Monthly Archive for September, 2005

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Slogan Named #2

Published by Waldo Jaquith on September 21, 2005 in General News. 11 Comments

Not ten minutes ago I was thinking that Charlottesville should really have a slogan, inspired by Richmond’s Haduken.com, and wondering what sort of suggestions people would have here. And then I saw that Charlottesville does have a slogan (“So Very Virginia!”), which has been named the #2 best in the nation by a new survey. Las Vegas’ (“What Happens Here, Stays Here”) was named #1, with C’ville followed by Atlantic City’s “Always Turned On,” and Cleveland’s “Cleveland Rocks!”

Clearly, the experts disagree with me, but I read “So Very Virginia!” as “If You’ve Seen Any Other Part of Virginia, This Is Basically More of the Same!”

Amazing Adventures of a Nobody

Published by Waldo Jaquith on September 21, 2005 in General News. 2 Comments

Leon Logothetis is traveling from New York to Los Angeles on $5 a day. By virtue of bringing a camera crew with him, he’s not a gutterpunk but, rather, the subject of “Amazing Adventures of a Nobody.” He’s relying on the kindness of strangers to eat, find a place to stay each night, and travel west. Naturally, he’s blogging, including yesterday’s account of his stay at a UVa frat house. He got a ride here from Richmond yesterday, thanks to a crazy woman, having left New York a few days ago. After appearing on a couple of 11 o’clock news broadcasts last night, he won a train ticket to Charleston, WV by virtue virtue of winning a sprint across campus in his boxers. He leaves town this afternoon.

Liesel Nowak has the skinny in today’s Daily Progress.

Dennis Rooker on Development

Published by Waldo Jaquith on September 21, 2005 in Development. 26 Comments

Jim Duncan makes a great observation:

Referencing Old Trail in Crozet –

‘No plan is perfect, but it’s probably the best plan I’ve seen,’ Supervisor Dennis S. Rooker said. When a citizen addressed the familiar concern that the Crozet area and the 250 Bypass will sprawl and become the next Route 29N or Pantops, Rooker responded, ‘Houses don’t create people. They’ll come whether or not the houses are here.’ –courtesy of this week’s C-Ville.

If they don’t build the houses, where would they live?

Yeah, what Jim said.

Elected School Board Discussion

Published by Waldo Jaquith on September 20, 2005 in Education and Politics. Closed

Last Saturday morning, the Charlottesville Democratic Party held a discussion on the merits of moving to an elected school board. Participants included school board member Muriel Wiggins, Councilor Kevin Lynch, UVa history professor (and elected school board advocate) Jeff Rossman, county school board member Steve Koleszar, and UVa professor William Lucy. Sean Tubbs recorded the proceedings, and has a podcast up on the Charlottesville Podcasting Network.

The question of whether Charlottesville should move from an appointment to an elected school board will be on the ballot on November 8th. It’s likely to pass.

Ivy Landfill Leaking

Published by Waldo Jaquith on September 20, 2005 in General News. 2 Comments

Remember those mid-90s bumper stickers: “Kill the fill or drink the swill”? It turns out we got both. The Ivy Landfill was closed down in 1995, but today John Yellig writes in the Progress that the Rivanna Solid Waste Foundation has discovered that the landfill’s drainage system is failing. As much as 47M gallons of liquid has pooled in the landfill, rather than draining out to be treated. If enough pools in one place, it could tear through the landfill’s lining, pouring out the swill in question.

It will cost millions to clean up. It’s just not clear how to go about it, or who is going to foot the bill.

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