Business Today
Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce member enterprise news log
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
USA Today (March 30, 2004)
'Mr. Jefferson would be proud': Charlottesville is No. 1
By Bob Minzesheimer, USA TODAY
Charlottesville, Va., where Thomas Jefferson founded and designed the University of Virginia, is the best place to live in the USA, according to a book out today.
Cities Ranked & Rated (Wiley, $24.99) gives high marks to several other college towns, including Ann Arbor, Mich. (No. 6) and Corvallis, Ore. (No. 10).
At the bottom of the rankings of 331 metropolitan areas are Laredo, Texas (No. 331), Stockton, Calif. (No. 330) and Newburgh, N.Y. (329).
The 820-page book by Bert Sperling and Peter Sander rates cities in 10 categories but give the most weight to three categories they say most affect daily life: cost of living, climate and one subjective measure: quality of life.
Saturday, March 27, 2004
In its first year of eligibility, The Hook brought home nine awards in the annual competition held by the Virginia Press Association. "This was a superlative first showing and should give The Hook encouragement for future contests," says Ginger Stanley, executive director of the VPA.
Leading The Hook contingent was Lisa Provence, who won three writing prizes including a second place for her stories on turmoil at the Waltons Museum. Provence nearly swept the General News category by garnering both the second and third prizes with her cover stories on the $10 million verdict against NBC 29 and the eight-year jail sentence handed to a local couple for providing alcohol to minors.
Additional Hook award winners included writers Laura Parsons, Rosalind Warfield-Brown, and Elizabeth Kiem. Graphic experts Chris Conklin, Linda Sherman, and Jen Fariello.
According to the Virginia Press Association, 142 publications submitted 5,769 entries for the eight categories: three daily, four weekly, and one specialty. Prizes were awarded to 120 publications. The awards banquet was held at the Hotel Roanoke.
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
Children, Youth & Family Services, (CYFS) is the recipient of an $8,500.00 grant from the Charlottesville-Albemarle Community Foundation (CACF) to support its Family Connections Program. The Family Connections Program provides affordable, accessible, and effective parent education classes and workshops to families with children 3-12 years of age. In fiscal year 2003, 167 adults were served by the Family Connections Program.
The CACF grant provides a large portion of a match required to realize a $33,938 award from the Commonwealth of Virginia. Dominic Felix, Executive Director of CYFS, explains, "We are so very grateful to CACF. Their generous grant actually has a three-fold impact on our ability to finance this successful program serving our local families."
Regional businesses provide strong support as well with in-kind donations for parent incentives such as taxi/bus vouchers or as demonstrated by the ongoing collaborative relationship with Starbucks-Rivanna Ridge that provides refreshments for the weekly parent education classes.
The North Branch School, located in Nelson County, is this year’s recipient of the
Children, Youth & Family Services (CYFS) Family Friendly Business Award. The CYFS Family Friendly Business Award honors a business with practices that instill a family friendly work culture. By including family friendly practices, employees and employers benefit. Only employees were eligible to nominate a business. North Branch School (NBS) is a small private school serving 75 children ages 3-14 in Afton, Virginia. NBS’s selection for this award is best exemplified by an excerpt taken from the nomination form submitted by Middle School teacher Katrien Vance.
"Look up ‘family –friendly’ in the dictionary and you should see a picture of North Branch School… the school has built its core around the idea that family comes first." The school demonstrates this ideal with Family workdays, parents as teachers, work schedule flexibility and the inclusion all family members. Ms. Vance experienced this first hand when allowed to bring her infant sons to school as she taught classes. "No one I’ve met has ever had an easier time raising her children and keeping the job she loves. NBS has allowed me—encouraged me—to do both."
The award will be presented at the annual CYFS Community Breakfast, scheduled for April 22nd, 8:00 am, at The Water Street Terrace (219 Water Street).
Thursday, March 18, 2004
With a new gift from the Ellison Medical Foundation of Bethesda, Md., the University of Virginia will expand its efforts to combat diseases afflicting the developing world. The grant for U.Va.'s Center for Global Health will support student and faculty research on health threats arising in impoverished countries, and it will enable the center to bring in scientists and clinicians from abroad to help develop strategies to alleviate these problems. The Ellison Medical Foundation award offers an initial commitment of $810,000 for three years, with an option to renew for an additional two years upon demonstration of progress, bringing the overall total to $1.5 million.
"By advancing the Center for Global Health, the Ellison Medical Foundation's generous support will promote multidisciplinary education and research aimed at improving the human condition," said University President John T. Casteen III. "We are especially grateful that this gift helps us achieve one of the most important goals that emerged from our Virginia 2020 planning, which is to increase the University's international impact."
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Announced March 16, AlbemarleFamily.com has been honored with the prestigious Parents' Choice Approved Award. Nationally recognized, the Parents' Choice Foundation is the nation's oldest not-for-profit evaluator of children's books, toys and various media. AlbemarleFamily.com sits in good company alongside nationally recognized web sites such as Disney Online and Nick Jr.
AlbemarleFamily.com was also honored on March 6 by the Parenting Publications of America (PPA) with three awards: a Gold Award for the web site; a Silver Award for design excellence of their quarterly Magazine; and a Silver Award for their special editorial section, "A Voyage of Discovery" commemorating the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial, produced last spring.
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
Virginia Business Magazine has included Hantzmon, Wiebel & Company, Certified Public Accountants, in its 2004 List of Leaders, the publication's annual ranking which tracks Virginia's biggest companies in 16 sectors. Hantzmon, Wiebel & Company has been recognized as the 12th largest accounting firm in the state, with 55 practicing CPAs.
With a strong reputation for technical excellence, Hanztmon, Wiebel & Company has served Charlottesville and the Central Virginia community for the past 75 years. The firm was recently honored with a Chamber Resolution by the Board of Directors of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Monday, March 15, 2004
Junior Achievement of Central Virginia will be holding its 15th Annual Bowl-A-Thon on April 17th, f rom 2:00-5:00 at AMF Keglers. This is one of JA’s major fundraisers and always a day of fun and camaraderie. Businesses are encouraged to participate through team involvement, sponsorship or gift donations. This year’s goal is $20,000, with 45 teams participating.
Prizes awarded at the event include gift certificates, weekend packages at hotels, and much more! The cost is $325 for a team of five, which includes shoes and three games.
For more information on Junior Achievement’s programs or bowling team registration, please contact Kristin Grimes, Executive Director, at (434) 293-1337 or JADirectorKG@juno.com.
Friday, March 12, 2004
At the Virginia Piedmont Technology Council’s speaker’s luncheon, March 11, held at the Omni, Peter Sevcik, President of NetForecast, guided a rapt audience through the alphabet soup of wireless technology and addressed the future of wireless data. Entitled "Demystifying Wireless Data: What You Need to Know Today," the VPTC session was sponsored by Telecommunications carrier US LEC.
The need for mobility and the limitations of wires are two things driving the adoption of wireless technology, Mr. Sevcik asserted. One-third of U.S. workers are away from their primary workplace at least 20 percent of the time. Add to that the fact that data gets stale very fast, and the value of wireless networks to businesses is clear.
The growing popularity of wireless is evident here in Charlottesville. "Hot Spots" at a number of locations downtown, on the Corner, at the airport, and north and west of the city enable anyone with a laptop and Wi-Fi card to access the Internet. Mr. Sevcik predicted that the list of local "Hot Spots" would double by the end of the year.
As for the future, Mr. Sevcik explained that the implications of seamless broadband anywhere include improved productivity (consider delivery drivers, nurses, and police); simpler computing (critical data required to operate a company will not walk home everyday on someone’s laptop); and more functions in the terminal (run a presentation from a smart phone).
For more information about this technology along with the latest developments, mark your calendar for September 15, when the VPTC will host its first wireless symposium. VPTC - Virginia Piedmont Technology Council
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Dominion is currently accepting on-line grant applications (up to $5,000) to encourage the development of new programs to strengthen math and science education in kindergarten through grade 12 through its Dominion Educational Partnership. The Dominion Foundation will award approximately $200,000 for the 2004-05 school year.
Successful grant proposals should represent innovative and promising ideas, teach math and/or science skills, reach a significant number of students and demonstrate broad-based community support. Proposals must align with one of four targeted areas: parental involvement, closing the gap, environmental education or mini grants (up to $1,000).
Applications must be submitted electronically through the Dominion Educational Partnership web site (no faxed or mailed applications will be accepted). Applications are due no later than 5 p.m. on May 3, 2004. For more information and to apply: Dominion Educational Partnership
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
The University of Virginia’s research enterprise has seen dramatic growth in recent years and now ranks 49th among the top 100 universities in attracting federal research and development funding, according to the Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies. U.Va. faculty members secured more than $257 million in research support from government, corporate and other sources in the 2002 fiscal year, nearly double the total three years before.
"Research is one of the elements that makes U.Va. a great institution," said R. Ariel Gomez, vice president for research and graduate studies. "It creates jobs, generates new knowledge, drives inventions in high tech, creates innovative medical treatments and pharmaceuticals, and enhances our teaching mission."
Moreover, research dollars don’t just sit inside the labs. For every $1 million in research funding spent in Virginia, more than 30 full-time and part-time jobs are created, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
In all, universities in Virginia received more than $595 million in research funding from all sources in 2001, leading to the creation of more than 18,700 jobs, directly and indirectly, according to the Association of American Universities.
From "Research yields benefits, mankind, marketplace" - By Charlotte Crystal, Inside UVa
Friday, March 05, 2004
VMDO Architects of Charlottesville, Virginia won recognition at the recent Virginia Educational Facility Planners Conference for their design of Appomattox Elementary School (Appomattox, VA). The conference was held in Roanoke on February 23rd and 24th.
The Virginia Educational Facility Planners Award makes this the third honor for VMDO's design of Appomattox Elementary; earlier in 2003, the school was also recognized by the Virginia School Boards Association Exhibition of School Architecture and by the Central Virginia Chapter of the American Institute for Architects. vmdo
Thursday, March 04, 2004
The Charlottesville Community Scholarship Program is seeking applicants for scholarships to be awarded for the 2004-2005 school year.
The program was created by City Council with an appropriation of $250,000 to assist low- and moderate-income city residents who want to further their education after high school. A volunteer board has raised an additional $100,000 and now is able to make the first awards. Donna Shirley of Real Estate III is the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce business representative on the board.
"The community has been very generous," said Mary Jane King, chair of the program’s board of directors. "As a result of our December appeal, we have raised approximately $110,000. We are thrilled to be able to begin helping city residents realize their dreams for college."
Applications are available now in the guidance office at Charlottesville High School, on the City's web site, and by writing to the Charlottesville Community Scholarship Program, PO Box 1221, Charlottesville, VA 22902.
Questions may be addressed to Kay Ruffner, CHS board representative, at 245-2682, or Mary Jane King, 961-2503.
RICHMOND-Peoples Income Tax has launched an out-sourcing initiative, providing individual and small-company income-tax services to large CPA firms and trust departments, using the pitch that, although its fees are modestly higher than those of Indian firms, its tax preparers are highly trained and subject to IRS scrutiny. More: Peoples Income Tax and Financial Services
-- From VANewsWire
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