Category: CPN Original

Original programs from Sean Tubbs and others

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Myo Sim Karate and Kendo turns 40


Rick Wellbeloved-Stone (left) and Christian DeBaun (right) spar while their master instructors look on…

Myo Sim Karate and Kendo celebrated its fortieth anniversary in Charlottesville this weekend with its annual black belt exams. Myo Sim was founded by Grand Master Sung Hong, a Korean immigrant who opened his first dojo near Galludet University in 1963. One of his students brought the practice to Charlottesville when he entered studies at the University of Virginia. Classes in both karate and kendo are now taught at ACAC. Sean Tubbs attended the celebrations, and spoke with Rick Wellbeloved-Stone and Christian DeBaun, two of Myo Sim’s instructors in Charlottesville.

Bryan MacKenzie wrote about Myo Sim last week in the Daily Progress.

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CPN is an aggregator of podcasts from in and around Charlottesville. We post about a dozen or so pieces a week, from everything from public lectures to call-in shows like WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now. To make sure you don’t miss anything, subscribe to the show for free in iTunes. This will automatically download everything posted here into your iTunes folder. Listen on your computer, or take CPN with you on the road.


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The Charlottesville Wunderkammer is coming to town


The Family Wunderkammer

An old-world carnival has set up shop in the Frank Ix building for a three-week appearance. The Charlottesville Wunderkammer features art, music, and daring acts of intrigue. The event is presented by the Zen Monkey Project and the Performers Exchange Project. Sean Tubbs recently attended a preview, and has this report.

Subscribe to the CPN podcast

CPN is an aggregator of podcasts from in and around Charlottesville. We post about a dozen or so pieces a week, from everything from public lectures to call-in shows like WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now. To make sure you don’t miss anything, subscribe to the show for free in iTunes. This will automatically download everything posted here into your iTunes folder. Listen on your computer, or take CPN with you on the road.


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Downtown Mall Turns 30

Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Charlottesville’s downtown pedestrian mall turns 30 this month, with free cake for everyone who attended a ceremony commemorating the event. The project was an effort to bring people back to downtown after other shopping centers sprang up in the area. This podcast features speeches from former city manager Cole Hendrix, former mayor Nancy O’Brien, Bob Stroh of the Downtown Business Association, current mayor David Brown and current city manager Gary O’Connell. It is hosted by Mark O’Brien and Crystal Cameron of NBC 29.

Subscribe to the CPN podcast

CPN is an aggregator of podcasts from in and around Charlottesville. We post about a dozen or so pieces a week, from everything from public lectures to call-in shows like WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now. To make sure you don’t miss anything, subscribe to the show for free in iTunes. This will automatically download everything posted here into your iTunes folder. Listen on your computer, or take CPN with you on the road.


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New Citizens Take Oath of Citizenship at Monticello

New citizens take the Oath of Citizenship at Monticello

There are sixty-nine more Americans in the area around Charlottesville this week. The new citizens took the Oath of Citizenship on the steps of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello on Independence Day. They were welcomed by fellow naturalized citizens Christo and Jeanne-Claude, the pair responsible for huge public art projects such as The Gates and the wrapping of the Reichstag.

This is a six minute report featuring the highlights from the ceremony. Check here for the full ceremony.



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New Citizens Take Oath at Monticello

Christo and Jeanne-Claude

There are sixty-nine more Americans in the area around Charlottesville this week. The new citizens took the Oath of Citizenship on the steps of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello on Independence Day. They were welcomed by fellow naturalized citizens Christo and Jeanne-Claude, the pair responsible for huge public art projects such as The Gates and the wrapping of the Reichstag.

New citizens taking the Oath of Citizenship

(00:00 – 00:24) – Introduction
(00:24 – 01:53) – Dan Jordan, President of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation
(01:53 – 04:33) – John Charles Thomas, Former Trustee of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation
(04:33 – 08:30) – Jeff Walker, Chairman of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation
(08:30 – 14:48) – Christo and Jeanne-Claude
(14:48 – 22:52) – Western District of Virginia convenes, ceremony is held
(22:52 – 26:06) – Remarks from Judge James P. Jones
(26:06 – 32:15) – Remarks from Judge James Harve Wilkinson III of the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
(32:15 – 43:08) – Stories from the new citizens
(43:08 – 44:49) – Pledge of Allegiance
(44:49 – 46:37) – A talk with Md Farid Uddin
(46:37 – 48:45) – A talk with Parigul Lloyd
(48:45 – 49:48) – Conclusion

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Jack Marshall of ASAP: Towards an “optimal sustainable population”

We all have opinions on the growth going on in Charlottesville and surrounding counties. But Jack Marshall is well-positioned to make his declaration that Albemarle County needs to set an “optimal sustainable population.” Marshall is a cultural anthropologist who spent many years studying the effects of population growth. Now he’s the president of Advocates for a Sustainable Albemarle Population. He spoke at the annual meeting of the Ivy Creek Foundation on June 25, 2006, in the Foundation’s new education building.

Subscribe to the CPN podcast

CPN is an aggregator of podcasts from in and around Charlottesville. We post about a dozen or so pieces a week, from everything from public lectures to call-in shows like WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now. To make sure you don’t miss anything, subscribe to the show for free in iTunes. This will automatically download everything posted here into your iTunes folder. Listen on your computer, or take CPN with you on the road.


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Repost: Will intercity rail come to Charlottesville?

Meredith Richards giving her presentation to potential members of Charlottesville Citizens for Better Rail Alternatives(Michael Testerman)

The group Charlottesville Citizens for Better Rail Alternatives was created last year to create public demand for an extension of the Virginia Railway Express to Charlottesville. The group is spearheaded by Meredith Richards, a former Charlottesville councilwoman and candidate for Congress. Richards is now the public voice of the group, which hopes to convince the Virginia Railway Express to extend its service all the way to Charlottesville.

Last September Richard gave a public presentation to the group, as well as an interview with Mike Thrift, a Charlottesville man who commutes to D.C. at least once every week.

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Students ask: where does Charlottesville get its food?

A unique class in the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture has spent much of this last semester analyzing where Charlottesville residents get their food. Students in PLAC 569, Community Food Systems, presented their results this week in City Council chambers in front of a group of local farmers, grocers and food activists. The basic consensus: most of our food comes here from a long way away. We present an edited portion of their presentation in this podcast.

What do you think? Please leave your comments below and let us know where your food comes from. A follow-up meeting will be held in June to take further action on the findings of the class. Next spring’s section of PLAC 569 will continue the research.

Update from July 6: Waldo Jaquith says the preliminary report of the class “is very much worth your time.” And here is a link to the paper.

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The Woolen Mills through the lens of Bill Emory

Courtesy of Bill Emory

Charlottesville is going through a dramatic period of transformation, caused by the region’s quality of life and a general rise in housing prices. This has forced the evolution of the city’s historic neighborhoods, including the Woolen Mills area, just to the east of the downtown mall. In this second in our continuing series on Charlottesville area bloggers, photographer Bill Emory takes us on a tour of the neighborhood. He’s taking a visual inventory of what the area looks like today to make sure it’s still there tomorrow.

You can read more on the Woolen Mills area here. This piece is supported in part by the Charlottesville Daily Progress, our news partner.

Our series of conversations with Charlottesville bloggers began with a talk with Chris and Darlene Bruce, the folks behind Eat Air, a blog about vegan cooking.

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Area Hispanic immigrants rally in Charlottesville

Supporters of immigrants’ rights held demonstrations across the nation yesterday as part of a day of action to demand fair treatment. Many are opposed to border security legislation that passed the House of Representatives that would make it a felony to be in the country illegally.

Over three hundred people turned out at a rally in Charlottesville Monday night to show their support. They sang songs, lined Preston Avenue, and heard comments from Tim Freilich, the managing attorney of the Virginia Justice Center for Farm and Immigrant Workers.

This podcast is an expansion of a report produced for WVTF Public Radio, and features some of the songs and Freilich’s comments. We also spoke with one of the people who participated in the rally.

The Daily Progress has coverage of the event from Sarah Barry. We’ll update this page with other links as we can find them. We’d like to know what you think as well. Please leave a comment below. Bill Emory has a nice picture of a painting that was displayed on the steps of the Albemarle County Executive Office Building. Waldo has a post on it, and mentions that Nell Boeschenstein of C-Ville Weekly wrote about it as well.