Wednesday, November 1, 2000: Phillip Johnson (UC Berkeley) will speak on "The Kansas Evolution Controversy: Which Side is Violating the First Amendment" at the University of Virginia Law School, WB101 at 4:15 p.m.

Wednesday, November 1, 2000: Elaine Jones will be speaking in Room 154 at the Law School for 15 to 20 minutes at 5:30 p.m. and then will be part of a panel discussion with a question and answer period following.

She is speaking as a part of Explorations in Black Leadership and the public is invited.

As President and Director-Counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF), Elaine Jones is one of America's foremost civil rights lawyers, and well-known as a fearless crusader in numerous social justice causes. Born and raised in the Jim Crow South of Norfolk, Virginia, Jones grew up conscious of "the realities of racism and the importance of idealism." Rising to every challenge, she became the first African-American woman to graduate from the University of Virginia School of Law, the first woman to head LDF, and the first African-American elected to the American Bar Association's Board of Governors.

She helped litigate the case Furman v. Georgia before the Supreme Court, which struck down the death penalty in 37 states, and she has lent her enormous energy and talents to issues ranging from education to employment discrimination, health care to environmental justice.

Her topic will be "Living a Life of Challenge."

Wednesday, November 1, 2000: Charlottesville Transit Service (CTS ) and the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library are partners promoting literacy. Starting November 1st, the Ride & Read program will provide greater access to the public library and increase the number of CTS bus riders.

CTS will provide a free bus pass to any rider that takes the bus to the library and checks out an item. The Main, Gordon Avenue and Northside branches of the library are located on CTS bus routes. Participants in the Ride & Read program are limited to one free pass daily.

The pilot program was inspired by "On the Bus with Rosa Parks", a poetry collection by local author Rita Dove. After reading the collection, Marketing Specialist Diane Taylor contacted Ms. Dove about her idea for "expanding services…expanding minds." Ms. Dove agreed to help promote the program by sitting for a portrait by acclaimed photojournalist Mary Motley Kalergis. The Ride & Read promotional campaign features a poster of Ms. Dove with her library edition of "On the Bus..." It will be the first poster in a limited collector's series to include distinguished local authors.

Financial support from the Friends of the Library and proceeds from the sale of posters will offset the cost of the program. A limited number of Ms. Dove's posters are available for $6 each by contacting CTS at 296-RIDE, Diane Taylor at the Visitor's Center at 108 2nd St. S.E., New Dominion Book Shop, 404 E. Main Street on the Downtown Mall or at the Student Bookstore, 1515 University Ave. at The Corner. All proceeds from the sale of posters will benefit the literacy program.

Participants in the Ride & Read program may also register for monthly drawings at the circulation desk of the library. Winners will receive copies of the first limited series of posters featuring Ms. Dove.

Contact: Diane Taylor at 970-3794 for more information.

Thursday, November 2, 2000: The killing of one gay bar patron and the shooting of six others in Roanoke on September 22 has renewed debate in Virginia (and nationwide) about the wisdom or necessity for hate-crimes legislation. In this light, Charlottesville resident Richard Sincere, the president of the Washington, D.C.-based Gays and Lesbians for Individual Liberty (GLIL), will participate in a panel discussion on hate-crimes laws at the University of Virginia on Thursday, November 2.

Sponsored by the Classical Liberal Roundtable and Students for Individual Liberty, the forum is entitled 'Hate Crime' Laws: An Unnecessary Evil? and it begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Minor Hall auditorium on the main grounds of the University. Other panelists include two UVA administrators: M. Rick Turner, dean of Afro-American affairs, and Pablo Davis, dean of students.

In an article published in the Roanoke Times on September 27, Sincere argued that using the shootings at Roanoke's Backstreet Cafe earlier that month to propel adoption of a federal hate-crimes law or a similar law in Virginia "would be a mistake. It would be a mistake because hate-crime laws, however well-intentioned, are feel-good laws. Their primary result is thought control, violating our constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and of conscience. It would be a mistake because it suggests that crimes against some people are worse than crimes against others. And it would be a mistake because it uses a personal tragedy to advance a political agenda."

Sincere has written about hate-crimes legislation in the past. An article that was originally published in the Houston Chronicle on October 14, 1998, was reprinted in the Congressional Record two days later. It is available on line at the Independent Gay Forum web site (http://www.indegayforum.org). He also debated this issue at the national convention of the Log Cabin Republicans in Philadelphia last August.

Gays and Lesbians for Individual Liberty was founded in February 1991 to advance the ideas of economic and personal freedom and individual responsibility. For further information about the group, visit GLIL's web site at http://www.glil.org or its mirror site at http://www.gayliberty.org. Questions about the November 2 panel discussion at UVA may be directed to Richard Sincere at 202-903-5555 or 804-245-8426 (P.O.Box 65743 Washington, DC 20035).

Thursday, November 2, 2000: A public and televised debate between Congressman Virgil Goode (I) and Democratic challenger John Boyd for the 5th Congressional seat will be held on November 2nd from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. in Martinsville live studios.

They can accommodate over 150 audience members and are expecting 7 to 10 area newspapers and 5 networks and local television affiliates to provide coverage. The coordinator for this event is Kip Wallace, the news director of News6, a Martinsville cable television station. If Individuals desire tickets they may contact Kip at 540-656-3900. Seating is very limited.

Saturday, November 4, 2000: Charlottesville/Albemarle Get Out the Vote Rally will take place at the Downtown Mall, 501 East Main Street, at campaign Headquarters, beginning at 12 noon sharp. For more information contact the Charlottesville/Albemarle Headquarters at (804) 245-5914.

Speakers will include Democratic candidates John Boyd (5th District) and Warren Stewart (7th District), along with Senator Robb's daughter, Lucinda.

Saturday, November 4, 2000: Richmond Mayor Tim Kaine, candidate for Lieutenant Governor, will be the guest speaker on Bob Gibson's 'Talkback' show which airs on Saturdays from 10-11 a.m. The show is available on the Internet at http://www.wina.com/ to listeners and callers anywhere. Callers can question guests by calling 804-977-1070 after 10:05 a.m.

Tuesday, November 7, 2000: Election Day!

Thanks to the Republican members of the Virginia General Assembly, all voters this election day will need to present some form of identification to the election officials at the polling places.

Acceptable forms of identification include: a driver's license; a voter card; a social security card; an employer issued I.D. with photo; an I.D. issued by UVA, Va, county or city; OR, you must sign an "affirmation of eligibility" in order to vote.

Absentee ballots can be requested now. The deadline to request an Absentee ballot is November 2nd and the deadline to vote absentee in person is November 4th.

The County Registrar is no longer located at the County office Building! They are now located in the new DMV building on Pantops Mountain, 2055A Abbey Road. For more information, call 951-6798.

The City of Charlottesville's Registrar's number is 970-3250.

The City of Charlottesville Registrar will be open November 1st and 3rd from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., on November 2nd from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and November 4th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (the deadline to vote absentee) for voting absentee.

Albemarle County voters in the Monticello precinct who used to vote at Piedmont Community College will vote this year at Monticello High School; Batesville precinct folks who voted at Batesville United Methodist Church will now vote at Mount Ed Baptist Church located at 1606 Craig's Store Road; and Commonwealth precinct, previously voting at Elder Care Gardens, will now vote at Albemarle High School.

Wednesday, November 8, 2000: Julius Chambers will be speaking at 7:30 p.m. in the University of Virginia Law School, Room 154, on "Where are We? Education and Desegregation."

Wednesday, November 8, 2000: So, About Last Night...

No matter what happens on November 7th, we need to talk.

Please join Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington and other pro-choice partners for “The Day After:” an informal discussion of next steps for teen pregnancy prevention, reproductive freedom, and family planning in the new administration and the 107th Congress.

Wednesday, November 8th. 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. The National Press Club, Zenger Room, 529 14th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. (space is limited).

Panelists: Karen Raschke, Center for Reproductive Law & Policy, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia; Vicki Saporta, National Abortion Federation; Judith DeSarno, National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association; Clare Coleman, Office of Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY);

Moderator: Robin Shaivitz, Alexander & Cleaver

Please RSVP to Nancy Singer at 202.347.8500 x231 or nancy.singer@ppfa.org

Thursday, November 9, 2000: Citizens for Albemarle is presenting a forum entitled: "The Growth Debate: Taking Charge of Our Destiny, with Eben Fodor, author of "Better Not Bigger" at 7 PM, at Charlottesville Council Chambers.

Eben Fodor is a community planning consultant based in Eugene, Oregon. He is a naturally recognized authority on consequences of growth and local government strategies for dealing with it.

Citizens for Albemarle is a grass roots group that promotes quality of life and sustainability issues in the County, and which is very concerned about regional population growth.

Other guest panelists are Rich Collins, Francis Fife and Jon Cannon.

Saturday, November 11, 2000: Rivanna Trails Monthly Work Day will be held between 9:00 - 11:30 at Melbourne Road just east of the Charlottesville High School football field.

Help build the wilderness-style trail to encircle the City of Charlottesville. No experience or special skills necessary. Just wear comfortable, old clothes. The workdays are on the Second Saturday of each month. Same time, same mustering place.

Questions? Call John Conover, 293-5622.

Saturday, November 11, 2000: Delegate Jerrauld Jones, chairman of legislative black caucus and candidate for Lieutenant Governor, will be the guest speaker on Bob Gibson's 'Talkback' show which airs on Saturdays from 10-11 a.m. (For more information, see November 4th above).

Saturday, November 18, 2000: Albemarle/Charlottesville Democratic Breakfast at Jefferson Area Board for the Aging (on Hillsdale Drive) in Charlottesville, Virginia.

For more information, please call George Loper at 971-8082.

Saturday, November 18, 2000: Delegate Alan Diamonstein, a potential candidate for Lieutenant Governor, will be the guest speaker on Bob Gibson's 'Talkback' show which airs on Saturdays from 10-11 a.m. (For more information, see November 4th above).

Wednesday, November 29, 2000: Paul Duke, a senior commentator for public broadcasting and former moderator of "Washington Week in Review" will be speaking at the Miller Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. His topic will be "Press Coverage of the 2000 Presidential Election."