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Sen. Deeds and Del. Toscano tackle aging at pre-session forum

The General Assembly is set to convene next week for its winter session. Legislators all across Virginia are meeting with constituents in forums sponsored by non-profits groups. One such event in Charlottesville was sponsored by the Jefferson Area Board of Aging, the Intergenerational Advocacy Council, and the Community Partnership for Long Term Care. After introductions from various speakers, Senator Creigh Deeds and Delegate David Toscano took questions from the crowd. Dick Lindsey served as moderator.

“This particular meeting occurs at a time when the country is on the threshold of an aging explosion, an explosion that many of us feel we are ill-prepared for,” says Lindsey during his introductory comments.

The legislators took questions on all manner of issues related to aging, but warned the audience not to expect too much in a session that is sure to be dominated by transportation. Deeds referred to the roads issue as “sucking the air” out of Richmond. One man asked how oxygen could be restored to get senior needs on the table. Toscano suggests that advocacy groups get involved with the legislative process by making their voices heard.



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Charlottesville–Right Now: Minds in Motion – Teaching Kids to Dance

Brett Bonda is the Executive Director of Minds in Motion, a highly acclaimed dance program that appeared at First Night Virginia. He speaks with Coy Barefoot of WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now to talk about the program, which has worked with elementary schools in the Richmond area to teach kids how to be active by dancing. Bonda tries to work with kids in a fun, interactive environment which can help them perform better in their academic life as well. They discuss the possibility of Burnley-Moran and Venable Elementary Schools adopting the Minds in Motion program in the future.

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Wake-Up Call: Students at Albemarle High School Teach Alcohol Awareness

This year, a group of juniors at Albemarle High School decided to do something about drinking among their peers. So, they formed the group “This Is Us” and travel to local middle schools to talk to 8th graders about the dangers of alcohol and other drugs. Some of them joined Rick Moore on the January 7 edition of WNRN’s Sunday Morning Wake-Up Call.

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Charlottesville–Right Now: Investigative journalist Dan Olmsted discusses the link between mercury and autism

Dan Olmsted is a senior editor for United Press International, and writes a regular column called “The Age of Autism” where he studies the link between Mercury in vaccines and Autism in children. He joins Coy Barefoot on WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now in response to his recent article, “Problems in CDC data.” Some topics discussed were Mercury-free vaccinations, the necessity of those vaccinations, the Combating Autism Bill, and what parents with Autistic children do to help.

We’re talking about mercury [in vaccines], which is incredibly toxic…but what if we said we had plutonium in flu shots, people would stand up and go, “Get Plutonium out of flu shots!” But it’s Mercury, and somehow we have the public health officials and pediatricians in this country saying, “Ah, just a little Mercury’s not gonna hurt your infant in the womb there.” I just don’t get it.

-Dan Olmsted



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Charlottesville–Right Now: Political Blogger Shaun Kenney

Shaun Kenney is one of the most prevalent political bloggers in Virginia. He comes on Charlottesville–Right Now with Coy Barefoot to discuss the Democratic Congress, Mark Warner, and other local and national political issues. The focus of the conversation centered around how the newly-Democratic Congress will change foreign policy in reference to oversight committees and the future of the War on Terror. Whether the Democrats have a plan for post-war Iraq was heavily debated, and several callers shared their opinions on the matter. Virgil Goode’s recent comments about Representative-elect Keith Ellison of Minnesota and Ed Gillespie as the new chairman of the Republican National Committee were also touched upon.

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Charlottesville–Right Now: Sec. Preston Bryant and the Virginia General Assembly

Preston Bryant is the Secretary of Natural Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia. He speaks with Coy Barefoot about the upcoming session of the Virginia General Assembly, and how the state budget could change as a result. Two issues that Governor Tim Kaine has pledged to deal with this session are land conservation and the clean-up of Virginia’s waters, which are on an Environmental Protection Agency watch list. Bryant will be back on the program soon to comment on the session progresses.

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Charlottesville–Right Now: Jim Bacon of Bacon’s Rebellion previews the 2007 General Assembly

Jim Bacon of Bacon’s Rebellion joins Coy Barefoot to talk about the latest in Virginia politics. The General Assembly reconvenes next week, and the discussion in this interview is over what role transportation will play in this short session. Governor Kaine says he wants the session to focus on how to pay for road and transit projects throughout the state. Bacon outlines how he thinks the session will unfold.

“The governor is still pushing really hard for what he calls a sustainable long-term transportation funding, and the Republicans in the House are just as insistent against it,” says Bacon. “Hopefully what will happen is that there’s some room for agreement.”

In this show, Coy also laments the decision by blogger Norm Leahy to stop posting to his site, One Man’s Trash.

CharlottesvilleGuv,!vDjnjRight Now is broadcast live Monday through Friday on NewsRadio 1070 WINA from 4 to 6pm. Best-selling author and historian Coy Barefoot is the host and producer. To participate in the program, you can call 434-977-1070. Coy can be reached at barefoot@wina.com.

Subscribe to Coy BarefootGuv,!v,,us podcast!

Access the podcast page here to find out how you can subscribe to the show. That means you can get every new episode as it is posted to the Internet. Or, use iTunes.



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Jan. 4 Headlines: Gray’s Culpeper court appearance, First Street murder trial begins, Burruss embezzlement sentences

Criminal cases seem to be the through-line in this assemblage of the Gateway Virginia Headlines. Click the play button below to hear this two and a half minute summary of the news, or click here to download the mp3 directly.

Murder trial opens (Charlottesville Daily Progress)

Attorney appointed for Ricky Gray (Richmond Times Dispatch)

Pair sentenced in Burruss case (Lynchburg News Advance)

Referee sentenced in child porn case (Charlottesville Daily Progress)

Taking oath on historic Quran (Richmond Times Dispatch)



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Top Ten Growth and Development Stories of 2006

On this special New Years segment of Charlottesville–Right Now with Coy Barefoot, Brian Wheeler of Charlottesville Tomorrow talks about the Top Ten Growth and Development Stories of 2006. Think he left something off the list? Tell him, by leaving a comment on his blog. The countdown begins at 18 minutes into the segment.

10. City Advances Government Internet Communication Initiatives [18:19]
9. Rio District Supervisor David Slutsky [20:34]
8. City/County Support Development of Regional Transit Authority [23:15]
7. County Advances Economic Development Initiatives [24:50]
6. City’s Vertical Growth Limits [26:55]
5. Local Housing Pipeline Grows [30:41]
4. County Supervisors Endorse Potential Population of 24,000 for Crozet [31:34]
3. County Approves North Pointe Rezoning [32:52]
2. City/County Agree on 50-Year Urban Water Supply Plan [34:26]
1. County Supervisors Reach Stalemate on Rural Area Protection Strategies [35:31]

CharlottesvilleGuv,!vDjnjRight Now is broadcast live Monday through Friday on NewsRadio 1070 WINA from 4 to 6pm. Best-selling author and historian Coy Barefoot is the host and producer. To participate in the program, you can call 434-977-1070. Coy can be reached at barefoot@wina.com.

Subscribe to Coy BarefootGuv,!v,,us podcast!

Access the podcast page here to find out how you can subscribe to the show. That means you can get every new episode as it is posted to the Internet. Or, use iTunes.



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First Night Adds Film to its list of events


First Night Virginia is the second oldest celebration of it’s kind in the country, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Yet among the musical and comedic performances Charlottesville has come to expect, for 2007, First Night added some new events. First Film was a chance for six amateur filmmakers to show their work in a non-competitive atmosphere at the local Vinegar Hill Theatre. CPN’s Michael Strickland spoke with Benjamin Haslup, Brian Wimer, and Bonnie Cunningham – three of the filmmakers that were featured at this year’s festival.

Click here to download the file if you are viewing this through an aggregator such as Cvilleblogs.com.

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Wake-Up Call: What will happen in 2007? Rick Moore and R.K. Ramazani discuss

U.Va professor emeritus R.K. Ramazani joins Rick Moore at the WNRN studios for the last Wake-Up Call of 2006. But, Rick isn’t one to look past. Instead, he and Professor Ramazani discuss some of the potential pitfalls of the upcoming 12 months.

Before the show, Ramazani remarked that he’s been making radio appearances for more than forty years.
In his monologue, Rick laments a House subcommittee’s decision to not tighten restrictions on payday lending in Virginia. Some of these companies charge their customers triple-digit APR in order to get some quick cash. Rick says payday loans postpone and augment financial troubles of the poor and desparate, and he thinks that the General Assembly should do something to help.