The Beacon reported yesterday that the City of Virginia Beach has purchased a teleprompter at the cost of $10,500 for use by the Mayor, City Council, the School Board, et al. The rationale given is that it cost $1,799.18 to rent a teleprompter for the Mayor last year for one event.
Where do I start? Exactly what is the need for a teleprompter? God forbid that City officials in giving remarks have to shuffle notes like...well...like citizens going to address them. Also, how does purchasing a teleprompter improve the quality of life for residents? (Please, I'd love to hear someone try to explain that one....) Local government is suppose to be about the well-being of the residents, not those sitting in high posts.
What happens when the teleprompter breaks down and needs maintenance? Oh, that's right: we'll then have the "need" for a backup teleprompter....
Monday, March 15, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Mass Transit To Busch Gardens
Having made the trip to Williamsburg by mass transit buses, I thought I'd post the directions for anyone wanting to go with the season just around the corner. I'll give the directions coming from South Hampton Roads:
1. Take Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) Route 961 to the Newport News Transportation Center (NNTC).
2. From there, take HRT Route 107 to Patrick Henry Mall.
3. Travel HRT Route 116 the length of the route: from Patrick Henry Mall to Lee Hall.
4. At Lee Hall, take the Gray Line of Williamsburg Area Transport (WAT) to Busch Gardens.
Heading towards Williamsburg, get off at the stop at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. The England entrance of Busch Gardens is within sight. Heading back, the bus stop is on the other side of the road.
There is no WAT service on Sunday. For other Williamsburg attractions, continue on the Gray Line into downtown.
1. Take Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) Route 961 to the Newport News Transportation Center (NNTC).
2. From there, take HRT Route 107 to Patrick Henry Mall.
3. Travel HRT Route 116 the length of the route: from Patrick Henry Mall to Lee Hall.
4. At Lee Hall, take the Gray Line of Williamsburg Area Transport (WAT) to Busch Gardens.
Heading towards Williamsburg, get off at the stop at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. The England entrance of Busch Gardens is within sight. Heading back, the bus stop is on the other side of the road.
There is no WAT service on Sunday. For other Williamsburg attractions, continue on the Gray Line into downtown.
Visiting WAT
On Monday I made the trip to Williamsburg to check out Williamsburg Area Transport (WAT), their mass transit agency. I liked the small operation.
WAT passengers were happy campers. The only complaints I heard were from buses holding for late buses to lineups, then having time to makeup.
WAT offers an $1.50 Day Pass, which it doesn't advertise on it's website. The unusual part is you're not suppose to swipe it for subsequent boardings, but simply show the stamped side to the Operator.
The real fun was that the small agency has open radio. Riding WAT you hear radio chatter that's only a memory at Hampton Roads Transit (HRT).
Most of all, their Operators are very friendly, offering a level of customer service much higher than on HRT.
Finally, I liked their New Flyer buses better than HRT's Gilligs. A nicer interior plus I felt they ride more comfortably than anything in HRT's fleet.
WAT passengers were happy campers. The only complaints I heard were from buses holding for late buses to lineups, then having time to makeup.
WAT offers an $1.50 Day Pass, which it doesn't advertise on it's website. The unusual part is you're not suppose to swipe it for subsequent boardings, but simply show the stamped side to the Operator.
The real fun was that the small agency has open radio. Riding WAT you hear radio chatter that's only a memory at Hampton Roads Transit (HRT).
Most of all, their Operators are very friendly, offering a level of customer service much higher than on HRT.
Finally, I liked their New Flyer buses better than HRT's Gilligs. A nicer interior plus I felt they ride more comfortably than anything in HRT's fleet.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
64% Believe In The Revised Budget Figure
64% of poll voters believe in the revised construction budget figure of no more than $338 million for Norfolk light rail. 8% have some faith in it, while 27% have none.
The new poll question: should the 1999 merger of TRT and Pentran to form HRT be undone? It's become an issue in the May elections for the Hampton and Newport News City Councils, with some on the Peninsula wanting to go their own way.
I don't like to ask back to back mass transit questions. I thought I was going to get a question out of the RAC strategic planning meeting, but it was pretty dry. I had a phone conversation on the new poll question's issue with an elected official earlier this week, so I thought I'd ask.
The new poll question: should the 1999 merger of TRT and Pentran to form HRT be undone? It's become an issue in the May elections for the Hampton and Newport News City Councils, with some on the Peninsula wanting to go their own way.
I don't like to ask back to back mass transit questions. I thought I was going to get a question out of the RAC strategic planning meeting, but it was pretty dry. I had a phone conversation on the new poll question's issue with an elected official earlier this week, so I thought I'd ask.
RAC March 4, 2010
Virginia Beach's Resort Advisory Commission (RAC) held a strategic planning meeting on Thursday afternoon. It normally does so about once every two years to set new priorities for the Resort Area.
The Top Priorities:
1. Implementation of the Resort Area Strategic Action Plan.
2. Monitor/Review Funding For Resort Projects And Advertising.
3. Doing a Resort Area Master Transportation Plan. (One was recommended by Sasaki in the Resort Area Strategic Action Plan.)
The High Priorities:
1. Green Projects.
2. Corridor Improvements.
3. Dome site redevelopment.
4. Work with City on information sharing.
Each of the RAC's five committees had submitted a list of priorities. In turn, those 23 (in total) were then partially consolidated before voting.
The Top Priorities:
1. Implementation of the Resort Area Strategic Action Plan.
2. Monitor/Review Funding For Resort Projects And Advertising.
3. Doing a Resort Area Master Transportation Plan. (One was recommended by Sasaki in the Resort Area Strategic Action Plan.)
The High Priorities:
1. Green Projects.
2. Corridor Improvements.
3. Dome site redevelopment.
4. Work with City on information sharing.
Each of the RAC's five committees had submitted a list of priorities. In turn, those 23 (in total) were then partially consolidated before voting.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Westboro At The Convention Center
One of the prominent topics of conversation over the weekend was picketers from Westboro Baptist in Kansas bringing their God Hates Fags campaign to Norfolk and Virginia Beach. I had coemployees at work who normally don't discuss such things talking to me about it. I thought it would make a great blog story, so I planned to observe their demonstration this morning at the Virginia Beach Convention Center.
Waking up early, I got online and read how one planned protest never materialized in Norfolk on Monday. Were they still coming? A check of their website still had three Virginia Beach events on the schedule. With the day free (unusual for me) and being already up, I decided I'd still go. After all, I'd kick myself if they showed up and I missed it. I'd go to the convention center, sit on one of the benches across on the south side of 19th Street, and see what happened.
Yards away from the bench, at 8:40 I saw them unloading their gear from a car. There were four of them: three adults, and one boy maybe 11-12 years old. They crossed to the north side of 19th Street and began their protest. Their target, a Navy conference, was going on inside.
In under a minute, the first group of nine counterprotesters arrived. Within a half-hour, it had grown to just over thirty counterprotesters. They roughly fell into four groups. There were liberal pablum-pushers, a few gays, and those who wished to show solidarity with the military who were being protested against. Also, there was a man with a sign that read "Yahweh Hates Christianity" who was yelling at the Westboro contingent.
Nearby was a duo taping the events. Did the counterprotesters think they could bait Westboro's professionals into something?
The Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) was present. One officer stood just behind the protesters, a couple were nearby, while patrol cars were regularly heading up and down 19th Street.
At first both the protesters and most of the counterprotesters were on the north side of 19th Street. By 9:10 VBPD had figured out what I had earlier - that such a mix in close proximity was combustible - and the counterprotesters were moved to the south side of 19th Street, with four lanes of asphalt as a buffer.
Around 9:20 the Westboro group left, with the counterprotesters yelling at them on the way out. In the end, no serious incidents.
Waking up early, I got online and read how one planned protest never materialized in Norfolk on Monday. Were they still coming? A check of their website still had three Virginia Beach events on the schedule. With the day free (unusual for me) and being already up, I decided I'd still go. After all, I'd kick myself if they showed up and I missed it. I'd go to the convention center, sit on one of the benches across on the south side of 19th Street, and see what happened.
Yards away from the bench, at 8:40 I saw them unloading their gear from a car. There were four of them: three adults, and one boy maybe 11-12 years old. They crossed to the north side of 19th Street and began their protest. Their target, a Navy conference, was going on inside.
In under a minute, the first group of nine counterprotesters arrived. Within a half-hour, it had grown to just over thirty counterprotesters. They roughly fell into four groups. There were liberal pablum-pushers, a few gays, and those who wished to show solidarity with the military who were being protested against. Also, there was a man with a sign that read "Yahweh Hates Christianity" who was yelling at the Westboro contingent.
Nearby was a duo taping the events. Did the counterprotesters think they could bait Westboro's professionals into something?
The Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) was present. One officer stood just behind the protesters, a couple were nearby, while patrol cars were regularly heading up and down 19th Street.
At first both the protesters and most of the counterprotesters were on the north side of 19th Street. By 9:10 VBPD had figured out what I had earlier - that such a mix in close proximity was combustible - and the counterprotesters were moved to the south side of 19th Street, with four lanes of asphalt as a buffer.
Around 9:20 the Westboro group left, with the counterprotesters yelling at them on the way out. In the end, no serious incidents.
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