I have a Bloglines feeder so as to keep up with all the important and silly postings of the day without having to go to so many websites (sorry for all your counters out there).
In the feeder you can save some posts. I have saved some posts for a variety of reasons, perhaps you can guess why, perhaps I dont even know why. Here are some posts I saved:
1. Life in Sugar Hollow's things one can plant in June; now that it is August, I wonder what I can plant, I felt so optimistic in June that perhaps I could grow something...I have given up on that thought for the year.
2. Eat Air's "A Week of Breakfast" - so he made breakfast all week and took delicious photos of them and provided the recipes. I thought I could use this to persuade Chris to make me breakfast, but I havent had time to tell him about this, perhaps he will read this post now.
3. Cville Tomorrow's LWV Groundwater Presentation podcast and discussion. I really wanted to go to this presentation, but couldnt, and I really want to listen to this podcast, but I havent, I promise I will though.
4. Buddha on the Road's A Month of Sundays. Sad, sweet, July is a hard month in our household and for some reason this post helped.
5. STLWorkingMom's "I'm Going to BlogHer" I guess I can delete this one now, she went, she had fun, I stayed home and went to a 6 year old bday party :)
6. STLWorkingMom's "Because I am a Blogger" I am a big fan of Marijean so of course a lot of her posts are saved, heck and I am even mentioned in this one. I would like to write a post like this one day...I have been given so much as a result of blogging in the cvilleblogs community.
7. CvilleBikeandTri's "We are not our Sports Dopers" his outrage mirrors mine and he speaks it succinctly and angrily. Thanks for that Craig.
8. Vale of Evening Fog's "C Stands for a Collection of Things" simply poetic and nice photos.
9. Black and White check out his almost daily photos today's is spectacular "Up River and Down River" and yesterday's "Kevin" hey, I know that guy. Bill's photos are simple, yet deep.
10. Duane Gran's Log of Thoughts "Housing and the Law of Supply and Demand" Duane is so smart, and I keep meaning to read this dense post.
11. RealCrozetVa "Homesick for Crozet" I didnt grow up in Crozet this long ago, but I remember Seals and Kristie's family running the IGA, orange soda and pizza from Sal's on Friday nights and walking on the road for miles and never having a car pass you.
12. RealCentralVa I have a lot of posts saved from Jim's blog- he always provides excellent analysis of whatever he is discussing, also I like his links to other articles of interest. So here and here and here and here are some of my favorites.
13. Waldo Jaquith's blog- "Top 8 photos of 2006"- this was the first post I ever saved, I love these photos. Waldo recommended the "Get Rich Slowly" (GRS) which is in my feeder, but I am keeping this to the cvilleblogs and here is a post he liked from GRS. I appreciated his comments on "When Green is Not Green" and finally yesterday's "China's Bond Threat" something I am increasingly worried about.
This may seem like an all-encompassing list, but it isnt.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Cycling News...
CyclingNews is one of my favorite websites. It is updated frequently and always gets me the exciting and depressing news of cycling promptly. Tonight, thinking I was unlikely to find anything new...I found this news.
The lowlights
Another teammate of Vino has tested positive for blood doping in a surprise check on Aug. 1. Idiot.
Alberto Contador, the winner of the Tour de France after Rasmussen was forced to leave the Tour because of his stupidity, is making an announcement with Johann Bruynel on Friday. That cannot be good for the sport- or can it?
The sport is no longer about cycling, it is about who has been caught. It makes me sick. I look forward to racing being in the news again soon- perhaps at the Vuelta? Optimism is certainly my achilles heel (and what people find most annoying about me).
The lowlights
Another teammate of Vino has tested positive for blood doping in a surprise check on Aug. 1. Idiot.
Alberto Contador, the winner of the Tour de France after Rasmussen was forced to leave the Tour because of his stupidity, is making an announcement with Johann Bruynel on Friday. That cannot be good for the sport- or can it?
The sport is no longer about cycling, it is about who has been caught. It makes me sick. I look forward to racing being in the news again soon- perhaps at the Vuelta? Optimism is certainly my achilles heel (and what people find most annoying about me).
Query
John wants me to ask this question out loud, he is the creator of the question, and we should all be asking it. Given Jim Gilmore and Tom Davis's front page rejection of the CRF aka abusive driver fees, do they then support an increase in taxes to fund transportation needs, specifically a .10 cent gas tax since that is what the CRFs were trying to avoid?
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Argentina Article
Fascinating article in the International Herald Tribune on the anxiety of Argentine Jews with the increasingly close relationship between Venezuela and Argentina.
According to the article, an invigorated investigation into the 1994 bombing of the Embassy in Buenos Aires has revealed the bombing may have been initiated in Iran. Chavez's close ties to Iran and Argentina's increasing reliance on Chavez for refinancing its debt and supporting its energy needs has led to concerns by Argentinian Jews.
Argentina has a sad and long history of anti-Semitism. The current president, along with his wife, who is slated to be the next president in an election later this year (there will be an election so she may actually lose) have been playing both sides of the issue (I dont mean that too maliciously). Economic security is desperately needed by the Argentinians. American and Europe have not stepped up, where else are they to go? It seemed like a bad investment at the time to prop up Argentina's economy, but looking back, the people of Argentina may revere Chavez more than the USA (and they loved Clinton). We have come a long way, baby, just the wrong way.
I was in Argentina in 1996, boom time for them. The place is fantastic, but there is a layer of darkness, a willingness to latch on to the nearest thing that is not drowning (where anti-Semitism, classism, racism and economic dispair persists). In 1996, the people I met where very excited because President Clinton planned on allowing Argentinians to enter the US without a visa. This demonstrated to the Argentinian people a real equality, as though it were moving beyond the third world and an honor. The Argentinians are very proud people, the world turned its back on them, and to the country that didnt, go the spoils. After this next election, if it isnt too late, I want real foreign policy, that brings people to the side of democracy and freedom, not one that alienates whole regions and populations against us.
According to the article, an invigorated investigation into the 1994 bombing of the Embassy in Buenos Aires has revealed the bombing may have been initiated in Iran. Chavez's close ties to Iran and Argentina's increasing reliance on Chavez for refinancing its debt and supporting its energy needs has led to concerns by Argentinian Jews.
Argentina has a sad and long history of anti-Semitism. The current president, along with his wife, who is slated to be the next president in an election later this year (there will be an election so she may actually lose) have been playing both sides of the issue (I dont mean that too maliciously). Economic security is desperately needed by the Argentinians. American and Europe have not stepped up, where else are they to go? It seemed like a bad investment at the time to prop up Argentina's economy, but looking back, the people of Argentina may revere Chavez more than the USA (and they loved Clinton). We have come a long way, baby, just the wrong way.
I was in Argentina in 1996, boom time for them. The place is fantastic, but there is a layer of darkness, a willingness to latch on to the nearest thing that is not drowning (where anti-Semitism, classism, racism and economic dispair persists). In 1996, the people I met where very excited because President Clinton planned on allowing Argentinians to enter the US without a visa. This demonstrated to the Argentinian people a real equality, as though it were moving beyond the third world and an honor. The Argentinians are very proud people, the world turned its back on them, and to the country that didnt, go the spoils. After this next election, if it isnt too late, I want real foreign policy, that brings people to the side of democracy and freedom, not one that alienates whole regions and populations against us.
Slush fund reference
This post at www.cvillenews.com provided the descriptive 'slush fund' reference in my previous post. I support the current allocation because of the rigorous vetting it went through with staff and the HAC. I understand the HAC (housing advisory committee) reviewed these proposals- two grants went to PHA (Piedmont Housing Alliance) and one went to Habitat (more money went to Habitat). All three proposals support affordable housing efforts in the City.
HAC and CAHIP initiatives have provided sunshine for well-intentioned programs that in the past, were shrouded in secrecy, this no doubt leaves a bitter aftertaste. E.g. It probably feels a little late to be finding out about this money for groups like AHIP and other housing non-profits who have struggled mightly trying to serve its constituents. It is unfortunate process was not valued in the past, I believe the City is headed generally in the right direction with respect to process and citizen input. I believe it is our responsibility to make sure input and process are a normal part of operations in the City. So in the past this may have been slush fund money, today this is not the case.
HAC and CAHIP initiatives have provided sunshine for well-intentioned programs that in the past, were shrouded in secrecy, this no doubt leaves a bitter aftertaste. E.g. It probably feels a little late to be finding out about this money for groups like AHIP and other housing non-profits who have struggled mightly trying to serve its constituents. It is unfortunate process was not valued in the past, I believe the City is headed generally in the right direction with respect to process and citizen input. I believe it is our responsibility to make sure input and process are a normal part of operations in the City. So in the past this may have been slush fund money, today this is not the case.
Headlines from City Council Meeting
Some headlines from last night's meeting- any reporter will tell you that the headlines are not written by them and frequently dont reflect the actual story- so there is the qualifier.
"$439,000 from the Slush Fund doled out to affordable housing projects"
"$850,000 loan from CAHIP help local developer buy Dogwood Properties, Saves 55 families from imminent eviction"
No non-profit could make this work, this loan provides at least 5 years of affordability for the families.
"Charlottesville Industrial Development Authority Renamed Charlottesville Economic Development Authority" that is to reflect that changing focus from industrial development to economic development.
"5 Years Later, City turns Jefferson School Over to Partnership to Applause"
"New (draft) Comprehensive Plan Adopted"
Dont worry it can be changed, it is a fluid document- common response to questions concerning mistakes and issues citizens have with the document. Query- has the plan ever actually been changed? Not to my admittedly limited experience. The plan is used to justify Capital Improvements and projects brought before the Planning Commission. PC has been working for two and a half years on this document, Council approved it with the final draft pending.
"8th Street & West Main Street Intersection Still Not Safe for Drivers According to Local Resident"
Interestingly, Mr. Gaines came before Council for the third time in about three months or so. In a recent Council meeting Council agreed not to change the parking/loading zone situation, but to request the police enforce the parking rules on that block. Turns out, according to Mr. Gaines, this hasnt really helped visibility for people turning onto W. Main Street. Interestingly, Council agreed staff should look into the matter again.
"Confusion leads to Definitive Direction for Staff on Camera Issue"
Under New Business- or is it Other Business another discussion of cameras on the downtown mall. Dave Norris publicized a letter sent by the Rutherford Institute (defenders of the Constitution) indicating it could help draft policies related to a public camera system on the mall that may protect liberties. Norris and other councilors seemed interested in Rutherford's assistance. This led to a discussion on what was approved last Council meeting and what the understanding of the Council now was. Anyway, it seems staff wanted to present everything to Council as a package, package being defined as policy and bids; but some Councilors want to have the policy first because it may dictate the bid proposals.
"$439,000 from the Slush Fund doled out to affordable housing projects"
"$850,000 loan from CAHIP help local developer buy Dogwood Properties, Saves 55 families from imminent eviction"
No non-profit could make this work, this loan provides at least 5 years of affordability for the families.
"Charlottesville Industrial Development Authority Renamed Charlottesville Economic Development Authority" that is to reflect that changing focus from industrial development to economic development.
"5 Years Later, City turns Jefferson School Over to Partnership to Applause"
"New (draft) Comprehensive Plan Adopted"
Dont worry it can be changed, it is a fluid document- common response to questions concerning mistakes and issues citizens have with the document. Query- has the plan ever actually been changed? Not to my admittedly limited experience. The plan is used to justify Capital Improvements and projects brought before the Planning Commission. PC has been working for two and a half years on this document, Council approved it with the final draft pending.
"8th Street & West Main Street Intersection Still Not Safe for Drivers According to Local Resident"
Interestingly, Mr. Gaines came before Council for the third time in about three months or so. In a recent Council meeting Council agreed not to change the parking/loading zone situation, but to request the police enforce the parking rules on that block. Turns out, according to Mr. Gaines, this hasnt really helped visibility for people turning onto W. Main Street. Interestingly, Council agreed staff should look into the matter again.
"Confusion leads to Definitive Direction for Staff on Camera Issue"
Under New Business- or is it Other Business another discussion of cameras on the downtown mall. Dave Norris publicized a letter sent by the Rutherford Institute (defenders of the Constitution) indicating it could help draft policies related to a public camera system on the mall that may protect liberties. Norris and other councilors seemed interested in Rutherford's assistance. This led to a discussion on what was approved last Council meeting and what the understanding of the Council now was. Anyway, it seems staff wanted to present everything to Council as a package, package being defined as policy and bids; but some Councilors want to have the policy first because it may dictate the bid proposals.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Another disturbing recall
These recalls become much more important when you become a parent. The boys each had their birthdays this summer- and Dora/Diego are their favorites- no doubt some of the toys will have to go back, just like the Thomas trains did a few months ago. Why is lead in paint even an issue nowadays? It is archaic to use it, but what the heck do I know. Please stop poisoning my children- if it isnt lead it is mercury, if not that, then pesticides, or fat or commercials it is a lot to overcome and fight as a parent.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Boys at Cycling
When we get to Chris's bike races, it is typically boiling hot and we never have enough to eat or drink (three years into this, you would think I could prepare perfectly- what is wrong with me?). The Chantilly Crit was no different for the most part. Thankfully, there was shade on the course and I had brought enough food to last till the end of the race. Also it was good we sat where we did because an crash on the last lap sent people and bikes flying through the air near very scared children. Last check everyone is fine and we didnt have to see it.
We were out of water at the end of the race so we had to stop and get a whole gallon of water at the gas station for the four of us. Chris did fine in the race. He has started helping to train the Boys&Girls Club Century Challengers. Of course now that I say that he wont be there for awhile since he is busy the next couple of weeks. This photo is of the boys after a long day of racing ('go daddy' 'go Evo' 'you can do it') they are excellent cheerers. We really dont have much to play with at these races, so the car is where they play before or after it, and they love to be photographed by mommy ('can I see?' is frequently the refrain).
Pedicure
I am trying to make this look fashionable. I hate painting my toenails- the job never lasts long and I am terrible at it. Also, I have no money for pedicures when I have two boys entering preschool. So I have bare nails, and I still wear sandals (with pants no less). I know I will never be the fashion maven I know I am on the inside. sigh
Actually- I have taken these photos with my treo 650 when I am bored. The floor on that one photo was pretty cool too.- now where did I take that?
Man, it is tough to be a fan
About ten minutes ago I wondered over to www.cyclingnews.com to hear some rest day news. Sadly the headline read "Vino positive rocks Tour".
And now I am just bummed. The whole team withdrew- two top ten riders (not vino but certainly doping...right?) on this team are now on their way home.
I have a love/hate relationship with the tour. Love the triumph and hard work, Hate the cheating. My neighbor states the cheating is just as important as training for these riders so he isnt too concerned about it- the deal is not to get caught. Perhaps willful ignorance is best, but I have to believe in clean riders and a clean sport so that my boys will be clean.
David at 4 years old is riding 'superbly' (as Phil Liggett would say) without his training wheels. Andrew has a bike with no pedals but balances so well and he isnt afraid of the downhills. Ben King is this great local rider who has a bright future in the sport. These boys shouldnt have to compete against cheaters, even if the cheaters provide the drama and triumph we want in sports.
VS. the tv station showing the Tour showed an ad for chest/back acne- I know disgusting. Chris said 'that isnt right', in my ignorance I said 'what?' he said body acne is associated with steriod use so we know who they are targeting. I have a sick feeling in my stomach and it is from doping- other people's doping (OPD).
And now I am just bummed. The whole team withdrew- two top ten riders (not vino but certainly doping...right?) on this team are now on their way home.
I have a love/hate relationship with the tour. Love the triumph and hard work, Hate the cheating. My neighbor states the cheating is just as important as training for these riders so he isnt too concerned about it- the deal is not to get caught. Perhaps willful ignorance is best, but I have to believe in clean riders and a clean sport so that my boys will be clean.
David at 4 years old is riding 'superbly' (as Phil Liggett would say) without his training wheels. Andrew has a bike with no pedals but balances so well and he isnt afraid of the downhills. Ben King is this great local rider who has a bright future in the sport. These boys shouldnt have to compete against cheaters, even if the cheaters provide the drama and triumph we want in sports.
VS. the tv station showing the Tour showed an ad for chest/back acne- I know disgusting. Chris said 'that isnt right', in my ignorance I said 'what?' he said body acne is associated with steriod use so we know who they are targeting. I have a sick feeling in my stomach and it is from doping- other people's doping (OPD).
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
The joys of curbside recycling
Here is a photo of our recycling this morning. This is two weeks worth (we can never get our act together to do the trash/recycling weekly). Anyway, two weeks = two big trash cans full of recycling (cardboard, plastic, glass, cans)- the newspapers didnt make it out either.
SO the lesson is twofold.
1. You can save money by recycling, those two trash cans are worth $4.00 of trash stickers (or so). And all you have to do it put the recycling curbside.
2. HOWEVER, the recycling people didnt actually take these cans- why? I dunno, our theories include no sign that indicates recycle (just the obvious cardboard and plastic hanging out) OR the recycling wasnt separated (but I dont think so since we have had mixed recycling taken before).
Given the expansion of curbside of recycling, the containers provided by the recycle folks doesnt really seem to cover it anymore. What is a person to do with all the recycling so the company will take it? ... anyone?
Seriously though, I am sold on the moneysaving aspect of recycling (even if I have to go to the Recycle Center to dispose of it).
And Finally...
Two more topics to discuss related to Monday's City Council meetings.
In a previous post, I discussed Councilor Hamilton's other business topic- racial disparities in mortgage lending (see Peter Kleeman's interesting post on the subject). However, Mr. Taliferro had some other business. His two concerns were police bonuses and trash collection.
Trash collection has been a major concern for Taliferro has mentioned it publicly at least three times in the past six weeks. This time he commended the City Manager for doing a survey- he believes it is a step in the right direction. He went on to tell the story of garbage pickup over the past thirty, forty years. He said at first the trash would be picked up twice a week (really?) by the City, then once a week, then privatizing became a big fad and the City went to stickers and private pickup. Now he says "we don’t do a good job anymore, we lost control of a private service and the service has deteriorated." Also he asked "when the contract comes up again, are we anticipating a price increase?"
The City Manager responded that the contract would be coming up for bid in the Spring and in addition to the survey currently undertaken, the City has a full-time employee following the garbage trucks around to inspect quality (which elicited a "poor thing" from Hamilton).
Taliferro is concerned that the private company will "jack up" the rates for the City and the residents will be left with terrible service and high prices. Hamilton asked whether it was possible to write a new contract that would penalize poor performance. The City Manager quickly ruled that out with "not really, [private company] can give you a bunch of reasons why things aren’t going well and it is hard to monitor these sort of things."
Taliferro then explained it may be cheaper to bring trash collection back in house. He cited the cost of the full-time employee and managing the complaints as reasons it should be looked at during the contract period. He conceded that at the time the decision was made it may have been a good deal but with the quality of service going down and the price continuing to rise, it may no longer be.
The next topic. The police department, among other departments are permitted by a resolution passed two years ago to give sign on bonuses. Taliferro is very concerned that the morale of the officers will be lowered because newbies getting these bonuses will be making more than their longer time colleagues. City Manager tried to reassure Taliferro that the City looks closely at this compression issue regularly and makes adjustments for it. Taliferro said he takes issue with the City Manager because he said it happens regularly. City Manager stated the signing bonus was used only once in the past two years.
The Daily Progress' Seth Rosen and Cville Tomorrow's Sean Tubbs provides a nice summary + podcast of the evenings festivities specifically related to McIntire/MCPW easement and stormwater management (DP/Cville Tomorrow) and cameras on the downtown mall (DP) and dont forget cvillenews.com for thoughtful, provocative discussion.
In a previous post, I discussed Councilor Hamilton's other business topic- racial disparities in mortgage lending (see Peter Kleeman's interesting post on the subject). However, Mr. Taliferro had some other business. His two concerns were police bonuses and trash collection.
Trash collection has been a major concern for Taliferro has mentioned it publicly at least three times in the past six weeks. This time he commended the City Manager for doing a survey- he believes it is a step in the right direction. He went on to tell the story of garbage pickup over the past thirty, forty years. He said at first the trash would be picked up twice a week (really?) by the City, then once a week, then privatizing became a big fad and the City went to stickers and private pickup. Now he says "we don’t do a good job anymore, we lost control of a private service and the service has deteriorated." Also he asked "when the contract comes up again, are we anticipating a price increase?"
The City Manager responded that the contract would be coming up for bid in the Spring and in addition to the survey currently undertaken, the City has a full-time employee following the garbage trucks around to inspect quality (which elicited a "poor thing" from Hamilton).
Taliferro is concerned that the private company will "jack up" the rates for the City and the residents will be left with terrible service and high prices. Hamilton asked whether it was possible to write a new contract that would penalize poor performance. The City Manager quickly ruled that out with "not really, [private company] can give you a bunch of reasons why things aren’t going well and it is hard to monitor these sort of things."
Taliferro then explained it may be cheaper to bring trash collection back in house. He cited the cost of the full-time employee and managing the complaints as reasons it should be looked at during the contract period. He conceded that at the time the decision was made it may have been a good deal but with the quality of service going down and the price continuing to rise, it may no longer be.
The next topic. The police department, among other departments are permitted by a resolution passed two years ago to give sign on bonuses. Taliferro is very concerned that the morale of the officers will be lowered because newbies getting these bonuses will be making more than their longer time colleagues. City Manager tried to reassure Taliferro that the City looks closely at this compression issue regularly and makes adjustments for it. Taliferro said he takes issue with the City Manager because he said it happens regularly. City Manager stated the signing bonus was used only once in the past two years.
The Daily Progress' Seth Rosen and Cville Tomorrow's Sean Tubbs provides a nice summary + podcast of the evenings festivities specifically related to McIntire/MCPW easement and stormwater management (DP/Cville Tomorrow) and cameras on the downtown mall (DP) and dont forget cvillenews.com for thoughtful, provocative discussion.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Cameras Downtown?
Last night’s Council meeting was pretty serious, so not too many light hearted moments. One particular moment was during the camera discussion at the end of the meeting. For all those paying attention who said something approximating “I don’t know if they want to turn us into the Real World Charlottesville?” *
Lengthy discussion on cvillenews about the need for cameras versus right to privacy. To be fair, Kevin Lynch did mention that Council would be discussing cameras during the response to the public period of the agenda.
Council agreed to seek proposals for funding and placement of the cameras downtown. The discussion started with the City Manager reiterating some issues outlined in a memo- including how to pay for cameras, possible locations. Ultimately he sought and gained approval by Council to receive bids for specific locations. I apparently missed Hamilton’s initial comments-apologies.
Highlights of the discussion on whether to have cameras on the Mall:
Taliaferro- supports concept, delicate balance, but in the interest of public safety we need to take advantage of technology to prevent attacks.
Norris- Given the discussion at cvillenews, Dave suggested putting the images on the internet so anyone can be watching at anytime. Chief responded that he had a conversation with a local developer about this idea as a way to market the downtown mall, something to consider when developing the use policy for this surveillance (which also has to include, who will access, how long retained, etc.). Chief also mentioned that he has met with a lot of people (12), mostly elderly who are very concerned about being victimized and this is one way to leverage technology to the department’s advantage.
Lynch- concerned – he quoted an article in the Economist regarding cameras in Great Britain but I didn’t catch it, perhaps someone can fill in that blank because people laughed. And then he said something like this “if I feel the need to scratch myself I don’t want everyone to be able to see it.” How we use the technology is key, he wants a strict use policy.
Brown- sees a consensus to move forward, doesnt believe it will prevent crimes, not a whole lot of evidence that there is a preventative aspect to cameras. It merely reassures people that we are doing something. Will it actually help solve crimes- are there examples for which this tool would be useful in crimes that are unsolved? Concerned that we give up our id info so easily. Good evidence that this will do something not just something we are doing, not clear it is worth the personal liberty.
Norris- if he had to prioritize cameras, he would rank cameras as a lower priority and not a stand alone solution. His priorities are 1. police presence 2. neighborhood outreach 3. School Resource Officers.
Kevin- could be moved around, don’t want them everywhere, just some places. He cited his high school where the fear was the bathroom actually had cameras so the students didn’t do anything wrong in there. Additionally, he wants a tight policy document, that commits to prevention rather than reaction.
An aside, but perhaps the crux: Regarding the media- particularly the tv media’s obsession with the ‘surge’ in crime downtown by the roaming packs of teenagers wearing baggy jeans and large white t-shirts. Holly Edwards made the point that the media never seems to balance negative news with positive or other news about African American life in Charlottesville. She pointed to two events this weekend that made very little news but were in fact possibly newsworthy. One was a Father-Son fair at Burley and the other was Parks & Recreation’s “Evening in the Park” at Tonsler Park held on Saturday. Both were incredibly successful and widely attended and were the first time these events happened in this way. The next community gathering is 8/25 from 5:30-9:30 at Washington Park. I am proud the Parks department is investing in this type of community building. I would appreciate it if the MSM would cover such events to lend some balance to the view of our city and its residents. I will be doing a better job with this as well.
*Kendra Hamilton
Update- cvillenew's post on cameras has an insightful comment by the Mayor- and I clarified my post to make his comments more readable.
Lengthy discussion on cvillenews about the need for cameras versus right to privacy. To be fair, Kevin Lynch did mention that Council would be discussing cameras during the response to the public period of the agenda.
Council agreed to seek proposals for funding and placement of the cameras downtown. The discussion started with the City Manager reiterating some issues outlined in a memo- including how to pay for cameras, possible locations. Ultimately he sought and gained approval by Council to receive bids for specific locations. I apparently missed Hamilton’s initial comments-apologies.
Highlights of the discussion on whether to have cameras on the Mall:
Taliaferro- supports concept, delicate balance, but in the interest of public safety we need to take advantage of technology to prevent attacks.
Norris- Given the discussion at cvillenews, Dave suggested putting the images on the internet so anyone can be watching at anytime. Chief responded that he had a conversation with a local developer about this idea as a way to market the downtown mall, something to consider when developing the use policy for this surveillance (which also has to include, who will access, how long retained, etc.). Chief also mentioned that he has met with a lot of people (12), mostly elderly who are very concerned about being victimized and this is one way to leverage technology to the department’s advantage.
Lynch- concerned – he quoted an article in the Economist regarding cameras in Great Britain but I didn’t catch it, perhaps someone can fill in that blank because people laughed. And then he said something like this “if I feel the need to scratch myself I don’t want everyone to be able to see it.” How we use the technology is key, he wants a strict use policy.
Brown- sees a consensus to move forward, doesnt believe it will prevent crimes, not a whole lot of evidence that there is a preventative aspect to cameras. It merely reassures people that we are doing something. Will it actually help solve crimes- are there examples for which this tool would be useful in crimes that are unsolved? Concerned that we give up our id info so easily. Good evidence that this will do something not just something we are doing, not clear it is worth the personal liberty.
Norris- if he had to prioritize cameras, he would rank cameras as a lower priority and not a stand alone solution. His priorities are 1. police presence 2. neighborhood outreach 3. School Resource Officers.
Kevin- could be moved around, don’t want them everywhere, just some places. He cited his high school where the fear was the bathroom actually had cameras so the students didn’t do anything wrong in there. Additionally, he wants a tight policy document, that commits to prevention rather than reaction.
An aside, but perhaps the crux: Regarding the media- particularly the tv media’s obsession with the ‘surge’ in crime downtown by the roaming packs of teenagers wearing baggy jeans and large white t-shirts. Holly Edwards made the point that the media never seems to balance negative news with positive or other news about African American life in Charlottesville. She pointed to two events this weekend that made very little news but were in fact possibly newsworthy. One was a Father-Son fair at Burley and the other was Parks & Recreation’s “Evening in the Park” at Tonsler Park held on Saturday. Both were incredibly successful and widely attended and were the first time these events happened in this way. The next community gathering is 8/25 from 5:30-9:30 at Washington Park. I am proud the Parks department is investing in this type of community building. I would appreciate it if the MSM would cover such events to lend some balance to the view of our city and its residents. I will be doing a better job with this as well.
*Kendra Hamilton
Update- cvillenew's post on cameras has an insightful comment by the Mayor- and I clarified my post to make his comments more readable.
Council July 16th Prologue
A lot of times people come to Council meetings for their particular issues, then leave. I respect and appreciate that, but let me tell you the most interesting stuff happens 'off agenda' under "Other Business". I stay just so I can hear the other business. Sometimes Councilors will give an indication of what they want to discuss under "Other Business".
Last night, the first thing Councilor Hamilton stated, she wanted to speak to the racial disparities in mortgage lending in this town (we are last in the country as reported by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition Report). It is shameful for the City to be tied with Durham, NC, a corrupt and desolate place for minorities.
The discussion was helped by the presence of Dr. Rick Turner, president of the local NAACP chapter. A summary of his comments (from my weak notes) the second thing he wanted to discuss is the "recent published study nationwide disparity; feels compelled to speak out on alarming report- tarnishes our reputation of #1 city in the US. Wake up call for moderate and upper income African Americans, challenge to work together, identify lending companies and steering of higher cost loans, please call 220-1493 NAACP in Charlottesville." Here is one of cvillenew's posts on the matter and the lengthy, informative discussion that follows (there are two posts). No matter what, Cville has to do better.
BTW- the first thing he came to discuss was the "no parking" signs in the South First Street neighborhood- feels this is a violation of the City Code because no public input on this issue in the neighborhood. I couldnt agree more. I appreciate that the police department hears complaints from residents and wants to take remedial action (and some neighbors want these signs) immediately. All I ask and I think all the public asks is to follow the process already in place to protect the City and to educate the residents. If it is needed so emergently then all the neighbors will quickly let the department know in the public process.
I am not just saying all of this about 'off agenda' items because I was appointed to the Vendor Appeals Board under other business. (YEAH ME! Although the first thing I did when I got home was figure out what I got myself into) BUT a discussion occurred that I think is important for the public to know- cameras on the downtown mall. During stage 1 of the next post I will talk about what came from that discussion (think "Real World Charlottesville" how is that for a tease?).
Last night, the first thing Councilor Hamilton stated, she wanted to speak to the racial disparities in mortgage lending in this town (we are last in the country as reported by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition Report). It is shameful for the City to be tied with Durham, NC, a corrupt and desolate place for minorities.
The discussion was helped by the presence of Dr. Rick Turner, president of the local NAACP chapter. A summary of his comments (from my weak notes) the second thing he wanted to discuss is the "recent published study nationwide disparity; feels compelled to speak out on alarming report- tarnishes our reputation of #1 city in the US. Wake up call for moderate and upper income African Americans, challenge to work together, identify lending companies and steering of higher cost loans, please call 220-1493 NAACP in Charlottesville." Here is one of cvillenew's posts on the matter and the lengthy, informative discussion that follows (there are two posts). No matter what, Cville has to do better.
BTW- the first thing he came to discuss was the "no parking" signs in the South First Street neighborhood- feels this is a violation of the City Code because no public input on this issue in the neighborhood. I couldnt agree more. I appreciate that the police department hears complaints from residents and wants to take remedial action (and some neighbors want these signs) immediately. All I ask and I think all the public asks is to follow the process already in place to protect the City and to educate the residents. If it is needed so emergently then all the neighbors will quickly let the department know in the public process.
I am not just saying all of this about 'off agenda' items because I was appointed to the Vendor Appeals Board under other business. (YEAH ME! Although the first thing I did when I got home was figure out what I got myself into) BUT a discussion occurred that I think is important for the public to know- cameras on the downtown mall. During stage 1 of the next post I will talk about what came from that discussion (think "Real World Charlottesville" how is that for a tease?).
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
CRF
My friend's daughter got a speeding ticket. Friend was telling me about it, the first thought I had was "civil remediation fee." I am certain this ticket does not qualify (72 in a 60 does not qualify as reckless which is over 80 or 15-20mph over the speed limit- not a traffic lawyer) for those fees but it does say something about the media campaign against it that this is the first thing I think of when someone mentions a traffic ticket.
Hard to believe these fees only apply to VA residents, seems an increase in gas tax would be more fair to those who use our roads, not that I have all the answers.
Hard to believe these fees only apply to VA residents, seems an increase in gas tax would be more fair to those who use our roads, not that I have all the answers.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Tour de France et al
Everyone knows I love July for the Tour. The problem with July is surfing the web- I just cant do it when I havent watched the live version of the Tour (that is one reason I will not be linking to anything in this post but see www.cyclingnews.com for all the latest). I went to the NYTimes website yesterday to see the news and found out Steegman won by accident. I hurriedly changed the screen and averted my eyes. I watched yesterday's stage this morning, after I read the Progress' coverage (which was an AP article) and Chris told me to watch it. I am grateful the Progress has had an article everyday of the Tour so far. The Tour in only three days has been dramatic as ever- performance enhancing scandals certainly are an undercurrent- but the drama is awesome.
Robbie McEwen won stage 1, after crashing with maybe 6 miles left to go, he injured his wrist and knee. His team helped him get back to the peloton and then with 20 metres to go he came into the screen and sped to victory. Chris was on the trainer at the time and I was screaming 'it's impossible' I love the Aussie sprinter who also claims Belgium as his second home, so I was thrilled.
I didnt watch the prologue (we were someplace that doesnt get VS, I couldnt believe it, how can people not be obsessed with the Tour? j/k). But since I am obsessed and I have a little device called the Treo 650 I queued up cyclingnews.com/pda live coverage and scrolled down. Apparently I didnt get to the end (typical) so I thought Kloden (Asatana) had won. But Cancellara (CSC) did and Hincapie (Discovery) came in 2nd (he was my pick for the prologue). I do worry about Asatana (mostly that there arent that many A's in that word) and its commitment to a drug free sport- fingers crossed the main GC contender, Vino is clean.
Robbie McEwen won stage 1, after crashing with maybe 6 miles left to go, he injured his wrist and knee. His team helped him get back to the peloton and then with 20 metres to go he came into the screen and sped to victory. Chris was on the trainer at the time and I was screaming 'it's impossible' I love the Aussie sprinter who also claims Belgium as his second home, so I was thrilled.
I didnt watch the prologue (we were someplace that doesnt get VS, I couldnt believe it, how can people not be obsessed with the Tour? j/k). But since I am obsessed and I have a little device called the Treo 650 I queued up cyclingnews.com/pda live coverage and scrolled down. Apparently I didnt get to the end (typical) so I thought Kloden (Asatana) had won. But Cancellara (CSC) did and Hincapie (Discovery) came in 2nd (he was my pick for the prologue). I do worry about Asatana (mostly that there arent that many A's in that word) and its commitment to a drug free sport- fingers crossed the main GC contender, Vino is clean.
Coffee poetry
Haiku for the Mudhouse:
Cafe au lait, please
We have no coffee right now
What? Is this a joke?
Cafe au lait, please
We have no coffee right now
What? Is this a joke?
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Iced Coffee
Since I love coffee, in the summer afternoons I love some ice coffee. At the Mudhouse the other day, I ordered Iced Coffee. The Mudhouse advertises cold brewed iced coffee. What could possibly be the difference, isnt iced coffee just supposed to be the leftover hot coffee? NO, no, no.
The flavor of cold brewed is significantly different AND really delicious. Even the NY Times is getting into the act with this article. Mudhouse is a real trendsetter in our small town.
Good thing I have the card-really who deals in cash anymore? Coming soon...the reviews of all the coffee shops in town, just kidding.
The flavor of cold brewed is significantly different AND really delicious. Even the NY Times is getting into the act with this article. Mudhouse is a real trendsetter in our small town.
Good thing I have the card-really who deals in cash anymore? Coming soon...the reviews of all the coffee shops in town, just kidding.
Monday, July 02, 2007
City Council July 2
City Council agenda can be found here (.pdf agenda). Agenda was short, only 6 or so items.
I decided to sit with the media, mostly because it is much more comfortable up there, not really. I thought I might put my considerable energies to giving folks a different take on the meeting. Perhaps I will do it again, perhaps not.
Nothing extraordinary at the meeting tonight, a few key decisions.
Let's play guess who said these statements?
In no particular order and the quotes are approximated.
1. "maybe we should try a surge"
2. "just a correction, the 43mph is not an average, it is the 15th percentile"
3. "the steering committee has had 9 meetings from Nov. 2005 to July 2007"
4. "We need to be more vigilant, effort by council, planning commission, City atty set some guidelines for compliance with this plan."
5. "'noise in progress' what does that mean?"
6. "...you are insulting every man and woman in this department..."
7. "$200 is stiff, $500 could be crippling"
Answers:
1. Kendra in discussing the proposed increase in traffic fines, ironic. Quite a welcome light-hearted moment in a relatively heated discussion.
2. David Brown correcting a comment made by a member of the public. I thought this was interesting.
3. The consultant from RKK discussing the numerous public meetings involved in this process of coming up with a recommended preferred design alternative to interchange. Honestly that doesnt seem like a lot to me (it is almost two years and only 9 meetings- the Parks & Rec advisory Board meets once a month, and we need to, and we are only advisory).
4. Peter Kleeman- Council decided to vote that the interchange designs were consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. This is the same comp.plan implemented in 2000. Peter Kleeman made this remark during the matters before the public. Dave Norris specifically asked Craig Brown during the discussion on the comp.plan issue whether there were any comp.plan guidelines-Dave made a funny by saying something like the compplan seems like the Bible in that it can be used to justify anything- Craig responded that he thought the analogy was extremely insightful. But I digress- there are no guidelines to determine whether something not in the comprehensive plan is compliant with the plan. It seems from this evenings activities that Dave and Peter are in favor of coming up with some guidelines. Kevin insists pedestrian access is in the comp. plan, which is true. BTW- Council/Planning Commission work session on July 10th 5-7 Council Chambers to discuss Comprehensive Plan 2007! Be there.
5. Julian - a great question related to the interchange report, the answer RKK provided that the noise analysis is in progress for the impact of the interchange on noise levels in the surrounding areas. Actually a lot of answers provided by RKK were "in process" "parallel process" "it will be done prior to the public hearing (actually 30 days prior to the hearing)" and "this is common practice, the way it is always done" and finally "it is a work in progress." This was really frustrating, thankfully we arent relying on these consultants to change the face of our City. Oh wait, the interchange is a unique opportunity. These consultants are doing a fine job. Having said that there are some real holes in the story that I hope will be filled prior to the Fall public hearing and the public will have solid answers instead of this mushy, bureaucratic fluff.
6. Chief Longo- in response to Kevin Lynch's comment, "writing speeding tickets in Charlottesville should be like shooting fish in a barrel"- a heated exchange. Chief Longo insists the additional fines will be another tool in the departments toolbox.
7. Kendra discussing the traffic fines, especially combined with the new state administrative fees- she voted to approve it, as did everyone.
I decided to sit with the media, mostly because it is much more comfortable up there, not really. I thought I might put my considerable energies to giving folks a different take on the meeting. Perhaps I will do it again, perhaps not.
Nothing extraordinary at the meeting tonight, a few key decisions.
Let's play guess who said these statements?
In no particular order and the quotes are approximated.
1. "maybe we should try a surge"
2. "just a correction, the 43mph is not an average, it is the 15th percentile"
3. "the steering committee has had 9 meetings from Nov. 2005 to July 2007"
4. "We need to be more vigilant, effort by council, planning commission, City atty set some guidelines for compliance with this plan."
5. "'noise in progress' what does that mean?"
6. "...you are insulting every man and woman in this department..."
7. "$200 is stiff, $500 could be crippling"
Answers:
1. Kendra in discussing the proposed increase in traffic fines, ironic. Quite a welcome light-hearted moment in a relatively heated discussion.
2. David Brown correcting a comment made by a member of the public. I thought this was interesting.
3. The consultant from RKK discussing the numerous public meetings involved in this process of coming up with a recommended preferred design alternative to interchange. Honestly that doesnt seem like a lot to me (it is almost two years and only 9 meetings- the Parks & Rec advisory Board meets once a month, and we need to, and we are only advisory).
4. Peter Kleeman- Council decided to vote that the interchange designs were consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. This is the same comp.plan implemented in 2000. Peter Kleeman made this remark during the matters before the public. Dave Norris specifically asked Craig Brown during the discussion on the comp.plan issue whether there were any comp.plan guidelines-Dave made a funny by saying something like the compplan seems like the Bible in that it can be used to justify anything- Craig responded that he thought the analogy was extremely insightful. But I digress- there are no guidelines to determine whether something not in the comprehensive plan is compliant with the plan. It seems from this evenings activities that Dave and Peter are in favor of coming up with some guidelines. Kevin insists pedestrian access is in the comp. plan, which is true. BTW- Council/Planning Commission work session on July 10th 5-7 Council Chambers to discuss Comprehensive Plan 2007! Be there.
5. Julian - a great question related to the interchange report, the answer RKK provided that the noise analysis is in progress for the impact of the interchange on noise levels in the surrounding areas. Actually a lot of answers provided by RKK were "in process" "parallel process" "it will be done prior to the public hearing (actually 30 days prior to the hearing)" and "this is common practice, the way it is always done" and finally "it is a work in progress." This was really frustrating, thankfully we arent relying on these consultants to change the face of our City. Oh wait, the interchange is a unique opportunity. These consultants are doing a fine job. Having said that there are some real holes in the story that I hope will be filled prior to the Fall public hearing and the public will have solid answers instead of this mushy, bureaucratic fluff.
6. Chief Longo- in response to Kevin Lynch's comment, "writing speeding tickets in Charlottesville should be like shooting fish in a barrel"- a heated exchange. Chief Longo insists the additional fines will be another tool in the departments toolbox.
7. Kendra discussing the traffic fines, especially combined with the new state administrative fees- she voted to approve it, as did everyone.
Scooter sentence commuted
This is the end...right, he has to be resigning right? His domestic agenda is dead, his foreign policy is a failure, and he is in bed with all the industries that harm Americans (oil, arms, etc.) This president is so corrupt. No one talk to me about lying about sex in the 90s, this guy lies about everything, kills thousands of Americans and destroys the bill of rights. He does recognize the one right he has- despicable.
What is the point of the justice system? Cant the guy spend some time in jail? He lied to a federal grand jury, do you think Bush will commute other sentences? I doubt it, I am in shock, terribly disappointed and raging angry.
This president has brought this country down so low and what has he actually gained from it? I love my country, and my country(wo)men- Bush has no respect for us.
What is the point of the justice system? Cant the guy spend some time in jail? He lied to a federal grand jury, do you think Bush will commute other sentences? I doubt it, I am in shock, terribly disappointed and raging angry.
This president has brought this country down so low and what has he actually gained from it? I love my country, and my country(wo)men- Bush has no respect for us.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Traffic tickets to increase
The WaPo last week reported last week the fees that will be attached to certain, relatively routine traffic violations in Virginia starting July 1. I did not read these articles- just the headlines and perhaps a lead sentence (reckless driving is included).
HOWEVER- I did attend the City Council meeting last week- Council discussed a $200 increase in speeding tickets on certain roads in Charlottesville. These roads included Old Lynchburg, Avon, and some lesser known roads. I received a call today from a resident discussing this particular issue. To be honest, I had not considered this ordinance very carefully. After the call I decided to look more closely at the issue.
One bias I want everyone to be aware of, I took a tour of the JPA/Fry's Spring area with Jeanne Chase recently and I would support this increase for that road. PLEASE STOP SPEEDING ON OLD LYNCHBURG ROAD- there are no sidewalks, or shoulders. So I feel pretty comfortable with the data I have on OLR that an increase may serve as a deterrent.
Now I want to see what data supports this increase on other roads. On page 39 of the supporting materials the memo explains: "Virginia Code Section 46.2-878.2 allows local governments to develop criteria for the installation of signs indicating an additional $200 fine beyond other penalties provided by law. Generally, the road must be within a residence district; have a functional classification of minor arterial, collector or local street; and experience documented speeding problems. The VDOT Board of Supervisors Manual 2007 provides additional guidance that the posted speed limit must be 35 mph or less." This is a classic "we can, so we should" thought.
The recommendation is "adopt Ordinance for the first phase of implementation including the six roads suggested above to be in place September 1st. Evaluate these roads after a six month trial period and determine their effectiveness and whether signs should be installed on additional streets." What grand criteria are we using to evaluate? None are specified.
It is unclear why this proposal comes forward- are the other things we can do? Have the police given up trying to get people to slow down? Again I understand for OLR, I may understand for Avon (85% percentile is 51 mph in 25/35mph zone- not clear what that means but it sounds bad). With all the other fees increasing, I do not support this as another revenue stream for the City or a particularly useful way to prevent speeding. See LLoyd's comments in the final opportunity for people to speak about the 'philosophy of criminology' (I just love that phrase).
Be sure to check to see whether your street is covered.
HOWEVER- I did attend the City Council meeting last week- Council discussed a $200 increase in speeding tickets on certain roads in Charlottesville. These roads included Old Lynchburg, Avon, and some lesser known roads. I received a call today from a resident discussing this particular issue. To be honest, I had not considered this ordinance very carefully. After the call I decided to look more closely at the issue.
One bias I want everyone to be aware of, I took a tour of the JPA/Fry's Spring area with Jeanne Chase recently and I would support this increase for that road. PLEASE STOP SPEEDING ON OLD LYNCHBURG ROAD- there are no sidewalks, or shoulders. So I feel pretty comfortable with the data I have on OLR that an increase may serve as a deterrent.
Now I want to see what data supports this increase on other roads. On page 39 of the supporting materials the memo explains: "Virginia Code Section 46.2-878.2 allows local governments to develop criteria for the installation of signs indicating an additional $200 fine beyond other penalties provided by law. Generally, the road must be within a residence district; have a functional classification of minor arterial, collector or local street; and experience documented speeding problems. The VDOT Board of Supervisors Manual 2007 provides additional guidance that the posted speed limit must be 35 mph or less." This is a classic "we can, so we should" thought.
The recommendation is "adopt Ordinance for the first phase of implementation including the six roads suggested above to be in place September 1st. Evaluate these roads after a six month trial period and determine their effectiveness and whether signs should be installed on additional streets." What grand criteria are we using to evaluate? None are specified.
It is unclear why this proposal comes forward- are the other things we can do? Have the police given up trying to get people to slow down? Again I understand for OLR, I may understand for Avon (85% percentile is 51 mph in 25/35mph zone- not clear what that means but it sounds bad). With all the other fees increasing, I do not support this as another revenue stream for the City or a particularly useful way to prevent speeding. See LLoyd's comments in the final opportunity for people to speak about the 'philosophy of criminology' (I just love that phrase).
Be sure to check to see whether your street is covered.
A take on NASCAR
This weekend traveling home from Durham through the Fifth District of Virginia, very little could be found on the radio dial except for racing. I had heard all about the Car of Tomorrow, first road race, and this newcomer Juan Pablo Montoya driving from my obsessive newspaper reading. Montoya is the real news- first he is Columbian and he has won a bunch of races in other cars (Formula One, Indy I dont know these may be the same, but he is an impressive racer apparently).
As you know I love sports and racing is growing on me as a sport. I value baseball for the slow pace- as a pastime. I can see how racing would be similar- an afternoon of drinking, relaxing with earphones on as cars crash, pit, refuel ("did they get new tires, 4 or 2- how fast?"), and pitcrews strategize. I can see how it would be fun.
Having said that, this weeks race was only 110 laps (as a road course, the track was over a mile long), but it seemed like forever. The last five laps were absolutely decisive and exciting (cars RAN OUT OF GAS on the course- it was pretty funny- although the commentators felt bad for the drivers). I think watching it on TV would be more interesting because I could not visualize the road course.
I enjoyed it- I was glad to have anything to listen to and I appreciate some outsiders (Montoya) coming into the sport/cars/race.
OH another thing- remember how it was the WInston Cup series for a hundred years or something crazy long? It has been Nextel for about a minute- next year it will be Sprint. Change is not overly welcome in this sport, but with COT, Montoya and the like perhaps it will be more open (and maybe I will be too).
As you know I love sports and racing is growing on me as a sport. I value baseball for the slow pace- as a pastime. I can see how racing would be similar- an afternoon of drinking, relaxing with earphones on as cars crash, pit, refuel ("did they get new tires, 4 or 2- how fast?"), and pitcrews strategize. I can see how it would be fun.
Having said that, this weeks race was only 110 laps (as a road course, the track was over a mile long), but it seemed like forever. The last five laps were absolutely decisive and exciting (cars RAN OUT OF GAS on the course- it was pretty funny- although the commentators felt bad for the drivers). I think watching it on TV would be more interesting because I could not visualize the road course.
I enjoyed it- I was glad to have anything to listen to and I appreciate some outsiders (Montoya) coming into the sport/cars/race.
OH another thing- remember how it was the WInston Cup series for a hundred years or something crazy long? It has been Nextel for about a minute- next year it will be Sprint. Change is not overly welcome in this sport, but with COT, Montoya and the like perhaps it will be more open (and maybe I will be too).
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
City Meetings
The Planning Commission will be working on the Comprehensive Plan at a July 10th meeting. More information can be found here. Comp Plan is the (alleged) basis for all the decisions the City makes for 5 years. Your input is vital/critical/mandated. The Comp Plan is where all the action is at, I recommend reviewing it and emailing/calling any or all of your Councilors your input. Or come to a public hearing.
Also- Parks & Rec work session will be held on July 9th from 5-7 (likely in the basement conference room of City Hall). The discussion will involve INDOOR rec facilities, collaboration with Boys&Girls Club and YMCA. Come here the ideas, then let any or all of your Councilors know what you think.
Also- Parks & Rec work session will be held on July 9th from 5-7 (likely in the basement conference room of City Hall). The discussion will involve INDOOR rec facilities, collaboration with Boys&Girls Club and YMCA. Come here the ideas, then let any or all of your Councilors know what you think.
Temper Tantrum
NO! Yahoo is reporting (probably through AP) that "The Army is considering whether it will have to extend the combat tours of troops in Iraq if President Bush opts to maintain the recent buildup of forces through spring 2008." Army troops are already spending 15 months in combat zones in Iraq- that is too much, unhealthy- today's troops are tomorrows' fathers, mothers, employees, Congress(wo)men, tax payers, government benefit recipients, and we need to protect the future. These policies are short-sighted, keep strict limits on combat deployment by recruiting more troops, if the Admin/military cant do that, then it is time to reconsider the policies/war.
AS I said in the Hook, the war is the subject most likely to cause me to rant. Today is worse than usual. The WaPo's article on the deficiencies of mental health service for returning soldiers indicates the complete lack of concern for soldiers by this Administration. I understand from today's Post that some things are being done to improve the situation- but does there always have to be a newspaper article for soldiers to be treated right?
Familes are suffering, police & fire departments are suffering, are young soldiers are suffering, the Iraqi people are suffering, what are we gaining, what are the Iraqis gaining?
When is our President going to face facts? IT is ok to admit you were wrong and to demonstrate leadership by asking for forgiveness and redressing the errors.
AS I said in the Hook, the war is the subject most likely to cause me to rant. Today is worse than usual. The WaPo's article on the deficiencies of mental health service for returning soldiers indicates the complete lack of concern for soldiers by this Administration. I understand from today's Post that some things are being done to improve the situation- but does there always have to be a newspaper article for soldiers to be treated right?
Familes are suffering, police & fire departments are suffering, are young soldiers are suffering, the Iraqi people are suffering, what are we gaining, what are the Iraqis gaining?
When is our President going to face facts? IT is ok to admit you were wrong and to demonstrate leadership by asking for forgiveness and redressing the errors.
News from the hospital front
Grandma Sherry emailed me! I just love calling her that, David and Andrew sound so cute when they say it. (David and Andrew are having a party soon, and when we asked who they want to invite- they say "Grandpa and Grandma Sherry", in addition to all their other grandmothers, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends).
She has been deployed to Germany for almost a month. She is my step-mother and an Air Force Nurse (I believe she is a major now). Her son has been in Iraq (Army) since October and her daughter recently got out of Iraq (Army- I think).
I admire her. Why? Well here is a little bit of her email:
"I love my job... Taking home our young people is such a privilege and blessing. They are so young, but so heroic in my eyes. They do not have bad attitudes and are proud to serve our country. When I talk with them about their injuries, they state that they are "just doing my job."
God Bless.
She has been deployed to Germany for almost a month. She is my step-mother and an Air Force Nurse (I believe she is a major now). Her son has been in Iraq (Army) since October and her daughter recently got out of Iraq (Army- I think).
I admire her. Why? Well here is a little bit of her email:
"I love my job... Taking home our young people is such a privilege and blessing. They are so young, but so heroic in my eyes. They do not have bad attitudes and are proud to serve our country. When I talk with them about their injuries, they state that they are "just doing my job."
God Bless.
9 firefighters die in warehouse fire
Inconceivable. Chris began volunteering in 1998. That first year, 6 firefighters in Massachusetts died in a warehouse fire. Several years later, over 300 fire, rescue and police were killed at the World Trade Centers. Last night, 9 died. All at one time.
Nine husbands, fathers, employees, brothers (because names have not been released, I dont know if any are women). Salt of the earth- why do firefighters rush in, when all the rest of us are trying to get out? The mindset is extraordinary. I ask Chris sometimes about it- he tells me the training prepares the firefighter. A firefighter (as Mr. Hughes is quick to remind, NOT fireman) trusts his/her crew and his/her training to know what to do inside that building, to save lives and property. It is a service police, rescue and fire provide us. Thank you.
I sincerely grieve for the families of those firefighters. As a reminder that this hits close to home, yesterday a lightening strike caused a house fire in Ivy, according to the local news, one firefighter was slightly injured in that blaze. Please be careful.
Nine husbands, fathers, employees, brothers (because names have not been released, I dont know if any are women). Salt of the earth- why do firefighters rush in, when all the rest of us are trying to get out? The mindset is extraordinary. I ask Chris sometimes about it- he tells me the training prepares the firefighter. A firefighter (as Mr. Hughes is quick to remind, NOT fireman) trusts his/her crew and his/her training to know what to do inside that building, to save lives and property. It is a service police, rescue and fire provide us. Thank you.
I sincerely grieve for the families of those firefighters. As a reminder that this hits close to home, yesterday a lightening strike caused a house fire in Ivy, according to the local news, one firefighter was slightly injured in that blaze. Please be careful.
Other goings on
Mom says she saw me on tv this morning- I was at the Council meeting and of course the cameras panned the room. I was thinking about bringing the laptop to council and blogging it. I opted not to since well the laptop was at the office and I wasnt, perhaps next time.
This weekend we went to the Monticello trail- honestly it was my first time hiking on the trail. I had a great time, Andrew was a trooper, David was NOT by any stretch of the imagination. He complained the entire time- even when we walked back to the car. I dont have much patience for it all- we walked about two miles (up hill for one mile, downhill the other mile). He wasnt distracted by sticks, bridges, water towers, creeks, cars or animals- just whining for an hour and a half. We really didnt mind it though- it was a beautiful day and we had an opportunity to do something as a family.
Now is your chance to get into the Coventry Commonwealth Games, held all over the state and all sorts of sports. The ice rink has a sign up now, it must be hosting something. Although the games are not for another month, I suppose I will have to look at the sign for that long. If you are involved in any support, whether you are good or not, you can qualify for the games- you should too! Chris did the bike racing last year, we had a great time cheering him on and he got a nice shirt.
This weekend we went to the Monticello trail- honestly it was my first time hiking on the trail. I had a great time, Andrew was a trooper, David was NOT by any stretch of the imagination. He complained the entire time- even when we walked back to the car. I dont have much patience for it all- we walked about two miles (up hill for one mile, downhill the other mile). He wasnt distracted by sticks, bridges, water towers, creeks, cars or animals- just whining for an hour and a half. We really didnt mind it though- it was a beautiful day and we had an opportunity to do something as a family.
Now is your chance to get into the Coventry Commonwealth Games, held all over the state and all sorts of sports. The ice rink has a sign up now, it must be hosting something. Although the games are not for another month, I suppose I will have to look at the sign for that long. If you are involved in any support, whether you are good or not, you can qualify for the games- you should too! Chris did the bike racing last year, we had a great time cheering him on and he got a nice shirt.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
News and violence
Outskirts reminded me of something I wanted to blog about. At lunch yesterday someone mentioned that WVIR channel 29 seeks to frighten people with all its mayhem news.
So last night, I was being my usual ADD self flipping channels until I found something interesting. Well on the news a reporter from WVIR was interviewing a former gang member whose thesis essentially was these random beatings are not initiation rituals for gangs (phew).
Given that relief, the reporter had to go on and state the former gang member told him gang members wear large white t-shirts and baggy jeans so people wont be able to identify them as easily. I am very disturbed by this since the actual former gang member didnt say it to the camera (it is not in the story I link to above) and it just breeds fear. Not a good idea to stereotype people based on what they are wearing, it stigmatizes all people wearing that style. Moreover, just because people dress the same doesnt mean witnesses cant distinguish between people (that is just dumb statement the reporter made).
That remark is a red herring in the story, one intended to frighten people, not educate. So I wasnt convinced at lunch yesterday that WVIR had the intention of scaring people, now I am more inclined to believe it.
So last night, I was being my usual ADD self flipping channels until I found something interesting. Well on the news a reporter from WVIR was interviewing a former gang member whose thesis essentially was these random beatings are not initiation rituals for gangs (phew).
Given that relief, the reporter had to go on and state the former gang member told him gang members wear large white t-shirts and baggy jeans so people wont be able to identify them as easily. I am very disturbed by this since the actual former gang member didnt say it to the camera (it is not in the story I link to above) and it just breeds fear. Not a good idea to stereotype people based on what they are wearing, it stigmatizes all people wearing that style. Moreover, just because people dress the same doesnt mean witnesses cant distinguish between people (that is just dumb statement the reporter made).
That remark is a red herring in the story, one intended to frighten people, not educate. So I wasnt convinced at lunch yesterday that WVIR had the intention of scaring people, now I am more inclined to believe it.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
War Documentaries
My dad frequently has the tv on as background - baseball, ESPN and the history channel. He likes to watch the films/documentaries on World War I and II, in addition to the other wars. I never understood this interest. While I love history- it was my major at UVA- war films were not my interest.
However, with this war I cannot get enough. Every night I turn the tv on around my bedtime to watch the news or Frazier or other inanity- only to become completely engrossed in Frontline. Last night's episode was titled The Lost Year in Iraq. Next Week will be Endgame- how are we getting out of this mess in Iraq. On Monday night I watched America at a Crossroads from Kansas to Kandahar. Another spectacular documentary detailing an Army reserve unit's year in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
So I am now a fan of the war documentary. I suppose it had to be relevant to my life before I learned the value- but now I suspect I will watch all kinds of them. The soldiers are amazing- the sacrifice these men and women and their families make is dramatic. The reporters do such a good job (imo) telling the stories.
My only criticism is about last night's Year in Iraq- the reporting made it seem like the choices the Bush administration made were obviously wrong at the time they were made. While I tend to agree with that perspective (hiring a 25 year old to create policies for a country at war?). I have to believe, even if somewhat naively, that the choices were not so stark and obviously wrong. People seemed to be sounding the alarm at every turn that neocon policy and electoral politics were driving the war & CPA effort. At this moment I do not want to conclude that 3500 lives are a political tool for this administration to test its crazy theories. Things would be different though if Rumsfeld had lost his job earlier.
I dont know if this helps the war effort at all, but I am glad to know more about the work the troops are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan.
However, with this war I cannot get enough. Every night I turn the tv on around my bedtime to watch the news or Frazier or other inanity- only to become completely engrossed in Frontline. Last night's episode was titled The Lost Year in Iraq. Next Week will be Endgame- how are we getting out of this mess in Iraq. On Monday night I watched America at a Crossroads from Kansas to Kandahar. Another spectacular documentary detailing an Army reserve unit's year in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
So I am now a fan of the war documentary. I suppose it had to be relevant to my life before I learned the value- but now I suspect I will watch all kinds of them. The soldiers are amazing- the sacrifice these men and women and their families make is dramatic. The reporters do such a good job (imo) telling the stories.
My only criticism is about last night's Year in Iraq- the reporting made it seem like the choices the Bush administration made were obviously wrong at the time they were made. While I tend to agree with that perspective (hiring a 25 year old to create policies for a country at war?). I have to believe, even if somewhat naively, that the choices were not so stark and obviously wrong. People seemed to be sounding the alarm at every turn that neocon policy and electoral politics were driving the war & CPA effort. At this moment I do not want to conclude that 3500 lives are a political tool for this administration to test its crazy theories. Things would be different though if Rumsfeld had lost his job earlier.
I dont know if this helps the war effort at all, but I am glad to know more about the work the troops are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
How does this happen?
So- after not attending the fiesta on Friday night, I literally slept away Saturday (save for the one hour I took Andrew to the doctor again). Chris and I had a wedding to attend on Saturday. Around 2:00pm Chris, panic-stricken, yells at the sleeping me “we missed the wedding” I look at the clock “what about the reception- what time was that?” “We missed that too” Back to sleep for me.
First, we are so sorry to have missed the wedding. How dumb are we? We had planned to have MIL to baby-sit the kids that night so we could go have a night out- little did we plan for the 10:30AM wedding and 12PM reception. These just aren’t the type of weddings we are used to going to. We have three more weddings this year (two on the same day in October) - fingers crossed we actually get to those or look at the times on the invitation before the day of the ceremony.
First, we are so sorry to have missed the wedding. How dumb are we? We had planned to have MIL to baby-sit the kids that night so we could go have a night out- little did we plan for the 10:30AM wedding and 12PM reception. These just aren’t the type of weddings we are used to going to. We have three more weddings this year (two on the same day in October) - fingers crossed we actually get to those or look at the times on the invitation before the day of the ceremony.
Friday, June 08, 2007
to party or not?
Don Beyer, former Lt. Gov., spoke at my graduation from Piedmont Virginia Community College in 1996. I was star-struck and inspired by the speech, the setting and the occasion. The setting is stunning, sunset on the hill outside PVCC, steamy, spring evening. But I digress. The Lt. Gov at the time spoke about never turning down an invitation. He told the story of how he met his future wife at an event he did not want to attend- so his lesson was learned, no matter what, you should attend events you have been invited.
At that time, and really to the present, I live by that idea. However, this evening, David’s 4th birthday, I have opted to blog out of an event. I am still tired from the campaign, never mind the busy-ness of this week. The event is a party- a house party, with food, music, fun and adult beverages- something that even as late as this morning I looked forward to attending. Then it rained…
Here are my excuses not related to the weather:
1. What does a 35 year old mom of two boys and wife do at a house party?
The reason I ask this- I remember the college house parties and the parties after college with my college friends- but now with people I like and enjoy their company- but parties to me are for flirting and meeting potential mates/hook-ups- something I am not looking for.
2. What do I have to say?
“I am doing great- I am feeling real good about the campaign I ran” Nowadays I feel like I am dull- City politics, motherhood, current events generally- nothing too exciting.
3. Live Music?
Will it be too loud? I really have not been interested in live music since I first heard Boyd playing the fiddle and saw Dave’s eyebrow 15 years ago at Trax. Don’t get me wrong, I love music, Friday’s After 5, the radio, Cd’s, even live music at Cabell or the Paramount or JPJ.
Actually one of the best parties I ever went to was shortly before I got married- I worked with the migrant farm workers all summer and we had a fiesta at the lead lawyer’s house. We had all sorts of instruments and the interns (me and two other chicas) made up a song in Spanish to the “Aye Aye Aye” song (which may be a Spanish song). We all just enjoyed each other’s company and laughed a lot- but we had been on the Eastern Shore of Virginia all summer together. We had seen each other at our worse-think 100 degree days, limited Spanish, crazy hair, dirty clothes, tears after hearing horror stories of young children far away from home exposed to pesticides and really bad singing- so this was merely culmination of a summer of fun. How does one get that comfortable with people at my age?
4. Um…I don’t actually drink.
It was fun working at Maartens and not drinking. I mean I was working. Even now I don’t mind be designated driver or hanging out with people who drink (seriously). Now I have no way of letting the guard down, I will not likely dance or say silly things (and isn’t the fun at a party just being silly). I do mind being around drugs, I find a pot-smoking crowd duller than me and not worth the risk.
Our good friends are moving back to cville soon- now we can have some parties. What kind of parties do you attend? Should I have gone anyway to wipe away the anxieties and open up a whole new world?
David turned 4, I didn’t go to a party- I think I am either maturing or giving in-
At that time, and really to the present, I live by that idea. However, this evening, David’s 4th birthday, I have opted to blog out of an event. I am still tired from the campaign, never mind the busy-ness of this week. The event is a party- a house party, with food, music, fun and adult beverages- something that even as late as this morning I looked forward to attending. Then it rained…
Here are my excuses not related to the weather:
1. What does a 35 year old mom of two boys and wife do at a house party?
The reason I ask this- I remember the college house parties and the parties after college with my college friends- but now with people I like and enjoy their company- but parties to me are for flirting and meeting potential mates/hook-ups- something I am not looking for.
2. What do I have to say?
“I am doing great- I am feeling real good about the campaign I ran” Nowadays I feel like I am dull- City politics, motherhood, current events generally- nothing too exciting.
3. Live Music?
Will it be too loud? I really have not been interested in live music since I first heard Boyd playing the fiddle and saw Dave’s eyebrow 15 years ago at Trax. Don’t get me wrong, I love music, Friday’s After 5, the radio, Cd’s, even live music at Cabell or the Paramount or JPJ.
Actually one of the best parties I ever went to was shortly before I got married- I worked with the migrant farm workers all summer and we had a fiesta at the lead lawyer’s house. We had all sorts of instruments and the interns (me and two other chicas) made up a song in Spanish to the “Aye Aye Aye” song (which may be a Spanish song). We all just enjoyed each other’s company and laughed a lot- but we had been on the Eastern Shore of Virginia all summer together. We had seen each other at our worse-think 100 degree days, limited Spanish, crazy hair, dirty clothes, tears after hearing horror stories of young children far away from home exposed to pesticides and really bad singing- so this was merely culmination of a summer of fun. How does one get that comfortable with people at my age?
4. Um…I don’t actually drink.
It was fun working at Maartens and not drinking. I mean I was working. Even now I don’t mind be designated driver or hanging out with people who drink (seriously). Now I have no way of letting the guard down, I will not likely dance or say silly things (and isn’t the fun at a party just being silly). I do mind being around drugs, I find a pot-smoking crowd duller than me and not worth the risk.
Our good friends are moving back to cville soon- now we can have some parties. What kind of parties do you attend? Should I have gone anyway to wipe away the anxieties and open up a whole new world?
David turned 4, I didn’t go to a party- I think I am either maturing or giving in-
Thursday, June 07, 2007
exciting times
Chris has fixed the bathroom. Two days prior to the convention I had my first shower at home in over 6 weeks (thanks to my mom I had actually had a few showers). The water pressure is great, the tile looks fantastic, the grout and caulk are all nice and white, and the fixtures are fun. Big congratulations to Chris for the hard work of putting up with my complaints for awhile (I wasnt that bad-it was just finding time).
Tomorrow I will be mom to a 4 year old. A 4 year old is an extraordinary little person. This morning we sat together and talked a bit-
I asked "what type of cake do you want?"
"a fire engine & police car cake" he responds
"umm...what flavor cake do you want?" trying to veer from the subject of shape- dad has not agreed to the shaping of it.
"blueberry is good for police car and raspberry for the fire engine, that would be good" smiling so broadly his cute teeth, with spaces in between each one of them, showing...
"and what is your favorite meal that I could make for you?"
"rice and chicken" he states matter of factly, nodding his head and holding his hands together as he does when he is having a good conversation with a grown up.
pause 'where did this child come from' I think to myself 'have I been feeding him too much pizza for him to actually want it?'
"with green beans?" I ask finally.
nodding and smiling "yeah"
I didnt even ask about ice cream.
He is learning about choices- it is the coolest thing to watch as a parent.
Tomorrow I will be mom to a 4 year old. A 4 year old is an extraordinary little person. This morning we sat together and talked a bit-
I asked "what type of cake do you want?"
"a fire engine & police car cake" he responds
"umm...what flavor cake do you want?" trying to veer from the subject of shape- dad has not agreed to the shaping of it.
"blueberry is good for police car and raspberry for the fire engine, that would be good" smiling so broadly his cute teeth, with spaces in between each one of them, showing...
"and what is your favorite meal that I could make for you?"
"rice and chicken" he states matter of factly, nodding his head and holding his hands together as he does when he is having a good conversation with a grown up.
pause 'where did this child come from' I think to myself 'have I been feeding him too much pizza for him to actually want it?'
"with green beans?" I ask finally.
nodding and smiling "yeah"
I didnt even ask about ice cream.
He is learning about choices- it is the coolest thing to watch as a parent.
Monday, June 04, 2007
When 5th place feels like 1st
Well all 450 votes are counted (or 431) and I received 149! I am so proud. Really I am. I had a great time, met all sorts of people and addressed issues with answers. I congratulate David, Holly and Huja and Linda on running good races.
I am sick now of course, I guess the relief of the campaign being over is enough to let the germs in. I am pondering the next move, what way can I serve this City, I will be talking with some folks in the coming weeks and figure out where I can place my energies. I will still be attending City Council meetings/work sessions/other relevant meetings to be an advocate for the residents of this city.
I am particularly grateful to Kevin Lynch for his faith in me. Lisa Provence asked me whether he hurt or helped my campaign- there is no doubt he helped my campaign, and his example will help me help others. Curt Gleeson did a great job as manager and I had a small cadre of loyal volunteers who helped me from the beginning.
I attended a lot of events in the past three months, one of my favorite had to be Thursday's QCC Urban Farming groundbreaking at Friendship Court. I am really proud to live in a city with such a program.
The neighborhood associations that hosted candidate forums did a real service for their neighborhoods. Thank you to them.
There are many random thoughts, perhaps they will be less random in the coming weeks. The folks who have emailed and called are really appreciated, it amazes me the good will that exists in this community.
I always said that no matter what I win, and I can honestly say this campaign has been challenging and rewarding, and I certainly won- no matter how many votes I got.
I am sick now of course, I guess the relief of the campaign being over is enough to let the germs in. I am pondering the next move, what way can I serve this City, I will be talking with some folks in the coming weeks and figure out where I can place my energies. I will still be attending City Council meetings/work sessions/other relevant meetings to be an advocate for the residents of this city.
I am particularly grateful to Kevin Lynch for his faith in me. Lisa Provence asked me whether he hurt or helped my campaign- there is no doubt he helped my campaign, and his example will help me help others. Curt Gleeson did a great job as manager and I had a small cadre of loyal volunteers who helped me from the beginning.
I attended a lot of events in the past three months, one of my favorite had to be Thursday's QCC Urban Farming groundbreaking at Friendship Court. I am really proud to live in a city with such a program.
The neighborhood associations that hosted candidate forums did a real service for their neighborhoods. Thank you to them.
There are many random thoughts, perhaps they will be less random in the coming weeks. The folks who have emailed and called are really appreciated, it amazes me the good will that exists in this community.
I always said that no matter what I win, and I can honestly say this campaign has been challenging and rewarding, and I certainly won- no matter how many votes I got.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Email from Kevin Lynch
Dont forget the Democratic Nominating Convention is SATURDAY. Be at the Martin Luther King Performing Arts Center at CHS by 12:30 and make your vote count!
From my inbox this morning:
My Dear Friends,
The City Democrats will have a difficult choice to make on June 2.
There are five highly qualified, competent and able candidates vying to
help lead this City for the next four years.
I have truly enjoyed working with David Brown over the past four years
and I am very glad that he is running again. Whether or not he seeks
another term as mayor, I think we need his experience and judgment on the
Council.
Holly Edwards and Jennifer McKeever are representative of the values,
aspirations, and energy of our Democratic party. Each candidate is a
self-assured, intelligent woman with a strong and supportive family and
a service-oriented career. Holly and Jennifer have made their way and
their life in our community and know its strengths and weaknesses from
direct experience. Both want the best for their young children and have
translated this into a desire to be advocates for all of our
community’s children.
Many of you already know Holly from her many years helping working
families in Charlottesville get to the next level in their lives. She is a
registered nurse with a Masters degree in education from Howard
University. In the fifteen years that she has lived in our City, she has been
a tireless advocate for improving wellness and building leadership in
low income communities.
I first met Holly Edwards in the late nineties when we were allies in
the living wage campaign and in efforts to expand community policing and
workforce development programs. From the very beginning Holly impressed
me as someone who was not only dedicated to helping those in need, but
also as a leader with a gift for motivating others to become involved.
Health care and insurance are large issues and a large cost for our
City government. Holly’s experience as a parish nurse will bring an
important perspective to the Council’s deliberations concerning health
care as a quality of life and a budget issue. Together with David’s
advocacy of community health we can make progress on becoming a healthier
City.
Jennifer McKeever is a new, energetic face in our party, with strong
roots in our community. She graduated from Western Albemarle High school
and attended college at PVCC and at UVA. While completing her law
degree she interned for the Legal Aid Justice Center, and then began a
career of working with Legal Aid organizations across the State.
Jennifer’s life experiences have given her a great perspective on the strength
and weaknesses of our City, as well as the motivation to make our
community a better place.
I have known Jennifer for the past two years, starting from when she
applied to serve on the CDBG task force. She was elected chair within the
year. Jennifer got my attention again last summer when she successfully
advocated for longer hours at our City’s outdoor pools, so that
working families could enjoy our pools. I was impressed by how quickly she
went from being a critic, to developing a good working relationship with
staff, and ultimately improving the service that the City provides. She
joined the Parks and Rec advisory committee this past August and has a
good grasp of our programming and infrastructure challenges.
Jennifer has many qualities that would make any Charlottesville
Democrat proud. She put me to some productive work this past Fall, when as
co-chair of the Recreation precinct, she coordinated our canvassing and
get out the vote efforts. There are also a couple of things that appeal
to me personally about Jennifer. First, like me, she is a social liberal
and a fiscal conservative. We both agree that City residents should be
getting more for our tax dollars. Second, she is a lawyer and she
follows the details. She asks questions. She shows up at work sessions. She
will be a good steward of your tax dollars and the City’s resources,
including its natural resources. We can count on Jennifer not to back
down on protecting our environment and neighborhoods.
On Saturday, Charlottesville Democrats will cast their votes. David,
Holly and Jennifer have earned mine. I recommend them to you without
reservation.
Kevin Lynch
From my inbox this morning:
My Dear Friends,
The City Democrats will have a difficult choice to make on June 2.
There are five highly qualified, competent and able candidates vying to
help lead this City for the next four years.
I have truly enjoyed working with David Brown over the past four years
and I am very glad that he is running again. Whether or not he seeks
another term as mayor, I think we need his experience and judgment on the
Council.
Holly Edwards and Jennifer McKeever are representative of the values,
aspirations, and energy of our Democratic party. Each candidate is a
self-assured, intelligent woman with a strong and supportive family and
a service-oriented career. Holly and Jennifer have made their way and
their life in our community and know its strengths and weaknesses from
direct experience. Both want the best for their young children and have
translated this into a desire to be advocates for all of our
community’s children.
Many of you already know Holly from her many years helping working
families in Charlottesville get to the next level in their lives. She is a
registered nurse with a Masters degree in education from Howard
University. In the fifteen years that she has lived in our City, she has been
a tireless advocate for improving wellness and building leadership in
low income communities.
I first met Holly Edwards in the late nineties when we were allies in
the living wage campaign and in efforts to expand community policing and
workforce development programs. From the very beginning Holly impressed
me as someone who was not only dedicated to helping those in need, but
also as a leader with a gift for motivating others to become involved.
Health care and insurance are large issues and a large cost for our
City government. Holly’s experience as a parish nurse will bring an
important perspective to the Council’s deliberations concerning health
care as a quality of life and a budget issue. Together with David’s
advocacy of community health we can make progress on becoming a healthier
City.
Jennifer McKeever is a new, energetic face in our party, with strong
roots in our community. She graduated from Western Albemarle High school
and attended college at PVCC and at UVA. While completing her law
degree she interned for the Legal Aid Justice Center, and then began a
career of working with Legal Aid organizations across the State.
Jennifer’s life experiences have given her a great perspective on the strength
and weaknesses of our City, as well as the motivation to make our
community a better place.
I have known Jennifer for the past two years, starting from when she
applied to serve on the CDBG task force. She was elected chair within the
year. Jennifer got my attention again last summer when she successfully
advocated for longer hours at our City’s outdoor pools, so that
working families could enjoy our pools. I was impressed by how quickly she
went from being a critic, to developing a good working relationship with
staff, and ultimately improving the service that the City provides. She
joined the Parks and Rec advisory committee this past August and has a
good grasp of our programming and infrastructure challenges.
Jennifer has many qualities that would make any Charlottesville
Democrat proud. She put me to some productive work this past Fall, when as
co-chair of the Recreation precinct, she coordinated our canvassing and
get out the vote efforts. There are also a couple of things that appeal
to me personally about Jennifer. First, like me, she is a social liberal
and a fiscal conservative. We both agree that City residents should be
getting more for our tax dollars. Second, she is a lawyer and she
follows the details. She asks questions. She shows up at work sessions. She
will be a good steward of your tax dollars and the City’s resources,
including its natural resources. We can count on Jennifer not to back
down on protecting our environment and neighborhoods.
On Saturday, Charlottesville Democrats will cast their votes. David,
Holly and Jennifer have earned mine. I recommend them to you without
reservation.
Kevin Lynch
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Follow-up questions from DemCentral Answers
As a candidate, I consider it a privilege to discuss my positions in a forum where others can read, and comment. As I stated way back in one of my first posts on DemCentral I believe in transparency and the blogosphere is a great way to promote openess and dialogue.
1. What should City avoid doing that it has been doing?
a) Overtaxing homeowners. For nearly a decade, homeowner assessments
have been increasing at more than twice the rate of commercial
property. We need to spend more responsibly and shift the tax burden away from homeowners.
What do you mean by "shift the tax burden away from homeowners"? That can mean only two things -- increasing a non-real-estate tax (meals? lodging? personal property?), or finding a way to have a different tax rate for businesses than for residences (which I don't think we can do at this point). Which do you advocate?
Jen's answer
I disagree with the premise of your second question. I do not want to find a non-real-estate tax or a differentiated tax structure for business and residential. I would look first to the formula used to assess commercial real estate, since commercial assessments are not rising at the same rate as residential property. I want to see the commercial assessments come more in line with reality of fair market value. Also, I would look to the City budget and find ways of reducing the size of the budget or limiting the rate at which it grows.
Keep reading...
4) What single best policy change would you propose for Charlottesville that costs little or no money?
The policy change I believe would be most immediately effective and which would save the taxpayers' money is to hold a public hearing on every new spending initiative before it is included in the City's budget. At a hearing, the public has an opportunity to vet the initiative, while the opportunity for partnership with other entities could be revealed. The way that the city budget process usually works is that the budget includes requests by departments for dealing with problems that may not have come to the point of having a formal proposal yet. The usual practice is that the budget may include money for proposals that aren't yet fully developed, and then to insist on a public hearing and discussion before actually appropriating the money. What's wrong with that? And if you aren't going to do that, how would you deal with the situation of a need that is known in April, but our public hearing process hasn't yet been set in motion to decide what to do about it?
JEN's response
I actually do know how the budget process works given the number of meetings I attended this winter. I am a firm believer in public input. As Councilors, we are stewards of the taxpayers money, justifying the money we spend is natural component of that stewardship. The staff works very hard and has great commitment to the well-being of our City, however it can be echo chamber in City Hall. I want to see additional collaboration and innovation, to do that the proposals public scrutiny may be helpful. Substantial new expenditures do not fall from the sky, planning starts early, e.g NDS had a $650,000 proposal for signage as a line item, no one could tell me where this came from early in the process. Later NDS stated it wanted to create an easier path to the downtown mall, UVA and parking etc. Even now I dont really see the need for signs, perhaps if NDS had articulated the need and the results expected as a consequence (more business downtown, less lost people etc), the line item would not have been so shocking. As it turned out, the line item was cut somewhat and it is not clear what the new signage will incorporate (just parking, directions downtown, but not UVA). I want to know what I am getting for my dollar, it is not a good way to do business. Emergencies are emergencies, I am not proposing such a rigid system as to be unmanageable or counter-productive when a need exists.
I also propose a City Councilor be appointed on the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority to ensure good stewardship of the taxpayers' money.
The RWSA, by agreement with the County, consists of the City Manager, the County Executive, the City Public Works Director, the County Service Authority Director, and a chair appointed jointly by the City and the County. City Councilors are welcome to go to the meetings, because they are public. You get reports from the meetings. City Councilors can't be on every board and commission; they have to ration their time. Why don't you trust the City Manager and the Public Works Director to know how to protect the City's interests?
Jen's Response
As I stated before this is an idea percolating. I need more information to decide if this is necessary. From what I understand, the current debt load of RWSA is quite high and only going to get higher with the number of capitol projects in the pipeline. From the perspective of a taxpayer this level of debt load, combined with increase in retail rates concerns me.
6) What should the city do to preserve and improve parking options downtown?
Bringing people into the downtown area will require new creative ways of looking at transportation, parking and transit. In the short term,we need to encourage more downtown employees to use the Water street parking garage (which has several hundred empty spaces) to free up on-street parking.
How do you propose to encourage more downtown employees to use the Water Street Parking Garage? The City doesn't own the Water Street Parking Garage, so we don't have the ability to lower the rates for monthly parkers. Very few employees -- who work 8-hour days -- park in on-street spots that are good for 30 minutes to two hours. Can you be specific?
Jen's Response
Actually the City recently passed as part of their budget the option for City government residents to park for free or reduced rate at the Water St. parking garage- I hope this will spur use of the garage. Also I would argue many downtown employees, including many City employees, do the 2 hour shuffle.
Another option is to include incentives for car-poolers to park at the garage. Finally, new transit ideas will play a major role in the coming years which will provide relief for the parking issues downtown. This is a community wide issue, one I hope to help begin to make inroads as a councilor.
Thanks for the opportunity to answer your questions.
1. What should City avoid doing that it has been doing?
a) Overtaxing homeowners. For nearly a decade, homeowner assessments
have been increasing at more than twice the rate of commercial
property. We need to spend more responsibly and shift the tax burden away from homeowners.
What do you mean by "shift the tax burden away from homeowners"? That can mean only two things -- increasing a non-real-estate tax (meals? lodging? personal property?), or finding a way to have a different tax rate for businesses than for residences (which I don't think we can do at this point). Which do you advocate?
Jen's answer
I disagree with the premise of your second question. I do not want to find a non-real-estate tax or a differentiated tax structure for business and residential. I would look first to the formula used to assess commercial real estate, since commercial assessments are not rising at the same rate as residential property. I want to see the commercial assessments come more in line with reality of fair market value. Also, I would look to the City budget and find ways of reducing the size of the budget or limiting the rate at which it grows.
Keep reading...
4) What single best policy change would you propose for Charlottesville that costs little or no money?
The policy change I believe would be most immediately effective and which would save the taxpayers' money is to hold a public hearing on every new spending initiative before it is included in the City's budget. At a hearing, the public has an opportunity to vet the initiative, while the opportunity for partnership with other entities could be revealed. The way that the city budget process usually works is that the budget includes requests by departments for dealing with problems that may not have come to the point of having a formal proposal yet. The usual practice is that the budget may include money for proposals that aren't yet fully developed, and then to insist on a public hearing and discussion before actually appropriating the money. What's wrong with that? And if you aren't going to do that, how would you deal with the situation of a need that is known in April, but our public hearing process hasn't yet been set in motion to decide what to do about it?
JEN's response
I actually do know how the budget process works given the number of meetings I attended this winter. I am a firm believer in public input. As Councilors, we are stewards of the taxpayers money, justifying the money we spend is natural component of that stewardship. The staff works very hard and has great commitment to the well-being of our City, however it can be echo chamber in City Hall. I want to see additional collaboration and innovation, to do that the proposals public scrutiny may be helpful. Substantial new expenditures do not fall from the sky, planning starts early, e.g NDS had a $650,000 proposal for signage as a line item, no one could tell me where this came from early in the process. Later NDS stated it wanted to create an easier path to the downtown mall, UVA and parking etc. Even now I dont really see the need for signs, perhaps if NDS had articulated the need and the results expected as a consequence (more business downtown, less lost people etc), the line item would not have been so shocking. As it turned out, the line item was cut somewhat and it is not clear what the new signage will incorporate (just parking, directions downtown, but not UVA). I want to know what I am getting for my dollar, it is not a good way to do business. Emergencies are emergencies, I am not proposing such a rigid system as to be unmanageable or counter-productive when a need exists.
I also propose a City Councilor be appointed on the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority to ensure good stewardship of the taxpayers' money.
The RWSA, by agreement with the County, consists of the City Manager, the County Executive, the City Public Works Director, the County Service Authority Director, and a chair appointed jointly by the City and the County. City Councilors are welcome to go to the meetings, because they are public. You get reports from the meetings. City Councilors can't be on every board and commission; they have to ration their time. Why don't you trust the City Manager and the Public Works Director to know how to protect the City's interests?
Jen's Response
As I stated before this is an idea percolating. I need more information to decide if this is necessary. From what I understand, the current debt load of RWSA is quite high and only going to get higher with the number of capitol projects in the pipeline. From the perspective of a taxpayer this level of debt load, combined with increase in retail rates concerns me.
6) What should the city do to preserve and improve parking options downtown?
Bringing people into the downtown area will require new creative ways of looking at transportation, parking and transit. In the short term,we need to encourage more downtown employees to use the Water street parking garage (which has several hundred empty spaces) to free up on-street parking.
How do you propose to encourage more downtown employees to use the Water Street Parking Garage? The City doesn't own the Water Street Parking Garage, so we don't have the ability to lower the rates for monthly parkers. Very few employees -- who work 8-hour days -- park in on-street spots that are good for 30 minutes to two hours. Can you be specific?
Jen's Response
Actually the City recently passed as part of their budget the option for City government residents to park for free or reduced rate at the Water St. parking garage- I hope this will spur use of the garage. Also I would argue many downtown employees, including many City employees, do the 2 hour shuffle.
Another option is to include incentives for car-poolers to park at the garage. Finally, new transit ideas will play a major role in the coming years which will provide relief for the parking issues downtown. This is a community wide issue, one I hope to help begin to make inroads as a councilor.
Thanks for the opportunity to answer your questions.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Full Answers to Progress Questions
Daily Progress will have profiles of all the candidates this week. Seth Rosen interviewed, we filled out a questionnaire and I got my photo taken. The Progress will likely not print the full 6 questions (except online), so I thought I would provide another place for people to read my responses.
1. What should City avoid doing that it has been doing?
a) Overtaxing homeowners. For nearly a decade, homeowner assessments
have been increasing at more than twice the rate of commercial
property. We need to spend more responsibly and shift the tax burden
away from homeowners
b) Reactionary planning. Too often, the City allows uninspired
development to take limited green space in the City without involving
neighborhoods. My goals are to preserve our neighborhood and bring
transparency to the development decision-making process.
c) Status quo thinking. I want the City to consider new ways of
working with private and nonprofit resources to maximize the
efficiency of the programs it provides.
2) What concrete steps should the city take to increase the number of affordable housing units in Charlottesville?
The question I ask is how Charlottesville transforms its housing programs beyond our historic role as the only locality in the region actively working on the provision of affordable housing. The City has to support innovative new programs, such as the CAHIP proposals. I have proposed allowing low-income and elderly homeowners to receive low interest loans to complete small and medium rehabilitation projects. This helps people keep their homes, stay in the City and preserve the fabric of our neighborhoods. The City must also encourage surrounding localities to bring more affordable housing into their communities.
3) For the upcoming fiscal year the Council set a real estate tax rate of 95 cents per $100 of assessed value and passed a 12 percent jump in the budget. Do you agree with these decisions? If not, what programs would you have tried to cut or scale back?
I disagree with the 12 percent budget increase and believe it could have been cut in half. I would have reduced the EMS proposal, I would have requested a public hearing on the need and the establishment of a regional task force to see how CARS and CFD could improve service before money was appropriated. My husband is a volunteer firefighter; I value the role of volunteerism in our community and want to promote
it as much as possible. I want to see a reduction in the number of vehicles the City has- to save on gas, insurance and maintenance costs.
4) What single best policy change would you propose for Charlottesville that costs little or no money?
The policy change I believe would be most immediately effective and which would save the taxpayers' money is to hold a public hearing on every new spending initiative before it is included in the City's budget. At a hearing, the public has an opportunity to vet the initiative, while the opportunity for partnership with other entities could be revealed. I also propose a City Councilor be appointed on the
Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority to ensure good stewardship of the taxpayers' money.
5) What would you do to improve relations with Albemarle County? Are there any services that you believe should be considered for consolidation?
As a Councilor, I will work to strengthen and expand the City's partnerships with Albemarle County and the University. I'd like to see more cooperation, along with area nonprofit advocacy groups on environmental stewardship and trail planning. The superintendents of the schools are improving their partnership and I would like to see similar cooperation on youth development outside of the schools. The Planning Commissions could meet more regularly to work through issues of transportation and growth. My goal would be to see more cooperation with these partnerships to maximize our tax dollar and to have the City and County's concerns voiced.
6) What should the city do to preserve and improve parking options downtown?
Bringing people into the downtown area will require new creative ways of looking at transportation, parking and transit. In the short term,we need to encourage more downtown employees to use the Water street parking garage (which has several hundred empty spaces) to free up on- street parking. I also want to see the City partner with State and Federal transit programs, along with the private sector, to encourage park and rides, vanpools and carpoolers, and the use of structured parking. However my primary goal is to bring reliable, convenient and attractive transit options to the City and to improve bike and pedestrian facilities.
1. What should City avoid doing that it has been doing?
a) Overtaxing homeowners. For nearly a decade, homeowner assessments
have been increasing at more than twice the rate of commercial
property. We need to spend more responsibly and shift the tax burden
away from homeowners
b) Reactionary planning. Too often, the City allows uninspired
development to take limited green space in the City without involving
neighborhoods. My goals are to preserve our neighborhood and bring
transparency to the development decision-making process.
c) Status quo thinking. I want the City to consider new ways of
working with private and nonprofit resources to maximize the
efficiency of the programs it provides.
2) What concrete steps should the city take to increase the number of affordable housing units in Charlottesville?
The question I ask is how Charlottesville transforms its housing programs beyond our historic role as the only locality in the region actively working on the provision of affordable housing. The City has to support innovative new programs, such as the CAHIP proposals. I have proposed allowing low-income and elderly homeowners to receive low interest loans to complete small and medium rehabilitation projects. This helps people keep their homes, stay in the City and preserve the fabric of our neighborhoods. The City must also encourage surrounding localities to bring more affordable housing into their communities.
3) For the upcoming fiscal year the Council set a real estate tax rate of 95 cents per $100 of assessed value and passed a 12 percent jump in the budget. Do you agree with these decisions? If not, what programs would you have tried to cut or scale back?
I disagree with the 12 percent budget increase and believe it could have been cut in half. I would have reduced the EMS proposal, I would have requested a public hearing on the need and the establishment of a regional task force to see how CARS and CFD could improve service before money was appropriated. My husband is a volunteer firefighter; I value the role of volunteerism in our community and want to promote
it as much as possible. I want to see a reduction in the number of vehicles the City has- to save on gas, insurance and maintenance costs.
4) What single best policy change would you propose for Charlottesville that costs little or no money?
The policy change I believe would be most immediately effective and which would save the taxpayers' money is to hold a public hearing on every new spending initiative before it is included in the City's budget. At a hearing, the public has an opportunity to vet the initiative, while the opportunity for partnership with other entities could be revealed. I also propose a City Councilor be appointed on the
Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority to ensure good stewardship of the taxpayers' money.
5) What would you do to improve relations with Albemarle County? Are there any services that you believe should be considered for consolidation?
As a Councilor, I will work to strengthen and expand the City's partnerships with Albemarle County and the University. I'd like to see more cooperation, along with area nonprofit advocacy groups on environmental stewardship and trail planning. The superintendents of the schools are improving their partnership and I would like to see similar cooperation on youth development outside of the schools. The Planning Commissions could meet more regularly to work through issues of transportation and growth. My goal would be to see more cooperation with these partnerships to maximize our tax dollar and to have the City and County's concerns voiced.
6) What should the city do to preserve and improve parking options downtown?
Bringing people into the downtown area will require new creative ways of looking at transportation, parking and transit. In the short term,we need to encourage more downtown employees to use the Water street parking garage (which has several hundred empty spaces) to free up on- street parking. I also want to see the City partner with State and Federal transit programs, along with the private sector, to encourage park and rides, vanpools and carpoolers, and the use of structured parking. However my primary goal is to bring reliable, convenient and attractive transit options to the City and to improve bike and pedestrian facilities.
A few announcements
At the Parks & Rec Advisory Board meeting this week, Mike and Brian announced Charlottesville received a $400,000 grant from the federal walk to schools program. The money will be used to implement walk to school projects throughout the city, starting with Buford. Buford has a plan already in place, the rest of the schools will draft plans for trails, sidewalks and bike lanes for children and parents to walk to school. Chris Gensic, who has only worked with the department for 11 months as a trail planner has a lot to do with the receipt of this money. Congratulations to the Parks department!
Also- Chief Longo announced at the Woolen Mills neighborhood association the hiring and swearing in of a new animal control officer. As a reminder- leash free days at Riverview park are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, all the rest of the times you have to a have a leash on your dog. The city will be enforcing this regulation a lot more, so consider this fair warning.
Also- Chief Longo announced at the Woolen Mills neighborhood association the hiring and swearing in of a new animal control officer. As a reminder- leash free days at Riverview park are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, all the rest of the times you have to a have a leash on your dog. The city will be enforcing this regulation a lot more, so consider this fair warning.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Water bills
I am sure City/County residents will notice this. Water bills are set to rise significantly (15%-20%). Since we are paying more for everything, it seems to make sense. Two changes I want to explore if I am elected are:
1. Add a councilor to the RWSA board- the current board consists of City and County staff and one citizen member (and counsel to guide and advise).
2. Bring the water and sewer revenue back to the RWSA, not into the general fund of the city. The debt load of the RWSA is quite high. The capital expenditures such an organization has are large (upgrade sewer plant, meadowcreek interceptor expansion all sound very expensive). If the revenue was going directly back to RWSA, perhaps the debt load wouldnt be so great.
I want to be clear these are issues I want to explore. I surmise there may be many good reasons why things are the way they are, but I want to make sure it isnt because of complacency or because we have always done it this way.
1. Add a councilor to the RWSA board- the current board consists of City and County staff and one citizen member (and counsel to guide and advise).
2. Bring the water and sewer revenue back to the RWSA, not into the general fund of the city. The debt load of the RWSA is quite high. The capital expenditures such an organization has are large (upgrade sewer plant, meadowcreek interceptor expansion all sound very expensive). If the revenue was going directly back to RWSA, perhaps the debt load wouldnt be so great.
I want to be clear these are issues I want to explore. I surmise there may be many good reasons why things are the way they are, but I want to make sure it isnt because of complacency or because we have always done it this way.
More forums, things to learn
No article in today's paper about yesterday's forum at the monthly Democratic breakfast moderated by Bob Gibson. We were not newsworthy enough. Cville Tomorrow has the story, video and podcast.
I am learning how to campaign as I go along. Being a politician is something I never actually thought I would do, mostly I am a concerned citizen, when I see issues, I have a call to action and this is what drives me. For example, I was upset about summer pool hours, turns out a lot of people are, I apply to be on the Parks and Rec Advisory Board to advocate for families and family time as a Parks priority. This year the hours have been extended somewhat, not nearly as late as I want them...baby steps.
This post by Waldo at cvillenews also called me to action. The comment "Don’t forget the criteria for appointment: Be a friend of the Dems on City Council or someone they can trust to do their bidding. Most Republicans can just forget about applying and many members of the Democratic Party don’t even stand a chance" made me want to test this commentator's theory.
At the time I had been in town for two months, my husband had not found a job yet and I had a one year old and a two year old. I was looking for a way to serve the community I grew up in, but I really didnt know the people in charge. I applied for Planning Commission, then thought better of that, and changed to CDBG Task Force. I had heard about CDBG from my work at Legal Aid Justice Center. I was easily appointed to that board and later to the Parks Board. That go around, Mike Farruggio, good citizen and Republican was appointed to the Planning Commission.
Charlottesville is in transition, old relationships mean a lot, but newcomers and people with different points of view are more accepted. My campaign is populist in that sense, I am not tied to the way things have always been, because that seems to mean only some people who have the resources receive the resources. Instead I am looking to the future to a more egalitarian Charlottesville where decisions are made out in the open and citizens feel appreciated and respected for their participation and input (and sought out for their input).
I am learning how to campaign as I go along. Being a politician is something I never actually thought I would do, mostly I am a concerned citizen, when I see issues, I have a call to action and this is what drives me. For example, I was upset about summer pool hours, turns out a lot of people are, I apply to be on the Parks and Rec Advisory Board to advocate for families and family time as a Parks priority. This year the hours have been extended somewhat, not nearly as late as I want them...baby steps.
This post by Waldo at cvillenews also called me to action. The comment "Don’t forget the criteria for appointment: Be a friend of the Dems on City Council or someone they can trust to do their bidding. Most Republicans can just forget about applying and many members of the Democratic Party don’t even stand a chance" made me want to test this commentator's theory.
At the time I had been in town for two months, my husband had not found a job yet and I had a one year old and a two year old. I was looking for a way to serve the community I grew up in, but I really didnt know the people in charge. I applied for Planning Commission, then thought better of that, and changed to CDBG Task Force. I had heard about CDBG from my work at Legal Aid Justice Center. I was easily appointed to that board and later to the Parks Board. That go around, Mike Farruggio, good citizen and Republican was appointed to the Planning Commission.
Charlottesville is in transition, old relationships mean a lot, but newcomers and people with different points of view are more accepted. My campaign is populist in that sense, I am not tied to the way things have always been, because that seems to mean only some people who have the resources receive the resources. Instead I am looking to the future to a more egalitarian Charlottesville where decisions are made out in the open and citizens feel appreciated and respected for their participation and input (and sought out for their input).
Friday, May 18, 2007
More bad news for Cycling
More scandal in cycling, actually it is just an extension of the scandal. I am repulsed. The Giro d'Italia is on and the headlines are dominated by Landis and LeMond. I love cycling in the news, just not this way and now we are on year two of this public relations nightmare.
What if Landis is innocent? What if Landis is lying? Both are equally horrible for cycling. Do we get Directv this year to watch a Tour fundamentally flawed, one where a winner is not declared for last year?
Sports are so fun, the hard work, the tenacity, drama and heart- it has everything. Cycling has three weeks in July where it all comes together (to be clear, plenty of other awesome races). I want to be part of it, but it doesnt seem to really matter anymore since everyone is a suspect and the authorities are complicit, blind or dumb.
What if Landis is innocent? What if Landis is lying? Both are equally horrible for cycling. Do we get Directv this year to watch a Tour fundamentally flawed, one where a winner is not declared for last year?
Sports are so fun, the hard work, the tenacity, drama and heart- it has everything. Cycling has three weeks in July where it all comes together (to be clear, plenty of other awesome races). I want to be part of it, but it doesnt seem to really matter anymore since everyone is a suspect and the authorities are complicit, blind or dumb.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Fry's Spring Candidate forum
As I expected, last night's forum was challenging. The Fry's Spring neighborhood association didnt win "Neighborhood of the Year" for nothing. The association is committed to the well-being of their neighborhood and demands accountability from their elected officials even as their neighborhood is routinely marginalized in the face of development.
The Fry's Spring Beach Club was packed with people (and the Club is in the middle of their membership drive). The candidates were given 3 minutes to introduced themselves and then had to answer two questions they (we) had been given beforehand. I wonder how the NA came up with the two questions, they were fascinating...
* What should be the priority for protection of the residential quality of City neighborhood in relation to development and other interests, would you work to establish a policy to protect the neighborhood residential interests, and how would Council assure that the policy is implemented by City staff
MY short answer for the first question is we have a policy it is called the comprehensive plan and we do annual updates for these plans. The process for developing these plans is not perfunctory, people come to meetings and strategize with staff to create these plans. The issue is following the plan and conforming to the Comp Plan.
* How would you measure the negative impact on the quality of life in the City’s residential neighborhoods, including the safety and comfort of their residents, rather than just using the levels of service measurement that measures only the convenience of drivers and their riders?
MY short answer for this question, I measure quality of life on how much time I have away from my family as a result of traffic, lack of commercial development in our commercial corridors and the available green space for my family and I to play and be in. I also measure quality of life by how many options I have to get to places. I want to bike and walk and ride buses not always drive (especially with $3.00/gal gasoline), if it isnt safe then I cant and it isn't economical or efficient.
As you may imagine the candidates faced tough questions including
1. What concrete items would you cut out of the budget
Reduce the # of vehicles in the City fleet; Reduce the prize amount of eliminate entirely the design center competition for the water street parking lot that is not owned by the City...there are others
2. Who is going to stand up for the blue collar worker?
I was raised in a blue collar household. I know the balance between family and work is challenging, the ability to attend public meetings is limited. It is up to Council to reach out to these voters and ensure their voices are being heard.
3. What type of leadership style do you have? Fundamentally I am a problem-solver, I am results oriented, I prefer action over inaction, even if it is easier to do nothing. I want to collaborate with private and nonprofit sectors to make government more efficient. I listen, but I do not accept things at face value, I research and when a decision is made, I hold people accountable for the follow-through on that decision.
4. You can make a lot of promises, but what is the one thing we can count on you to do if you are elected? I will respond to phone calls and emails.
5. What departments are suffering from neglect? Public works and neighborhood development services.
The rest of the questions are a blur but Cville Tomorrow has the podcast and likely a videocast of the event.
Oh and we received homework- we have to answer another question by Monday. RTF also passed a questionaire out this week. Both organizations will have information on their website probably by the beginning of next week (which I will link to when I get my homework done).
Convention doors open at 12:15- be there early and make sure your vote counts!
Cross posted at democratic central.
Corrected spelling errors (Fry's Spring- thanks to Sean)
The Fry's Spring Beach Club was packed with people (and the Club is in the middle of their membership drive). The candidates were given 3 minutes to introduced themselves and then had to answer two questions they (we) had been given beforehand. I wonder how the NA came up with the two questions, they were fascinating...
* What should be the priority for protection of the residential quality of City neighborhood in relation to development and other interests, would you work to establish a policy to protect the neighborhood residential interests, and how would Council assure that the policy is implemented by City staff
MY short answer for the first question is we have a policy it is called the comprehensive plan and we do annual updates for these plans. The process for developing these plans is not perfunctory, people come to meetings and strategize with staff to create these plans. The issue is following the plan and conforming to the Comp Plan.
* How would you measure the negative impact on the quality of life in the City’s residential neighborhoods, including the safety and comfort of their residents, rather than just using the levels of service measurement that measures only the convenience of drivers and their riders?
MY short answer for this question, I measure quality of life on how much time I have away from my family as a result of traffic, lack of commercial development in our commercial corridors and the available green space for my family and I to play and be in. I also measure quality of life by how many options I have to get to places. I want to bike and walk and ride buses not always drive (especially with $3.00/gal gasoline), if it isnt safe then I cant and it isn't economical or efficient.
As you may imagine the candidates faced tough questions including
1. What concrete items would you cut out of the budget
Reduce the # of vehicles in the City fleet; Reduce the prize amount of eliminate entirely the design center competition for the water street parking lot that is not owned by the City...there are others
2. Who is going to stand up for the blue collar worker?
I was raised in a blue collar household. I know the balance between family and work is challenging, the ability to attend public meetings is limited. It is up to Council to reach out to these voters and ensure their voices are being heard.
3. What type of leadership style do you have? Fundamentally I am a problem-solver, I am results oriented, I prefer action over inaction, even if it is easier to do nothing. I want to collaborate with private and nonprofit sectors to make government more efficient. I listen, but I do not accept things at face value, I research and when a decision is made, I hold people accountable for the follow-through on that decision.
4. You can make a lot of promises, but what is the one thing we can count on you to do if you are elected? I will respond to phone calls and emails.
5. What departments are suffering from neglect? Public works and neighborhood development services.
The rest of the questions are a blur but Cville Tomorrow has the podcast and likely a videocast of the event.
Oh and we received homework- we have to answer another question by Monday. RTF also passed a questionaire out this week. Both organizations will have information on their website probably by the beginning of next week (which I will link to when I get my homework done).
Convention doors open at 12:15- be there early and make sure your vote counts!
Cross posted at democratic central.
Corrected spelling errors (Fry's Spring- thanks to Sean)
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Unexpected Bathroom Makeover
I have lived in this home for two years and am perfectly happy. This is the first home Chris and I have ever owned. Chris enjoys the projects a house provides, I really dont.
I came home from the Pasta Supper one month ago (4/14) to a very apologetic husband. Fearing the worst, I was pleasantly surprised that the only thing wrong was...um, a gigantic hole in our bathroom wall where the faucets for the tub are. Phew, could've been worse.
I had alerted Chris to the issue, so I suspected he would be rooting around for the problem. He bribed me for a little while with the idea of getting new faucets for the bathtub, but we have had those for weeks now and I still dont have a shower. We can take baths, baths are just not that fun when you have no choice to shower.
One month later, the large hole is covered with the board, next it is the tiling and grouting and all the other stuff I dont care about but protects our house from water. Because in the meantime Chris and his friends decide we should change all of our supply pipes (This is not a thought that would occur to me, or I suspect my friends). Also it is a good thing Chris did this because one pipe was about to blow.
Apparently it doesnt make sense to regrout the new tile, one has to regrout the entire tub. I am learning a lot about bathrooms and plumping etc.
Just to be clear, Chris is saving us a lot of money and he does great, thorough work but I still have to give him a hard time. He said it would be one week and now it has been a month. I look forward to the post saying he finished.
I came home from the Pasta Supper one month ago (4/14) to a very apologetic husband. Fearing the worst, I was pleasantly surprised that the only thing wrong was...um, a gigantic hole in our bathroom wall where the faucets for the tub are. Phew, could've been worse.
I had alerted Chris to the issue, so I suspected he would be rooting around for the problem. He bribed me for a little while with the idea of getting new faucets for the bathtub, but we have had those for weeks now and I still dont have a shower. We can take baths, baths are just not that fun when you have no choice to shower.
One month later, the large hole is covered with the board, next it is the tiling and grouting and all the other stuff I dont care about but protects our house from water. Because in the meantime Chris and his friends decide we should change all of our supply pipes (This is not a thought that would occur to me, or I suspect my friends). Also it is a good thing Chris did this because one pipe was about to blow.
Apparently it doesnt make sense to regrout the new tile, one has to regrout the entire tub. I am learning a lot about bathrooms and plumping etc.
Just to be clear, Chris is saving us a lot of money and he does great, thorough work but I still have to give him a hard time. He said it would be one week and now it has been a month. I look forward to the post saying he finished.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Basso confesses...then he doesnt
AS my faithful readers know, I love cycling and specifically CSC and Ivan Basso (and then Discovery and Basso). Basso was implicated in Operacion Puerto last June right before the Tour de France, which he was scheduled to win. He denied it and denied and denied. This week Basso confessed to the tribunal hearing information on Operacion Puerto in Italy that he is "Birillo" and No. 2. This means Dr. Saiz had blood products ready to be given to Basso to enhance his performance. Basso confessed one day, then at a press conference the next day he stated he never actually used the products to enhance his performance, especially in his great victories (last year's Giro). Lie once, shame on him, believe him twice, shame on me. Who is clean? I dont know. I hope the next generation of cyclists understand the shame this has brought to the sport and are committed to a clean sport.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Candidate Forum 1
Four forums are scheduled, the first one was last night. Candidates spent fifteen minutes at each table- there were 5 tables, then we answered questions for 45 minutes. Acc. to the Progress, 40 people showed. I enjoyed the conversational format. Quality of life was the ostensible topic, although you name it, we encountered it last night.
My favorite question involved the Ragged Mountain dam which will flood 138 acres of City land which is currently recreational use, should we be compensated? I was one of the last people to answer this question and the ideas presented were quite good- my concern is preserving green space, but we have measure the costs & benefits, our need for water will continue to grown and this dam will solve a problem. The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA) made this decision. My concern is RWSA doesnt have a member of Council or the Supervisors on it. It is a limited group making the RWSA decisions and there are many, many expensive projects, including the MC interceptor that need to be paid for by taxpayers. These issues do not get a lot of press, but touch all elements of growth in our region. Clean water and safe sewage processes are the real reasons for local government- we have to do a better job caring for the infrastructure and managing the debt-load of the RWSA.
My campaign is about the future- my mission is to preserve the quality of life for our residents, bring affordability to more of our community's employees, connect the government with residents/businesses/non-profits and finally to bring opportunity to our residents. Decisions we make today have to be sustainable for the future and we can not be complacent in our decisions. Twelve percent budget increases from year to year are not sustainable, in fact it is untenable. We can do better, I will make sure of it.
My favorite question involved the Ragged Mountain dam which will flood 138 acres of City land which is currently recreational use, should we be compensated? I was one of the last people to answer this question and the ideas presented were quite good- my concern is preserving green space, but we have measure the costs & benefits, our need for water will continue to grown and this dam will solve a problem. The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA) made this decision. My concern is RWSA doesnt have a member of Council or the Supervisors on it. It is a limited group making the RWSA decisions and there are many, many expensive projects, including the MC interceptor that need to be paid for by taxpayers. These issues do not get a lot of press, but touch all elements of growth in our region. Clean water and safe sewage processes are the real reasons for local government- we have to do a better job caring for the infrastructure and managing the debt-load of the RWSA.
My campaign is about the future- my mission is to preserve the quality of life for our residents, bring affordability to more of our community's employees, connect the government with residents/businesses/non-profits and finally to bring opportunity to our residents. Decisions we make today have to be sustainable for the future and we can not be complacent in our decisions. Twelve percent budget increases from year to year are not sustainable, in fact it is untenable. We can do better, I will make sure of it.
MCPW
Seth Rosen and I met the night before my candidacy announcement. He is an able and young reporter for the Daily Progress. He has not been in the City long and he hailed from Arlington. Seth's stories about the budget were right on target. So now that I am a candidate, I have to say his stories are still on target and I appreciate the way he digs into issues.
That said, the Meadowcreek Parkway is a tertiary issue at this point. It is not relevant to this campaign. Many, if not all, of the issues confronting Council will be resolved prior to the election, so a new council will not have any say over it (one of the first council's in 35 years- fingers crossed).
Three reasons I do not support the MCPW (not all encompassing).
1. Traffic congestion in Charlottesville. Chamber tells me traffic is good since people in cars stop and shop, eat and play all the good engines of economic well-being. My concern is the City's apparent lack of preparation for the increase in traffic presented by the congestion. Proactive leadership is needed to prevent gridlock downtown, if MCPW approval is inevitable, my task will be to PREPARE the City by modernizing our transit and transportation network.
I can tell you from my experience in Falls Church, the longer you sit in traffic the less likely you are to stop and shop. I would have a list of three things I needed to do with a limited time to complete the tasks, traffic prevented me from getting to all the things on my list and then the question always became, what is it I can get away with NOT doing? This is not the environment I want in Charlottesville.
Traffic also incorporates Melbourne Road- what the heck is going to happen here?
Traffic concerns also relates to the idea of a freeway between RIO and Biscuit Run and beyond- there is no shopping in Cville if that happens- The County benefits.
2. McIntire Park- Paul Goodloe McIntire donated this enormous chunk of land at the beginnning of last century. Already we have two roads running through or into the donated land (in addition to CAAR and firehouse). I have no idea how McIntire would view these roads, he may not care. I do care because if we build a road a generation through the park, how long will it be when there is no more park? And imagine what McIntire could be- a real gathering spot in nature.
3.Children- greenspace is limited. The impact of the road no matter how few acres the actual width and length of the road will be dramatic. Greenspace is a precious, limited space, we have to preserve the resource.
Charlottesville is a great City, but it is not NYC or even Portland, Oregon, we have our own history and character. As we move forward, we need solutions that are sustainable for the long-term, this road will be obselete the moment it is built, traffic will gridlock downtown, Park St. will still remain a cut-through and finally if the Eastern Connector is ever built (which is a condition) then two parks will have been destroyed by road-building. This is not creative, we can do better than destroy two of our parks. We need to look forward instead of back to the 60's for our transportation solutions.
I look forward in particular to the CHART committee report on regional transit
options.
Having said all of that, reasonable people disagree all of the time and I am open to hearing more from supporters & opponents of the MCPW.
That said, the Meadowcreek Parkway is a tertiary issue at this point. It is not relevant to this campaign. Many, if not all, of the issues confronting Council will be resolved prior to the election, so a new council will not have any say over it (one of the first council's in 35 years- fingers crossed).
Three reasons I do not support the MCPW (not all encompassing).
1. Traffic congestion in Charlottesville. Chamber tells me traffic is good since people in cars stop and shop, eat and play all the good engines of economic well-being. My concern is the City's apparent lack of preparation for the increase in traffic presented by the congestion. Proactive leadership is needed to prevent gridlock downtown, if MCPW approval is inevitable, my task will be to PREPARE the City by modernizing our transit and transportation network.
I can tell you from my experience in Falls Church, the longer you sit in traffic the less likely you are to stop and shop. I would have a list of three things I needed to do with a limited time to complete the tasks, traffic prevented me from getting to all the things on my list and then the question always became, what is it I can get away with NOT doing? This is not the environment I want in Charlottesville.
Traffic also incorporates Melbourne Road- what the heck is going to happen here?
Traffic concerns also relates to the idea of a freeway between RIO and Biscuit Run and beyond- there is no shopping in Cville if that happens- The County benefits.
2. McIntire Park- Paul Goodloe McIntire donated this enormous chunk of land at the beginnning of last century. Already we have two roads running through or into the donated land (in addition to CAAR and firehouse). I have no idea how McIntire would view these roads, he may not care. I do care because if we build a road a generation through the park, how long will it be when there is no more park? And imagine what McIntire could be- a real gathering spot in nature.
3.Children- greenspace is limited. The impact of the road no matter how few acres the actual width and length of the road will be dramatic. Greenspace is a precious, limited space, we have to preserve the resource.
Charlottesville is a great City, but it is not NYC or even Portland, Oregon, we have our own history and character. As we move forward, we need solutions that are sustainable for the long-term, this road will be obselete the moment it is built, traffic will gridlock downtown, Park St. will still remain a cut-through and finally if the Eastern Connector is ever built (which is a condition) then two parks will have been destroyed by road-building. This is not creative, we can do better than destroy two of our parks. We need to look forward instead of back to the 60's for our transportation solutions.
I look forward in particular to the CHART committee report on regional transit
options.
Having said all of that, reasonable people disagree all of the time and I am open to hearing more from supporters & opponents of the MCPW.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Not my most prolific posting time
Everything is a blur, so here are some scenes from the road.
1. Jen Fariello & Lisa Provence are geniuses.
2. Why does it take a year to test blood? Ivan Basso, now on Team Discovery (soon to be something else since Discovery has dropped its sponsorship), is not able to compete at this point for Operacion Puerto which happened last year. My thought is please suspend him if he is guilty of something. It is not good business practice to bring this up every year prior to the major cycling events- resolution would help, I am unsure why it is taking so long. See cyclingnews.com for further info on this scandal AND the very exciting Tour of Virginia which is making its way to town TOMORROW.
3.Leadership Charlottesville class has at least two great projects I know about. One is the Voices of Poverty, headed by cvilleblogs own StLWorkingMom. I was privileged to attend the premiere voice "Art" who was incredibly powerful. I look forward to the unveiling of the other voices in the coming weeks. The other project I know about is Friends of the Parks & Rec. I met one fellow who is heading that project at the Linear Trail dedication this morning (now known as Schenks Greenway). I look forward to the Parks Dept working collaboratively with the Friends of Parks group.
4. Emily Couric Leadership Forum was filled with at least 400 folks, a succesful fundraiser. I was honored to be there. I saw Howie Long in person for the first time and Leslie Visser was entertaining (plus I love sports so I loved her stories). I also had the opportunity to catch up with the Senator Couric's former legislative assistant (however briefly).
5. I rather like it when people are honest with me.
6. So far there looks to be 5 forums in May for the City Council candidates, but the May 19th forum is not happening. Just to be clear the Convention is June 2- arrive around 12:30 to be admitted, the door closes and no one is allowed in after 1:00. And it is at the Martin Luther King Performing Art Center at CHS.
7. Mike and Wendy are having another baby AND they are buying a house (so exciting).
8. One last tuition payment for this year at D's preschool (and then bye-bye for the tiny downtown preschool) and hello to two tuitions next year.
9. Wow Foxfield dresses are getting smaller and smaller. Outskirts posts his sardonic perspective on the whole thing. My experience was different- I sat in traffic (that part is the same) but parked in South Hill which is far from all the stuff (South Hill seems kind of in the swanky area), but very easy to leave Foxfield. The reason I say it is sort of swanky is the tents had tvs in them (in addition to the catering and hired band) to watch the far side of the race. I ran into lots of people I hadnt seen in awhile & laughed a lot.
10. Earth Day hot air balloning at McIntire didnt happen because of the wind (I hadnt noticed). Fortunately, the festivities went on, I learned a lot, picked up information for Chris to learn (and a spruce for him to plant). I am hoping to attend the Rivanna Conservation Society's fundraiser next weekend (at the Garden Barn in Advance Mills) and pick up a rain barrel (although Chris still votes on making our own).
Well ten things are enough for now.
1. Jen Fariello & Lisa Provence are geniuses.
2. Why does it take a year to test blood? Ivan Basso, now on Team Discovery (soon to be something else since Discovery has dropped its sponsorship), is not able to compete at this point for Operacion Puerto which happened last year. My thought is please suspend him if he is guilty of something. It is not good business practice to bring this up every year prior to the major cycling events- resolution would help, I am unsure why it is taking so long. See cyclingnews.com for further info on this scandal AND the very exciting Tour of Virginia which is making its way to town TOMORROW.
3.Leadership Charlottesville class has at least two great projects I know about. One is the Voices of Poverty, headed by cvilleblogs own StLWorkingMom. I was privileged to attend the premiere voice "Art" who was incredibly powerful. I look forward to the unveiling of the other voices in the coming weeks. The other project I know about is Friends of the Parks & Rec. I met one fellow who is heading that project at the Linear Trail dedication this morning (now known as Schenks Greenway). I look forward to the Parks Dept working collaboratively with the Friends of Parks group.
4. Emily Couric Leadership Forum was filled with at least 400 folks, a succesful fundraiser. I was honored to be there. I saw Howie Long in person for the first time and Leslie Visser was entertaining (plus I love sports so I loved her stories). I also had the opportunity to catch up with the Senator Couric's former legislative assistant (however briefly).
5. I rather like it when people are honest with me.
6. So far there looks to be 5 forums in May for the City Council candidates, but the May 19th forum is not happening. Just to be clear the Convention is June 2- arrive around 12:30 to be admitted, the door closes and no one is allowed in after 1:00. And it is at the Martin Luther King Performing Art Center at CHS.
7. Mike and Wendy are having another baby AND they are buying a house (so exciting).
8. One last tuition payment for this year at D's preschool (and then bye-bye for the tiny downtown preschool) and hello to two tuitions next year.
9. Wow Foxfield dresses are getting smaller and smaller. Outskirts posts his sardonic perspective on the whole thing. My experience was different- I sat in traffic (that part is the same) but parked in South Hill which is far from all the stuff (South Hill seems kind of in the swanky area), but very easy to leave Foxfield. The reason I say it is sort of swanky is the tents had tvs in them (in addition to the catering and hired band) to watch the far side of the race. I ran into lots of people I hadnt seen in awhile & laughed a lot.
10. Earth Day hot air balloning at McIntire didnt happen because of the wind (I hadnt noticed). Fortunately, the festivities went on, I learned a lot, picked up information for Chris to learn (and a spruce for him to plant). I am hoping to attend the Rivanna Conservation Society's fundraiser next weekend (at the Garden Barn in Advance Mills) and pick up a rain barrel (although Chris still votes on making our own).
Well ten things are enough for now.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
More campaign/fun events
Here are some of the events I will attend in the coming weeks, certainly more will be added. Spring is a great time to be in Charlottesville, I look forward to meeting you at these fun events.
4/27- Trail dedication and naming at Harris and McIntire 11:30-12:30
part of Earth Day festivities
4/25 Emily Couric Leadership Forum Luncheon 11:00-1:00 (Omni)
4/28 Earth Day festivities at McIntire Park
Foxfield
4/29 Volunteer at the Tour of Virginia. Support the professional
cyclists coming through our City.
4/30 CAAR workforce housing forum 9-3 at Newcomb Hall
5/19 Candidate Forum at the monthly Democratic breakfast held at JABA at 9:30.
5/30 Public Forum on collaboration between YMCA and the City 6:30-8:00
at Carver Recreation Center.
6/2 Democratic Mass Meeting to nominate candidates for November
election. 1:00.
4/27- Trail dedication and naming at Harris and McIntire 11:30-12:30
part of Earth Day festivities
4/25 Emily Couric Leadership Forum Luncheon 11:00-1:00 (Omni)
4/28 Earth Day festivities at McIntire Park
Foxfield
4/29 Volunteer at the Tour of Virginia. Support the professional
cyclists coming through our City.
4/30 CAAR workforce housing forum 9-3 at Newcomb Hall
5/19 Candidate Forum at the monthly Democratic breakfast held at JABA at 9:30.
5/30 Public Forum on collaboration between YMCA and the City 6:30-8:00
at Carver Recreation Center.
6/2 Democratic Mass Meeting to nominate candidates for November
election. 1:00.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Venue Change City Convention
In order to accommodate the hordes of Democrats (and that is only the candidates) expected at the June 2, 2007 convention, the City Party has announced the location officially be the Charlottesville Performing Arts Center, the time changed to 12:30 too.
It is nice to know for sure where it will be. Everyone should come, it will be fascinating and it may be the only opportunity to make your vote count.
It is nice to know for sure where it will be. Everyone should come, it will be fascinating and it may be the only opportunity to make your vote count.
Friday, April 06, 2007
U.S. Open Cycling Championships
Tomorrow- the weather is supposed to be cold and breezy- so stay in, and watch NBC starting at 2:00. NBC will be airing the US Open Cycling Championships which is being held right here in Virginia. Some very fine cycling teams will be participating- choose your favorite colors and follow that team, it does help the watching. Al Trautwig is doing the color commentating. Al is not the best, but he is recognizable and helps keep people engaged who are just learning the sport. I like the Navigators- they have cool colors. Around here though we have a Rite Aid and (possibly) a HealthNet (or is it Priority Health?) rider so those are good reasons to cheer for those teams. I also like to root for teams based on their names- Jittery Joes and Jelly Belly being my two favorite names.
For more information see this website.
I understand the Masters is on too, but that will also be on Sunday. Follow the leaders through Amen Corner, then watch the end of the third day after the race. And have a happy Easter!
For more information see this website.
I understand the Masters is on too, but that will also be on Sunday. Follow the leaders through Amen Corner, then watch the end of the third day after the race. And have a happy Easter!
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