Tuesday 1/8
Kaine proposes smoking ban
Governor Timothy M. Kaine will propose legislation with the start of tomorrow’s General Assembly for a statewide ban on smoking in restaurants. “The scientific evidence about the health risks associated with exposure to secondhand smoke is clear and convincing,” Kaine said, standing in a restaurant in Virginia Beach. The Department of Health estimates that secondhand smoke is responsible for 1,700 state deaths per year and the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids estimates that the Commonwealth spends $124.9 million a year on problems related to secondhand smoke exposure.
Wednesday 1/9
Albemarle native wraps up Democratic nomination
Four months of fundraising has made Albemarle county native Tom Perriello the Democratic challenger to Virgil Goode, The Daily Progress reported today. Perriello has raised more than $263,000 since September, setting the stage for a run at the 5th District Congressional seat that Goode has held since 1996.
Thursday 1/10
 UVA School of Architecture professor Bill Lucy is taking a permanent sabbatical from his post as chair of the city Planning Commission. |
Change is afoot
Charlottesville Tomorrow reports that city Planning Commission Chairman Bill Lucy, a UVA architecture professor who has served on the commission for more than three years, will leave his post in March as part of a sabbatical. The website quotes Lucy as saying, “I have accomplished most of the goals I had in mind, and the City Council had in mind, when I was appointed.” And a press release today from Charlottesville City Schools announces that CHS Principal Kenneth Leatherwood will become a coordinator with the system’s Human Resources department at the end of the school year.
Friday 1/11
General Assembly to take on illegal immigration
More than 100 bills pertaining to the illegal immigration issue have been introduced in the first two days of the General Assembly, reports The Washington Times. “It is evidence of the fact, in the last year, the issue has become of heightened interest in the public consciousness; there is no question about that,” said Claire Gutrie Gastanaga, a lobbyist for a coalition of Hispanic organizations. She pointed out that only 53 such bills were introduced in the last session. Democrats in the Virginia Senate listed the issue as one of their top six legislative priorities, but some Republicans doubted that assertion. “I hope they want to take the issue seriously, and we will see this year,” said Republican Delegate Jackson H. Miller. “Last year, they were not serious about it.”
Saturday 1/12
 On January 12, Adam Rogers (pictured), along with Josh Van Horne, held a workshop at The Bridge on how to short-circuit audio devices to create new musical instruments and sound generators. |
Tourism? More like bore-ism
Today’s Lynchburg News & Advance revisited recently published tourism numbers from Monticello (441,739 guests in 2007, the spot’s lowest total in roughly 30 years) and then, presumably to add insult to Charlottesville injury, threw in a few Lynchburg sites for comparison, including “Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest,” which attracted nearly 2,000 more guests during the last year. Most sources in the News & Advance attribute declines to increased fuel prices and fewer field trips, but Lynn Beebe, president of Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, says her spot’s increase might be attributed to “growing public interest in ‘conversation’ events featuring historical actors.” More T.J. puppets, Monticello!
Sunday 1/13
McCain wants our money
Clinton, Obama and Kucinich have already been here, and now it looks like a Republican will try his luck. Charlottesville Newsplex reports today that John McCain will hold a fundraiser at the Paramount on February 10, two days before the Virginia primary. A mere $1,000 gets you into a private reception, while $100 is necessary for the speaking event only.
Monday 1/14
What’s the frequency, Martha?
This morning, radio listeners awoke to a brave new world, at least on the 103.5 FM frequency. That’s WMRA, the NPR station based in Harrisonburg, and from now on it will air more talk programming during the middle of the day, rather than classical music. Major NPR news shows “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered” will still air at the usual times; now they’ll be joined by an hour of BBC news, plus “On Point,” “Fresh Air” and “Talk of the Nation.”
