Monthly Archive for November, 2004

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Wireless Hotspot Open Now at Jeff. Mad. Library

Published by Waldo Jaquith on November 18, 2004 in Education. 8 Comments

silkyzephyr writes: I write from the Jefferson Madison Regional Library (Main Branch on Market Street) using WiFi to connect to CvilleNews. As of this week, the basement reading room just became a wireless hotspot. Waldo had championed wireless access when he was on the JMRL Board and I am glad to report they finally got around to it. Unlike U. Va., or commercial hotspots like the Mudhouse on the Downtown Mall, you need no password or ISP account. In fact you don’t even need a library card. All you need is 802.11b or 802.11g wireless and a willingness to sit in an open library room where anybody can see what you’re browsing. BYOC (bring your own computer). Jeff. Mad. does not have laptops available to lend. U.Va. libraries do, but the students have dibs and they are usually all lent out. Connection on my Apple laptop was instantaneous, trouble free, and the connection is super-fast. Makes me want to hug a librarian (though that is discouraged.)

Woo-hoo! Gotta love the library. No, seriously. I insist that you love JMRL.

Helping Obesity Through Walking to School

Published by Waldo Jaquith on November 15, 2004 in Education. 8 Comments

The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star has a nice overview of the Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation‘s Safe Routes to School program and their Walking Wednesday program. They’ve established standard, safe routes for students to walk to Greenbrier Elementary, Buford Middle School, and Greenbrier has all of their students walk to school on Wednesday. With childhood obesity on the rise and traffic (and related environmental problems) only getting worse, ACCT’s program is helping with a host of problems.

Council to Support Repeal of Civil Union Ban

Published by Waldo Jaquith on November 15, 2004 in General News. 43 Comments

At tonight’s City Council meeting, council will take up the matter of whether to issue a resolution asking the General Assembly to repeal HB 751, Del. Bob Marshall‘s (R-Manassas) bill that was signed into law earlier this year that prohibits any “arrangement between persons of the same sex purporting to bestow the privileges or obligations of marriage.” The law has resulted in much protest, notably because the law seems to ban any contract between two people of the same sex that provides a benefit of marriage (tenancy by the entirety, living wills, joint adoption, etc.) Del. Marshall, when asked by Del. Brian Moran (D-Alexandria) to explain precisely what contracts that he intended to outlaw, said only “I am not accountable for the gentleman’s lack of enlightenment or understanding.” It’s a safe assumption that this resolution will pass. Neither Rob Schilling nor Charlottesville Republican Committee Bob Hodous would talk to the Progress about the resolution. John Yellig has the story in today’s Progress. 11/16 Update: They did it.

Zoning Board Rules for Planned Parenthood

Published by Waldo Jaquith on November 9, 2004 in General News. 37 Comments

This afternoon, the Albemarle Board of Zoning Appeals held the long-discussed public hearing about revoking Planned Parenthood‘s occupancy permit for their new office on Hydraulic Road and, in a 3-1-1 ruling (one abstaining), they ruled against the appellant, Renae Townsend. The debate was over whether the R-10 zoning permitted Planned Parenthood to perform medical services there — the majority held that they qualified as a professional office (in the manner of a physician or dentist), and not as a medical center (such as a hospital), while the minority disagreed. The 1pm meeting ran for over 4 hours, with testimony coming from dozens in the overflowing auditorium. Hundreds of people filled the room, the lobby, and even the steps of the building, with pro-choice members (identified by Planned Parenthood stickers) far, far outnumbering those opposed to the organization. There is still the matter of the lawsuit brought against the county by six residents of the nearby Garden Court, who allege that permitting Planned Parenthood to locate there amounts to an unlawful taking of their property rights, through devaluation of their property. The case isn’t likely to go very far.

Suspect: Victim Stabbed Himself 18 Times

Published by Waldo Jaquith on November 9, 2004 in Law and Justice. 6 Comments

Former UVa student Andrew Alston, charged in the murder of Walter Sisk, of Free Union, is claiming in his defense that Sisk died because he stabbed himself, 18 times. John Correa, with whom Alston studied aikido in 2002, testified that each of the wounds on Sisk’s body are consistent with the use of standard aikido defense measures against an individual armed with a knife. The Nelson Muntz (“Why are you hitting yourself?”) Defense, if successful, could keep Alston from up to 40 years in prison. Liesel Nowak the story. in today’s Progress. 11/10 Update: The Cav. Daily reports that a jury found Alston guilty of voluntary manslaughter late last night.

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