Podcast for July 11, 2025: Five radio stories from Charlottesville and one from Albemarle

What is the purpose of journalism? What is the purpose of the government? What makes up society? How did we get here? All the questions David Byrne asked in Once in a Lifetime? This is the audio edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement, a podcast that features audio versions of stories that have gone out in the written version. To add to the confusion, there’s also Information Charlottesville which is intended to capture all of these stories in one place for future people to look back toward.

Now, what’s up this time?

• Speakers seek answers on next steps for zoning in Charlottesville (learn more)

• City Manager Sanders provides status report on various initiatives (learn more)

• Charlottesville City Council gets update on ANCHOR program (learn more)

• Applications being taken for Charlottesville Boards and Commissions (learn more)

• Speakers tell Charlottesville City Council of what they say are threats to U.S. Constitution (must produce)

• Albemarle Planning Commission recommends approval of more residential units at Brookhill (need to produce)

Today’s experimental sponsor is Westwind Flowers. You can hear a more detailed description in the audio above, just after the show’s billboard.

Why experimental? If you’re interested, respond to this email and I can share some information.

An explanation of #895-A

This is coming out much earlier than usual, just as the Week Ahead for the period beginning July 14 will also be out earlier. I’m taking a road trip which means making adjustments. However, as a one-person operation, that doesn’t mean the work will stop. Hundreds of you are paying me to do this work, and so I do! I’m absolutely grateful.

Sunday is also the fifth anniversary of the newsletter. I’ve not done anything too terribly special for it except decide to go on a road trip which will keep me away from the screen for most of the day. Instead I’ll see a good chunk of the country as I help out a friend.

In any case, do take a listen if you’ve not heard one of these before. I got my professional start in public radio and realized fairly on that no public radio station in their right mind would hire me because in the early 2000’s I was quite critical of the shrinking amount of time available for local stories.

So, stubborn old me created the Charlottesville Podcasting Network in 2005, a website I still maintain but won’t send you a link because I’ve not figured out how to fix something. And then I created a podcast called the Charlottesville Quarantine Report in March 2020 out of a desperate need to return to journalism.

The podcast gets about a tenth of the audience, but I believe it’s the best version of the work I do. I love being able to mix in people’s voices, and there’s so much more to be done. However, I’m a one-person operation with many ideas to unfurl.

Thanks to paid subscribers for helping to keep this thing sailing along and let’s hope I find the map.

This image has nothing to do with this week’s program, but I can state that these chopped up tomatoes ended up being a great part of a recipe I cooked this week while working on the various Town Crier Productions. Cooking grounds me and helps me feel connected to something more than just me. Not pictured, however, is yesterday’s attempt at smashed potatoes.