Business Today
Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce member enterprise news log
Friday, August 08, 2008
Sir Speedy Wins Award for Outstanding Sales Achievement
Mike and Kim Bellone, owners of Sir Speedy located at 750 Harris Street in Charlottesville, are pleased to announce that they have been honored with a Sir Speedy Century Club Award. The award recognizes Sir Speedy's top 100 centers by sales, placing Sir Speedy of Charlottesville in an elite group of franchises represented worldwide.
"Winners of this award exemplify Sir Speedy's commitment to advanced technologies, industry leadership, and customer service," said Richard Lowe, president of Sir Speedy, Inc. "I congratulate Mike and Kim for achieving a significant accomplishment in our company and in the printing industry."
The Sir Speedy Century Club sales achievement award is presented annually at the Sir Speedy International Convention, held this year in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, July 9-13.
Sir Speedy provides printing and marketing services designed to help companies grow their businesses. Products and services include: traditional printing, copying and mailing services as well as value-added offerings such as Web-to-print solutions, integrated direct marketing tools, promotional products and more.
Sir Speedy helps companies meet their business growth objectives from lead generation, customer retention and reactivation to brand management and more. Sir Speedy of Charlottesville is locally owned and operated and is part of a worldwide network that spans more than 800 locations in 16 countries.
Based in Mission Viejo, California, Sir Speedy, Inc. has received numerous awards and recognition including the Franchise Times Top 200, Entrepreneur Franchise 500, Quick Printing Top 100, Printing Impressions 400 and a Franchise 50 Award.
For additional information, contact: Sir Speedy, 750 Harris Street, Ste 208, Charlottesville, VA 22903. Telephone: 434-977-1992. Fax: 434-977-7223. E-mail: srspdy@aol.com, Website: http://www.sirspeedy.com/charlottesville.
CCA Award Celebrated
On Thursday, July 31st, The Senior Center celebrated its recognition as the 2008 Best Practices Award winner in the Healthy Aging category by the Commonwealth Council on Aging (CCA).
The CCA, a citizen advisory group to the Department on Aging, recognizes and encourages model aging programs throughout Virginia through its annual Best Practices awards.
Gene Ecton Davis of the CCA along with colleague Gwen Mullen presented the award to Senior Council President Pat Cook, who graciously accepted on behalf of The Senior Center community.
Jonathan M. Evans, M.D. delivered an engaging keynote speech on the value of programs and communities such as the one developed at the Center.
Members Nancy Grim, Levi Miller and Zohra Siddiqui shared with the audience their experiences with the Center, helping demonstrate exactly why the CCA selected The Senior Center for this prestigious award.
The following is a web link of the story that aired on WCAV CBS 19 and its sister station WVAW ABC 16: http://www.charlottesvillenewsplex.tv/home/headlines/ 26154409.html.
Three Lenhart Obenshain Lawyers Named "Virginia Super Lawyers" and One Named "Virginia Rising Star"
Lenhart Obenshain PC is pleased to announce that three of its lawyers have been recognized for inclusion in the 2008 "Virginia Super Lawyers" listing. Law & Politics magazine, in conjunction with Richmond magazine, surveyed 18,000 Virginia lawyers for nominations of candidates, who are evaluated and selected though a system of nominations, peer evaluation and internal research. Only 5% of attorneys in Virginia receive this distinction.
The selected lawyers and the expertise for which they were recognized are:
JOHN W. FLORA (TAX) - John Flora has practiced business and corporate law for 27 years advising clients ranging from small family owned businesses and individuals to Fortune 500 companies. Mr. Flora received his law degree and his masters of law degree in taxation from William and Mary.
JEFFREY G. LENHART (BUSINESS/CORPORATE) - Jeff Lenhart has practiced business and corporate law for over 20 years advising clients in all aspects of business and corporate law. Mr. Lenhart received his law degree from William and Mary and his masters of law degree from Georgetown University.
MARK D. OBENSHAIN (BUSINESS/CORPORATE) - Mr. Obenshain has also practiced law for over 20 years, strongly advocating for business and individual clients in many different areas of law, but focusing on litigation. Mr. Obenshain received his law degree from Washington and Lee.
Lenhart Obenshain PC is also pleased to announce that Jennifer E. Shirkey has been recognized for inclusion in the 2008 "Virginia Rising Stars" listing, another listing by Law & Politics and Richmond magazine. The "Rising Stars" listing identifies the top 2.5 percent of attorneys in Virginia who are under 40 or have been in practice for less than 10 years. Ms. Shirkey focuses her practice on employee benefits, estate planning, and tax and business law and received her law degree summa cum laude from Washington and Lee in 1996.
All four of the above mentioned attorneys have been repeatedly listed as "Legal Elite" by Virginia Business magazine.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Nielsen Set to Celebrate 100 Years of Construction Excellence
Joseph Nielsen started J. Nielsen and Company in 1908, which means that this year, 2008, is Nielsen's 100th year in business.
With that in mind, the Nielsen centennial committee has developed a list of several special activities throughout the year to showcase and celebrate this milestone anniversary:
· A special 100-year anniversary logo, which is pictured above, has been developed and will be used throughout the year.
· The committee has distributed several different items for all employees that feature the centennial logo:
- o Centennial Shirts
- o Centennial Hats
- o Centennial Hard Hat Stickers
- o Centennial Static Stickers
· Special luncheons were held at all job sites during January and February.
· Nielsen is holding a centennial history trivia contest during 2008. Each month, two history trivia questions are included in employee paychecks. Winners receive $50 plus a day off with pay.
· A special golf tournament was held on Friday, May 9, at Lakeview Golf Course, Harrisonburg. Proceeds of $4,000 from the tournament were donated to the Harrisonburg Rockingham United Way, and to the Thomas Jefferson Area United Way.
· The 100-year anniversary picnic will be held on Friday, Aug. 1, 2008, at Grand Caverns. This picnic will have lots of new activities and events to help celebrate the centennial.
Nielsen employees can take great pride in the fact that Nielsen has been in business for one hundred years. Nielsen has grown and expanded over the years, so that today it is a well-respected business in the community, with dedicated, hard-working employees with countless years of expertise and experience in the construction industry.
From a small, one-man shop in 1908, Nielsen has grown to a company employing 230 people, and doing millions of dollars of business in a variety of construction projects. Joseph Nielsen founded J. Nielsen & Co. in 1908, in Round Hill, Va. From a small, sole proprietorship, Nielsen has grown into a premier construction company serving clients from a wide range of industries.
Today, Nielsen Builders, Inc., employs 200 people with the expertise to offer a broad range of project delivery systems from program management, construction management, and general contracting to design/build, and consulting services. With offices in Harrisonburg, Va., and Charlottesville, Va., Nielsen Builders, Inc., is comprised of two divisions, Nielsen Management Group and Nielsen Construction Company. Nielsen is recognized as a premier construction organization serving clients within the commonwealth of Virginia.
Local Direct Marketing Firm Launches Records Management Company
Mailing Services of Virginia (MSV), a long-time Charlottesville direct marketing company, announces the formation of MSV Records Management.
The new venture offers a complete line of document management services, including hard copy storage, digital scanning to CD, digital scanning to a secure web location, and secure document shredding.
Clients' boxes are barcoded, tracked and secured in MSV's 54,000 square-foot Records Management facility located on Seminole Trail across from the Charlottesville post office. Pickups and deliveries are available.
MSV is a full-service direct marketing company that provides turnkey services including data management, inkjetting, inserting, variable laser printing, presorting, offset printing and color digital printing.
For more information on MSV, contact Tom Hicks at (434) 984-0006, ext. 218.
WVTF Public Radio Names Charlottesville Bureau Chief
WVTF Public Radio News Director Rick Mattioni has named Sandy Hausman as Charlottesville's new bureau chief. Hausman will file news stories and features from the greater Charlottesville-Albemarle County area beginning this month.
The veteran public radio journalist's voice is familiar to many public radio listeners across the country. Prior to joining the WVTF News staff, Hausman worked for Chicago Public Radio; she's also filed stories for National Public Radio News, Living on Earth, Day to Day, Marketplace, and other public radio productions.
WVTF Public Radio is a National Public Radio member station broadcasting news, classical and jazz music, public affairs, and other cultural programming on 89.1 in Roanoke, 88.5 and 89.3 in Charlottesville, 91.9 in Marion, 90.5 in Wise, and online at www.wvtf.org. RADIO IQ is a service of WVTF, broadcasting BBC news and NPR talk programs at 89.9 in Ferrum, 89.7 in Roanoke, 89.5 in Lynchburg, 89.7 and 91.5 in Charlottesville, 1260 AM in the New River Valley and online at www.radioiq.org.
Friday, July 25, 2008
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.
Friday, July 11, 2008
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.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
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 2007WVPTˇ¦s ˇ§Virginia Farmingˇ¨ ˇ§Virginia Farmingˇ¨ on WVPTˇXVirginiaˇ¦s Public Television is the Commonwealthˇ¦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 Virginiaˇ¦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. ˇ§Virginia Farmingˇ¨ 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 Kidsˇ¦ Book Festival (Charlottesville) The WVPT Kidsˇ¦ 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 ˇ§gently readˇ¨ 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. WVPTˇ¦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 ˇ§gently readˇ¨ 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.netWVPTˇ¦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 WVPTˇ¦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 Centerˇ¦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.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
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.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Commonwealth Council on Aging Recognizes Senior Center
(Richmond) The Commonwealth Council on Aging is pleased to announce the 2008 Best Practices Award winners for organizations serving older Virginians and their families.
As organizations and agencies struggle to meet the challenges of serving a rapidly aging population during a time of budget cuts and growing demand, we need to share our best practices and applaud our successes. This Best Practices Award program does both.
The Legal Aid Justice Center and its project, the Partnership for Improved Long-term Care, was given the Best Practices Award in the Community Partnership Category. The Partnership was launched by the Legal Aid Justice Center in October 2003 in response to residents' family members and others who were frustrated about not being able to secure satisfactory nursing home care for their loved ones.
Legal Aid Justice Center attorney Claire Curry, who is the coordinator of the Partnership effort, sees this award as a recognition of the remarkable coalition of legal, medical, and community volunteers who use advocacy, expertise, and activism to achieve results.
"This Partnership works because we listen to each other, we identify problems and act on them with a belief that we can make a difference. This award is shared by all who have worked to make the Partnership an ongoing, effective organization."
Legal Aid Justice Center will celebrate the Partnership and its award from the Commonwealth Council on the aging with an event this fall. The Commonwealth Council on Aging is composed of 19 citizens from all walks of life who are appointed by the Governor and the General Assembly to represent all geographic areas of Virginia.
The Council helps state government meet the needs of older Virginians in the most efficient and effective manner. The Council wishes to recognize and encourage model aging programs throughout the Commonwealth.
These programs may be sponsored by local governments, municipalities, community organizations, aging services providers, universities, faith organizations, and public private partnerships. Programs will be judged for their innovation, cost- effectiveness, ease of replication, and their impact on the quality of life of older Virginians, their families, and their caregivers. The Council will help to disseminate information about these programs throughout the Commonwealth.
The award categories are designed to include a broad and diverse range of creative community programs. The categories for the 2008 awards are:
· Community Partnerships,
· Education,
· Healthy Aging (Physical/Mental/Nutrition/Wellness/or Prevention),
· Long-Term Care,
· Senior Safety,
· Seniors as Volunteers, and
· Transportation.
The Other 2008 Award winners are:
* Transportation Category
The Mountain Empire Older Citizens Transportation Program
Big Stone Gap, VA
* Long-term Care Category
The Korean Senior Center Personal Care Aides Program
Vienna, VA
* Seniors as Volunteers Category
The Williamsburg Area Faith in Action Program
Williamsburg, VA
* Senior Safety Category
Communities Against Senior Exploitation (CASE) Department of Human Services
Virginia Beach, VA
* Education Category
The Workplace Partners Program
SeniorConnections: the Capital Area Agency on Aging
Richmond, VA
* Healthy Aging Category
The Senior Center of Charlottesville
Charlottesville, VA
* Community Partnerships Category
The Students & Seniors Program
Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging
Front Royal, VA
First Night Virginia Announces its 2009 Board of Directors
First Night Virginia announced Wednesday, June 18, 2008, the completion and expansion of its Board of Directors for the 2008-09 First Night event, including the addition of eight new members.
"We are extremely pleased to welcome to our Board - Ms. Bruce Costabile, Mr. Jay Crawford, Ms. Karen Davis, Ms. Billie Dietz, Mr. Matt Rohdie, Mr. Marc Turner, Mr. Drake Van de Castle and Ms. Patricia Wolfgram," says Joan Horn, 2009 FNV President. "Their experience and knowledge will be an invaluable asset as our Board and the First Night event continues to grow. Joining our existing Board members, these individuals provide a great deal of depth to our abilities and talents, which, in turn, enables us to improve and expand nearly every aspect of the First Night experience - for our thousands of guests, for our hundreds of performers and for our community of volunteers."
Longstanding members include VP Jennifer McCune, Secretary Andrea Bledsoe, Treasurer Mike Griffin, Annick Salomon, Chauncey Hutter, Judy Malone, Bob Mosolgo, and Carrie Taylor. Two part-time staff members include Executive Director Barbara Lundgren and Booking/Production Manager Chris Munson.
First Night Virginia enters its 27th year by celebrating a "Night of Possibility" on the Historic Downtown Mall, and remains a family-friendly, alcohol-free event that is fun for all ages.
Tuel Jewelers Donates American Cut: The First 100 Years to Jefferson Madison Regional Library
(Carlsbad, CA) The Gemological Institute of America graduate Mary Loose DeViney, of Tuel Jewelers in Downtown Charlottesville has announced the recent donation of the book, American Cut: the First 100 Years, to the Jefferson Madison Regional Library in Downtown Charlottesville, Virginia.
This donation is in participation with the GIA Richard T. Liddicoat Library and Information Center that provided 1,000 copies to be made available to libraries across the nation through the local GIA Alumni Chapters.
American Cut: The First 100 Years, written by Al Gilbertson, a well-regarded GIA research associate, and published by GIA, follows the history and chronology of American diamond cutting. It describes the early stages of the European diamond cutting industry, and how American ideas and inventions influenced diamond cutting eventually changing diamond cutting around the world.
"I am pleased to make this book accessible to our local community," said Mary Loose DeViney of Tuel Jewelers "This book is an important resource on diamond cutting that will educate readers on the history."
American Cut: The First 100 Years, is now available at Jefferson Madison Regional Library.
For additional information or to get a copy of the American Cut, visit www.gia.edu and click on "Instruments and Books."
An independent nonprofit organization, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is recognized as the world's foremost authority in gemology. Established in 1931, GIA has translated its expert knowledge into the most respected gemological education available. Early in the 1950s, GIA invented the famous Four Cs of Color, Cut, Clarity and Carat Weight.
In 1953, the Institute created the International Diamond Grading System which, today, is recognized by virtually every professional jeweler in the world. Through research, education, gemological laboratory services, and instrument development, the Institute is dedicated to ensuring the public trust in gems and jewelry by upholding the highest standards of integrity, academics, science, and professionalism. GIA can be found on the web at www.gia.edu.
CYFS Receives $10,000 from FACT to Support Parenting Classes
Children, Youth & Family Services (CYFS) is pleased to announce a grant of $10,000 from the Family and Children's trust Fund (FACT) of Virginia.
The Family and Children's Trust Fund supports local programs in Virginia that provide support and education services to prevent and treat violence in families. This grant will be used to offer our parenting class series called "Surviving the Teen Years-It Can Be Done," a six-week course that uses the nationally recognized STEP curriculum to help families adapt to living with teenagers.
Both parents and teens participate in these classes where they develop new methods for communicating with each other, resolving conflicts, and managing stress and anger. The program provides help to families at-risk for violence or other problems, and many parents are referred by the court system, social services, counselors and schools. Others learn about the classes in newspapers, newsletters, or through word-of- mouth.
"Surviving the Teen Years" has helped many families find a more positive and effective way to grow together through the teen years. 100% of teen participants have said they have seen their parents trying to apply what they learned in the classes, and 90% of participants say they have seen an improvement in relationships as a result of the classes.
The Family and Children's Trust fund is administered by a Board of Trustees appointed by the Governor to raise and distribute funds to local communities for family violence prevention, treatment and public awareness throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.
CYFS is one of the oldest nonprofits in Charlottesville. For 86 years we have been opening doors to brighter futures for kids.
For more information, visit our website at www.cyfs.org.
Children, Youth & Family Services Receives $5,000 Grant
Children, Youth & Family Services' Play Partners Program received a generous grant of $5,000 from the Community Endowment Fund in the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation.
Play Partners sends pairs of trained volunteers into home-based child care settings and child care centers that serve low-income families to expose children ages 2-5 to early literacy activities. The program increases their enthusiasm for reading and builds skills that will help them succeed in school.
Children who participate in the program greatly increase their school-readiness skills. Every week, more than 150 preschoolers in Charlottesville's low-income neighborhoods get a visit from their Play Partners volunteers. These volunteers read to them, lead hands-on activities relating to the themes in the books, and ultimately, present the children with their own copies of the books to take home and share with their families. By the end of the year, each child has added nine books to his home library.
Charlottesville City Schools have the state's highest achievement gap between low-income students and their peers. The gap in the surrounding counties is also of great concern.
Website for more details: http://www.cyfs.org/pp.shtml.
LiveArts.org Launched
Birch Studio announces the launch of LiveArts.org, a website for one of the most original organizations in our region.
Live Arts Theater is a supreme work in progress - educating, evolving and entertaining thousands of people a year. With a dozen distinct shows per season, numerous classes, behind-the- scenes events and legendary galas, the theater is a community institution.
As a branding firm, Birch Studio looks for ways to more clearly represent a client's identity. When they said their modus operandi is handmade, we took that literally.
LiveArts.org reflects the hand-made and time-honored craft embodied by the theater. Panels of wood, layers of tape and nostalgic iconography were applied in a layered manner. For good measure, we built the site using the least pretentious typeface of them all: Courier.
Our creative and programming team worked with the Live Arts staff to develop a wish list of aesthetics and functions that would both give them an updated identity and as well as a website they could update often. They are able to add shows, classes, sponsors, links of interest, cost for each show, even photos and videos. We built into the site a simple shopping cart and donation option that allowed them to consolidate services pieced together by outside vendors.
Visitors to the site can also comment on events, continuing the experience beyond the theater.
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