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Vol 1, Issue 12:  December 2009

"Out & About in Hampton Roads"

Out & About in Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads' Vision hits the road: Hampton's Community Leaders Breakfast featured Doug Smith of Kaufman & Canoles and Dana Dickens, President of Hampton Roads Partnership, discussing the on-going process with the region's comprehensive economic development strategy called "Vision Hampton Roads." Vision planning has placed Hampton Roads on a path to regional transformation by embedding a working process in all that we do... to think, live and act regionally. Follow along at http://VisionHamptonRoads.com. Read more...

WHRO launches local Patchwork Nation Website: WHRO, in association with the Hampton Roads Partnership's regional blog SmartRegion.org, has joined the project to spotlight Hampton Roads, VA as a "Military Bastion." Follow Patchwork Nation on Twitter, too. Read more...

                           "Business Community"

Business Community

Virginia's "Top State" title: Not bad, even during these challenging times. Virginia has been named the most business-friendly state - four times running by Forbes.com! Read more...

International Paper shut down ripples across Hampton Roads and into the future: A casualty of falling demand, the International Paper plant in Isle of Wight County will close in spring 2010. Read more...

                           "Hampton Roads: Economy"

Hampton Roads Economy

Clash of the Titans: Regent University hosted prominent national leaders discussing the question, "America's Future: Can Capitalism Survive?" Read more...

State of the Region: ODU's Dr. Koch released his in-depth analysis of Hampton Roads' economy recently at an event hosted by LEAD Hampton Roads, the region's oldest and largest leadership initiative. Read here for highlights by chapter and download the report...

Hampton Roads Regional Planning: Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC), Hampton Roads Review, Fall 2009, "A look back at 40 years of Regionalism" and the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO), Crossings, Fall 2009, "Money, Maintenance and Transportation." Download and read more...

                           "Education & Workforce"

Education and Workforce
 
Perspectives on Hampton Roads Employment Statistics: by James Clary, HRPDC, "Hampton Roads is consistently outperforming the nation throughout this recession." Read more...


                           "Government & Citizens"

Government and Citizens

Hampton, VA Lauded for Civic Engagement Efforts: from Miller-McCune online magazine, in 1990, the city launched Hampton Youth Civic Engagement, a program to instill community pride and leadership skills in young people and engage them in governance. Nearly two decades later, the program is still in operation and recognized as a national model for fostering civic engagement. Read more...

I REMAIN HOPEFUL in Hampton Roads: by Danae Jones Aicher, Virginia Governor-elect Bob McDonnell should be commended on a solid win, but Republicans shouldn't get too excited. What's ahead is a lot of hard work. And that work cannot be partisan. Read more...

                           "Hampton Roads: History"

Hampton Roads History

The USS Monitor: It was the most celebrated ship in the U.S. Navy at the time, the ironclad USS Monitor, and it was said that it had "saved the Union." Read more...

Early witches in Hampton Roads: Do you know that we had supposed witches and devils here in Virginia long before they appeared up in Massachusetts? Read more...

                           "Hampton Roads: Military Bastion"

Hampton Roads: Military Bastion

The Valentine Family talk about the loss of their Navy Seal:
  Christina's husband, Scott Valentine, died during his 11th deployment as a Navy Seal. Hear her talk with her children, Meghan (age 6) and John (age 9), about missing their Dad. Read more...

U.S. Coast Guard seeks public comment: Berkley Bridge scheduled lift public comment. Read more...

Naval aviation began in Hampton Roads, Virginia: On November 14, 1910, the first "aircraft carrier" takeoff. Read more...

U.S. Army's Fort Monroe Heritage Project: Gen. Martin Dempsey, commander of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), announced the launch of an interactive, online project to capture Fort Monroe's heritage through the eyes of its current and former tenants as the post prepares to close in 2011. Read more...
 

                           "Research & Technology"

Research & Technology

NASA Langley Research Center brings TEDxNASA to Hampton Roads: NASA's mission is innovation... and TED is about creating space for innovation and changing the world through conversation, sharing and spreading great ideas in 18 minutes or less per idea presented. If not NASA, then who in Hampton Roads could generate the flow of creative juices required for innovation to occur? For a play-by-play with links, graphics, and video to help you feel as if you were with us in the audience, read more...

Global Change Specialists at Hampton Roads Community Roundtable: Clean Air-Cool Planet, in partnership with Wetlands Watch and ODU, recently held a climate roundtable in Hampton Roads to talk about the latest science on sea level rise and affects on coastal communities. Two internationally known scientists discussed recent findings about ice melt in the Arctic. Read more...

Hampton Roads M & S Strategy 2020 (rescheduled): A great opportunity to hear first-hand the "way ahead" for Virginia's hottest technology and growth sector. Questions? Contact Andrew Sinclair, M&S Program Manager at [email protected].

International M&S Conference in Hampton Roads a Success: With over 1000 attendees, a 30% increase over 2008, it featured a wide variety of workshops, exhibits and speakers focusing on the unique multi-disciplinary applications of modeling and simulation.. Download the 2009 Conference Brochure with Abstracts. Read more...

Climate Change and Sea Level Rise in Hampton Roads: The impact on Hampton Roads - beach erosion, wildlife extinction, loss of property and infrastructure, such as roads and sewer systems - could be devastating. Read more...

Norwegian company seeds Chesapeake Algae Project: The College of William and Mary and its Virginia Institute of Marine Science have formed a collaborative research initiative to investigate a promising new technology to produce biofuel from the algae growing naturally in rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. Read more...

What software is to Silicon Valley, Modeling and Simulation could be to Hampton Roads: U.S. Senator Mark Warner held his Virginia Summit on Modeling and Simulation at the Virginia Beach Convention Center with over 500 people in attendance as the kick-off for ModSim World 2009 where attendees heard about this burgeoning industry making an impact in Hampton Roads and nationally. Read more, see Videos of keynote speeches and panels as well as the agenda...


                           "Transportation"
Hampton Roads Transportation

Region's leaders 'All Aboard' for High-Speed Rail:
by David Bernd and Jack Ezzell, what we choose to do with our assets now, together, will determine the fate, and the fortunes, of our future. Read more...

Norfolk Southern's "green" green locomotive: Norfolk Southern Corp. recently unveiled a prototype locomotive that relies exclusively on rechargeable batteries for power; there are zero exhaust emissions. Read more...

Just in from Virginia Beach Vision: Fact Sheet on "State of Transportation" in Virginia and Hampton Roads. Read more and download the fact sheet...

Get the 411 on Traffic at 511HamptonRoads.org: In-depth, free information about traveling throughout Hampton Roads, including live feeds from traffic cameras, driving directions and continuously updated maps showing traffic, construction and incident information as it happens. Read more...

No taxes is a fine approach if we want no services: Bumper to bumper traffic. Clogged tunnels. Abandoned bridges. Closed rest stops. Canceled road projects. That's transportation- rather transportation problems- here in Hampton Roads. And it's precisely what Virginia Beach Vision, "a non-partisan issue-oriented organization of business and civic leaders", wanted to put on the table at a recent panel discussion. Read more...

Hampton Roads Urban Land Institute's Roads & Rails to Recovery: The event began with a lunch conversation with Mayors Paul Fraim (Norfolk) and Will Sessoms (Virginia Beach). Both mayors spoke of the Tide light rail, which is scheduled to open on a 7-mile starter line in Norfolk next year, as a starting point of regional importance. Read more...

                           "Visit Hampton Roads: Tourism"

Visit Hampton Roads: Tourism

Real Pirates in Hampton Roads:
Organized by National Geographic, the exhibit showcases treasure chests of jewelry, coins, and gold; weaponry; and a replica of the actual ship that visitors can board. On exhibit at the Nauticus Museum in downtown Norfolk. Read more...  

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