Author Archive for Waldo Jaquith

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Two Locals Named Carnegie Heroes

Published by Waldo Jaquith on March 21, 2012 in General News. Closed

Two local folks have received Carnegie Medals for heroism, the Daily Progress reports. In 1904, Andrew Carnegie established the Hero Fund, which rewards any civilian who voluntarily risks his lives while attempting to save the life of another. In the 108 years since, they have given out 9,000 medals and $32M in grants, 20% posthumously. Twenty-one such awards were announced today, including one for Abigail R. Zuehlke, of Earlysville, and one for Charles V. Worden, of North Garden.

Of Zuehlke, Carnegie explains:

Abigail R. Zuehlke helped to save Brandon and Daniel Santiago from drowning, Hunting Island, South Carolina, July 8, 2011. Swimming in the Atlantic Ocean off a state park beach, Brandon, 18, and his brother, Daniel, 20, were caught in a rip current that prevented their returning to shore. In another party, Zuehlke, 30, homemaker, had just arrived at the beach and was alerted to the swimmers’ plight by those on shore. She entered the water and waded and swam to Brandon, who was about 300 feet out. Finding him nearly exhausted, Zuehlke hooked him by the arm and started back toward shore, having to swim against the current while towing him. When she was about halfway back, she met up with a man who had entered the surf and turned Brandon over to him. As the man took Brandon to safety, Zuehlke turned and swam out to Daniel, guided by those on the beach. Reaching him at a point also about 300 feet from shore, Zuehlke grasped him and started back toward the beach. A responding park ranger who had entered the surf took Daniel from her, and all three returned to the beach. Brandon and Daniel were treated at the scene, with Brandon then requiring overnight hospitalization. He recovered.

And of Warden:

Charles V. Worden saved Adrian G. Rowe from drowning, Waynesboro, Virginia, April 16, 2011. Adrian, 9, and two others were attempting to walk across a low water crossing that was inundated to a depth of about 2.5 feet by surging floodwaters of a creek. The rushing water forced them against a rail that extended along the edge of the crossing. A passing motorist, Worden, 44, maintenance engineer, saw them and stopped at the scene. Shouting for them to return, Worden waded through the flooded area and onto the near end of the crossing. Reaching Adrian, he grasped the boy and put him under an arm as he then tried to secure the others. They were washed from his grasp and carried downstream. Worden waded from the floodwater with Adrian to safety and then ran after the others, but they submerged and drowned, their bodies recovered later.

Money does not accompany the medal but, instead, recipients become eligible for grants, scholarships, and general continuing aid, all directly from the Carnegie Hero Fund. I recommend reading through profiles of some of the awardees—they’re just amazing stories of heroism.

Landmark Hotel Set to be Auctioned

Published by Waldo Jaquith on March 19, 2012 in Business and Development. 26 Comments

The incomplete Landmark Hotel is going up for auction, Henry Graff reports for NBC-29. A federal bankruptcy court will sell it off, to satisfy $2.8M in construction costs unpaid by Halsey Minor, who ran out of money shortly after the steel framework of the building went up a few years ago. Minor’s one-time partner, former Charlottesville developer Lee Danielson, claims a billionaire backer is going to help him win the structure at auction, presumably to finish building the boutique hotel. The auction, if it happens, would likely be held in three months.

Apartments for the Homeless Opening this Month

Published by Waldo Jaquith on March 18, 2012 in Development and Government. 22 Comments Tags: .

The area’s first housing complex for the chronically homeless will accept its first tenants in a couple of weeks, Graham Moonmaw writes in the Daily Progress. The Crossings, at the corner of Preston and Fourth, has sixty units, half of which are meant to house people who are medically vulnerable and have been homeless on a long-term basis, and the other half are for people with annual incomes below $27,250. They’re studio apartments, just 360 square feet apiece, and are equipped with basic furnishings, a simple kitchen, and a bathroom. The city bought the real estate two years ago, for $1.55M, and has sold it to Virginia Supportive Housing for the same amount, with no payment due for thirty years. (The Richmond-based organization runs similar facilities in Richmond and Hampton Roads.) The city will provide $170k/year to subsidize it—$130k from federal funds, $40k from the Charlottesville Housing Fund—and Albemarle will contribute, as well. The building will have six staffers on site most days, and has all of the security amenities of a modern apartment complex.

Charlottesville Tomorrow, C-Ville Weekly Start a Show on WTJU

Published by Waldo Jaquith on March 16, 2012 in Meta News. Closed

Charlottesville Tomorrow and C-Ville Weekly have started a weekly radio show, broadcast on WTJU, called “Soundboard,” Charlottesville Tomorrow writes on their blog. C-Ville Weekly editor Giles Morris and Charlottesville Tomorrow writer Sean Tubbs will be weekly guests on the hour-long show, discussing the stories of the past week. Daily Progress reporters will also make regular appearances. It’s on every Friday from 4–5 PM. The first installment is available online, as all future episodes will be, too.

New Website: Virginia Decoded

Published by Waldo Jaquith on March 13, 2012 in Government and Law and Justice. 12 Comments

I launched a new website this morning that’s worth mentioning here: Virginia Decoded. It’s like Richmond Sunlight, but instead of making it easier to understand legislation, it makes it easier to understand all of the laws of Virginia. To see how this is an improvement, compare § 2.2-3705.1 on the official state website to the same section on Virginia Decoded. Note that glossary terms are underlined, with pop-up definitions, the listing of legislation and cross-references in the sidebar, and the general lack of horribleness. The site also incorporates relevant court decisions and a handful of other niceties. I hope you find it as useful as I have!

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