Author: c-ville-writers-2

Four elementary schools in Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville were recognized as Title I Distinguished schools for maintaining full accreditation under Virginia’s Standards of Learning program for two years in a row.

Agnor-Hurt, Stony Point, Burnley-Moran, and Greenbrier elementary schools met federal standards in math and reading. Average student test scores in these subjects were in the 60th percentile and higher.

The Virginia Board of Education named 92 of Virginia’s over 700 schools as distinguished based on the results on state assessment tests during the 2009-2010 and the 2010-2011 school years.

Title I funding is provided by the federal government under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act to assist children in high-poverty areas. Funding is based on the number of low-income children in a school.

Click here for a full list of this year’s distinguished Virginia schools.

 The Charlottesville City Council voted last night to adopt the Fiscal Year 2012-2013 budget. The adopted plan totals $146,269,910 dollars, a 2.07 percent increase from last year’s adopted budget.

Charlottesville City Schools will receive a $3.4 million increase in funding, the largest new investment within the new budget’s figures.

Other highlights include funds for the Carver Recreational Center and Fontaine Avenue Fire Station. The Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT) and JAUNT bus services will also increase their services to include several holidays during which public transportation was not previously offered.

"The new budget reflects our community’s commitment to providing high quality services especially in the areas of education, transportation, public safety, the environment and parks and recreation,"City Manager Maurice Jones told NBC29.

Click here to view the full adopted budget.

 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps ranked Albemarle County as the fourth healthiest county in Virginia.

The national county-by-county report uses survey data such as adult smoking and obesity, uninsured, excessive drinking, and number of primary care physicians in order to establish the rankings. Social and economic factors such as graduation rates, violent crime rates and children in poverty were also considered.

Albemarle was recognized for having a low population of people in fair to poor health and for its low number of uninsured residents. 

"One thing that’s important is that we don’t get complacent about these rankings," County Spokesperson Lee Catlin told NBC29. "Number four is certainly a great number, but it doesn’t mean there are things we don’t need to focus on."

An estimated 27 percent of county residents are obese. This figure is lower than the state average, but remains higher than the national average of 25 percent. The rate of STDs in the county is also considerably higher than the national average. There are 167 cases of chlamydia per 100,000 county residents compared the national average of 84 cases per 100,000.

Fairfax was deemed the healthiest county in Virginia, followed by Arlington and Loudon. The City of Charlottesville ranked 47.

Click here for the complete rankings and statistics.

Wednesday 4/4

Tony knockers 

It’s alive! Mel Brooks (left) breathes new life into his comedic film oeuvre by adding music and putting it on the stage. Hot on the heels of his Broadway sensation, The Producers, a successful stage musical based on a film about a failed stage musical, Brooks whips up a newly tuned Young Frankenstein. And just like Teri Garr’s corset in the movie, the touring stage version is bursting at the seams. $35-55, 8pm. John Paul Jones Arena, 295 Massie Rd. (888)575-8497.

Mad genius lives in Mel Brooks’ touring Broadway version of the classic film Young Frankenstein on stage at John Paul Jones Arena.

 

Thursday 4/5

Kickstart my art

Having successfully crowd-funded her next album, Brooklyn folkster Kelley McRae (above) is getting hyped by critics as well. McRae’s plaintive and richly textured tunes might remind listeners of Gillian Welch or Patty Griffin, but her unique songs give her a style that is all her own. Local songwriter and poet Andrew Neil, whose military career was cut short by a near-fatal
car accident in 2009, will also perform. Donations requested, 8pm. The Garage, 250 First St. thegarage-cville.com.

Friday 4/6

Otto manic for the people

 

Rock-’em-sock-’em thespians Four County Players tackle Nicky Silver’s The Food Chain in their intimate blackbox space. Theater patrons might recognize playwright Silver as a kind of Todd Solondz for the stage. Among his icky satires of nuclear families is this production, which absurdifies body image and loneliness in much the same way his Pterodactyls beefed on AIDS and, well, loneliness. Sound like a bummer? It’s not. The Food Chain puts wit at the forefront with machine-gunned one-liners and hilariously awkward situations. Check it out, but leave the kiddos at home;mature content awaits.  Runs through April 21. $10, 8pm. Four County Players, 5256 Governor Barbour St., Barboursville. (540) 832-5355.

 

Saturday 4/7

Born & corn bred

It’s rare to find a musical act that walks the line between intimacy and farce, but bred Virginian Jonny Corndawg does so with an alarming flair. From songs about bikini lines to parenting to bears in the woods, Jonny Corndawg and his new album, Down on the Bikini Line, bring an exceptional knack for pinpointing the heart of the matter by way of roundabout songwriting and an impeccable stage presence. It’s true that jesters were the ones who got to the truth of the matter. $10, 8 pm.  The Southern  Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. 977-5590.

 

 In celebration of Earth Month, Charlottesville Mayor Satyendra Huja asked residents to join the National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation. The competition is currently active and will end on April 30.

By registering at mywaterpledge.com, residents can pledge to make small changes over the next year in order to become more "water-wise." Pledges include using a refillable water bottle, sweeping walkways instead of hosing them down, or washing only full loads of laundry.

Cities are competing to get the highest percentage of their residents involved in the pledge.

The free pledge also registers pledgers to win free prizes, such as water efficient shower heads, home watering kits, or even a new Toyota Prius Hybrid.

Click here for more information on getting involved.

 New and experienced walkers are encouraged to participate in the second annual Monticello Volkswalk on April 15.

Volksmarching is "a form of non-competitive fitness walking that originated in Europe," according to a press release. During this event, participants will have the opportunity to walk 5 or 10 kilometers on the outdoor path.

The event will begin and end at the historical Michie Tavern. The route will follow the Saunders-Monticello Trail up the mountain to the Monticello plantation, a UNESCO World Heritage site, traversing the grounds before looping back down the mountain.

It costs nothing to walk in the event, but credits toward achievement patches could cost $3 to $10.

Walkers must start between 7 and 8:30 a.m. and finish by 11:30 a.m.

Participants must register by April 2. Click here for more information.

 

 The Carnegie Hero Fund has chosen to recognize two Albemarle residents for their heroic deeds.

Charles Worden is receiving a medal for rescuing 9-year-old Adrian Rowe and attempting to save two others from drowning in Waynesboro last year.

The second recipient, Abigail Zuehlke, swam 600 feet to save her two brothers from drowning in the Atlantic Ocean last summer. 

"I have a background in swimming in high school and all and I’m probably a little more comfortable than other people so it’s the timing and the luck of it and it’s really a neat story because everybody came out just fine," Zuehlke told NBC29. 

Besides their awarded meadls, both recipients will receive a $5,000 grant.

The Carnegie Hero Fund was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1904 "to recognize persons who perform acts of heroism in civilian life," according to its website. 

 

  India’s ambassador to the United States, Nirupama Rao, will visit the City of Charlottesville on April 4 to congratulate Satyendra Huja on his appointment as mayor.

Mayor Huja will welcome Ambassador Rao during a ceremony to take place in the City Council Chambers at City Hall at 12:15 p.m.

During her visit, she will also meet with city and university officials and take a guided tour of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.

Ambassador Rao served two years as India’s foreign secretary before assuming her position in Washington, D.C. in September 2011.

Main Street Arena and Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) are partnering to build one of the largest privately owned solar installations in Virginia.

 

The $280,000 68-kilowatt array, to be used by the Main Street Arena, is expected to shave as much as two months off of its annual energy bill. Doing so would offset the energy use of 6.63 American homes.

 

“We are very happy to be partnering with LEAP on a project that we believe will have not only positive effects on our business but also will send an important signal to other businesses that now is the time to start investing in the future,” Mark Brown, owner of Main Street Arena, said in a press release.

 

U.S. Green Energy Corporation, based in Fredericksburg, has already begun work on the project, which will create 40 jobs in the company’s plant in Danville.

 

The project is set to finish by April 30. 

 UVA’s Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center is asking community members to vote so that it may receive up to $20,000 and a virtual cancer support program through a community grant from the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

The Pillars4Life virtual support program was established as "a virtual patient/caregiver that has been to proven to enhance quality-of-life for cancer patients" by connecting hospitals and social workers to patients in their own homes.

The online program would provide support to cancer patients at UVA, many of whom travel long distances for treatment.

Click here to cast your vote. The deadline is March 23 at 5:00 p.m.