.6 – Water has unique physical properties and has a role in the natural and human-made environment.6.8 – Land and water have roles in watershed systems.6.9 – Humans impact the environment and individuals can influence public policy decisions related to energy and the environment. Life ScienceLS.9 – Relationships exist between ecosystem dynamics and human activity. Earth ScienceES.6 – Resource use is complex.ES.8 – Freshwater resources influence and are influenced by geologic processes and human activity.ES.10 – Oceans are complex, dynamic systems subject to long- and short-term variations. Biology&

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

A cursory look at the traffic count for the only other Sunday edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement so far reveals that the audience for this one may be quite low. A cursory look at the backlog of stories indicate that there’s no time like the present for this May 29, 2022 edition of the program, packed with transportation information to avoid future frustration. I’m your host, Sean Tubbs. Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. Ting will generously match your initial payment if you sign up for a paid subscription! Free works, too. I just want you to know things. On today’s program: The city of Charlottesville warns of a slowdown in issuing new building permits due to staff shortageA Charlottesville man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in a May 15 crash on U.S. 29 that killed the driver of a second vehicle Governor Youngkin vetoes several bills for which the General Assembly opted not take up his recommendationsCharlottesville City Council and the Planning Commission have been presented with recommendations to reboot transportation planning in the city after a series of long delays and cost over-runsThe debut of the audio-only Sunday Comic Today’s first shout-out goes to WTJUIn today’s first Patreon-fueled shout-out: Algorithms know how to put songs and artists together based on genre or beats per minute. But only people can make connections that engage your mind and warm your heart. The music on WTJU 91.1 FM is chosen by dozens and dozens of volunteer hosts -- music lovers like you who live right here in the Charlottesville area. Listener donations keep WTJU alive and thriving. In this era of algorithm-driven everything, go against the grain. Tune in and support freeform community radio on WTJU Consider a donation at wtju.net/donate.Driver charged in May 15 fatal crash on U.S. 29 near Greenbrier DriveThe Albemarle County Police Department has charged a Charlottesville on several counts related to a two-vehicle crash that killed one on the evening of May 15. Twenty-two-year-old Cristian Alexandro Salinas-Perez faces charges of aggravated involuntary manslaughter and driving after losing his license after previous convictions on driving while intoxicated.The crash near the intersection of U.S. 29 and Greenbrier Drive killed 35-year old Justin Tilghman of Charlottesville. The ACPD’s Crash Reconstruction Team concluded that the vehicle driven by Salinas-Perez allegedly was being operated at an excessive speed when it collided with the one driven by Tilghman. Salinas-Perez was arrested Friday and is being held without bond at Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail. Charlottesville warns of slower turnaround time for building permitsStaff shortages are causing the city of Charlottesville’s Department of Neighborhood Development Services to put a pause on building and trade inspections between May 31 and June 13. “The department acknowledges the inconvenience this may cause and appreciates everyone's patience and cooperation during this time,” reads a press release that went out Friday afternoon. That means “major delays” in the issuance of new building permits and new inspections. The release points to the Department of Neighborhood Development Service’s website for information about the city’s policy on third party inspections. “The 3rd party inspection policy/program allows substitute inspectorsto perform the daily inspections normally completed by Charlottesville Building Inspectors after our approval,” reads that form.There are several open positions on the city’s jobs board, including Building Code Official, which pays between $73,474 and $96,096 a year.  In the meantime, the release states that NDS will continue to process permits and inspections as quickly as possible. Governor Youngkin signs 23 bills, vetoes seven others Governor Glenn Youngkin has completed action on legislation that cleared both Houses of the General Assembly in this year’s regular session. Youngkin signed 23 bills to which his amendments had been reviewed by the legislature and vetoed seven others in which his recommendations were rejected in the House of the bill’s origin. The vetoed bills are:SB182 and HB339 would have allowed the City of Falls Church to allow anyone over the age of 18 to sit on a board or commission rather than a registered voter. Youngkin suggested adding a requirement the person be “legally present” in the United States. The Senate rejected that requirement and another more or less on party lines.  SB474 and HB 614 would have dropped a requirement that indigent parties post a bond to appeal on an unlawful detainer. Youngkin would have allowed a payment plan to pay off the bond over time. The Senate rejected that on party lines and the House of Delegates voted that recommendation down on a 35 to 65 vote. SB508 would have moved the administration of the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund from the Department of Conservation and Recreation to the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board. Youngkin’s recommendations related to membership and what would constitute a quorum. “This legislation will have the unintended consequence of fragmenting our coastal resiliency efforts,” he stated in his veto explanation. HB384 would have protected state and local employees from being penalized for speaking on policy matters at public hearings. The bill is related to the firing of a teacher in Loudoun County, and Youngkin said in his explanation that he supports the idea in theory. “Despite the positive intentions, the legislation has practical implications for the effective management of state government that may lead to significant confusion when state employees comment during legislative or regulatory public comment periods,” he wrote.HB891 would have removed the term “alien” from Virginia Code as it related to non-citizens. For the full list of bills signed by the Governor, read the press release that went out Friday afternoon. For the full rules of how this works, consult Article V, Section 6 of the Virginia Constitution.  No ruling yet in federal case seeking Virginia House of Delegates race in 2022Sometimes, no news is still worth copy. It’s been over three weeks since the last motion was filed in the case of Goldman v. Brink. Richmond attorney Paul Goldman filed suit in federal court last year against the State Board of Elections arguing that House elections held last November would not be constitutional because they were based on the 2010 Census.Flash forward to now, when we’re just over five months away from when a House of Delegates election would be held if this case went the same way as a similar case in 1981 that led to Delegate races in 1981, 1982, and 1983. Goldman has argued the same principle applies, but first he still has had to convince the court that he has the legal standing to bring the case. On May 5, Judge David J. Novak warned Goldman to stop filing new motions after a request for the court to allow consideration of the leaked draft of a Supreme Court ruling that overturned constitutional protections for abortion was rejected. Earlier this week there were rumors Goldman would file a motion to withdraw the suit. Since then, there has been no action. As of this recording, the most recent document in the docket was Novak’s warning. Today’s second shout-also goes to WTJU for the Radio Relics projectIn today’s second Patreon-fueled shout-out:  This year, WTJU 91.1 FM turns 65 and to mark the occasion, there’s a new micro-museum exhibition this summer! Radio Relics traces WTJU’s storied history of broadcasting for our community. As part of our 65th anniversary celebrations, WTJU has curated photos, artifacts, and t-shirts – so many t-shirts! – spanning more than six decades.The exhibition is free and will be open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from June 3 through July 29. The museum space is a renovated, vintage camper parked behind WTJU’s studios at 2244 Ivy Road in Charlottesville. WTJU’s Radio Relics exhibition shows off some of the artifacts collected over the years, many contributed by former WTJU General Manager Chuck Taylor.  In fact, there’s even a new initiative to raise money through the Chuck Taylor Fund for WTJU History. Contact General Manager Nathan Moore to learn more. Or donate today!Special note: Today’s podcast version has a Sunday Comic. What is this? You’ll have to listen in to find out at about this spot! Charlottesville City Council told of problems with implementing transportation projectsThe city of Charlottesville has planned and built most of the transportation infrastructure projects within city limits since 2005. Soon after Deputy City Manager for Operations Sam Sanders took on the role last summer, he noticed there were some performance issues that require a total reboot of the way the city undertakes this work.  “Some initial assessments when I first arrived here was that the development review process within [the Department of Neighborhood Development Services] needed some attention,” Sanders said. “And in doing that work since I’ve been here I’ve discovered it was more than just that. It was also looking closely as the Public Works / Engineering side of the house.” At a meeting of the Charlottesville City Council and the Planning Commission on May 24, Sanders said there was not a lot of institutional knowledge, and that there was a lot of work that needed to be done. First is to improve the city’s relationship with the Virginia Department of Transportation. (view the presentation) “The second being evaluating our financial management of projects with our project managers as well as our budget and finance team, and as well as assessing project management capacity,” Sanders said. The city has over $185 million in funds from VDOT that it has been awarded but not yet spent. These include four streetscape projects funded in the first two rounds of the Smart Scale process, five other projects funded in the second two, as well as projects funded through the VDOT revenue-sharing program. That figure also includes the $35.4 million Belmont Bridge project which is now under construction after over a decade of planning. The other projects still face delays.Sanders said the recommendations would seek a “right-sizing” of what the city can handle. He said Charlottesville could lose projects and make it harder to receive additional funding in the future. “A hatchet-approach would have been just to attempt to kill a projects and then try to go forward,” Sanders said. “Tonight’s approach is really a more surgical approach so we can not only get our arms around our challenges and reset budgets and timelines, we’re also attempting to position ourselves for a share of the massive pipeline of infrastructure dollars that are coming in the near future.” City Engineer Jack Dawson detailed all the improvements included in that $185 million, and some of that money came from sources that no longer exist or can’t adequately be traced.“Lots of our projects have been around for a long time and have sort of outlasted old grant programs, so very specifically the Belmont Bridge,” Dawson said. “That has a little bit of everything thrown in there. So some of the accounting does get trickier.” Dawson described the division’s responsibilities, and I’ll briefly mention two of them. Transportation planning involves making new designs comply with documents auch as the Streets That Work Plan, the Standards and Design Manual, and the Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan. Another overarching responsibility is for project management, and the list of duties for the Urban Construction Initiative process is extensive. “Request for Proposal and selection of consultants and contractors, accounting, grant management, reimbursement processes, consultant oversight, right of way coordination and negotiations and construction management,” Dawson said. “All UCI on those projects.” This paragraph corrected after further information: The city currently has four project managers, and each of them has 8.25 projects under their belt. Seven projects are currently unassigned. A transportation planner has been created in the Department of Neighborhood Development Services and that and other positions in public works are being advertised. The goal is to get the average number of project to 3.3 per manager. Institutional knowledge at the top level isn’t great which is perhaps understandable in a city with a lot of recent turnover at the executive level. For example, Dawson pointed to a project that has the name “Cville Signals” which is currently classified as a revenue-sharing program with funds that came from a previous project. This project has a $3.375 million estimate, but there’s a shortfall of nearly $2.2 million.“How do we get in such situations?” Dawson said. “That was used to conceive to use money from the leftover Solutions 29 money which, I, I don’t even know what that is, but that’s what they tell me.” Route 29 Solutions refers to a series of $230 million in projects that were planned and constructed after the Commonwealth Transportation Board canceled a 6.2 mile western bypass of U.S. 29 that had been a priority of the administration of Governor Bob McDonnell. An unfavorable ruling from the federal government as well as a change on the Albemarle Board of Supervisors effectively killed the project in early 2014 and all of the funding was planned through a process known as Route 29 Solutions. This resulted in the completion of:Construction of a grade separated intersection at Rio Road and U.S. 29The widening of U.S. 29 to six lanes between Polo Grounds Road and Ashwood BoulevardConstruction of Berkmar Drive Extended to Hollymead Town Center Leftover funds were recommended for future projects, including one that originally had the title “adaptive traffic signal technology.” The funding was authorized for that purpose by the Commonwealth Transportation Board in June 2014, but Dawson said there’s not a recent analysis of what the project is intended to do. Since the Route 29 Solutions planning work done in 2014, the city has been through five city managers. None of the City Councilors serving today were elected before 2019. And then there’s West Main Street, which started off as a $350,000 study authorized by Council in February 2013 that somehow grew into a $55 million project that has been defunded but still exists. Dawson said the current cost of construction is making it more likely that all of these projects will have cost overruns. “Now is a horrible time to price these things because there [are] just some construction materials that cannot be found,” Dawson said. As part of the right-sizing, Dawson recommends several projects be shelved and put on hold and used for future applications. These are:All four phases of the West Main StreetscapeThe aforementioned signals project Monticello and Ridge improvements Harris Road improvementsElliot Street improvements Preston / Grady project awarded $6.1 million in Smart Scale Round 4“We took the tack that we want to demonstrate to VDOT that we can complete projects,” Dawson said. Dawson said the purpose of the projects would continue to be evaluate The Monticello / Ridge project, for example, would be addressed during the Smart Scale project for Ridge Street.  He said the Department of Neighborhood Development Services will conduct a small area plan for the area of Preston and Grady before reapplying for more funding.See also: Council moves forward with application for Preston / Grady intersection, July 22, 2022In all, Dawson said the city will return about $12 million in Smart Scale projects that would be redistributed to other projects in VDOT’s Culpeper District. Dawson said he hopes this funding will be returned back to the city to deal with about $10 million in cost overruns for existing Smart Scale projects.  That decision is ultimately up to the Commonwealth Transportation Board. The city will also turn over to VDOT administration of a turn lane on U.S. 250 that will be related to improvements for the interseection at Hydraulic Road and U.S. 29.“We do as a city like to control our own projects so we can have input on the destiny on those projects and I do think this is a good one to ease the administrative burden on our staff,” Dawson said. Keeping the pieces movingDawson is also suggesting combining the two existing Smart Scale projects on the Ridge / Fifth Street corridor into one, and adding the project that comes out the ongoing efforts to reformat the four-lane highway that is Fifth Street. “While those have three different funding sources, we’re going to hope to combine them into one project and have a project manager that deals with those as one while we manage the finances in triplet to try and minimize overhead from a project management standpoint and maybe bid them all to one consultant,” Dawson said.That’s the approach VDOT took with both the Route 29 solutions projects as well as a suite of Smart Scale projects that Albemarle County was awarded in the second round. On Thursday, the city awarded bids for construction of two related projects on Rose Hill Drive and Rugby Avenue. Vess Excavating of Charlottesville bid $464,823 for the Rose Hill sidewalk project (UPC#108757) and Linco of Waynesboro will build intersection improvements at Rose Hill Drive and Rugby Avenue (UPC#108755). Linco bid $621,691.59. Dawson’s boss is Stacy Smalls, the relatively new director of the Public Works Department. He said there needs to be more transparency from the city.“We would like to present on VDOT project status to Council and the Planning Commission on a yearly basis,” Smalls said. “This incorporates accountability and transparency about our workload [and] the types of projects we are undertaking in what areas of the city we are improving with these particular projects.”  Smalls said the city will also move to create web pages for each project. In the meantime, if you’re interested in volunteering for cvillepedia on that aspect, I’ll be more than happy to speak with you and get you moving. I’ve tried to keep track of these things for fifteen years now, and I hope that others will get involved so that more community members know how this process works. Council will consider each of these steps officially at future meetings. “VDOT is expecting us to move quickly,” Sanders said. “This is very coordinated with them to be able to get action taken by Council to be put in front of the leadership at VDOT so that we can move forward.” The pieces will stay in motion, and continue reading and listening to Charlottesville Community Engagement to try to keep track of all the moving parts. Town Crier Productions has a sponsorship thing with Ting! For over a year one year now, Town Crier Productions has had a promotional offering through Ting!Are you interested in fast internet? Visit this site and enter your address to see if you can get service through Ting. If you decide to proceed to make the switch, you’ll get:Free installationSecond month of Ting service for freeA $75 gift card to the Downtown MallAdditionally, Ting will match your Substack subscription to support Town Crier Productions, the company that produces this newsletter and other community offerings. So, your $5 a month subscription yields $5 for TCP. Your $50 a year subscription yields $50 for TCP! The same goes for a $200 a year subscription! All goes to cover the costs of getting this newsletter out as often as possible. Learn more here! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Admittedly, it is quite difficult to get the hang of Thursdays, but many of us endeavor to try. April 14 is the 15th such day of the year, and this is the equivalent edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. Both the sonic version and its the textual counterpart seek to bring you to up to date on things you may not yet have known. I’m your host, Sean Tubbs. On today’s program:A Charlottesville minister has become the Democrat’s de facto candidate in the race for the 5th District seat in the U.S. House of RepresentativesMore documents have been filed in a lawsuit seeking to force a House of Delegates race this year Trees have come down on Garrett Street to make way for the redevelopment of Friendship Court Nelson County Board of Supervisors are asked to allow a mobile home park in the rural area to help provide more affordable housing opportunitiesFirst shout-out goes to the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority for e-waste collection dayIn today’s first subscriber supported public service announcement, the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority wants you to know about Electronic Waste Collection Day coming up on April 23, 2022. Residents of both Albemarle County and Charlottesville have the opportunity to drop off old electronics from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ivy Material Utilization Center. Permissible items include computers, printers, VCRs, stereos and televisions and people can dispose of up to ten items. Only two tube-style monitors or televisions per person! You must register in advance online where you will be give a time slot. Registration is limited to 110 people per hour. Visit rivanna.org for more information.Throneburg becomes Democrat’s default nominee for 5th DistrictOnly one candidate in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District has correctly filed the paperwork required to be on the ballot for the June 21, 2022 statewide primary. That means Democrat Josh Throneburg will face the winner of the May 21 Republican convention in the general election.Neither Warren McClellan nor Andy Parker turned in enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, as Throneburg announced on Twitter on Tuesday. “We just received word a couple of hours ago that I am officially a Democratic nominee for Congress in Virginia’s 5th District.” Throneburg is an ordained minister and small business owner who lives in Charlottesville. He grew up in a small town in Illinois. The candidate raised $270,154 in 2021, according to data collected by the Virginia Public Access Project. Candidates seeking to be in the June 21 primary had until April 7 to turn in ballots to their party for verification. To get on the primary ballot, a candidate needed 1,000 registered voters in the district to sign a petition. A source in the Virginia Democratic Party confirmed a Washington Post report that Parker turned in 1,093 ballots, but only 937 of them were verified as valid. Democrats in all eleven of Virginia’s Congressional districts chose to hold a primary, whereas Republican Committees in only seven chose that route. The other four will hold a convention, including the 5th District. The Republican convention will be held in the Kirby Field House at Hampden-Sydney College. Incumbent Bob Good faces Charlottesville attorney Dan Moy (convention details).As of the end of 2021, Good had raised $518,278 and Moy reported no funds. The next set of campaign reports to the Federal Election Commission are due tomorrow. In his announcement, Throneburg said he believes he can win.“We currently have a Freshman incumbent who is deeply out of touch with the people in this district,” Throneburg said. This will be the first election under the new boundaries of the Fifth District, for which Albemarle County is the northern boundary. New documents filed in Goldman suit to force 2022 House of Delegates electionThe current plan is for the new legislative districts for the Virginia General Assembly to go into effect with next year’s state races, but a lawsuit seeking a race this year is still alive in the federal court. Richmond attorney Paul Goldman sued the Department of Elections last year alleging the results of the 2021 House of Delegates should only be certified for one year because otherwise they would be unconstitutional. In March, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals sent Richmond attorney Paul Goldman’s suit back to the Eastern District of Virginia to determine whether he has the standing to bring the case. On March 25, Goldman submitted a detailed statement that documents his potential candidacy for the 68th House District in 2022 as well as a potential bid for Lieutenant Governor. Paragraph 22 points out that he now lives within the 78th District. (Notice of Additional Facts Relevant to Standing)“The old 68th District no longer exists as a legal entity recognized under the Constitution of Virginia as pointed out by Article II, Section 6 [of the Virginia Constitution],’” reads paragraph 27.“Accordingly, Plaintiff has no representative in the General Assembly that is constitutionally required to represent his interests or been constitutionally selected to be his said representative,” reads paragraph 28.  The Virginia Supreme Court finalized new legislative maps on December 28. On April 1, the Virginia Attorney General’s office filed a motion to dismiss the case once again for lack of standing. Goldman has until April 18 to respond and the defendants have until April 25 to make their reply. Trees come down on Garrett Street to make way for Friendship Court’s first phaseCrews removed several decades-old White Oak trees on Garrett Street this morning as part of a Piedmont Housing Alliance project to redevelop Friendship Court. The trees were removed as part of the first phase of the development, which got underway with a groundbreaking in January. Phase one is being constructed on a former open field. Piedmont Housing CEO Sunshine Mathon said the trees’ removal ended up being necessary due to complex topography involving a waterway that travels below the site.“We were not 100 percent sure until meeting with City staff to finalize sidewalk replacement, utilities, etc. along Garrett,” Mathon wrote in an email to Charlottesville Community Engagement this morning. Mathon said the removal of the trees is an example of a trade-off related to the need for new buildings to be set back from the street. Accommodating the channeled Pollocks Branch reduced the amount of buildable area. “The residents and the rest of the design team were balancing building footprints, number of total units, housing typologies (multifamily + townhomes), a new Community Center and Early Learning Center, ample amounts of open green space (including existing and new tree cover), parking needs, and interconnection with future phases,” Mathon continued. Mathon said the remaining phases should not have similar constraints related to Pollocks Branch and that more of the mature tree canopy in those sections could be preserved. Phase one is expected to be completed by the end of 2023. Mathon also said the wood from the trees will be used to make furniture and other products in the future. Second shout-out goes to CBIC for the WeFunder Pitch nightIn today’s second subscriber supported shout-out, the Charlottesville Business Innovation Council wants you to know about a unique event coming up on April 19 that aims to provide investment opportunities for regular people. CBIC is teaming up with WeFunder for live equity based financing for local start-ups who need capital. Recent changes in regulations allow for the event, where people can invest directly in these companies in exchange for early equity. The event will take place at 4:30 p.m. April 19 at the Irving Theater in the CODE building. Nelson County Supervisors consider Ridgecrest Mobile Home ParkThe Nelson County Board of Supervisors heard from the public Tuesday on a proposal to build a mobile home park near the Ridgecrest Baptist Church on U.S. 29 north of Lovingston. Civil engineer Justin Shimp needed a special use permit for the project. Shimp said he was pursuing the project to help provide more housing that can be affordable to households with lower incomes. “Five years ago, I would not have thought about this and didn’t think it would be needed because of affordability, but such are the increases in cost that achieving housing for folks who don’t make $100,000 a year is very difficult,” Shimp said. Shimp said mobile home parks can be a good way to provide housing at a lower cost.“One can buy a new mobile home so as little as $60,000 to pay to set it up,” Shimp said. “You could then rent a mobile home pad for around $400 a month. That is a much different sort of price point for folks than typical housing stock.”Shimp said under his arrangement, the people who would live there would own a share of the common areas and could sell those shares in the future. “I think this park investor opportunity will be a way for people who historically haven’t been able to set anchor somewhere would be able to buy in and take ownership of that and it will be good for the community,” Shimp said. The Planning Commission voted 4-1 in March on the proposal but set 33 conditions for Supervisors to consider in their review. Several neighbors of the proposed park spoke at the public hearing. One person wanted to know what Nelson County’s standards are for mobile homes and how wastewater would be handled. “Has there or will there ever be done a study on the effects of 51 additional homes on the water source?” asked Larry Shelton. Another person was concerned about the entrance off of U.S. 29. “You have to be very careful with any kind of proposals about how you’re going to get the trailers in there, how is this going to happen, how this is going to affect the residents that are there,” said Tonya Bradley. Another person was concerned that allowing 51 units in the rural area was not acceptable under the Comprehensive Plan. The debate got heated as South District Craig Barton peppered Shimp with questions about the cost of housing. Barton said he was skeptical the trailer park would work. “Have you thought about ways to figure out how to get it so people who live in this country can be able to afford a house?” Barton asked. “What could be done as a builder to help you build a house that a person will know will increase in value in his lifetime?” Shimp said there was little that the Nelson County Board of Supervisors could do. The conversation broke down as West District Supervisosr J. David Parr tried to establish order. Barton said he did not think it was likely that the trailers would increase in value. “The problems of housing are real and we need to deal with those problems,” Barton said. “Whether or not a mobile home will help in solving this problem, I don’t know. I think probably not.” Shimp said there was ample water on the site, and that many of the neighbors would be on the other side of Muddy Creek, which would mean any wells would not affect their groundwater. There were only four Supervisors present when it was time to take a vote as North District Supervisor Tommy Harvey was not in attendance. “There are aspects of this project that I think are positive and admirable, but the density concerns me,” said Central District Supervisor Ernie Reed. Parr supported the project, as did East District Supervior Jesse Rutherford. He is chair of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission and sits on the Regional Housing Partnership. “More often than not the struggle always comes down to how to make something affordable, Rutherford said. “Question always comes down to where is the appropriate place. I’ve found if you put it near an area that’s meant for high density, folks usually may not like it. And if you put it in the middle of nowhere folks might not like it and you’re going to get that perspective no matter which way you look at it.” Rutherford said the only way to attain affordability is through density. He said the Comprehensive Plan update needs to consider this as Nelson considers how to make housing attainable for more people. Given Harvey’s absence, Supervisors opted to continue the matter to the next meeting. That will give Shimp more time to respond to some of the questions asked. Watch the video:Support Town Crier Productions through Ting!Special announcement of a continuing promo with Ting! Are you interested in fast internet? Visit this site and enter your address to see if you can get service through Ting. If you decide to proceed to make the switch, you’ll get:Free installationSecond month of Ting service for freeA $75 gift card to the Downtown MallAdditionally, Ting will match your Substack subscription to support Town Crier Productions, the company that produces this newsletter and other community offerings. So, your $5 a month subscription yields $5 for TCP. Your $50 a year subscription yields $50 for TCP! The same goes for a $200 a year subscription! All goes to cover the costs of getting this newsletter out as often as possible. Learn more here! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Is there anything terrifying about Wednesday the 13th, or is this a day reserved to be wacky? Either way we are now 103 days into the year, which may be startling for some. Some might be surprised to learn this is the 363rd installment of Charlottesville Community Engagement. No one should be shocked that I am the host, Sean Tubbs. On today’s show:Charlottesville City Council adopts a budget for FY23 including a the first increase in the real estate tax in in 41 yearsThe Charlottesville Dogwood Festival returns this week in a new locationAn update on the city’s zoning rewriteGovernor Youngkin vetoes two dozen General Assembly bills and recommends changes to dozens more Today’s first shout-out goes to WTJUAlgorithms know how to put songs and artists together based on genre or beats per minute. But only people can make connections that engage your mind and warm your heart. The music on WTJU 91.1 FM is chosen by dozens and dozens of volunteer hosts -- music lovers like you who live right here in the Charlottesville area. Listener donations keep WTJU alive and thriving. In this era of algorithm-driven everything, go against the grain. Support freeform community radio on WTJU and get read for the Rock Marathon beginning next Monday! Consider a donation at wtju.net/donate.City Council adopts FY23 budget, raises real estate tax rate by a pennyIn a brief meeting last night, Charlottesville City Council adopted a nearly $212.9 million budget for the fiscal year that begins on July 1. However, a penny increase in the real estate tax rate goes into effect for the calendar year, which will be included in the tax bills that will soon be sent to property owners. That’s the first increase in the tax rate several decades.“It’s been a long budget season,” said interim City Manager Michael C. Rogers. “We’ve listened as staff to your various proposals and desires to address issues in our community.” The final shape of the budget was formed at a work session on April 7 at which Councilors agreed to the real estate tax increase and to keep the personal property tax to $4.20 per $100 of assessed value. Second reading of a vote to increase the meals tax to 6.5 percent will be held on April 18.  (read the staff report)Charlottesville Mayor Lloyd Snook is the only opponent of the increase to $0.96 cents per $100 of assessed value, but he did vote in the affirmative.“I will note that I disagree with the levy and raising of the real estate tax by one cents but given the fact that we just passed a budget that has to be funded, I will be voting yes,” Snook said. That additional penny will raise $925,000, all of which will go to pay for future debt service related to the renovation of Buford Middle School as well as school reconfiguration. The group Charlottesville United for Public Education released a statement thanking the Council, but signaled they will continue to push for more. “While we thank City Council for making a strong commitment to our schools in their budget vote last night, we also call on them to continue to make investments in public education a top priority going forward,” reads a statement. The first half of the tax bills are due on June 5. The last time City Council increased the tax rate was in 1981 when Council voted to increase the rate from $1.10 to $1.13 per $100 of assessed value. City Council to return to in-person meetings next MondayCharlottesville City Council will follow the lead of the Albemarle Board of Supervisors and return to in-person meetings beginning this upcoming Monday. While there will be opportunities for the public to attend the 6:30 p.m. regular session, only Councilors will attend the 4 p.m. work session. Both sessions will be live-streamed. At the regular session, 23 members of the public and two members of the media will be able to attend in City Council Chambers. All formal presentations will be delivered remotely. Charlottesville is still under an emergency ordinance and today’s news release states that this system will remain in place for the duration. “At this time, this is the only meeting permitted to resume in-person, but discussions are underway regarding other meetings resuming in CitySpace,” reads the release.Today the Virginia Department of Health reports another 1,115 cases and the percent positivity is at 6.9 percent. Planning Commission updated on zoning code rewriteCharlottesville planning staff and consultants hired to run the Cville Plans Together initiative are slightly behind in their work to create a diagnostic and approach report for the rewriting of the city zoning code. That’s what Neighborhood Development Services Director James Freas told the Planning Commission last night. “By the next meeting, we’ll probably have released this next report,” Freas said. “In fact, we definitely will have. But before then we’ll have shared with you guys what we anticipate the schedule looking like going forward.” City Council adopted an Affordable Housing Plan last March and a new Comprehensive Plan in mid-November. Freas said the goal is to have the new zoning code adopted around this time next year. “Hopefully by March of next year we’ll have fully adopted it,” Freas said. “That’s what we’ve been aiming for and I don’t see any reason to push that back.” For more on the zoning process, visit cvilleplanstogether.com. Dogwood Festival returns with new location of carnivalAfter a two year break due to the pandemic, a major highlight of the annual Dogwood Festival returns tomorrow. However, the carnival will be held in a different location this year. Charlottesville Planning Commissioner Hosea Mitchell informed his colleagues on Tuesday night.“It used to be at McIntire Park and now it’s going to be in the K-Mart parking lot,” Mitchell said. The Dogwood Festival began in 1950 as the Apple Harvest Festival before getting its longterm name in 1958. As part of the festivities, there will be a rededication ceremony for the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial beginning on April 22. The 73rd Dogwood Grand Parade will be held on April 23 in downtown Charlottesville. For more information, visit cvilledogwood.com. Today’s second shout-out goes to LEAPWe’re now well into spring, and soon many of us will turn our air conditioning units for the first i months. To see what you can do to get the most out of your home, contact LEAP, your local energy nonprofit, to schedule a home energy assessment this month - just $45 for City and County residents. LEAP also offers FREE home weatherization to income- and age-qualifying residents. If someone in your household is age 60 or older, or you have an annual household income of less than $74,950, you may qualify for a free energy assessment and home energy improvements such as insulation and air sealing. Sign up today to lower your energy bills, increase comfort, and reduce energy waste at home!Governor Youngkin takes action on legislation, vetoes over two dozen billsThe Virginia General Assembly is next scheduled to meet on April 27 to respond to actions taken by Governor Glenn Youngkin this week on bills that passed both the Republican-controlled House of Delegates and the Democratic-controlled Senate earlier this year.  On Monday, Youngkin took action on several bills that passed this past winter. Youngkin signed over 700 bills, made recommendations on over 100, and vetoed two dozen that had passed both the Democratic-controlled Senate and the Republican-controlled House of Delegates. The General Assembly can override the vetoes with a two-thirds majority and will consider whether to accept the amendments. (check out the Virginia Constitution for the details)Vetoed bills include: (full list)SB347 would have required the State Corporation Commission to establish annual energy efficiency savings targets for low-income, elderly, disabled, or veterans of military service.  Youngkin said the SCC’s definition of “public interest” should not be expanded by the legislature and could lead to higher energy costs. HB802 would have expanded the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to give localities the power to take action against landlords who allow their units to become fire and safety hazards. In his explanation, Youngkin claimed this would duplicate existing provisions available under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. HB675 would have eliminated the ability of health insurance carriers to levy a surcharge to tobacco users.HB1298 would have prohibited high school student-athletes from being compensated for their likeness, name, or image. Youngkin said “the bill is a premature prohibition that fails to recognize the continually evolving marketplace for content creation and monetization and could have the unintended consequence of limiting young people from engaging in economic activity via social media unrelated to their athletic performance.” SB250 would have increased annual fees for nonhazardous solid waste management facilities. Youngkin said this would “[increase] the cost of doing business in Virginia with pass-through costs to consumers.”SB297 would have made it a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act for a health care provider to seek debt collection prematurely. Youngkin said this would create “unintended consequences that could harm small healthcare providers by "creating additional legal liability.”SB706 would have prohibited operators of heavy trucks from using cruise control and certain types of breaks during winter storms. Youngkin said “this bill would impose burdens on Virginia’s trucking industry, as well as interstate transportation, without any demonstrable public safety or transportation benefit.” Asd for the amendments, there are several worth noting.Youngkin put a sunset clause of July 1, 2024 on a provision of the Transit Ridership Incentive Program that would have required a quarter of the program’s  funds be spent on programs to reduce fares. (HB142)Youngkin wants to extend the date by which hotels must ensure their employees are trained to report human trafficking from July 1 of this year to January 1, 2023. (HB258)HB891 would have removed the word “alien” from Virginia code as it refers to non-citizens. Youngkin amended the bill to require a work group be set up to study the issue. SB24 would have extended the sunset date of Virginia’s Eviction Diversion Pilot Program, but Youngkin’s amendment would require the General Assembly to vote on this again in 2023. Support Town Crier Productions through Ting!Special announcement of a continuing promo with Ting! Are you interested in fast internet? Visit this site and enter your address to see if you can get service through Ting. If you decide to proceed to make the switch, you’ll get:Free installationSecond month of Ting service for freeA $75 gift card to the Downtown MallAdditionally, Ting will match your Substack subscription to support Town Crier Productions, the company that produces this newsletter and other community offerings. So, your $5 a month subscription yields $5 for TCP. Your $50 a year subscription yields $50 for TCP! The same goes for a $200 a year subscription! All goes to cover the costs of getting this newsletter out as often as possible. Learn more here! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Gay marriage has been the law of the land for years thanks to a Supreme Court decision. But the Virginia Constitution still bans same-sex marriage. Michael Pope reports an effort to change that took a step forward Monday.  The Senate also approved a constitutional amendment to allow the automatic restoration of voting rights for formerly […]

2022 turns 41 days old on this Thursday, which according to a few biased sources is also Plimsoll Day, World Pulses Day, Cream Cheese Brownie Day, and All The News That’s Fit to Print Day. This being a journalistic enterprise, I can’t easily find a second source for the latter. But this is Charlottesville Community Engagement which tries to get as much information into every installment, though I’m no longer sure if this is print, digital, audio, or something else. Regardless, I’m Sean Tubbs, the producer of this program. On today’s program:Albemarle County is seeking input on potential new maps for new magisterial boundaries, and won’t consider adding a seventh supervisor at this timeCharlottesville City Council adopts Rivanna River plan and is willing to lower speed limits on 5th Street ExtendedA look at legislation that has not passed the Virginia General Assembly this year including Governor Youngkin’s nomination for Secretary of Natural and Historic ResourcesAnd inflation was up again in January Shout out to the League of Women Voters Natural Resources CommitteeIn the first subscriber supported public service announcement, the Natural Resources Committee of the League of Women Voters of the Charlottesville Area wants you to know a webinar coming up on Tuesday, February 15, at noon. They’ll talk about Renewable Sources of Electrical Power: Challenges and Promises. How can we develop renewable sources without endangering our ecological systems? The seminar will feature Dan Holmes from the Piedmont Environmental Council and Jeff Hammond with Apex Clean Energy. They’ll address some of the complexities in switching utility scale electric power from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Register for the Zoom and get ready to learn!Pandemic updateWhat went up continues to come down. Today the Virginia Department of Health reports a percent positivity of 14.3 percent. Last Thursday that figure was at 23.2 percent. The seven-day average for new cases is at 4,697, down from 7,237 a week ago. The number of COVID patients in hospital today is 1,990, down from 2,578 a week ago according to the Virginia Healthcare and Hospital Association. In the Blue Ridge Health District, there are another 321 new cases and the percent positivity is at 17.6 percent. Do note that’s higher than the statewide rate.Inflation reportThe cost of goods and services continues to rise in the United States as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Consumer Price Index increased 0.6 percent from December to January, and 7.5 percent between January 2021 and last month. That latter figure is the highest 12-month increase since February 1982. The cost of food, shelter, and energy all rose. In the past year, the cost of food has increased 7.5 percent. The energy index increased 27 percent since January 2021 with gas prices 40 percent higher, natural gas 23.9 percent up, and electricity 10.7 percent up. Shelter was up 4.4 percent. Two categories that did decrease this month were lodging, which was down 3.9 percent  and wireless telephone service, which was down 0.1 percent. Read the full press release for details. Council adds Urban Rivanna River Plan to Comp PlanThe Charlottesville City Council has officially adopted a plan to guide environmental protections along the urbanized portion of the Rivanna River. The Urban Rivanna Corridor Plan is now a referenced part of the city’s 2021 Comprehensive Plan. “It’s past time but I’m glad we’re getting to it now finally to begin to recognize the fact that the Rivanna River is an asset to Charlottesville and is not merely a barrier,” said Charottesville Mayor Lloyd Snook.The Albemarle Board of Supervisors reviewed the plan earlier this month. The plan has been created by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. In addition to a series of recommendations, the plan also suggests ways the community can highlight the role the river can play with examples from Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Lynchburg. Council poised to reduce speed limit Fifth Street ExtendedCouncil also took action on a step to try to reduce fatal crashes on 5th Street Extended. A petition was submitted to the city in late 2020 asking for something to be done to slow down traffic on the roadway, which has the character of a divided highway. “We have been working on this and the first stage,” said traffic engineer Brennen Duncan. “Having looked at this for more than a year now, reviewing the data and looking at all the crash history and stuff we are proposing that we reduce the speed limit from 45 miles per hour to 40 miles per hour.” The item passed on first reading and will now be on the consent agenda for Council’s next meeting. The long-term strategy is to change the character of the roadway to make it less easy to speed. See also: Council briefed on Fifth Street Extended safety efforts, January 10, 2022Albemarle adopts expedited redistricting processAlbemarle County is seeking input on how the lines for the county’s magisterial districts should be redrawn following the U.S. Census.  Jake Washburne is Albemarle’s registar. “The state completed the redistricting of the state and Congressional districts on [December 28],” Washburne said. Washburne, the Electoral Board, and the county’s GIS office have produced three potential maps and a public comment period is underway through March 4 with a questionnaire on the county’s website.Supervisors adopted an expedited schedule on February 2.“The sooner we could get the process going and complete, the better, because we may have a June primary election and if we do we’ll have to start voting early for that on May 6,” Washburne said. Voters will need to know by then where they will be voting! The Board will have a public hearing on March 2 with an adoption slated for March 23, 2022 until to meet the deadline to have the new maps established in time. The next time a House of Delegates race is run, Albemarle will only have two districts in its boundaries, as opposed to having four districts currently. There’s a federal lawsuit at the U.S. Fourth Circuit of Appeals seeking to force an election this year and oral arguments will be heard on March 8. One quirk in Virginia’s new Congressional maps is that not all of Albemarle is within the 5th District. “Ninety-nine percent of Albemarle County is in the 5th U.S. Congressional District but for some reason they decided a tiny sliver up in the northwest part of the county which has a total of about 110 residents and probably between 50 and 60 voters is in the 7th Congressional District,” Washburne said. Washburne said there is likely no way to remedy that situation and the county will need a waiver to allow for a magisterial district to be in two Congressional precincts. All three of the maps continue the practice of Albemarle having six magisterial districts. Here’s County Attorney Greg Kamptner. “Albemarle County operates under the county executive form of government and it is authorized to have a board between three and nine supervisors,” Kamptner said. “Increasing the size of the Board was previously raised by the League of Women Voters in 1991, and by a Supervisor who was the former president of the League of Women Voters in 2001. In neither 1991, 2001, or 2011 did the Board express a desire to increase its membership.” Kamptner said if the Board wanted to increase its membership they could add a seventh magisterial district or an at-large supervisors who would also be the chair. Voters would have to approve the latter change in a referendum, but the Supervisors could proceed with a seventh during redistricting. Staff recommended against that at this time due to the need to complete the process in time for the election. “State law allows the number of districts to be changed at any time, not only as part of the redistricting process,” Kamptner said. Supervisor Ned Gallaway said he is aware that many political groups are interested in the idea, but he has not heard a groundswell of support.“But from a constituent standpoint, this is not been one that has been raised a lot in my conversations with folks,” Gallaway said. Supervisor Bea LaPisto-Kirtley did not appear to have much interest in a seventh seat because she agreed community members in Albemarle did not seem to be interested in the topic. “Frankly that’s come from mainly from developers because the rationale was its easier to get four votes out of seven than four votes out of six,” LaPisto-Kirtley said. Supervisor Ann Mallek, first elected in 2007, said she supports the continuation of six elected officials. “Over the years I have found the 3 to 3 to be a good thing especially when I was in a minority position because if a project was good enough to get a fourth vote, even when there was a split board, that was a good threshold to have,” Mallek said. To have your say, visit Albemarle County’s redistricting page. Shout out to the Sisters Project Peru:In today’s second subscriber-supported public service announcement, this Friday an art auction will be held at the Fry’s Spring Beach Club to help raise funds for a sustainable medical clinic in rural Peru. The Sisters Project Peru was created to increase access to healthcare in order to improve quality of life and empower women in Huacahuasi, a rural village in the Sacred Valley of Peru. The art auction will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with light refreshment and live music. Covid protocol is in effect and masks are required. Learn more at SistersProjectPeru.com. Registration in advance is required.General Assembly snapshot: Lots of failed bills, including Wheeler nomination With so many bills, it’s hard to keep a handle on all of the General Assembly, but it’s worth a shot. As of this morning, there were 2,486 total bills introduced and 301 have definitely failed. Here are some pieces that did not make it out of the House of Delegates. A bill that would have classified farmer’s markets and roadside farm markets as agribusiness was tabled yesterday in the House Agricultural, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources. (HB262)A bill that would have required an inventory of all stormwater systems in Virginia was stricken from the docket yesterday in that same committee. (HB577)A bill to create a Commission on Social Media to evaluate the impacts arms was tabled in the House Rules committee on February 3 on 13 to 5 vote. (HB1195)A bill to require all School Boards in Virginia to be elected was stricken from the House Education Committee docket on February 7. (HB1284)A bill to exempt food charities from any liability related to distributing items beyond their best-by date was stricken from the House Agriculture committee yesterday. (HB1293)Here are some pieces that didn’t make it out of the Senate: A bill to remove a requirement that all School Boards adopt policies for the treatment of transgendered students in public school failed to make it out of the Senate Education and Health Committee on an 8 to 5 vote. (SB20)A bill to develop a statewide housing choice voucher program was stricken in the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee. (SB312)A bill to allow localities to adopt energy-efficiency standards for new buildings failed to make it out of the Senate Local Government on a 8 to 6 vote. (SB452)A bill to prohibit public schools from teaching “inherently divisive concepts” failed to clear the Senate Education and Health on February 3 on a 9 to 4 vote. (SB570)The Senate adopted Governor Glenn Youngkin’s list of Cabinet appointments yesterday, but one name was held off of the list. On Tuesday, the full Senate agreed to an amendment from the Privileges and Elections campaign that stripped Wheeler from the official resolution confirming the cabinet.“Senate Joint Resolution 84 - confirming appointments by the Governor of certain persons,” the Senate Clerk read. “The question is, shall the committee amendment be adopted?” said Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, the President of the Senate.Several Republican members objected and urged defeat of the amendment such as Senator Richard Stuart (R-28) who spoke of Wheeler’s interview before the Senate Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee. “And I’ve never seen a grilling with more difficult questions for any candidate for any position in this General Assembly,” Stuart said. “And after I spoke with folks who were on that committee and listened to that interview and asked those questions, every member that I spoke said with he absolutely knocked the ball out of the park.”Stuart defended Wheeler’s time as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “I understand that some of these environmental groups don’t like him because who he works for and that’s just a shame,” Stuart said. But Senator Chap Petersen (D-24) presided over Wheeler’s interview and said he was impressed with the nominee’s credentials but he read from Article 11 of the Virginia Constitution. “it shall be the policy of the Commonwealth to conserve, develop, and utilize its natural resources, its public lands, and its historical sites and buildings,” Petersen said. “That is the role of the Secretary of Natural Resources. It’s not Commerce. It’s not thinking of ways to get around environmental rules. It’s actually protecting our lands and waters.”Petersen said a majority on the Privileges and Committees felt Petersen would not fit the bill. Senator Adam Ebbin (D-30) cited a letter from previous administrators who expressed concern about Wheeler’s tenure at the EPA. “If we’re to confirm Mr. Wheeler, I’m confident he will use the intelligence and subject matter expertise to do exactly what he did at the federal level,” Ebbin said. “Systematically deconstruct regulations that protect our environment.”The amendment was agreed to on a 21 to 19 vote and the SJ84 passed the Senate yesterday on a 38 to 0 vote. According to the Virginia Mercury , Wheeler can serve in the position on an interim basis until the end of the General Assembly session. More General Assembly tomorrow. 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

UVA Law professor Daniel Ortiz, Duke Law School professor H. Timothy Lovelace Jr. '06 and moderator Judge Lisa Lorish '08 of the Virginia Court of Appeals examine how the 1971 Virginia Constitution addressed race and responded to the civil rights movement. (University of Virginia School of Law, Sept. 30, 2021)

Part 2: A Side of Love and Compassion Rarely Taught in Christianity But it is All Over the Bible Most of Christianity has a one sided or false idea of the love, mercy, and compassion of God. It has been humanistic, far eastern guru mystified, and it lacks any truth or power. Sometimes love can appear to be harsh, unloving, offensive, unyielding, and downright mean. Sometimes it can be deadly! If you don't believe that then you haven't read the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and the Book of Revelation. In them, you will find Jesus offending many people. In some cases, they were so offended that the hound dogs of religiosity made plans to murder Jesus. Sometimes, they picked up rocks to stone Him, and once they tried to kill Him by pushing Him off a cliff! Jesus threw family members out of a funeral being held for a little girl. He then raised the girl up from the dead. He had to get out the dead heads of religion before raising the little girl up from the dead! He made a whip to drive out all the greedy traders in the Temple courtyard! He began to beat them and turn over their tables! He was all sweet, right? No, Jesus was extremely angry in that case and ready to rumble! He raged violently against the evil He saw in the Temple! If He was some weak and sickly looking man like you see in many depictions of Him, He never would have gotten to the second table before being given a memorable beat down by the money changers and animal sellers! Jesus called religious leaders vipers, children of hell, whited sepulchers, and more harsh things! These were unlovely words, according to the humanistic love many preach and teach. Today, if you say things that don't even approach the intensity or harshness of Jesus' words, many Christians cringe and think you are unloving. They would have hated Jesus when He shifted gears and was tough and intense with His tongue or actions! When Peter tried to rebuke Him, He called Peter Satan! Was that super nice? No, it wasn't, but it was love in action. Did you know that? When most of Jesus' disciples got up and left because His words were too nasty for their religious sensibilities, He turned to the few left and asked them if they wanted to leave too. There was no compromise with Jesus! He loved people by telling them the truth, regardless of what people thought or whether they received it or not. Even when Jesus' own mother and brothers wanted to see Him because they thought He had lost His mind, He refused to see them and rebuked them for not following the Word! Sometimes family needs to be set straight according to the Word when they come knocking at your door with unbelief! None of the above was done in mousey tones of niceness. Some foolishly think that speaking the truth in love should be sweet at all the times. Wrong! It is stinking thinking! The book of Revelation chapters 2 and 3 reveals how love (Jesus) rebuked His churches when they were backsliding or dead! It is not all sugar and spice and everything nice. Read the chapters carefully and allow all the falsehoods you have learned about "love language" and "walking in love" to be flushed out of your system! When the Lord says, "I will fight against you with the sword of my mouth", and "I will kill your followers with death and cast you into a sickbed" that is not the sweet talk of humanistic love! I wonder if His face was smiling and relaxed when He said all that or if there was fire in His eyes and voice? That would have been the wrong time for laughter. There was nothing funny about what He told them! Was Jesus stern and unrelenting? Yes, but then He would call all the kids and lay hands on them and bless them! Tough, stern, AND lovable towards all that came to Him for healing and deliverance. He never turned away the humble that would come to receive! Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I rebuke and discipline [showing them their faults and instructing them]; so be enthusiastic and repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God's will]. (Revelation 3:19 Amplified Bible) Get your teaching straight. Tender love will rebuke, discipline, show people their faults, instruct people, and call on them to change their sinful behavior! We serve a mighty warrior King who is also Savior, Healer, and Provider. Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5) and we were put into the new creation IN CHRIST (2 Corinthians 5:17) when we surrendered our lives to the Lord Jesus and began living for Him. We are to be lions with Him, and not little weak lambs! To the world, they may consider us as lambs to the slaughter because of the apparently good and fun side to our compassion, but we are to be more than conquerors, real lions! (Romans 8:36, 37) We are not like the false "roaring" lion that is Satan (1 Peter 5:8), but we are of the conquering lions under the Lion of the tribe of Judah that has already overcome! The righteous are bold as a lion! (Proverbs 28:1NKJV) Don't mistake our Christian compassion for the hurting and oppressed as weakness or submission to the enemy. I warn you. If you are sensitive or sissified and the girly beta male type, you will seethe at my comments. You will hate them. They will take away your sleep until you repent and ask for God's help to get you out of your betahood (an original word) and start becoming a real man.  Do you know what I mean when I say betahood (my made-up word) or a girly-beta-male? Let me show you with two pictures that were published on Gab social. These explain it much better than I could. A strong and courageous man compared to a sissified beta male!   No, I do not agree with the lying part, but the point is knowing the difference between real men (minus the lying) and pathetic girly beta males. The bad thought occurs to me from time to time, “Maybe if I slap the crap out of this girly male, maybe “it” will wake up to manhood!" After they cry and roll up in a fetal position on the floor, then you can lay hands on them and cast the devil out of them IF they want help! Then, I would go and wash my hands! Over the years, I've prayed and laid hands on many people to receive healing that had infectious diseases. I've never washed my hands after doing that. I believed the greater One was in me as I prayed, and healing was coming through me. These beta dudes, yuk! Bring on the antibacterial soap! Again, let's settle it. Our compassion is never weak because it can also be like a mama elephant with her babies. Get too close and suddenly, she goes ballistic! Her compassion for her babies will cause her to squash you like a bug to protect her own whether it's a real or perceived threat. It makes no difference. It's clobbering time! It could make you a greasy spot on the ground after you are squashed by the 12-ton mama! The same can be said of a bear and her cubs! There are many mamas like that today. They are full of love and compassion for their offspring, but try and hurt their babies, and the fight to the death is on. Any threat will be met with extreme violence. It should be. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on his faithful followers. (Psalms 103:13 NET) It's like a father protecting his wife and kids with every instrument available to him, even to the death of his enemies. At least that is how real men of Godly compassion and mercy will react to protect their loved ones, but as we have seen, not all males are real men. If you are a beta, squishy toy, pushover girly-male afraid of your own shadow, then you should not get married or have children unless you change drastically. Could you imagine the travesty of being a beta girly male that looks like the sissified “it” in the pictures above, and they reproduce? Just having sex with a woman and getting her pregnant with a child does not make you a man. Betahood submissiveness to the world, the devil, the baby butchering Demonrats, and to lying MSM, will make your kids three times the wuss that you are. That is truly bad! Boyish sissified males like that are not worthy to have children upon the earth. They will not contribute any good thing to the development of future manhood. They may be males by birth, but they are not real men. They're more worried about using the right pronouns, LGBTQrstuvwxyz garbage rights, BLM, CRT, self-hatred, toxic manhood, compliance, white rage, worship of the garden gnome Fauci, and living in their mama's basement rent free. I have nothing good to say about those evil creatures! These pseudo males are the weakling types that wouldn't say or do anything to the thug trying to feel up his wife on the train, airplane, or bus. Real manhood compassion will violently take out the thug quickly by whatever means necessary. No bones about it. No prayer needed at that point. Not much thinking necessary in that scenario. It would be time to act quickly and decisively, full auto, and no holds barred. The idea is to hurt the perpetrator so badly that he won't be able to get up off the floor! Some may be thinking it right now, “And you call yourself a Christian?” I don't care what you think, I know I am a follower of Jesus. I'm not your traditional Christian that tolerates evil pushed upon my family or children. It would be righteous, and it would be a good thing to defend my woman's honor, and to take a stand against those that would attempt to hurt my kids. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21 NIV) That verse is immediately found before Romans 13:1, but many never quote it as it was intended, as part of the intro to Romans 13. Chapter or verse divisions were not a part of the original text! For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. (Romans 13:4) Don't be religious and refuse to see another side to this. We are to rule and reign in LIFE now over sin and death, not just in the afterlife! (Romans 5:17; 8:37) We are those in authority over the devil and demon power NOW! (Ephesians 6:12-17, Luke 10:17, Mark 16:17, 18)    It is not only government or police that can carry a sword or gun, in the same way that we are all commanded to overcome evil with good, whether we are government officials, police officers, military, or civilians! I want you to understand that the command to overcome evil with good is for all believers. It follows then that to carry a sword or weapon to overcome evil with good is not only allowed for all believers, but it is also commanded. This is not a stretch except for the religiously brainwashed mind. Carrying the sword (or weapon) is not in vain. People that practice evil should be afraid that we carry a weapon for the sake of good! Its purpose is to do what is right and good against evil. Sometimes a weapon is what stands between you and an evil outcome. So, to use a weapon against evil when evil wants to prevail over good would be proper, good, and righteous. What would compassion do? What would love do? What would mercy do? Compassion would cause a real man to kill an illegal immigrant perv caught raping his 5 y/o daughter! Remember that story in 2021? The man that beat that pervert to death is a national hero, a real treasure, and an awesome example. He should get a medal and his own parenting show! His main topic: "This is what a real man looks like!" You have not seen violence until you see what a real man would do to those attempting to hurt his kids. Never come to a real man's door attempting to force the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson and Johnson or other devil pharma death jabs on him or his family. Big and very permanent mistake for the fools that try that. Compassion in a real man would cause him to "dispatch" the vaccine of death totalitarians trying to force themselves on his family. Forcing a jab is tantamount to at least a rape, and at maximum it is committing murder. Frankly, in a scenario where we are forced to get a vaccine, guns may have to come out blazing. Civil war or a revolutionary war could happen in the US if we are forbidden to buy, sell, trade, or travel unless we are vaccinated and show our vaccine passports. That all sounds eerily familiar to the mark of the beast in Revelation 13:16-18, and most churches refuse to see any correlation with what is happening worldwide! Read it because it is coming eventually, and we see overwhelming evidence of its encroachment now. Demons in government in America are starting to push mandatory vaccines. What could happen? The government is playing with the firepower of the American people, and a bloody civil war could happen.I pray that NEVER happens! The truth is that totalitarian thugs will not be able to stop a force of 70 to 80 million strong that rises against them, or the six hundred and fifty million weapons in civilian hands! Totalitarians will wet their pants before their rage and surrender like the cowards they are. We the people will have spoken. We the people are Christians AND non-Christians that are willing to fight for our country and our Constitution. It would be a righteous battle if the necessity ever came for it. We are to control the government according to the Constitution. The government should never control the people. The Constitution is the main governing law of the land. Any law or “mandate” that violates our American constitutional rights should be rejected immediately. Masking, social distancing, the death jabs, vaccine passports, and the rest of the Covid garbage are of the devil and they violate our rights, both human and constitutional! It is mercy and compassion to fight for our constitutional freedoms, even if the day comes to fight to the death of our enemies. Note how I stated that. Never heard of that side of mercy and compassion? Probably not because the Scripture isn't really studied or taught much in most churches. All you hear in most churches are snippets of the Bible here and there, mostly out of context, severely watered down, or twisted to mean something foreign to the Bible! Did you know that when God slaughters or commands the slaughter of the enemies of his real and true people that God is demonstrating everlasting mercy and compassion? Ready to get any religious spirit left in you blown away? To Him Who smote Egypt in their firstborn, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. (Psalms 136:10 AMP) The slaughter of all the Egyptian firstborn was an act of God's eternal or everlasting mercy and "loving" kindness! Was God having the firstborn slaughtered show His love? Man, that is hard to swallow if you look at this religiously and watered down by Sunday school at most churches! Yes, it showed to what extent God (who is love, the merciful God) was willing to go to deliver His people. Love allowed the slaughter of the firstborn to get freedom for His family. Let that sink in. Let it refresh and empower you today. That is the real true God that we serve! He will fight for us and with us to deadly force if necessary! What else did the God who is love and is merciful do as a demonstration of His eternal kindness? But shook off and overthrew Pharaoh and his host into the Red Sea, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. (Psalms 136:15 AMP) God's love, mercy, and kindness caused Him to drown the enemies of His people in the Red Sea! Death by drowning the enemies of His people was a manifestation of love, mercy, kindness, and just good ole compassion! My God! More mercy? To Him Who smote great kings, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; and slew famous kings, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. (Psalms 136:17, 18 AMP) God smiting to the death famous and great kings because of His love, mercy, kindness, or to use another word, because of His wonderful compassion, is an awesome Word we need today. In your great kindness towards all true believers God, I ask you that our evil dictatorial governmental enemies would be slaughtered. May they be struck down with death and/or drowned in the sea. Lord fight against those who fight with us and may they be subjected to affliction or trouble from every side! (Psalms 35:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:6) That is a good prayer! I am praying according to the Scripture we quoted above and according to the 2 verses in parenthesis, so don't get offended. Have you ever prayed like that? If you don't pray that way, you should! Here is something else that should be understood. God also smote or slew the following kings mentioned by name: Sihon king of the Amorites, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever; and Og king of Bashan, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. (Psalms 136:19, 20 AMP) The context is clear. God slew the kings Sihon and Og, but read the stories in the book of Numbers and note how God used His people to do the slaying. God often uses and backs His own people to fight a battle and kill their enemies. That is also a demonstration of God's love, mercy, kindness, and compassion as He gives His people the victory over the enemy. Diplomacy was applied first. When diplomacy failed, then the sword was unremittingly enforced. But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his border. Instead Sihon gathered all his people together and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and came to Jahaz, and he fought against Israel. (Numbers 21:23 AMP) Big mistake! And Israel smote the king of the Amorites with the edge of the sword and possessed his land from the river Arnon to the river Jabbok, as far as the Ammonites, for the boundary of the Ammonites was strong. (Numbers 21:24 AMP) Psalms 136:19 tells us it was God's love, mercy, and kindness that did it, and notice that God did it through the armed battalions of His people! Weep all you gutless Christians! Your misunderstanding of the love of God is profound. What about the slaying of King Og as an act of mercy, love, and kindness in Psalms 136:20? Then they turned and went up by the way of Bashan; and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. But the Lord said to Moses, Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon. So the Israelites slew Og and his sons and all his people until there was not one left alive, And they possessed his land. (Numbers 21:31-35 AMP) Not one of Og and his people were left alive, and Psalms 136:20 calls this a love victory! It was a lovefest, a compassion event, a kindness "concert" to kill them all because God gave His people the strength and ability to destroy their enemies. Space will not allow me to also look at Samson, David, Gideon, and a bunch of others that were empowered by God's love and compassion to annihilate their enemies. Has God changed? Has He stopped giving His people power and dominion over their enemies in His love, mercy, kindness, and compassion? Of course not. I am the Lord. I do not change. (Malachi 3:6 ICB) God doesn't change, and neither does the Lord Jesus! Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8 NIV) Look at these verses to finish this section: Psalm 18:32-42 (NKJV): 32 It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect. 33 He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places. 34 He teaches my hands to make war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great. 36 You enlarged my path under me, So my feet did not slip. 37 I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them; Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed. 38 I have wounded them, So that they could not rise; They have fallen under my feet. 39 For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. 40 You have also given me the necks of my enemies, So that I destroyed those who hated me. 41 They cried out, but there was none to save; Even to the Lord, but He did not answer them. 42 Then I beat them as fine as the dust before the wind; I cast them out like dirt in the streets. That, my brother and sister are right thoughts and correct attitudes. It is the right way to trust and believe God, and if you hook in Psalms 91, you have a perfect portrait! It worked for David against the lion, bear, Goliath, and all of David's enemies. David was a very important ancestor of Jesus. Jesus was called the seed or descendant of David, and the son of David! (John 7:42, Romans 1:3, 2 Timothy 2:8) If Jesus is my brother (Hebrews 2:11), then David is my great great, great, great, great, (and many more “greats”), my grandpa! I will emulate him as well! Psalm 144:1: Praise the LORD, who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle. 2 Samuel 22:35: He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. Can you see that these are not isolated verses, but the clear teaching of Scripture? Psalm 44:6-7: I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame. Putting your trust in weapons is foolish at best. Weapons can fail, but God NEVER fails! Yet, that does not mean we don't own weapons and train, train, and then train some more. The victory comes from the Lord, and that is where we lay our trust.  Though I point these things out, don't think I am a violent person. I am far from it, and anybody that knows me knows I love peace and peaceful resolutions. Let me bring the truth of the matter out clearly once more. I am totally against violence. I believe in going low, keeping my mouth shut when necessary, and I am a firm believer in deescalation when confronted with someone expecting a fight. I am a peacemaker. I hate fights and I hate violence. Violence is the LAST thing on my map. If I have to fight, I have already failed at de-escalation, diplomacy, and communication. There has never been a greater truth than to harden yourself with training and learn to fight and defeat an enemy so that you never have to fight! It is a deterrent. So many years have passed since I first began training in martial arts. I still train, just to a lesser degree. In all those years, I only used my training a few times, and never because I instigated the violence. I did know how to stop the violence. Thank God! I never look for fights and I don't instigate violence. I have learned the "martial" art of talking my way out of potentially violent encounters. That has served me much better than my fists or a firearm. Just a note for those that may want to misinterpret my words in this article and push violent actions,  and use me as an excuse. Having to resort to violence is a terrible thing. Never forget it, but also let us never forget our responsibilities and our duty to stand firm for the truth. Patriotic Quotes from America's Godly Founding Fathers Let me give you some patriotic quotes from some of America's godly founding fathers. Take them to heart. They are extremely relevant today in the mess we are facing in America with totalitarian and dictatorial rulers and their cronies. Most of these quotes are in their original form so spelling differences will be noticed. Some words were spelled differently back then. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." John Adams That is important info for several reasons. Most of the founding fathers of America were deeply religious, and several of them were Christian ministers. Following, notice how these godly men refer to the use of weapons and what they thought concerning the right to bear arms as ratified in the Second Amendment. Note how they were vehemently against disarming the people as other countries had done.   "The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." Thomas Jefferson, Commonplace Book, quoting 18th century criminologist Cesare Beccaria, 1774-1776 "Thus the peaceable part of mankind will be continually overrun by the vile and abandoned, while they neglect the means of self-defense. The supposed quietude of a good man allures the ruffian; while on the other hand, arms, like law, discourage and keep the invader and the plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property. The balance of power is the scale of peace. The same balance would be preserved were all the world destitute of arms, for all would be alike; but since some will not, others dare not lay them aside. And while a single nation refuses to lay them down, it is proper that all should keep them up. Horrid mischief would ensue were one-half the world deprived of the use of them; for while avarice and ambition have a place in the heart of man, the weak will become a prey to the strong. The history of every age and nation establishes these truths, and facts need but little arguments when they prove themselves." Thomas Paine, "Thoughts on Defensive War" in Pennsylvania Magazine, July 1775 That entire article should be read. Thomas Paine hits the nail on the head against all pacifism as was practiced by the religious Quakers. He said that Satan and evil people were still on the loose on the planet and we must take up self-defense. I really like it when he says this: “I am thus far a Quaker, that I would gladly agree with all the world to lay aside the use of arms, and settle matters by negotiation; but unless the whole will, the matter ends, and I take up my musket and thank heaven he (God) has put it in my power.” Do you understand? We want peaceful relations, but when that fails, we have weapons to defend ourselves! Read the updated article here: https://selfeducatedamerican.com/2013/09/26/thoughts-on-defensive-war-by-thomas-paine  You can also read the original autograph, but you must scroll down to section XII where the essay is found. http://thomaspainefoundation.com/the-writings-of-thomas-paine-vol-i.html "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776 “This difference is ascribed to our superiority in taking aim when we fire; every soldier in our army having been intimate with his gun from his infancy." Thomas Jefferson, letter to Giovanni Fabbroni, June 8, 1778 “The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able might have a gun." Patrick Henry, Speech to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 5, 1778 I really enjoy reading the words of Thomas Jefferson. "Give about two of them every day to exercise; for health must not be sacrificed to learning. A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercise, I advise the gun. While this gives a moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprize, and independance to the mind. Games played with the ball and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks. Never think of taking a book with you. The object of walking is to relax the mind. You should therefore not permit yourself even to think while you walk. But divert your attention by the objects surrounding you. Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far. "Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr, August 19, 1785 See it here: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-08-02-0319) "What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance. Let them take arms." Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Stephens Smith, son-in-law of John Adams, December 20, 1787 "Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed, as they are in almost every country in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops." Noah Webster, An Examination of the Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution, October 10, 1787 "If the representatives of the people betray their constituents, there is then no resource left but in the exertion of that original right of self-defense which is paramount to all positive forms of government, and which against the usurpations of the national rulers, may be exerted with infinitely better prospect of success than against those of the rulers of an individual state. In a single state, if the persons entrusted with supreme power become usurpers, the different parcels, subdivisions, or districts of which it consists, having no distinct government in each, can take no regular measures for defense. The citizens must rush tumultuously to arms, without concert, without system, without resource; except in their courage and despair." Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 28, December 26, 1787 This is exactly what is happening today with the Covid impositions and mandates. Government has betrayed the constituents. We are coming to the point where these usurpers, if they don't back down, we may have to rise and take up arms to defend ourselves. These are not my words, and truthfully, I hope it NEVER comes to that. I am telling you what our godly founding fathers thought about the betrayers in government that are drunk with power over the people. "To disarm the people... is the most effectual way to enslave them." George Mason, The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution, June 14, 1788 Do you see why the Democrat evil dictators want to disarm the public? They want to enslave the American people! Let us never give up our 650 million guns presently in the hands of the civilian population! "Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation, the existence of subordinate governments, to which the people are attached, and by which the militia officers are appointed, forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition, more insurmountable than any which a simple government of any form can admit of." James Madison, Federalist No. 46, January 29, 1788 "Americans have the right and advantage of being armed ― unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms." (The Federalist, No. 46 at 243- 244) "Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation.... Notwithstanding the military establishments in the several kingdoms of Europe, which are carried as far as the public resources will bear, the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms." (The Federalist, No. 46) "It is not certain that with this aid alone [possession of arms], they would not be able to shake off their yokes. But were the people to posses the additional advantages of local governments chosen by themselves, who could collect the national will, and direct the national force; and of officers appointed out of the militia, by these governments and attached both to them and to the militia, it may be affirmed with the greatest assurance, that the throne of every tyranny in Europe would be speedily overturned, in spite of the legions which surround it." (The Federalist, No. 46) Federalist No. 46 was from January 29, 1788. Link: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-10-02-0261 “A militia when properly formed are in fact the people themselves…and include, according to the past and general usage of the states, all men capable of bearing arms… to preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them." Richard Henry Lee, Federal Farmer No. XVIII, January 25, 1788 Here is the link to this Federal Farmer essay thought to be written by Richard Henry Lee: https://leefamilyarchive.org/papers/essays/fedfarmer/18.html "The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms." Samuel Adams, Massachusetts Ratifying Convention, 1788 "If circumstances should at any time oblige the government to form an army of any magnitude, that army can never be formidable to the liberties of the people, while there is a large body of citizens little if at all inferior to them in discipline and the use of arms, who stand ready to defend their own rights and those of their fellow citizens-This appears to me the only substitute that can be devised for a standing army; the best possible security against it, if it should exist." Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 29, January 10, 1788 Go here to read Federalist No. 29: https://www.consource.org/document/the-federalist-no-29-1788-1-9/ "I ask who are the militia? They consist now of the whole people, except a few public officers." George Mason, Address to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 4, 1788 "The right of the people to keep and bear...arms shall not be infringed. A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the best and most natural defense of a free country...." (James Madison, I Annals of Congress 434 [June 8, 1789]) "What, Sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty .... Whenever Governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins." Rep. Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, I Annals of Congress 750, August 17, 1789 "As civil rulers, not having their duty to the people before them, may attempt to tyrannize, and as the military forces which must be occasionally raised to defend our country, might pervert their power to the injury of their fellow citizens, the people are confirmed by the article in their right to keep and bear their private arms." Tench Coxe, Philadelphia Federal Gazette, June 18, 1789 Here it is: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-12-02-0144 "A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined." George Washington, First Annual Address, January 8, 1790 This next one will get you in the gut. It did me. “Our cause is just. Our union is perfect. Our internal resources are great, and, if necessary, foreign assistance is undoubtedly attainable. –We gratefully acknowledge, as signal instances of the Divine favour towards us, that his Providence would not permit us to be called into this severe controversy, until we were grown up to our present strength, had been previously exercised in warlike operation, and possessed of the means of defending ourselves. With hearts fortified with these animating reflections, we most solemnly, before God and the world, declare, that, exerting the utmost energy of those powers, which our beneficent Creator hath graciously bestowed upon us, the arms we have been compelled by our enemies to assume, we will, in defiance of every hazard, with unabating firmness and perseverence, employ for the preservation of our liberties; being with one mind resolved to die freemen rather than to live slaves. In our own native land, in defence of the freedom that is our birthright, and which we ever enjoyed till the late violation of it – for the protection of our property, acquired solely by the honest industry of our fore-fathers and ourselves, against violence actually offered, we have taken up arms. We shall lay them down when hostilities shall cease on the part of the aggressors, and all danger of their being renewed shall be removed, and not before.” Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms. A declaration by the representatives of the united colonies of north America, now met in congress at Philadelphia, setting forth the causes and necessity of their taking up arms-July 6, 1775 Listen up all you tyrannical government players, from top to bottom! Those oppressive forces today against the citizens of the USA are found in you! You don't want these covid crap impositions, mandates, and forced vaccinations and passports to devolve into a 1776 style war of independence, do you? Do you have the stomach for it? Nobody with any gray matter between their ears wants war, but we may have to defend our freedoms if they come to forcibly take them away.  France is already at the point of a revolution. It's coming to Australia quickly and it's getting hot in other countries. Government officials, is that where you want for America? I certainly don't want it to go there, but there comes a time when there is no other choice but to fight for our Constitutional freedoms. The tipping point has already passed, and the population is agitated by the covid scamdemic, open borders, leaving Americans to be murdered in Afghanistan, abandoning over 85 billion dollars' worth of military equipment for our enemies, and the severe incompetence of all Demonrat and most Republican government politicians.     "The Constitution of most of our states (and of the United States) assert that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed." Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Cartwright, 5 June 1824 "The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic; since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them." Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States, 1833 Amen to all that! Let us pray that we can diplomatically, spiritually, judicially, and by our vote stop the tyranny being imposed by the Biden Administration. Civil disobedience and totally non-compliance need to run its full course before any other actions could even be considered as plausible. There is long way to go before civil disobedience turns into a civil war. We are far behind France and other countries in the protests. There is a lot of work to do, and we have to do it.     

State constitutions influenced the drafting of the U.S. Constitution and continue to shape constitutional rights today. The Virginia Constitution of 1776 in particular influenced both the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. As we get ready to celebrate Independence Day, National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen joined experts for a two-part conversation on state constitutions. First, Rosen was joined by A.E. Dick Howard of the University of Virginia. Professor Howard is an expert on the Virginia Constitution of 1776 and Virginia's current constitution, which he helped draft and is commemorating its 50th anniversary this year. Rosen was then joined by two experts on state constitutions: Judge Jeffrey Sutton, author of 51 Imperfect Solutions: States and the Making of American Constitutional Law, and professor Emily Zackin, author of Looking for Rights in All the Wrong Places: Why State Constitutions Contain America's Positive Rights.  This panel was streamed live on June 28, 2021.  If you're interested in learning more about state constitutions, check out some of our past programs including this Town Hall program featuring Judge Jeffrey Sutton, “Why State Constitutions Matter.” Register for our 2021 Annual Supreme Court Review on July 8 at constitutioncenter.org/debate. Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org. Additional resources and transcript available at constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/media-library.

According to the men who founded the United States of America, you are the well regulated militia. The whole of the people, not government employees, are the militia and they shall not be disarmed or disbarred of the use of arms.  We have quotes from George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and George Mason to name a few. Paul and Jarrad consider the foundation and framing of the Bill of Rights.  We have a new feature for you; Finished Firearms brought to you by Duracoat University. During this week’s segment, Professor Paul explains the origin of the Fire Extinguisher Gun. Thanks for being a part of SOTG! We hope you find value in the message we share. If you’ve got any questions, here are some options to contact us: • Send an Email • Send a Text • Call Us Enjoy the show! And remember…You’re a Beginner Once, a Student For Life! TOPICS COVERED THIS EPISODE • [0:02:57] Finished Firearms - Duracoat University - • TOPIC: The Fire Extinguisher Gun www.full30.com- • Do you want your Awesome Finish featured on the show?Send a Picture or Video Link to info@studentofthegun.com, and you may get featured on the show!• Huge thanks to our Partners:Brownells | CrossBreed | Duracoat | SWAT Fuel • [0:18:52] Comments on the Suez Canal Incident• [0:22:06] You Are the Well Regulated Militia FEATURING: DuraCoat Firearm Finishes, Full30, Madison Rising, Jarrad Markel, Paul Markel, SOTG University PARTNERS: Brownells Inc, Crossbreed Holsters, SWAT Fuel, DuraCoat Firearm Finishes FIND US ON: Full30, Parler, MeWe.com. iTunes, Stitcher, AppleTV, Roku, Amazon, GooglePlay, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, tumblr SOURCES "You Are the Well Regulated Militia" “A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined..."- George Washington, First Annual Address, to both House of Congress, January 8, 1790 "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."- Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776 And the Virginia Declaration of Rights of 1776, written by George Mason, asserted “that a well regulated Militia, composed of the body of the People, trained to Arms, is the proper, natural, and safe Defence of a free State. "I ask who are the militia? They consist now of the whole people, except a few public officers."- George Mason, Address to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 4, 1788 A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

UVA Law student Juliet Clark ’21, William & Mary law professor Rebecca Green and UVA Law professor Saikrishna Prakash analyze the history and future of the Virginia Constitution 50 years after its ratification. UVA Law professor A. E. Dick Howard ’61, who led the 1971 constitution revision effort, moderated the event. The event was part of the Baliles Legacy Series Presentation at the Virginia Bar Association’s annual meeting. (University of Virginia School of Law, Jan. 22, 2021)

What is to be made of the concerns – practical or philosophical – about a second impeachment of Donald Trump? Keith Whittington of Princeton returns to The Remnant to encourage us not to take such concerns too rigidly. Since, as we got used to hearing, impeachment is a political process and not a legal remedy, the ability to get through an impeachment quickly – say, before January 20 – is “purely a matter of political will.” In addition to digging into some founding-period legal nerdiness (the original Constitution of Virginia says what?), Jonah also asks Whittington about the standards of impeachment, what the process might look like given the specifics of what happened at the Capitol on the January 6, and also asks him to address concerns, such as the idea that an impeachment would be an infringement on Trump’s free speech rights: “There’s a difference between what a private citizen can say and what someone like the president of the United States should say.”   Show Notes: -      Take our podcast survey -      Keith’s most recent book -      Jonah’s Los Angeles Times column -      “Look at him, he’s wearing a belt!” -      Listen to Advisory Opinions, home of latches -      David French: The conservative legal movement is actually looking pretty good -      Byron York interviews Michael Luttig -      The original Virginia Constitution said, “The Governor, when he is out of office, … shall be impeachable by the House of Delegates.” -      Einstein’s friend finding a dictatorship loophole -      John Turturro as Bernie Bernbaum   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This podcast is provided by Ben Glass and Steve Emmert www.BenGlassReferrals.com - www.Virginia-Appeals.com   Granted Appeal Summary Case ROBERT JOHN DODD v. HAROLD CLARKE, DIRECTOR, VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS (Record Number 200091) From Circuit Court of Chesterfield County; F.G. Rockwell, III, Judge. Counsel Johnathan P. Sheldon (Sheldon & Flood, P.L.C.) for appellant. Rosemary V. Bourne (Office of the Attorney General) for appellee. Assignment of Error The circuit court erred when it denied Dodd’s claim that his Double Jeopardy and Due Process rights under Art. I, §§ 8 & 11 of the Virginia Constitution and the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution were violated when he was tried and convicted on indictments that were identical. The circuit court erred when it denied Dodd’s claim that trial counsel was ineffective under the Virginia Constitution and the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution for failing to object to the Double Jeopardy and Due Process violations. http://www.courts.state.va.us/courts/scv/appeals/200091.pdf

Today's Patreon-fueled shout-out is for the Plant Northern Piedmont Natives Campaign, an initiative that wants you to grow native plants in yards, farms, public spaces and gardens in the northern Piedmont. Native plants provide habitat, food sources for wildlife, ecosystem resiliency in the face of climate change, and clean water.  Start at the Plant Northern Piedmont Natives Facebook page and tell them Lonnie Murray sent you! In today’s newsletter:Charlottesville seeks cooperation to keep gatherings in city parks below 25 peopleVirginia will soon move into a new phase of its rent and mortgage relief programThe Memorial to Enslaved Laborers at the University of Virginia wins another award*The seven-day average for positive PCR tests in Virginia has climbed to 9.5 percent, up from 8.8 percent yesterday, and 7.3 percent a week ago. There are another 2,877 cases reported today. The Blue Ridge Health District posted another 80 cases, with 40 cases from Albemarle, 18 cases from Charlottesville, six from Fluvanna, five from Greene, five from Louisa and six from Nelson. There have been no new COVID-19 fatalities reported in the health district since November 26. The statewide fatality count is 4,160 today. Source: Virginia Department of Health* The city of Charlottesville will begin to more closely monitor gatherings at city parks, including the recently opened skate facility in McIntire Park. That’s according to a press release sent out this morning. “Last weekend, more than 75 individuals were observed in the Skate Park at one time,” reads the release. “The nature of such activity makes social distancing difficult and many participants were observed without face coverings. Increased supervision and enforcement of the City’s COVID-19 ordinance would lead to City employees being placed at an even greater risk during a critical stage in the pandemic.”Violation of the gathering rules is either a Class 3 or Class 4 misdemeanor and comes with a $500 fine. City Council is expected to vote Monday on an extension and update of the local declaration of a public health emergency. *A local regional government agency will soon wind down its administration of a statewide rental and mortgage relief program. Christine Jacobs is the Housing Coordinator for the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. She briefed representatives from area localities about the statewide program. “As of last week, $23.9 million in emergency assistance has been deployed in less than 5 months and over 8,800 households across the Commonwealth have received emergency support,” Jacobs said. Jacobs said the TJPDC’s contract with the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development will end on December 31. After that, the state agency will contract with one private company that will take applications from landlords seeking relief, and a second will process applications from homeowners and tenants. Jacobs said the TJPDC stopped taking applications on Monday. “Starting December 1, which was Tuesday of this week, all new applications are processed through that state level point of intake,” Jacobs said. She said a final report on how much funding TJPDC has been able to distribute will be available in the middle of the month. “Mid-month also is when they will begin to advertise a public launch of RRMP 2.0,” Jacobs said.  “Right now it is more of a soft launch because the regional agencies are still under contract and are able to process applications.”Locally, the TJPDC has distributed $1.372 million in funding and has another $274,000 request pending with the DHCD. *The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission is prepared to move ahead with regional administration of additional taxes on cigarettes should area localities decide to impose them. Counties can begin to levy such taxes as of July 1, 2021. David Blount is the legislative liaison for the TJPDC. “Counties are starting to look at discussing their budgets for fiscal year 22 which begins next July,” Blount said. “They are looking at the cigarette tax as an option for implementing in that next budget.”The TJPDC hosted an information session this week on the tax and how it may be collected. There is a Northern Virginia Cigarette Tax Board that covers 19 localities, and that arrangement is an option for this region. Blount also briefed the Commission on the upcoming General Assembly session, which is scheduled to convene on January 13.“There is some question at this point as to if the session is going to be its typical 46 days which is what the short sessions are as opposed to the long session of 60 days, or if its only going to be 30 days,” Blount said.The Virginia Constitution restricts sessions in odd number years to 30 days unless a two-thirds vote in both the House of Delegates and the Senate agree to extend it. (Article IV)“Here a couple of weeks ago the GOP Republican leadership indicated they would not be willing to go along with extending the session this year,” Blount said. “That remains to be seen where we land. We’ll get to Richmond on January 13.”Blount said the General Assembly met for two months in special session this fall, and will meet again for a redistricting special session in the spring. The House of Delegates will meet remotely, and the Senate will meet on site. “We do expect fewer bills this year because of some limitations that the House and Senate have put on themselves,” Blount said. *In other TJPDC related news, executive director Chip Boyles said the agency is seeking a grant from the Virginia Department of Transportation to pay for a transportation study of U.S. 29 between Airport Road in Albemarle County and Ruckersville in Greene County.“There’s a lot of growth happening in both Albemarle and Greene in that section,” Boyles said. In recent years, U.S. 29 in the Hollymead area has been widened to six lanes. VDOT will begin construction of a reconfiguration of the junction of U.S. 29 and U.S. 33 next winter. But what about the miles in between? “We think it’s really, really important for this corridor of statewide significance to begin to be looked at to fill that gap,” Boyles said. At the end of the meeting, Commissioners from throughout the region had the ability to check in. Jesse Rutherford of the Nelson Board of Supervisors said his county is working with the Central Virginia Electric Cooperative on an ambitious goal. “We’re about to cut a deal with the co-op, Albemarle are you listening? Please, I hope you are, that one hundred percent of the residents of Nelson County will have access to fiber internet by 2024,” Rutherford said. At the conclusion of the meeting. TJPDC Chair Dale Martin had these words.“To all the Commissioners present, it’s been a very tough year, it’s been a tough year for everyone involved,” Martin said. “I know that you’ve been struggling personally, struggling with your citizens and localities, trying to do what’s best for your community, and also struggling to attend these meetings. This is a very unusual time in our history and I think that each of you are doing a tremendous job as well.” The TJPDC will next meet on February 4, 2021. *The University of Virginia Memorial to Enslaved Laborers has been awarded the honor of Project of the Year by the Architect’s Newspaper. The memorial was completed earlier this year and was designed by Höweler + Yoon Architecture in collaboration with Mabel O. Wilson and Gregg Bleam Landscape Architect. According to an article on UVA Today, the diameter of the memorial is the same as the Rotunda, and contains the names of those people who are known to have been enslaved as well as placeholders for those whose identities and stories are waiting to be told. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

This podcast is provided by Ben Glass and Steve Emmert www.BenGlassReferrals.com - www.Virginia-Appeals.com Granted Appeal Summary Case INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION v. COUNTY OF ISLE OF WIGHT (Record Number 190542) From The Circuit Court of Isle of Wight County; C. Eason, Jr., Judge. Counsel Craig D. Bell, E. Duncan Getchell, Jr., Robert W. Loftin, and Michael H. Brady (McGuireWoods LLP) for appellant. Andrew R. McRoberts, Debra L. Mallory, David C. Tait, and Sean M. Hutson (Sands Anderson, PC) for appellee. Assignments of Error 1. The trial court erred in holding that IP had not made a prima facie case on Counts I, II, or III, in striking and dismissing those Counts, and in relying upon the conclusion that “new taxes are required to be paid to governmental bodies,” and are generally “political decisions.” Isle of Wight’s imposition of a tax increase upon IP’s M&T, which was the subject of court-ordered and legally mandated refunds and was imposed after IP’s special damages had vested, with the purpose and effect of exacting precisely the refund amount in additional taxes, presented a prima facie case on each of these counts. 2. The trial court erred in holding that IP had not made a prima facie case on Counts IV or V, in striking and dismissing them, and in concluding that “there can [legally] be an ‘effective tax rate’ that is different than the imposed or statutorily established tax rate” for M&T. Isle of Wight’s adoption and application, without statutory authority, of a “credit” against direct tax liability, resulting in disparate direct tax burdens upon one class, including upon IP’s M&T, presented a prima facie case on both of these counts. 3. The trial court erred as a matter of law in determining the purposes of the Clawback Ordinance and Clawback Credit without regard to their effects on taxpayers, and in finding a shortfall in the general fund. On a motion to strike, the trial court must evaluate legislative purpose by its natural effect, decide no disputes of material fact, view the evidence, with all reasonable inferences drawn, in IP’s favor, to determine only whether a prima facie case exists. 4. The trial court erred as a matter of law in relying upon its findings of Isle of Wight’s purposes for the Clawback Ordinance and Clawback Credit to grant the motion to strike IP’s case-in-chief. Legitimate governmental purposes will not immunize legislative, administrative or executive acts from violating the Virginia Constitution or exceeding statutory power, as applied. http://www.courts.state.va.us/courts/scv/appeals/190542.pdf

This podcast is provided by Ben Glass and Steve Emmert www.BenGlassReferrals.com - www.Virginia-Appeals.com Granted Appeal Summary Case ANDREW C. STEPHENS v. HAROLD CLARKE, DIRECTOR (Record Number 190510) From Circuit Court for the City of Newport News; T. Fisher, Judge. Counsel Jonathan P. Sheldon (Sheldon & Flood, P.L.C.) for appellant. Lauren C. Campbell (Office of the Attorney General) for appellee. Assignments of Error 1. The circuit court erred when it found that trial counsel was not ineffective under the Virginia Constitution and the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution for failing to sufficiently investigate R.S.’s symptoms, consult with appropriate experts, and present the investigation, evidence, and expert opinions to the jury. a. The circuit court erred when it failed to find trial counsel ineffective for failing to present the opinion of neurosurgeon Dr. Joseph Dilustro regarding the age and onset of R.S.’s brain bleeding. b. The circuit court erred when it failed to find trial counsel ineffective for failing to present the opinion of an expert neurosurgeon regarding the age and onset of R.S.’s brain bleeding. 2. The circuit court erred when it found that trial counsel was not ineffective under the Virginia Constitution and the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution for failing to object to the Commonwealth’s expert testifying to the ultimate issue in this case. http://www.courts.state.va.us/courts/scv/appeals/190510.pdf

In this final episode of the Virginians miniseries, Jay and Luke discuss George Mason, the godfather of Virginia republicanism. Mason was instrumental in writing the Virginia Constitution in 1776. He was the primary author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, upon which James Madison relied heavily for writing the Bill of Rights. Yet though Mason was a constructive participant at the Constitutional Convention, he eventually opposed the Constitution in strident and bitter terms because he thought it a bad deal for Virginia. Mason thus represents the competing instincts of the Founding Era — embodying a broadminded nationalism but also parochial prejudices. 

Watch the KrisAnne Hall Show on YouTube An in depth conversation on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms, the Virginia Constitution, and the inherent right to resist an oppressive rule of law. Partner with The KrisAnne Hall Daily Journal and be a part of the force that will restore Americans with their Constitutional Principles! To JOIN with us just simple text- impact2020 to 33777 --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-krisanne-hall-show/support

We discuss the fallout from the recent mass shootings. What will Trump end up doing in reaction to these? We discuss the situation in the NRA, the Virginia Constitution... and more. Heavy political stuff in this one.

In this episode I look at Thomas Jefferson's public papers from the time before he became Secretary of State, when he was mostly working in Virginia politics. Of special interest is his draft for a Virginia Constitution and his laws on education, crime, and religion.

To mark his appointment to the Warner-Booker Distinguished Professor of International Law chair, professor A. E. Dick Howard gives a lecture describing lessons he has drawn from his personal experiences in the realm of constitutional law. He recounts his role in the drafting and adoption of the Virginia Constitution, his time comparing notes with constitution-makers in post-communist Central and Eastern Europe, and his observations on marking the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. (University of Virginia School of Law, March 23, 2018)