Today’s Patreon-fueled shout-out comes from an anonymous supporter who wants to say - "We keep each other safe. Wear a mask, wash your hands, and keep your distance."
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There were no major incidents marking the third anniversary of the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, but there were several peaceful commemorations, including a six-hour takeover of Market Street Market in an event known as #ReclaimCville. More than thirty faith leaders held a virtual interfaith service that reflected on the push to remove Confederate statues that lead to violent clashes three years ago yesterday. Here’s the preface of the Michael Cheuk of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective. The full 40 minute video of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective service is available on YouTube.
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The University of Virginia will hold another town hall about reopening on Friday, and this time it will be for parents and family of returning students. Similar meetings were held this past week for staff and for the community at large. For an audio summary of the community town hall held Monday, listen to the most recent episode of the Charlottesville Quarantine Report. One thing you’ll hear on the program is Dr. Mitch Rosner explaining one way that UVA officials will monitor the student population for COVID.
“For the dorm buildings, we will be testing the wastewater effluent,” Rosner said. “The wastewater of buildings contains viral genetic material that can be detected by these PCR tests at a very high sensitivity. If we detect that a building’s wastewater tests positive, we will go in and test all the students.”
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The Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners will welcome newcomers to the governance structure of the agency that owns and operates public housing in the city. The CRHA Board of Commissioners will hold a virtual work session beginning at 5 p.m. to be introduced to new executive director John Sales as well as two new commissioners. Sales started the job earlier this month after serving as the city’s housing coordinator. Also being introduced are Lisa Green and A’Lelia Henry as the new commissioners. Green is at the end of ten years of service as a City Planning Commission. They’re all joining the CRHA at a time when the first new public housing units are being constructed in a generation with the expansion of South First Street. (register for the meeting)
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Do you know how decisions are made about transportation projects in our area, and how you can have your say? A good place to start is the Public Participation Plan (PPP) of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization, a 13-page document that seeks to explain the process that decides what gets built and where. The MPO is seeking public comment on the draft through September 10. The MPO Policy Board will vote on the updated plan on September 23. If you have any questions about the process, I’d like to hear them potentially for a future story. (more info)
One recent transportation decision was made by the Charlottesville City Council when they decided to move forward with a Smart Scale application to pay for changes to the intersection of Preston Avenue, Grady Avenue and 10th Street. The city’s PLACE Design Task Force will discuss the area at their first meeting since the pandemic began. Chair Mike Stoneking has sought a broader discussion of the Preston Avenue Corridor, which has been redeveloping slowly. I produced a written report and podcast about Council’s vote that may be of interest to anyone before the meeting begins. (PLACE agenda)
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The Charlottesville Police Civilian Review Board (PCRB) will meet virtually at 6:30 p.m. and will begin by speaking with two members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus. The General Assembly will convene on August 18 for a special session that will include criminal justice reform. They will also discuss the board’s status, hiring an independent counsel, and the executive director position that will be filled in the near future. (agenda)
Albemarle’s Solid Waste Alternatives Advisory Committee will meet virtually at 4 p.m. One of the items on the agenda is a presentation from the president of the Glass Packaging Institute on the organization’s circular glass initiative in Virginia. (register)
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Live Arts begins a four-night virtual run tonight of a presentation of In the Heights by the Live Arts Teen Theater Ensemble. In the Heights is by Lin-Manuel Miranda, also the person behind Hamilton. Jessica Harris is the assistant director of the production.
“Our performances will be presented in webinar style which means you and hundreds of other audience members can watch the show live from your home without being seen or heard yourselves,” Harris said. (buy tickets)
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Before we close the show today, we have a small correction. In yesterday’s edition, we incorrectly reported the organizers of a panel discussion on the Memorial to Enslaved Workers. The event was put on by the Virginia chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
We conclude by stating that as of publication, the C-VILLE STEM Fundraiser is at $29,555 dollars, or very close to its goal of $30,000 to build boxes of scientific supplies for up to 2,100 students in Charlottesville city schools who would otherwise not have them at home.
August 13, 2020: CRHA meets, PLACE meets, SWAAC meets; Live Arts takes the virtual stage