Light Industrial Park Proposed for Yancey Mills - Crozet Gazette

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page 16 s AUGUST 2008 IT Help Desk Information Upgrade By Mike Elliott High-speed Internet options, continued... Remember the last time you were left off the invitation list to a party that you really wanted to attend? What if that party was rocking every day of the year and you could hear it and see it but you were still left out? For most of us, it would be like rubbing salt in an open wound. I imagine that’s close to how most folks feel who are still unable to get adequate high-speed Internet access at their homes. It seems that every week I hear about a new website, a really funny video, or a not-to-bemissed web-based application that for all intents and purposes is offlimits to dial-up users. The modem connection they use simply can’t handle the bandwidth demands of the ever-growing library of rich media and advanced applications available to high-speed Internet users. In the last issue, I asked to hear from anyone who feels left out of the high-speed Internet access party—and I heard from you! The good news is that some of you have started using the cell phone carrier option I covered in that column with great success, albeit accompanied by a bit of sticker shock. And unfortunately, there are still a number of folks among our readership living in areas that appear to be outside the existing reach of regional carriers, leaving them with no reasonable options. Among those living through the dial-up nightmare are a number of our neighbors in Greenwood. I remember reading a Letter to the Editor about four issues back from resident David Booth who’s been in the throes of battle with service providers trying to persuade them to extend coverage to his area. They’ve seen states like West Virginia go the extra mile with state funding to provide statewide broadband coverage options through government-supported telephone company infrastructure upgrades. He’s working with a group of like-minded neighbors to enlist the support of anyone and everyone who will listen to their plight of inadequate rural-area Internet service options. I contacted Mr. Booth about the predicament they’re in, and he graciously shared his story. At this time, it appears that he and his concerned neighbors can only hold out hope that our state government will raise the bar with initiatives like they’ve seen in West Virginia to provide better coverage to all. While they wait on our legislators to take action, they’re crossing their fingers that the proliferation of cell tower installations will at some point provide adequate coverage. At the same time, I hope there’s some level of comfort he and others with “zero options” can take in knowing they’re not alone. Here in Virginia, the problem has garnered at least a cursory level of attention by our legislators, which has led to initiatives to assess the extent of the gap areas and at some point to begin filling them. The Commonwealth’s Broadband Roundtable is in the process of collecting data to document the “state of Broadband in Virginia.” They’re using a speed test program available at www.speedmatters.org/ to test and collect data speeds across rural and urban markets. Clearly, they’ll also identify gaps in coverage using this tool as well. Encourage as many people as you can to visit this site and take the test. You can find loads of information covering on-going state efforts at www.otpba.vi.virginia.gov/broadband.shtml and a related site www.cit.org/broadband/. So what are the remaining options? A discussion with wireless expert and Crozet neighbor David Simpson indicates there are still more alternatives using outdoor elevated antennas and small-scale wireless amplifiers to boost cellular signal strength, among others. If I hear of any success stories using any of these technologies, I’ll happily report on them in a future column. And of course you can wait for LTE and WiMax deployment, but those long-range wireless technologies are likely a ways out for the rural areas that would benefit from them most and roll-out may be slow and possibly expensive. One other thought is if you have a portable computer, you could sit outside of Panera Bread at Barracks Rd. shopping center like I’m doing right now and “borrow” their wireless signal. They prefer you also eat there, and I’m often happy to oblige them when I need a solid Internet connection. Until you come up with a better alternative for your home, this might be the only way you get to see that super funny video on YouTube that your dial-up access chokes on. Using the SpeedMatters test, I’m clocked in at 383 kbps downstream and 372 kbps upstream—a very adequate connection speed satisfactory for most things I do. This is radically faster than the 26.4 kbps dial-up speed that Mr. Booth is struggling with at home. Although we must move on to new topics, I’ll try to give you updates on any evidence of progress I hear about on the broadband availability front. Next month, we’ll shift gears a bit and start talking about how to pick out a new computer and what factors should go into the decision-making process. If you have thoughts on this, I’d love to hear them. Send an email to mike@ informationupgrade.com and I’ll do my very best to get back to you or include your topic in an upcoming article. It’s been great hearing from you. And as always, thanks for reading! On a side note, the hard drive in my main computer died shortly after the last issue went to press and although I had a good backup that Crozet gazette got me going again, I lost a week or two of email in the process. If you sent me something and didn’t get a response, please send it again. I’ll cover the topic of computer backup and recovery before too long—especially since I have recent first-hand experience of the horror that fills the pit of your soul as you realize your computer won’t wake up again … ever—unless you have a good backup.
Crozet gazette AUGUST 2008 s page 17 Tempkin, Rule, and SMAC Dazzle at State Long Course Meet By Rob Rule Crozet’s Max Tempkin excelled for the Waynesboro YMCA Swim Team (SMAC) when it competed in the 2008 Long Course State Championships in Newport News July 24–27. Representing the Waynesboro YMCA Swim Team were Ethan Cohen, Norah Hunt, Jordan Miller, Brazil Rule, and Max Tempkin in the 10-and-under division and Jessica Arnold, Anna Corley, Olivia Heeb, and Remedy Rule in the 11-12 year old division. Max Tempkin had first place finishes in the 50meter backstroke, 200m freestyle, and 50m freestyle. The young SMAC star placed second in the 200m Individual Medley, and fifth in the 100m butterfly. Tempkin set two Virginia meet records with a time of 34.45 in the 50m backstroke and 30.18 in the 50m freestyle. Tempkin bested the meet record for the 50m freestyle held by David Walters since 1998. Walters is now part of the U.S. Olympic Team in Beijing. Tempkin’s backstroke time broke the SMAC team record by over three seconds—a record formerly held by current U.Va. swimmer and team captain Lee Robertson. His 200m freestyle time of 2:27.52 broke a 25-year-old SMAC record by almost six seconds. Remedy Rule cleaned up in the 11-12 year old girls division, breaking five SMAC records. Rule finished second in the 200m, 100m and 50m freestyle, as well as in the 100 and 50m backstroke. She came in third in the 400m free and 100m fly. Rule’s 200m free broke Waynesboro legend Melanie Mathews’ previous SMAC record by almost two seconds with an AAAA time of 2:16.77. Rule and Jessica Arnold finished fourth and fifth in the 200m backstroke, both beating the previous SMAC record, which is now held by Rule at 2:38.94. Coach Ryan Sprang congratulating Max Tempkin on his first place medal for the 100 backstroke. Jessica Arnold, Anna Corley, and Remedy Rule relax between races at the Long Course State Championships in Newport News, VA. In other highlights, Ethan Cohen placed eighth in both the 200m free and 100m fly. Norah Hunt finished third in the 200m freestyle with a time of 2:32.82, earning an AAAA time and missing the SMAC record by less than half a second. In the 400m free, she finished second and earned another AAAA time standard. Jordan Miller finished 15th in the 400m freestyle and placed 17th in the 100 fly, earning an AA time. Brazil Rule dropped almost a second off her best time coming in 23rd in the 50m backstroke with a time of 42.12. Jessica Arnold and Anna Corley stayed close throughout the four-day meet, finishing sixth and seventh in the 200m freestyle, fifth and sixth in the 100m backstroke, and third and fifth in the 50m backstroke, respectively. Corley took sixth and Arnold ninth in the 200m IM, both recording AAA times. Olivia Heeb dropped an impressive two seconds in her 200m breaststroke to finish 11th and set a new SMAC record with her time of 3:12.46. Overall the SMAC Team dominated the small team division, almost doubling the score of its closest competitor. The team placed 11th in the state overall. Max Tempkin was the second highest scorer for all of the boys at the meet, while Remedy Rule was the fifth highest scorer for all of the girls at the meet and the only person in the top ten at the lower end of her age bracket. The team did so well that five members have earned the honor of representing Virginia at the Northeast Zone Swim Meet to be held in Rockville, Maryland August 6–9. The five include Max Tempkin and Norah Hunt in the 10-and-under division, and Remedy Rule, Jessica Arnold, and Anna Corley in the 11-12 year old division. Al Reaser Automobile Sales Consultant Kiser Auto Sales Stuarts Draft, VA I provide a positive purchasing experience with: No haggle pricing A trusted small town dealer Fair trade-in value Respect and attention given to your wants and needs Let me find the EXACT late model vehicle YOU want. Phone: (434) 823-5711 Cell: (434) 806-2049 alreaser@gmail.com www.kiserautosales.com Want to shape the future of affordable housing in Crozet? Take part in a unique opportunity to help design green, mixed income housing adjacent to downtown Crozet Community Design Workshop II Saturday, August 23, 10 am - 4 pm Crozet United Methodist Church fellowship hall 10 am site tour 12 pm lunch 12:30-4 pm interactive design session (Please join us for any part of the day) A joint partnership of Piedmont Housing Alliance and Charlottesville Community Design Center. For more information, call 434.984.2232 or email info@cvilledesign.org.
Page 1 and 2: INSIDE the Land Use Taxes editorial
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Light Industrial Park Proposed for Yancey Mills - Crozet Gazette

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