Progress Lays off Four in Newsroom

Published by Waldo Jaquith on March 30, 2009 in Business and Meta News. 28 Comments

The Daily Progress announced layoffs of newsroom staff today:

The Daily Progress on Monday reduced its employee complement by six in an effort to adapt its operations to continued changes in the marketplace. A sister newspaper in Waynesboro, the News Virginian, also reduced its complement by one on Monday, according to Lawrence McConnell, regional publisher for the newspapers. […] The reduction in force saw four positions eliminated in the Progress newsroom and two in advertising.

So, who got the axe? And who is left? I feel like we need a roll call or something.

(Via NBC 29)

03/31 Update: The Hook reports that two editors and two reporters were let go, and a friend tells me that Features Editor Mary Alice Blackwell is among those. With just sixteen folks on the roster, this amounts to a loss of 25%* of the already-shrunken newsroom.

Google Street View Incorporates Charlottesville

Published by Waldo Jaquith on March 30, 2009 in General News. 6 Comments

Charlottesville and Albemarle have, at long last, been included in Google’s Street View photography within their maps. The county coverage isn’t exactly exhaustive, but just about every street in the city has been photographed. I figure their truck came through sometime late last summer, based on the cues that I can pick up within the photos. I’ve already found my car parked in front of my office, though the graveled mountain pass that I live on didn’t make the cut. Collectively, the area’s businesses are going to lose a lot of work hours tomorrow as people scope out the town through the eyes of Google. Thanks to Kyle C. for the news.

Brookwood’s “Slopes of Evil”

Published by Waldo Jaquith on March 28, 2009 in Development. 17 Comments

For C-Ville Weekly, Erika Howsare calls out a new housing development for generally sucking, something that ought to be done more often. Brookwood, off Fifth Street Extended, is being built by Southern Development, and appears to be particularly badly sited. Built on the side of a steep hill, they caused some significant erosion that left Rivanna Trail joggers having to wade through muck. Howsare writes that “the site has to be literally hacked out of a cliffside, which is then shored up with massive ugly retaining walls, which in turn face directly into people’s tiny bedroom windows.” Infill development is a good and necessary thing, but there are some places where it just doesn’t make sense to build. (Via Lonnie Murray)

County School Board Reorganizing Central Office

Published by Waldo Jaquith on March 28, 2009 in Education. 8 Comments

The Albemarle School Board has signed off on some changes in the central office that were requested by school superintendent Pam Moran, Scott Schenk writes in the Daily Progress today. They’re creating a new position—assistant superintendent for planning and operations—and cutting 15.3 full-time positions’ worth of jobs, saving $875k annually. The changes are said to be similar to those taking place in schools nationwide.

Independent Joins Council Race

Published by Waldo Jaquith on March 27, 2009 in Politics. Closed

An independent candidate is joining the race for City Council, Rachana Dixit writes in today’s Daily Progress. Andrew Williams, 22-year-old State Farm employee and part-time PVCC student, is interested in government efficiency, affordable housing, and the water supply plan. As an independent, he’s got to get 125 signatures from C’ville voters to get on the ballot for the November election. There are three Democrats vying for their party’s nomination: incumbents Dave Norris and Julian Taliaferro, plus challenger Kristen Szakos. Charlottesville Democratic Party chair Jennifer McKeever says that she expects more independents to step up to the plate.

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