July 11, 2024: Albemarle Supervisors mark anniversary of lynching of John Henry James; Greene Supervisors postpone public hearing for event venue at farm winery
Plus: A quick look at reservoir levels and the latest numbers from the Consumer Price Index
Today marks the second anniversary of the second daily Northeast Regional train that travels between Roanoke and the cities on the eastern seaboard. Four years ago, a former communications director in Charlottesville passed away suddenly. These are two things that the volunteer information source cvillepedia tells us happened on July 11. What else might have happened? Perhaps you can say in the comments below.
For now, it’s time for the next edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement which in and of itself needs no citation. I’m Sean Tubbs, a weaver of information across many platforms.
In today’s installment:
The consumer price index fell 0.1 percent in June with a yearly inflation trend now of three percent
The University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Science issues a report card for the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed
Albemarle County Supervisors proclaim July 12 as John Henry James day to mark the tragedy of his murder at the hands of a lynch mob in 1898
A quick look at levels at the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority’s reservoirs
Greene Supervisors agree to postpone a public hearing for a special use permit for an event venue in the county
First-shout: Take a look at the Piedmont Master Gardeners newsletter!
In today’s first subscriber-supported shout-out, the Piedmont Master Gardeners have already filled a July 20 class they have planned. But you can still learn a few things from their monthly newsletter called The Garden Shed.
Volume 10, Number 7 for July 2024 is currently out and has articles with relevant articles for this scorching summer. Read about how to garden in Intense Heat and Drought and how to stop wilts and root rot in your vegetable garden, and a guide to freezing fruit! There are also columns on edible and ornamental items that might have sprung up in gardens this July.
Take a look at the issue and another one will be along soon for July. And be on the lookout for classes as they fill up fast! There’s a lot more information at piedmontmastergardener.org.
National inflation metric slightly down in June
Every month, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics releases a set of numbers intended to determine trends in what goods and services cost. The Consumer Price Index is used as a macroeconomic snapshot of conditions by accumulating thousands of price points and other data.
In June, the index for all urban consumers fell 0.1 percent after remaining unchanged from May.
“Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.0 percent before seasonal adjustment,” reads the press release sent out this morning.
The collective monthly figure comes from assembling price changes in a wide range of categories. The overall energy index in June fell 2 percent. When you break that down to gasoline, the index for gasoline dropped 3.8 percent in June after having dropped 3.6 percent in May.
However, other categories increased such as the cost of shelter, medical care, household furnishings, and insurance for motor vehicles. So did the cost of food with dining and take-out increasing 0.4 percent and food prepared at home increasing 0.1 percent.
All of the details are available at the website where the press release is posted.
One can also look at trends for each category for the last year. The average price for a used car or truck has fallen 10.1 percent according to that index. The cost of transportation services has increased 9.4 percent.
Maryland environmental group gives a C+ to health of the Chesapeake Bay
Many local and state regulations about water quality are directly related to improving the watershed of the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States.
At least two groups issue annual report cards to give the public a sense of the environmental health of a body of water that drains 63,299 square miles. One of them is the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Sciences which has done this now for five years.
“This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of Chesapeake Bay and its Watershed,” reads the website for this year’s report card. “Watershed health includes traditional ecological indicators, but also economic and societal indicators.”
This year the center has awarded a C to the Chesapeake watershed based on 12 indicators and a C+ to the bay itself based on 7 indicators. Digging a little deeper, someone looking at the report would see there are individual scores for each subsection of the watershed. For instance, the James River is depicted as having a C+ with a trend toward “significantly improving.”
The James River Association is an organization that works to improve the health of that waterway. They sent out their own press release.
“The James River saw signs of improvement in the 2023 report, including reduced levels of algae, increased underwater grasses and continued high dissolved oxygen levels, which scored 100%,” reads their response. “However, the overall James River score dropped by 3 points due to a decline in water clarity and benthic community.”
There is also a focus in this year’s report on agricultural practices in Bay’s eastern shore where hundreds of millions of chickens are raised each year and 842,000 acres are under crop production.
“The effects of these industries are important to monitor and manage because they directly impact smaller tributaries that flow into the Chesapeake Bay,” the report states. “Managing the impacts of agricultural runoff is only possible by collaborating with agricultural communities.”
Another organization that releases a report card on the estuary’s health is the Chesapeake Bay Foundation who released their last update in October 2022.
RWSA water levels: South Fork Rivanna Reservoir not full
Data published this morning by the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that this region is now as in severe drought. (view the data)
Virginia’s drought monitoring task force will next meet on July 16 with the latest assessment on long term conditions. The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority’s Board of Supervisors issued a drought watch on June 25, the first step in a contingency plan.
Every day, the RWSA releases a snapshot of water levels at its five reservoirs. Even with limited rain, the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir has been spilling over because the pool is full. That’s not the case this morning with the daily report stating that the reservoir is down 0.13 feet and is 97.68 percent full.
The Ragged Mountain Reservoir is down 1.15 feet and is 95.62 percent full. Sugar Hollow, which feeds Ragged Mountain via a nearly-hundred year old pipe, is .037 feet down and is 98.23 percent full. The pipeline was closed on May 6.
Beaver Creek, which serves Crozet’s water system, is 0.58 feet down or 96.4 percent full.
Only Totier Creek, which serves Scottsville, is full as of this morning.
Overall, reservoir capacity at 96.63 percent of the usable amount.
July 12 marks anniversary of the lynching of John Henry James
On July 12, 1898, a mob of vigilantes in Albemarle removed John Henry James from a train bound for Charlottesville from the Shenandoah Valley where he had been transported for safekeeping after being arrested on allegations of raping a young woman.
“John Henry James was one of at least 84 people lynched during the period of 1877 to 1950 in Virginia and the national Equal Justice Initiative has determined and documented that it was in Albemarle County where Mr. James’ body was shot dozens of times and his corpse was left hanging in public for hours,” said Albemarle Supervisor Michael Pruitt at the June 12 meeting of the Board of Supervisors.
Pruitt read from a proclamation marking July 12 as John Henry James and noted that no one was punished for the action. James never had his day in court.
“What happened [happened] at the hands of over 150 unmasked white men in the presence of the county sheriff and the county’s police chief,” Pruitt said.
Supervisors first marked July 12 as John Henry James Day in 2021 and have issued a proclamation ever year since.
Supervisor Ned Gallaway said the county sanctioned the lynching in the late 19th century and must look back.
“The Board was complicit, the Board that we now represent and its incredibly important that we take responsibility for that complicity,” Gallaway said. “It would be naive to think that elected officials and government officials, based on the timing of when Mr. James was pulled off the train, the timing of all that, that there weren’t folks that were both elected or in positions to be able to protect weren’t complicit with those 150 folks.”
Supervisor Diantha McKeel took a field trip with many other community members to Montgomery, Alabama where the Equal Justice Initiative’s National Memorial stands to commemorate over 4,400 victims of lynching.
“It is a very moving memorial and while a large contingency from Albemarle County and [Charlottesville] went I would encourage everybody when you have a chance to go down there and see that memorial,” McKeel said. “It is very impactful.”
Albemarle Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Hingeley said there were other elements of the Community Remembrance Project including the marker in Court Square to the lynching that was unveiled in 2019.
“Also this county is supporting the collection of soil from the lynching site and its displayed at different places around the county along with information about the lynching,” Hingeley said.
Last year, Hingely brought forth a motion in Albemarle County Circuit Court to dismiss the indictment against John Henry James
“It created another form of the record of this past injustice,” Hingeley said. “The lynching was countenanced by the legal system. It was not outside the legal system and that’s a hard truth, but it’s the truth.”
Hingeley said his predecessor in 1898 had convened a special grand jury to indict James posthumously to give cover to the mob.
Second shout out: Friends of Charlottesville Downtown
In today’s second Patreon-fueled sponsorship, it is summer time and finding out what to do in Downtown Charlottesville is easy by taking a look at what the Friends of Charlottesville Downtown have on offer!
First there’s a whole new website with an interactive Downtown map with details on over 1,000 downtown businesses!
The website also has a schedule of upcoming events to help you find out what to do.
On Saturday, July 13, there’s a Downtown Piercing Pop-Up at Darling x Dashing Boutique (learn more)
There’s karaoke at Zocalo on Monday night at 10 p.m. (learn more)
And if you go to something thanks to this notice, let me know! I’m always looking for things to do as well!
Opponents of Beard Mountain Winery force postponement of public hearing for event venue
Beard Mountain Winery wants to build a 26,000 square foot event venue at their location in Greene County but several neighbors are doing what they can to prevent the Board of Supervisors from giving approval. (paragraph corrected at 2:04 p.m.)
On July 9, the five members of the Board voted to postpone a public hearing on the matter and then voted on another motion to ensure that any kitchen at any farm winery in the county is restricted in what it can provide.
On Tuesday, Supervisors were to have held a public hearing for the winery’s request for a special use permit to build a building in excess of 4,000 square feet. On June 26, the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) upheld a determination that their use as a farm winery is appropriate which allows for structures up to that size.
One of the appellants in that BZA case was Victor Rosenburg, a neighbor who felt in that case that the determination should have been denied. He spoke at the public comment period at the Board of Supervisors meeting on July 9 to raise another concern.
“I have I guess a serious concern as to whether the beer and winery SUP on tonight’s agenda was properly advertised,” Rosenberg said.
Under Virginia law, public hearings are required for certain items before elected officials make a decision. These have to be advertised in a newspaper of record and can be viewed on a website maintained by the Virginia Press Association called Public Notice.
Another of the unsuccessful appellants to the BZA argued that because the Board of Supervisors deferred their public hearing on the matter on May 28, they need to advertise it a second time. Kennon Copeland quoted what Assistant County Attorney Kelley Kemp said that night.
“Ms. Kemp then said ‘since we are not holding the public hearing, we are going to have to properly advertise for it,’” Copeland said.
On May 28, Copeland, Rosenberg, and others asked Supervisors to defer the public hearing until after the BZA had heard their complaint on June 26. On July 9, Kemp noted that the motion clearly indicated that the public hearing would be deferred that day and no further public notice was required.
“You all discussed it and set it to a date certain, therefore anyone that was here to speak one way or the other would have notice of it and then it was again posted on the agenda,” Kemp said.
However, At-Large Supervisor Francis McGuigan said he did not think the county had not done enough to meet the legal requirement.
“Although it was referred to that a date certain in some way absolves the county from adequately advertising, nobody can find a citing for that in state code,” McGuigan said .
Kemp said it was up to the Board of Supervisors if they wanted to defer the public hearing a second time and also suggested the Board hear from the applicant and then make a decision after a second public hearing.
“They have been twice and I think they would probably at least like a chance to be heard but if you’re concerned you can certainly tell staff to advertise it and do it next month as well,” Kemp said. “It doesn’t hurt to do it twice.”
At this point, Rosenburg was given the chance to make the case that Supervisors had to postpone the public hearing again.
“I’m sure you folks realize that it is a jurisdictional issue meaning that if it’s not properly advertised, then whatever takes place is null and void and the case law supports that,” Rosenburg said.
There was then a back and forth between Rosenburg and County Administrator Cathy Schafrik as Rosenburg pressed to know what would allow the county to proceed.
“What was the authority for that statement?” Rosenburg asked. “This was your email.”
“My email about the requirements to advertise?” Schafrik asked.
“Why it was not necessary to advertise,” Rosenburg said.
“Because it was too a date certain,” Schafrik asked.
“That’s not what she said,” Rosenburg said.
Kemp stepped in.
“Ms. Schafrik, I don’t know that we should engage in a legal discussion at this point,” Kemp said.
“I don’t want a technicality to render our decision cloudy in any way,” said Stanardsville District Supervisor Steve Catalano.
“I have to agree with that one hundred percent,” said Midway District Supervisor Marie Durrer.
“So if there’s any interpretation whatsoever I would rather to defer to advertise,” Catalano said.
And that’s what Supervisors decided to do, meaning the applicants, supporters, and opponents will have to show up a third time at a date to be determined later, after it has been formally advertised again.
At this point, people left the meeting but Supervisors would later indirectly take up the matter. Supervisor McGuigan wanted to direct staff to come up with regulations to be very strict against the use of kitchens at farm wineries.
“Our ordinance says that kitchens and catering activities related to the use of farm wineries are allowed,” McGuigan said. “Picnics and other self-provided food are available for purchase at farm wineries. A kitchen can produce finger foods, soups and appetizers. And the finest final part of our ordinance says that restaurants are strictly prohibited.”
McGuigan said he wanted clarification to ensure a catering kitchen that cannot support full meals for individual diners at a farm winery. He offered up a resolution on the spot.
“It’s just a resolution just stating that we are taking away the discretion on that issue,” McGuigan said.
McGuigan said this is consistent with King Family Vineyards in Albemarle County where people can buy food to snack on, but the kitchen is strictly for outside caterers. Kemp told him that the Board’s by-laws require resolutions to be submitted in advance, and the board would first have to suspend those rules to move his motion forward.
Supervisors did that unanimously and then unanimously voted to direct staff to ensure that catering kitchens are not used to allow restaurants at farm wineries. The Board then adjourned.
Greene Supervisors will meet on Friday morning in closed session to interview candidates to be the director of the county’s water and sewer department.
Reading material:
Grant funding for SSOs and SROs in area schools, CBS19 News, July 8, 2024
Albemarle County launches transportation dashboard, CBS19 News, July 9, 2024
Central Virginia drought conditions continue, Gabby Womack, 29NBC WVIR, July 9, 2024
Albemarle staff refining process for county master plan update, Sean Tubbs, C-Ville Weekly, July 9, 2024
Local schools approve of Youngkin's order to ban cell phones, Felicity Taylor, CBS119, July 9, 2024
Potential local impacts of recent SCOTUS decisions, Catie Ratliff, C-Ville Weekly, July 10, 2024
Research shows heat exposure disproportionately affects Black Richmonders, Charlie Paullin, Virginia Mercury, July 10, 2024
Time for #704 to evaporate
I mentioned cvillepedia at the top of the newsletter today because I want to state how much I love to spend time updating the resource. I’ve put in countless hours over the past fifteen years and I’m grateful for the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society and the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library for now being stewards of the community resource.
I want to be clear I’m just a volunteer but having a repository of information that I can use to help me do my work each and every day is crucial. I think it is also a place for people who appreciate any aspect of this community to get involved. Any ideas? Drop me a line and I can help get you started.
This newsletter is produced to add to the record, and to try to inform people about a great deal of things. Yesterday at the end of my work day, I thanked two recent paid subscribers. No matter how stressful and difficult this work might be, I am grateful for everyone reading it and everyone paying to help it keep going.
I’m also grateful for cut and paste for allowing me to just append the following as I’m past my deadline:
You know the deal by now. Paid subscriptions are matched by Ting.
In return, I tell you that Ting can help you with your high speed Internet needs. If service is available in your area and you sign up for service, enter the promo code COMMUNITY and you will get:
Free installation
A second month for free
A $75 gift card to the Downtown Mall
I have several mistakes I make again and again.
One of them is to confuse Greene and Nelson counties. They are very similar to me in a lot of ways, and I view them as counterparts.
Today I mistakenly placed a Greene County farm winery in the Nelson County in the opening paragraph, but it’s in Greene.
Thankfully someone called to tell me!
This was to have been a note, but I did the process out of sequence.
Sean, I did not catch the error you mention below.
What I am commenting on is that I think this is one of your better publishing, although they are all good. This mixes very important national news, inflation, down to the City level with links to downtown activities, and everything in between.