AARP THE MAGAZINE Names Charlottesville One of the Top 10 Healthiest Places to Live in America

(Washington) Charlottesville has been named one of the top ten healthiest cities to live by AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with more than 34 million readers. The announcement was made in mid-July.

The others in the top ten are Ann Arbor, MI; Honolulu, HI; Madison, WI; Santa Fe, NM; Fargo,ND; Boulder, CO; San Francisco Bay Area; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN; and Naples-Marco Island, FL. Featured in the September/October issue, the cities received high marks for vitality of their residents and great living conditions.

"These ten cities have made robust living - and active retirement - a priority. After reading why, you might want to move there too," is how the magazine described the ten cities. "What really sets the place apart is its strong focus on medicine. It ranks fourth among U.S. metropolitan areas in the number of physicians per capita and it also make the top ten for family-practice doctors, oncologists and cardiologists. The most obvious reason is the University of Virginian's medical school and 572-bed teaching hospital," the magazine observed while noting reasons Charlottesville was recognized on the list.

AARP The Magazine evaluated over 20 measures of vitality to help make its decisions and incorporated not only the physical aspects of a community (clean air and water), but also the health and habits of people who live there, taking into special consideration the health needs of people age 50+. Communities were chosen based on various criteria including opportunities for exercise, number of doctors in the area, availability of healthcare, diagnosis of health problems, healthy eating habits, and more.

The magazine also evaluated quality of life measures such as housing affordability, the local economy, educational resources, crime, climate, recreational amenities, and arts and culture to help make their selections.

"The cities we chose are ahead of the healthy living curve with access to healthcare facilities, numerous options for exercise, activities, volunteerism, and a culture that supports vitality," said Nancy Graham, Acting Editor of AARP The Magazine. "This has become one of AARP The Magazine's most popular annual features and it's exciting to be the authority on the top cities for retirement at a time when more Americans than ever are approaching that milestone."

AARP The Magazine's Top 10 Healthiest Cities to Live and Retire for 2008:
1. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Fully 86% of residents exercise daily; the city boasts 580 physicians per 100,000 people, compared to the U.S. average of 223; it is home to The University of Michigan Health Center - one of the largest university medical centers in the world and creator of the first human genetics program in the U.S. in 1940.
2. Honolulu, Hawaii: An impressive 95% of residents are covered by health insurance; residents spend more time exercising than almost any other city surveyed; locals have one of the highest rates of life expectancy among surveyed cities.
3. Madison, Wisconsin: Residents have low rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol; here you'll find big city advantages with a small-town feel; Madison hosts an extensive bus system, numerous bike trails and a wide-range of sporting activities.
4. Santa Fe, New Mexico: The city ranked #2 in the U.S. in air quality by the American Lung Association; the rates of diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol are among the lowest in the country, in part because of a city-funded health campaign aimed at older residents.
5. Fargo, North Dakota: Ranks #9 in the nation for regular flossing and brushing; it has one of the best air-quality-index scores, uses biodiesel fuel to power its transit buses, and it has made a serious commitment to incorporate methane-powered generators, solar panels, and wind generators into the city's infrastructure.
6. Boulder, Colorado: This home to more than 130 miles and 45,000 acres of open space and pristine wilderness at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains attracts environment and health-conscious residents; it is one of the nation's healthiest cities with extremely low rates of smoking and obesity (BMI of 24.94).
7. Charlottesville, Virginia: The one-time home of Thomas Jefferson ranks in the top ten cities for family- practice doctors, oncologists and cardiologists; it ranks fourth among U.S. metropolitan areas in the number of physicians per capita.
8. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota: Residents rank among the top ten in the country for share of residents who exercise regularly; Minnesota is ranked the #1 state in the nation for the overall quality of its healthcare by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
9. San Francisco Bay Area, California: Residents are among the least likely to be overweight and smoke; last year, the city of San Francisco launched Healthy San Francisco, an initiative that offers free or subsidized health care to uninsured residents.
10. Naples-Marco Island, Florida: Residents received very high scores for regular exercise, healthy eating and not smoking; the area has one of the lowest cancer mortality rates in the country; Naples-Marco Island has the second most golf holes per capita in the country.

AARP The Magazine's special report examines which cities excelled in key areas of longevity, vitality, and wellness. Ames, IA was the city with the longest life expectancy, 81.02 years, followed by Naples-Marco Island, FL with 80.97 years. Ames, IA, also topped the list of cities with the highest percentage of people able to afford healthcare, at 97.9% and Johnston, PA, was second on that list at 96.2%.

In a key measure of health, average body mass index (BMI), Boulder, CO topped the list as the skinniest city, with a 24.94 BMI, followed by Santa Fe, NM, which had an average BMI of 25.50. Of cities with the greenest commuters, Ithaca, NY, was highest on the list with 16.88% of commuters biking or walking to work.

Full criteria included: Cardiac mortality rates (age- adjusted), prescriptions for control of hypertension, cholesterol (per capita), physician diagnoses of diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity (BMI), smoking cigarettes, alcohol use, access to affordable healthcare, physicians and cardiologists in area (per capita), fast food outlets (per capita), state legislation for smoke-free workplaces and public places, percent having a health plan, percent unable to afford health care, percent of residents who had a recent routine checkup, healthy eating (salads, fruits, vegetable servings per day), regular exercise, commuting by bicycle or walking, stress index (indicators include depression, divorce, suicide, crime, unemployment, etc.), teaching hospitals (per capita), hospital beds available (per capita), and hospitals with emergency rooms.

Sources included CDC WONDER Compressed Mortality File (2000-2004), Medical Marketing Services, CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey (2004-2006), AMA membership rolls (2007), Info USA, database of establishments (2007), Americans for Nonsmokers Rights - compilation (2007), U.S. Census, Claritas, Inc., Sperling's BestPlaces analysis, American Hospital Directory (2008).

Additional information about this year's selections can be found in the September/October issue of AARP The Magazine or online at www.aarpmagazine.org. For a copy of the magazine or to speak with an AARP The Magazine editor, please contact Meghan Holston, Coburn Communication, 212.382.4450 or Meghan.Holston@coburnww.com.

With more than 34 million readers nationwide, AARP The Magazine (www.aarpmagazine.org) is the world's largest circulation magazine and the definitive lifestyle publication for Americans 50+. Reaching over 23.5 million households, AARP The Magazine delivers comprehensive content through in-depth celebrity interviews, health and fitness features, consumer interest information and tips, book and movie reviews and financial guidance. Published bimonthly in print and continually online, AARP The Magazine was founded in 1958 and is the flagship title of AARP Publications. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates.

PVCC Names New Chief Information Officer

Brian Wisniewski has joined Piedmont Virginia Community College as chief information officer responsible for all aspects of information technology at the College.

A native of Jackson, Mich., Wisniewski was formerly the manager of core services in the IT department at the University of Notre Dame. His previous experience also includes IT consulting, directing technical and Web services at Ashland University and serving as an information systems management officer with the U.S. Army. He taught IT classes for several years as an adjunct faculty member at Lorain County Community College.

Wisniewski received his undergraduate degree from the University of Toledo and a master's degree in computer resources and information management from Webster University.

As the new CIO at PVCC, Wisniewski will oversee telecommunications, network services, administrative computing, help desk and e-mail services and information security.

The Engineering Groupe, Inc. Announces Personnel Changes

John (Skip) Groupe, IV, PE, President of The Engineering Groupe, Inc. of Woodbridge, is pleased to announce that Brent Bowman recently received certification as a Licensed Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Since joining The Engineering Groupe, Inc., Brent has been responsible for site planning and infrastructure design for residential and commercial land development projects working out of the firm's central headquarters office in Woodbridge, VA.

The Engineering Groupe, Inc. also is pleased to announce that Dimitrios Konstantinou recently passed the Licensed Surveyor in Training Exam in the State of Virginia. As Director of Field Surveys, Dimitrios is responsible for providing the direction to field survey personnel and managing the survey office and field functions. He works out of the firm's central headquarters office in Woodbridge, VA.

The Engineering Groupe, Inc. also recently announced that Jennifer Vance and Mike Dineen have both passed the Virginia Engineer in Training Exam. Jennifer and Mike are both Project Engineers in our South office located in Fredericksburg, VA.

The Company was founded in 1990 by John S. Groupe, IV, PE, and provides civil engineering, planning, and surveying services to state, county and municipal agencies, as well as to homebuilders, commercial developers, and public utility companies. The company is headquartered in Woodbridge, Virginia, with additional offices in Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, and Richmond. The Engineering Groupe, Inc. is ranked among the top 25 Engineering Firms in the Metropolitan area by Washington Business Journal.

CBC's Hopkinson Named to Educational Committee

Bill Hopkinson, CCAE and president of CBC, Inc was named to ACA International's Education Committee.

In a letter from ACA, President-Elect Jay Gonsalves stated, "Our association needs dedicated individuals like you to help meet the challenges our industry and Association face as we prepare to meet the future."

Mr. Hopkinson is the Immediate Past-President of the Virginia Collectors Association and also sits on the board of directors of MDHBA. He was recently featured on "Mind your business", a local PBS show dedicated to educating the public on personal business issues.

CBC has been serving the needs of credit grantors throughout the mid-Atlantic region since 1920.

Gonzalez Appointed to Local Board of Professional Association for Design

Rosita Gonzalez, assistant professor of art at Piedmont Virginia Community College, has been appointed to a two-year position as business outreach coordinator for the Richmond Chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design. The Richmond Chapter of AIGA covers Central Virginia.

A PVCC adjunct faculty member since 2005, Gonzalez teaches communication design. She also helped organize a PVCC student group affiliated with the AIGA Richmond Chapter. Among her responsibilities as business outreach coordinator, Gonzalez will develop linkages between the design profession and local businesses, something that she has routinely done by engaging her students at PVCC in projects that produce logos, brochures, identity packages, CD covers, print advertisements and posters for the Blue Ridge Swim Club, local performer Kathryn Caine, the American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians and the Albemarle Ballet Theatre.

PVCC's Career Studies Certificate in Graphic Design prepares students in two years for entry-level positions in graphic communication and graphic design.

Additional information is available at www.pvcc.edu.

WVPT Receives Three VAB Awards

(Harrisonburg) "This award goes to: WVPT!"
WVPT -- Virginia's Public Television -- received three top Virginia Association of Broadcaster (VAB) awards Friday, June 27, at the VAB's annual convention in Virginia Beach:

Category & Title
Outstanding News Series, "Virginia Farming"
2007 Best Station Promotion/Contest, WVPT Kids' Book Festival
Best Website, wvpt.net

"WVPT is honored and very proud to receive these awards. They are indicative of the types of quality projects that WVPT produces throughout the year. They are each a product of our mission to make a difference in the lives of our audience, and are examples of our vision to connect the residents of our viewing area to each other, to their country and to the world through the use of broadcast television, the internet and community/educational outreach projects," said WVPT President and General Manager David Mullins.

Outstanding News Series 2007WVPT¡¦s ¡§Virginia Farming¡¨ ¡§Virginia Farming¡¨ on WVPT¡XVirginia¡¦s Public Television is the Commonwealth¡¦s only locally produced, weekly televised farm series. During the series, writer and award-winning host Jeff Ishee reports on the wide variety of commodities raised in Virginia, weather conditions and farm safety.

He invites guests from across the state to discuss Virginia¡¦s poultry, beef, dairy, crop, wine, seafood, timber, aquaculture and related industries. He interviews everyone from young farmers to senior farm leaders and discusses timely issues, including immigration and farm bills before the legislature.

The series features in-depth interviews, news, statistics and even bluegrass music. ¡§Virginia Farming¡¨ is seen across the nation on the RFD network. This series also airs on Blue Ridge Public Television, serving 29 counties in southwest Virginia; WCVE, serving the Richmond, Virginia area; WHTJ, serving the Charlottesville, Virginia area; and on West Virginia Public Television.

Best Station Promotion/Contest 2007WVPT Kids¡¦ Book Festival (Charlottesville) The WVPT Kids¡¦ Book Festival (KBF) is a four-hour, outdoor community event that makes literacy accessible to children at no cost. Throughout the event, area business and community partners provide literacy activities for children and their families.

Every child that attends is given a free new book with the option of picking out other ¡§gently read¡¨ books to take home. Child-friendly entertainers and mascots delight children throughout the day with stories, puppetry and humor. The day is topped off with free food, as well. WVPT¡¦s second annual event took place in Charlottesville in September 2007 on the campus of Piedmont Virginia Community College with well over 4,000 people in attendance.

This was by far the largest KBF to date. Seventy-five community partners provided literacy activities; over 2,600 new books were distributed, along with 1,100 ¡§gently read¡¨ books; and there were 45 stopping points throughout the event with 37 of those being interactive literacy activities. Children ranged in age from birth to 15 with 81 percent of the attendees being under seven years of age.

WVPT KBF Goals:
1. To raise awareness of the importance of literacy in young children so that they arrive at school ready to learn.
2. To demonstrate to parents and caregivers how books can be engaging for all children regardless of age, ethnicity or financial status.
3. To engage community organizations and businesses in these goals to ensure a demonstrated community value on literacy.
4. To provide an event to reach all socio-economic populations that can benefit from support for and education on how to improve the literacy skills of their children at home.

Best Website 2007www.wvpt.netWVPT¡¦s website is an example of positive visual impact, design and creativity. It was redesigned with many updates added in 2007.

Goals for re-design of www.wvpt.net: (appearing no particular order)
1. Bring the site's style and format more in line with pbs.org and wvpt4learning
2. Improve accessibility and maneuverability
3. Update technologies
4. Enhance community portal concept

Methods: WVPT reduced the deep layers and updated the look of the previous site. The design of the home page better transitions visitors from pbs.org and wvpt4learning to wvpt.net so they have a more seamless experience and the branding value from all three provide a more lasting and powerful impression. Less text and more visuals were emphasized in the redesign. The number of navigations on the home page was reduced and the information presented was shortened and simplified. The home page was also designed with flexibility to grow.

Technologies, including videostreaming of local and national content, and online purchasing were added. Web visitors are also linked to YouTube to view clips of WVPT¡¦s locally produced documentaries and are then directed back to wvpt.net. The Community Calendar gives the community opportunity to promote upcoming events.

WVPT (analog channel 50, digital channel 11 and Comcast Cable channels 11 & 12) is the PBS affiliate licensed to serve Charlottesville and the surrounding area. WVPT broadcasts The Miller Center¡¦s weekly Forum presentations on Sunday afternoons. WVPT is a classroom, a concert hall, a conference center, a college, and a library of the airwaves. Visit wvpt.net and wvpt4learning.org.

Charlottesville Radio Group Awards Grants to Local Charities

The Charlottesville Radio Group, a locally-run broadcasting company, today named four local non- profit organizations as the 2008 recipients of the Charlottesville Radio Group Community Awareness Grants.

The Eure family established the grants in 2002 to give each of four non-profit organizations a yearlong series of sixty radio commercials per week to be broadcast on their, then, three radio stations.

For 2008, each of the four grant recipients will be awarded over $90,000 in advertising on the Charlottesville Radio Group family of five radio stations: NewsRadio 1070 WINA, Lite Rock Z95.1, 97.5 3WV, 106.1 The Corner and Progressive Talk 1450 WVAX.

Grant panel member Senator R. Creigh Deeds has called the program, "A wonderful community service, and a great way to help others reach those who need services." Senator Deeds went on to say, "All of the non-profits are doing great work in the Charlottesville area. The Charlottesville Radio Group Community Awareness Grant provides a voice to these groups. I hope over the next year each of the recipients will continue to grow in service to our community."

More than 200 local non-profit groups and organizations were offered the opportunity to apply for a 2008 Charlottesville Radio Group Community Awareness Grant. From all applications received, seven finalists were chosen by a cross section of Charlottesville Radio Group employees. A panel composed of local legislators selected the four grant recipients.

The organizations receiving the 2008 Charlottesville Radio Group Community Awareness Grants are:
* Camp Holiday Trails
* Charlottesville Free Clinic
* Children, Youth & Family Services
* Piedmont CASA, Inc.

Piedmont CASA Receives Grant from Jewelers

Piedmont Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from Jewelers for Children, the leading charity of the US jewelry industry. The grant will be used to maintain our volunteer-based advocacy services for abused and neglected children in the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County.

"We are honored to be a member of an organization that gives back to the community, " said Mary Loose DeViney, VP of Tuel Jewelers, and past President of the Virginia Jewelers Association.

Tuel Jewelers is a long standing member of Jewelers of America and participates each year in the Jewelers for Children Fund.

"We are excited that our own CASA was a recipient; the support they give to children within the court systems makes a difference in the lives of those children. We are grateful for CASA and their volunteers," DeViney said.

Piedmont CASA's written proposal was chosen to receive these funds from a $1,000,000 national grant by Jewelers for Children, administered by the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association. Since 2003, JFC has funded advocacy services for abused and neglected children in over 300 communities nationwide.

"We are very grateful to local jewelers who remain committed to helping abused and neglected children." said Ruth Stone, Executive Director of Piedmont CASA.

Jewelers for Children was founded in 1999 by the U.S. jewelry industry with the mission of helping children in need. Since its inception, JFC has donated more than $30 million to programs benefiting children whose lives have been affected by illness, abuse or neglect through charity partners St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and the National CASA Association. JFC also provides support to the Make-A-Wish Foundation International, Autism Speaks, the Santa-America Fund and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

This nationwide success is due to the continuing generosity of jewelry trade organizations, jewelry and watch manufacturing companies, jewelry retail stores, individual jewelry professionals, and jewelry consumers.

The Virginia Jewelers Association, the state affiliate of Jewelers of America, was founded to foster, promote and protect the welfare and interests of those engaged in the retail jewelry business in Virginia. With retail jewelers across the state and supplier associate members, the association offers a range of benefits and services designed to meet their mission.

The National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association, together with its network of state and local CASA programs, supports and promotes the use of highly trained volunteer advocates to change the lives of abused and neglected children and help them to thrive in safe, permanent homes. There are over 900 CASA programs around the country working to create brighter futures for these children.

To learn more about how you can help, visit www.nationalcasa.org.