Sally for Supervisor

Charlottesville friends, the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center @jsaahccville.bsky.social has released a great new app--History in the Palm of Your Hand. It explores the story of the school & our city through audio, photos, documents & maps. It's very cool. mailchi.mp/jeffschoolhr...

Yeah 😂 he was having them get excited for the tree and the singers and stuff - waving their arms around and then that was part of it 😂

I do wish it was municipally done and not by a shopping center, as nice as Stonefield is. At one point the MC had the kids chanting “Shops at Stonefield” (which also makes this whole thing a smart business decision too).

I went to the Stonefield tree lighting tonight and was so impressed. There were so many kids and families there, and they even gave out free light-up glasses and necklaces etc. Had Elsa and Anna, Eli Cook, and even Santa. Free and family-oriented. We need more of that!

I know that you all know a little bit about this, but I want you to just see how Charlottesville stacks up against the region and what Jaunt is doing. And so one thing that you need to know about is people get on transit when you have the right, density.

Important comment from JAUNT CEO Mike Murphy during his informative presentation to council on Monday: transit works well when higher density housing exists. Transit policy is directly tied to housing policy.

Presentation here: meetings.cvilledata.org/meetings/cha...

NEW: Sean Duffy frequently calls safety his “top priority” as transportation secretary. But I spent months wading through regulatory notices and found something far different: that USDOT has been delaying, weakening and killing dozens of safety rules, many opposed by the transportation industry.🧵

and have more and better bus stops

Latest @thewaroncars.bsky.social is a really great intro to “how we got here” history of how the auto industry remade this nation to force car ownership on everyone as a marketing plan. Amazing how crazy it sounds yet it’s true

My concern is if they are using it in ways that would be better served with a bus (school or CAT).

What Will Replace DART if Cities End Their Contracts? Two cities allowing voters to elect to leave DART in May have offered microtransit systems as an alternative. They're flawed.

Microtransit is a threat to public transportation, not its savior.

Case in point: In Dallas, wealthy suburbs are using microtransit as an excuse to ditch DART, the regional transit system.

Cutting Federal Transit Funding Won’t Fix Budget Shortfalls. But It Would Make Transportation Less Affordable for Americans. A proposal to eliminate federal public transit funding would not only fail to address the existing funding gap but would also leave millions of Americans, pa…

Trump Administration is to propose a massive cut in federal transit funding as part of 2026 transport legislation.

This proposal would decimate the nation's transit systems, while not actually solving the revenue problem federal transportation funding faces.

Evidence @urbaninstitute.bsky.social ⏬

Trump Administration Expected to Drastically Cut Housing Grants

The Trump admin is about to cut housing grants for the formerly homeless.

HUD plans to cut aid for permanent housing by 66%, slashing over $2 billion and leaving 170,000 people at risk of homelessness again.

Everyone who would be affected is disabled, and many are 50 or older.

SAVE THE DATE for the WTJU Classical Marathon, Dec 8 - 14, 2025! Cozy up to chamber music, creative crossovers, inspiring symphonies, and five nights of live performances from local high school students. Find the schedule of Classical Marathon programing at wtju.net/classical2025!

Virginians should see full SNAP benefits arrive no later than Tuesday, governor’s office says Some recipients will be paid as early as Saturday. Federal SNAP funding now extends through September 2026, which should provide some stability for the program going forward.

"Virginians who receive federal food assistance should see their full benefits transferred no later than Tuesday, according to the governor’s office and guidance from the Virginia Department of Social Services."

🥳 “the additional support nearly doubles its current capacity”

It's hard to express what it meant to watch Maurice, Natalia, Celeste, and Rhea tell their stories—in their own voices—this morning.

The segment revealed a brutal reality: homelessness at this scale isn't about personal failure. It's the result of policy choices and systems built to exploit people.

Oooh!!!! I did not know that! Was it when Georgia was here?

“What we destroyed wasn’t just a housing type but an entire urban ecosystem: one that provided flexibility, independence, and affordability at scale.”

Seeking feedback on corridor studies VDOT is working with Charlottesville, the town of Culpeper and the counties of Albemarle and Culpeper on transportation studies evaluating four corridors.

Seeking feedback on corridor studies

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Giant Food hosts hunger relief drive for Blue Ridge Area Food Bank >>>
https://www.29news.com/2025/11/11/giant-food-hosts-hunger-relief-drive-blue-ridge-area-food-bank/

9 strategies to find free or low-cost food when money is tight Kevin Curry, a food influencer and a former SNAP recipient, explains where SNAP recipients can get the most up-to-date information on their benefits, and how anyone can find free or affordable food.

Kevin Curry, a food influencer and a former SNAP recipient, explains where SNAP recipients can get the most up-to-date information on their benefits, and how anyone can find free or affordable food. n.pr/47Awavd

The federal government is obviously important and their funding decisions affect all of us. But tonight is also a reminder of how much we need each other, and how giving locally and supporting our neighbors is also a vital necessity.

Grocery prices have jumped up, and there's no relief in sight Groceries saw their biggest jump in nearly three years last month, a worrisome sign for inflation-weary shoppers. Tariffs are contributing to higher prices for imported staples like bananas and coffee.

Groceries saw their biggest jump in nearly three years last month, a worrisome sign for inflation-weary shoppers. Tariffs are contributing to higher prices for imported staples like bananas and coffee.

Great Sunday morning article to read; a lot of embedded links. Thinking about all this on the local level.

“everything is politics. That’s something authoritarians who aspire toward totalitarianism, like our current regime, get. And it’s something we no longer have the luxury of ignoring.”

Many would-be buyers are frozen out of the housing market Only about one in five homes sold in the last year went to a first-time buyer. And the average person buying their first home was 40 years old — a record high. A new report from the National Associat...

“When we look at the lack of inventory for young adults to be able to purchase what ends up being their biggest financial asset and to bring them into the housing ladder, we have work to do."

www.npr.org/2025/11/09/n...

Volunteers process food and toiletry donations under a tent at Fry’s Spring. Photo by Erin Monaghan.

Volunteers process food and toiletry donations under a tent at Fry’s Spring. Photo by Amanda Burns.

Car stuffed with one load of food and toiletry donations at Fry’s Spring. Photo by Amanda Burns.

The team of volunteers pose for a group photo at Fry’s Spring, with the Cville Dems banner. Photo by Amanda Burns (but she’s in the photo, too, so there’s some sorcery).

Thanks to the community for stepping up for the Cville-Albemarle Dems food drive for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. The total was 1,846 pounds collected!

For those who would like to donate online:

give.brafb.org/give/508375?...

The voices of SNAP Recipients have become political pawns. They explained, in their own words, what Trump withholding funds has been like.

New — While some states have received SNAP benefits for November and USDA is supposedly pushing through all federal payments soon, that doesn’t erase the psychological terror of the last few weeks.

I spoke with 20+ SNAP recipients in 16 states about preparing for a possible future with no food:

The cold snap this weekend is a good reminder that we can help keep each other warm this winter! Join the winter coat drive and help The Haven. There’s a lot of places to drop off hats, gloves, scarves, and coats and support a local business while you’re there!

Housing at U.Va.: Challenges and Changes Podcast Episode · On Record · 10/16/2025 · 25m

I just listened to this recent episode from The Cavalier Daily, talking about UVA students’ experiences with housing - great information and what a frustrating experience this has to be! Hopefully the new housing getting built will help alleviate some stress.

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/o...