Monthly Archive for October, 2005

Gubernatorial Candidates on 29 Bypass

Published by Waldo Jaquith on October 31, 2005 in Politics and Transportation. 15 Comments

TrvlnMn writes: “The candidates for state govenor take positions of
varying degrees on a much needed (?) U.S. 29 bypass during typical election year campaigning and illustrating they are both willing to jump (probably blindfolded) into the quagmire that is the area’s transportation and development issues. From today’s article in the Daily Progress:”

Jerry W. Kilgore supports a U.S. 29 bypass around Charlottesville…

[…]

“I would be willing to work with this region to determine the site” of a U.S. 29 bypass route, Kilgore said this month. “I think it’s time to get it started.”

“I think it’s important for this region and it’s very important for the regions south of here,” the GOP candidate said.

Democratic candidate Timothy M. Kaine holds very different views on transportation and criticized the Charlottesville U.S. 29 proposed western bypass route as outdated because development has overtaken that route’s usefulness.

Kaine expressed interest in a much longer parkway route proposed in recent months by Del. Mitchell Van Yahres, D-Charlottesville, that would take the northern end of a parkway around much of northern Albemarle’s development along U.S. 29….

I wouldn’t be surprised if the candidates’ positions on the bypass swayed some votes in Albemarle.

Videogame Industry Not Quite Dead

Published by Waldo Jaquith on October 31, 2005 in Business. 1 Comment

In the late 90s, Charlottesville was a major player in the videogame industry. Kesmai and Boxerjam led the pack, but there were a bunch of smaller publishers in the area. First Electronic Arts bought Kesmai and killed it, and then Boxerjam declined (due to the death of banner ad revenue, on which they were wholly reliant, in the early 00s) and was bought by Media General, who couldn’t bring it back to life. But a few Kesmaites went on to establish new gaming companies, like Video Gaming Technologies, Castle Hill Studios, and PeopleSpace. In today’s Daily Progress, David Hendrick describes the rise, fall, and the mini-resurrection of the Charlottesville gaming industry.

Ivy Landfill Sued for 2003 Death

Published by Waldo Jaquith on October 30, 2005 in Law and Justice. 1 Comment

In April of 2001, Ivy residents were angry about being placed under a gag order preventing them from criticizing the Ivy Landfill. Two years later, landfill manager Wayne Stephens was killed when cutting an oil storage tank open — it exploded. In August of 2003, OSHA cited the landfill for serious violations of federal workplace safety regulations. Now Stephens’ widow has filed a $16M lawsuit against the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority, claiming that her husband would not have died if residents were permitted to voice their safety concerns, Liesel Nowak reports in today’s Daily Progress.

This case was already dismissed by Judge Norman Moon in August, but attorney Deborah Wyatt has strengthened her client’s case and refiled it, hoping that new evidence will permit the case to go forward.

Burglary up 400%

Published by Waldo Jaquith on October 30, 2005 in Crime. 10 Comments

Burglaries for the month of October are up 400% over the same month last year, and it’s not clear why, Bryan McKenzie reports in today’s Progress. (It’s also not clear why Bryan McKenzie is writing a straight news piece.) There were 16 reported burglaries in October of ’04, and 62 for the not-quite-done October ’05. Many of this month’s reports are of occupied homes at night, which is the sort of crime that easily escalates into assault or murder.

Orange Municipal WiFi Announced

Published by Waldo Jaquith on October 30, 2005 in General News. 1 Comment

In June, word came out that Orange County was considering blanketing the area in wireless internet service and, in today’s Daily Progress, Kate Andrews writes that Orange is going wireless. At first, service will only be for use by the Orange and Gordonsville governments, but the $411k project may end up being expanded to providing access to homes and businesses. Orange County isn’t exactly a hotbed of high speed access, and businesses aren’t fighting over the sparsely-populated market — this may be the only way for many residents to get decent bandwidth.

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