We are at the last day of August for 2024, and there are 335 days until the next time we call the current month after that particular Roman emperor. Fans of adulation toward long-gone dictators shouldn’t fret, though. There are 304 days until July 1, a factual statement that should also please Canadians.
This is the final audio podcast of Charlottesville Community Engagement for this month, the sixth in an effort to make sure there’s a chance for people to hear the people quoted in the stories. I’m Sean Tubbs, grateful for the listeners!
In this edition:
Albemarle Supervisors agree to a tax rebate arrangement with Home Depot worth three quarters of a million dollars (written version coming Monday)
Albemarle Supervisors have also approved a rezoning for Granger property in Albemarle’s southwest urban ring (learn more)
Traffic fatalities in Virginia are up while total number of crashes has slightly decreased (learn more)
Speed-camera enforcement to begin in October for Hydraulic Road school zones (learn more)
Transit partnership votes to transition to Regional Transit Authority (learn more)
First shout-out: Charlottesville E-bike Lending Library
In today’s first Patreon-fueled shout-out: The rolling topography of the Charlottesville area keeps some people away from choosing cycling as an option to get around. Perhaps an e-bike is in order?
That’s where Charlottesville’s eBike Lending Library comes in! E-bikes are a great way to get around the community but there are many brands and styles to choose from. Because many e-bikes are sold online, it can be a challenge to try an e-bike before buying one.
The Charlottesville E-bike Lending Library is a free, not-for-profit service working to expand access to e-bikes in the area. They have a small collection of e-bikes that they lend out to community members for up to a week, for free. You can experience your daily commute, go grocery shopping, or even bike your kids to school, and decide whether e-bikes are right for you. Check out this service at https://www.ebikelibrarycville.org!
Behind the scenes note to anyone reading
This is a podcast only edition which usually means there is nothing original. This time around, though, there is one story that will go out in written form in Monday’s edition of the regular newsletter. So if you really want to know more about Albemarle County’s $750,000 tax rebate deal with the Home Depot, you can listen to a six minute story I produced yesterday to fill time for today’s radio program that went out on WTJU.
My professional history in journalism began in 1995 with an internship at WVTF Public Radio. I love producing in sound and even in a long period of time where I produced very few audio stories (roughly 2007 to 2020) I still produced all of my print stories by going through recordings.
So now I get to present information in both ways, and my production calendar has matured to be able to help me sort out what stage every single story is in. Today that means an advance audio version of a print story, something I don’t expect to happen often.
But who knows? If it’s not on the spreadsheet, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to really wonder. There’s a lot to do, and I’m grateful to paid subscribers and other contributors who help me keep this business going.
Is this part spoken in the podcast? Are there secrets and easter eggs? Is there room in this community for odd audio collage? Will I be brave enough to try something new?
You’ll just have to listen and find out!
Second-shout: Gazpacho in the Garden at Morven
In today’s second subscriber-supported shout-out: The Morven Sustainability Lab invites you to celebrate the new semester on Friday, September 6 for the annual Gazpacho in the Garden event at 5 p.m. There will be a summer meal harvested from a garden that’s all run by students at the University of Virginia. There will be family-friendly music, lawn games, and tours of the garden where you can learn something. There will be limited seating so do come prepared with picnic blankets and chairs. For ticket information, visit the appropriate page on EventBrite.
Behind the scenes notes for #CCE-724A
Much of the music in the podcast comes from Wraki and that’s another reason to listen! The bits in between the segments are odd concoctions I make. The opening music is from P.J. Sykes, as I commissioned him more than seventeen years ago for a podcast product that didn’t work out.
Until now!
Thanks for listening or for reading to this point.
I’m glad to have been able to make a steady living after all this work trying to prove myself. Thank you to paid subscribers, and if you’d like to become one, please remember Ting will match your initial payment.
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Free installation
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A $75 gift card to the Downtown Mall
Podcast for August 31, 2024: $750K in tax rebates for Home Depot, rezoning for 203 housing units at Granger property, and traffic fatalities are up so far this decade