Category Archives: Progress

Gerald Duffy| Your View

In a recent op-ed, I predicted that the presence of PROGRESS PORTSMOUTH would attract the attention of some of our local less than charitable characters. Well, theyve arrived. Last week, one twice-unsuccessful former candidate for council compared me to a Nazi propagandist. Then we have Portsmouths ancient poster child, stapling fibs (illegally) on utility poles.

Continuing the vitriol, Claire Kittredges recent op-ed is straight out of her long standing playbook, written to create suspicion and fuel conspiracy theories, full of misrepresentation and innuendo, always assuming the worst, devoid of anything positive, and dependably personal. Shes been doing this for years. I dont even want to waste my time responding directly to her piece.

Instead, I want to talk about my mother. Alice Duffy died on May 6 this year, just five months short of her 100th birthday. She died peacefully during a late-morning nap in her own little flat in Hull, Yorkshire. Thanks to a dedicated, loving group of neighbors who took care of her every need for several decades, she lived independently until her last breath. That is how a community should work. We should all be so lucky.

During her long life, my mother voted in more than 50 national and local elections in the United Kingdom, never missing one. She took me to the polls with her before I could vote myself. Ours was, I always thought, a strongly labor household, but in her 98th year she sheepishly admitted to me that shed voted for conservatives all her life. I laughed then and it still makes me laugh when I think about it. Meanwhile my dad must still be spinning in his grave like a blender.

Alice also believed that you didnt buy anything unless you could pay cash for it. She embodiedthe thriftiness of her Lowland Scots origins. Other than a small home mortgage, she refused to use credit. As a result, her small pensions added up over decades to a tidy sum not much by modern standards, but certainly quite something for a young girl who was born into the servant class in post-Great War Britain.

She always thought the best of people until they gave her enough good reasons to think otherwise. She also left me enough money to buy an electrical bicycle and to help provide cash for getting PROGRESS PORTSMOUTH off the ground until donations came in. Her integrity and tenacity continue to inspire me every day. When I have moments of self-doubt and feel like giving up, I think of her. I think shed be happy to know her son is working to promote civic engagement in his adopted hometown, help encourage young people to vote in a way that Portsmouth hasnt seen before, reach out to new residents in a way that hasnt been done before, and try to get people energized about a potential civic landscape based on respect,civility, and good governance.

If donations dont cover our expenses, the late Alice Duffy will be kicking in to cover the shortfall. Alice rocked when she was alive. She lives on. Thanks, mum.

Gerald Duffy leads PROGRESS PORTSMOUTH, a network of citizens supporting an ethical, competent local government that creates forward-looking policy. To learn more, visit http://www.progressportsmouth.com. The views expressed are those of the writer.

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Duffy: Mum's positive influence on me and PROGRESS PORTSMOUTH - Seacoastonline.com

Ferrari is delighted with Mick Schumachers development in his rookie season at Formula 1 while driving for Haas, impressed with speed and determination.

Mick Schumacher is among the highly-rated prospects of the Ferrari drivers academy. The German race driver got promoted to Formula 1 after winning the F2 championship.

With Ferrari lobbying his move to Haas, the 22-year-old race driver has remained at the end of the grid throughout the 16 races he competed in. However, Ferrari is reportedly impressed by his performances; showcasing his potential with limited resources at Haas.

In his debut season in Formula 1, Mick [Schumacher] confirms those qualities and values that have distinguished him throughout his still young career. Speed, determination, commitment and eagerness to learn.

These are some of the characteristics that have brought him to the fore on his journey within our Academy and which he is also beginning to demonstrate at Haas, said Laurent Mekies.

Schumachers most impressive performance this season came in the Turkish GP qualifying. Despite having the slowest car on the grid, he managed to get into the Q2 with a remarkable 11th fastest timing in Q1.

This was his maiden F1 Q2 entrance, while Hass first in 2021. Showcasing that Schumacher can do better and would need a better car to show his worth.

Also read:Kimi Raikkonen reveals if he will switch to some other racing category after retiring from F1

This year Haas openly claimed that they wouldnt be making developments to focus on the 2022 project. On Saturday, team principal Guenther Steiner claimed that the American team will have much more pace in 2022.

Thus, Schumacher might have a chance to progress further in his career if going by such claims. Even Ferrari is willing to pin hopes on such promises.

We are confident that his growth will be even stronger in a team that shares his ambitions,Ferraris top executive is quoted byFormulaPassion.it.

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"Mick confirms those qualities" Ferrari is delighted with Mick Schumacher's progress in his first season in... - The Sportsrush

Political scientists like to call states the laboratories of democracy. The theory is that states are greenhouses where democratic reforms take root, then flower and eventually grow outside large enough to cover the nation. Populist and progressive reforms that started in the states bore fruit and became the basis of President Franklin Delano Roosevelts New Deal.

But the laboratories of democracy have morphed into houses of horror as we approach Halloween. Red states like Texas and Florida are doing everything in their power to restrict voting and to obstruct the fight to tackle the deadly COVID_19 delta variant.

We have learned the hard way during the pandemic why governors are so vitally important. High COVID-19 rates in Florida and Texas under Republican governors Ron DeSantisRon DeSantisThe CDC's Title 42 order fuels racism and undermines public health Chicago sues police union over refusal to comply with vaccine mandate Crist says as Florida governor he would legalize marijuana, expunge criminal records MORE and Greg AbbottGreg AbbottSunday shows preview: Supply chain crisis threaten holiday sales; uncertainty over whether US can sustain nationwide downward trend in COVID-19 cases Mike Siegel: Potential McConaughey candidacy a 'sideshow' in Texas governor race On The Money Big businesses side with Biden in Texas vaccine standoff MORE vividly contrast with states welcoming COVID-19 precautions and vaccines mandates.

Governors are the last line of defense in the battle for reproductive freedom. The abortion ban in Texas and the possibility and the prospect of SCOTUS action to restrict choice have raised the stakes in gubernatorial races.

Which brings us to Virginia. Once the bastion of the Confederacy, Virginia has become a laboratory for progressive policies and programs.

Since they took complete control of state government early last year, Democratic legislators have passed, and Gov. Ralph Northam (D), has signed groundbreaking laws to increase the minimum wage, protect reproductive choice and to control violent gun crimes.

The GOP candidate running to succeed Northam is wealthy businessman Glenn Youngkin is a conservative Trump supporter who describes himself as pro-life.

Progress will become a thing of the past if voters turn back the clock and elect Youngkin, the Republican on the ballot. His Democratic opponent is Terry McAuliffe, who previously served as Virginia governor from 2014 to 2018. Governors in Virginia cannot serve consecutive terms.

If the policy impact of the race isnt enough to whet your appetite, the political implications are mouth-watering. There are several good reasons to focus the bright lights toward the white-hot governors race in Virginia.

The party that wins the gubernatorial contest will have national bragging rights when the media spotlights shine on election night.

The campaign in Virginia is of course an appetizer for the dinner next November during the midterm elections when voters in 35 states will go to the polls to vote for governors. Then theres the all-you-can-eat feast in a potential rematch between President Joe BidenJoe BidenPressure grows for breakthrough in Biden agenda talks State school board leaves national association saying they called parents domestic terrorists Sunday shows preview: Supply chain crisis threaten holiday sales; uncertainty over whether US can sustain nationwide downward trend in COVID-19 cases MORE and former President Donald TrumpDonald TrumpMcAuliffe takes tougher stance on Democrats in Washington Democrats troll Trump over Virginia governor's race Tom Glavine, Ric Flair, Doug Flutie to join Trump for Herschel Walker event MORE for the White House in 2024.

Youngkin has the dubious endorsement of Trump who lost Virginia in his failed bid for reelection by 10 points to Biden. Democrats are hoping to make Trumps support a liability for the candidate they call Trumpkin. But a poll completed this week by CBS News and YouGov shows voters there evenly divided on the Bidens performance.

Competing streaks are on the line on Election Day. Democrats have won every statewide election in Virginia going back to 2013. But in last two contests, the party occupying the White House has lost its lease on the governors mansion.

The gubernatorial contest between McAuliffe and Youngkin is as tight as a tick on a hound dog, according to the CBS survey. The close race indicates that partisan turnout will determine the outcome. Early voting has already commenced and the Virginians who have voted have voted Democratic. However, late voters appear to be more inclined to support the Republican.

The poll also indicates that the Republican candidate has an advantage among likely voters, so Democrats are pulling out all the stops to motivate their base. This weekend former Georgia gubernatorial hopeful Stacy Abrams will campaign for McAuliffe. Later this month former President Barack ObamaBarack Hussein ObamaProgressives say go big and make life hard for GOP Biden giving stiff-arm to press interviews Jill Biden campaigns for McAuliffe in Virginia MORE will travel there to motivate turnout.

Biden has already campaigned for McAuliffe and will visit the state again before Election Day. The visits by prominent national Democrats underscore the urgency of the outcome and the desire to preserve progress that Democrats have produced in Virginia.

Voters in Virginia can leap forward this fall to continue the progress under Democrats or turn the clock back to reverse the recent progressive policies with Republican leadership.

Brad Bannonis a Democratic pollster and CEO of Bannon Communications Research. His podcast, Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,airson Periscope TV and the Progressive Voices Network. Follow him on Twitter:@BradBannon

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Trump-backed candidate would turn back the clock on progress in Virginia | TheHill - The Hill

Eighth grade students in pre-pandemic class at Wilson Middle School in San Diego Unified School District. (Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

The results from the latest nationwide tests of student proficiency are grim. Downright depressing. For the first time in the 50-year history of these tests, the scores of 13-year-olds fell in both reading and math. Scores for 9-year-olds showed no improvement compared with 2012.

The gap in scores between white students and Black and Latino students grew.

Nor can anyone blame the pandemic for this. The tests were administered in very early 2020, before the pandemic shut down most in-person schooling.

The results come from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, well-known for its biennial tests called the nations report card. But this is a different iteration of NAEP tests given to students ages 9, 13 and 17, and less frequently. The Long-Term Trend Assessment looks at progress or lack of it over stretches of time. Scores were last reported for the 2012 tests. (The 17-year-olds werent tested in this latest round because the pandemic struck before their exams were scheduled to take place.)

No single test tells the whole story of what students are learning or achieving (and these scores are not broken down by state or school district). But the long-term results shouldnt shock anyone; theyre pretty much in keeping with what the biennial NAEP tests have found: Many students are significantly below grade level on the basics. If students had been making even incremental progress over the previous eight years, that should have added up to at least a significant improvement.

If anything, scores should have been depressed in 2012 because for the previous few years, school budgets had been squeezed to the breaking point by the Great Recession. From that point until the pandemic, more money was available for education.

Still, many factors could have contributed to the fall-off. The No Child Left Behind Act ended in 2015, and though it was a crazily rigid, narrow and punitive law, its replacement essentially allowed states to eliminate any real consequences for schools when students were doing poorly. Once schools ended programs and laid off large numbers of teachers during the recession, it could have taken some years to rebuild. The improved economy meant that teachers often could find more lucrative work outside the public education system.

Story continues

The nation cant afford to play guesswork with this. Its quite possible that President Bidens proposal for universal preschool will make a real difference down the road. Theres evidence that high-quality preschool helps disadvantaged students significantly. But lack of such preschool isnt an excuse for the backward slide we're seeing.

The U.S. Department of Education should be putting its research muscle behind an effort to figure out what happened to the nations students over those eight years. Theres still a problem, for example, with schools not using the reading curricula that have been proven to improve literacy. Or perhaps more money needs to go toward reducing the attrition rate among teachers; somewhere between 30% to 50% of them leave within their first five years.

The test results show that going back to normal after the pandemic isnt going to cut it. Schools need the extra funding the American Rescue Plan is bringing in, but that funding has to be targeted in ways that work.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Editorial: Kids aren't making progress on national tests and that's from before the pandemic - Yahoo News

NEW YORK, Oct. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Along with its more than 100 members and thousands of community members, The Progress Network celebrates its first anniversary today as a media platform and ideas space for envisioning and developing a bright future in an era defined not only by the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change but also by the assumption that the world is on a dangerous path downward.

"I started the Progress Network last year in the belief that we can create the future of our dreams instead of the future of our fears,"explained author and columnist Zachary Karabell, founder of The Progress Network. "To do that, we need to pay more attention to what is working and to how we are actually solving many of the problems we've made. A year later, we have made a meaningful start toward building a robust network of thinkers and doers creating a more constructive present and a better future."

The eminent members of The Progress Network include David Brooks, Hubert Joly, Heather McGhee, Krista Tippett, Steven Pinker, Matthew Yglesias, Bina Venkataraman, Anne-Marie Slaughter,and Fareed Zakaria. While they may not speak with one voice, they are united in the belief that, with the right focus and effort, the world can make progress.

Under executive director Emma Varvaloucas, former executive editor of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, the nonprofit news platform runs live events featuring roundtables with its members and publishes a weekly newsletter whose collection of progress news from around the world is an antidote to addictive doomscrolling.

Karabell and Varvaloucas co-host the anti-apocalypse, conversational podcast "What Could Go Right?", available on The Progress Network site as well as all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The Progress Network's first-year numbers are impressive:

101 members| 32,107 website users

YouTube49,115 views of The Progress Network's editorial content238,000 ad viewsTotal: 287,115 views

Social Media17.5K Twitter followers1.5 million Tweet impressions per month5,031 Facebook followers814 Instagram followers

What Could Go Right? podcast:51,668 downloads

What Could Go Right? weekly newsletter:3,917 readers

The Progress Network also conducts exclusive, one-on-one video interviews with its members, published on the site and its YouTube channel. The "Progress in Five Minutes" series zooms in on one important issue each month. In early winter, The Progress Network will begin publishing a full calendar of original written content, including reported articles and opinion essays from notable journalists, innovators, and thought leaders. Areas of focus include politics, health, science, foreign affairs, climate change, technology, psychology, race relations, and economic outcomes.

"The Progress Network has been an invaluable source of ideas, inspiration, and practical suggestions,"said Deborah and James Fallows, two members of The Progress Network, both journalists and the founders of Our Towns Civic Foundation."It has accomplished a lot within just one year, and we look forward to even more."

The Progress Network is based at New America, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and is supported by individual contributions. To learn more, or to sign up for the weekly newsletter, visithttp://www.theprogressnetwork.org. Follow on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @progressntwrk. For media inquiries, contact executive director Emma Varvaloucas at[emailprotected].

Related Linkshttp://www.theprogressnetwork.org

SOURCE The Progress Network

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First Anniversary for Nonprofit Media Platform The Progress Network - PRNewswire

Water and wastewater issues in Bloomfield Borough are coming to a close as the borough makes progress to improve both ends of its water cycle, officials said.

The closing of the loop began last month with the official licensing and ribbon cutting ceremony of the new water treatment facility on Jeanne Fry Lane in Centre Twp., just east of the borough.

Borough water authority Chairman Ed Albright said the state Department of Environmental Protection cleared the facility for operations just a few days before the ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 18. The new facility both chemically treats and filters water from its new well at the same site. The well and facility construction was a project 10 years in the making.

With the well and treatment facility operational, the water authority has also advertised bids for construction of a pumping station at Talmudic Universitys properties on North Carlisle Street, Albright said at the Oct. 5 council meeting. The university will be added to the borough water system with that connection.

This is a huge accomplishment for the borough and the authority, councilwoman Malinda Anderson said.

Additionally, an aging well at the Perry Village property has been closed and capped, Albright said. It is no longer a functioning part of the Bloomfield system, made unnecessary by the new well across the street. With the closing of that well, a consent order from the Susquehanna River Basin Commission has been lifted, too, he said.

The SRBC monitors and helps control water systems and the amounts they draw from both surface and ground water within the Susquehanna watershed, which includes Perry County and much of the middle swath of the state.

On the other side of the water systems, the borough is closing in on a final deal to take over the sewer pump station in the Lakeside neighborhood off Barnett Street.

Melanie Rowlands, the planning commission chairwoman, said it was recommending council approve a proposed subdivision plan that would give a portion of the land the station is on to the borough. The deal would let the owners have rights-of-way across the lot to access the other properties in Centre Twp. The subdivision would create two properties, divided at the borough/township line to simplify zoning and other issues.

Councilman Kevin Fitzpatrick, who has been a liaison with owners Roger Watson and Lisa Fraker, said other issues should be resolved at the property by this week. That included repairs to bring the pump station up to code and a phone line to the property.

Once an inspection certifies that, the borough would own and operate the sewer facility.

Garbage contract

Borough council approved a new garbage contract with Sylvesters of Duncannon, the only bidder on the collection service. The three-year contract will have rates of $9.99 a month per unit for the first year and $10 for the next two years.

Council members said that rate was about $3 more per quarter compared to the current rates.

Tree trimming

The borough has hired James P. Shadow to do tree trimming on Main and Carlisle streets toward the end of October for $3,050. The service will not cost residents individual bills, but was necessary to cut tree branches out of the road rights-of-way. In past months, trucks moving through town were hitting the limbs that were overhanging roads.

In addition, trees near the intersection of Barnett Street and South Carlisle Street will be removed to improve line of site for motorists pulling out from Barnett, council said.

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Bloomfield sees progress on its water utilities - pennlive.com

Even with all that weve achieved, there is so much more that can be done, said Trenton Mayor W. Reed Gusciora during his fourth State of the City Address live from City Council chambers on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021. We need to unite for the betterment of the City.

Highlighting the tremendous Olympic Gold Medal victories of Trenton Central High School Alum Athing Mu this summer, Mayor Gusciora called for the city to nurture a spirit of unity as the community celebrates Trentons other successes this year.

The Mayors key focus areas included the $73 million to Trenton that Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman helped secure from the Biden Administrations American Rescue Plan and efforts to improve public safety, including Director Wilsons assignment of more officers to target violent crime offenders in historic hot spots.

In addition to initiatives with the Mercer County Prosecutors Office to expand youth programs, the Mayor addressed economic development imperatives including Housing Director Andre Daniels focus on supporting the businesses that are already here, adding new businesses, bringing developers to the City, and tackling the large number of vacant properties.

But none of this progress will last until we root out the blight that cripples economicopportunity and weighs down the spirit of our neighborhoods, said Mayor Gusciora, siting efforts to bolster demolition projects that will open up these neighborhoods for critically needed development.

The Mayor thanked Pastor Rodriguez at the Pentecostal Church on North Clinton Avenue for his tremendous assistance in efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates in the city. He also thanked Dr. Lopez and Health Officer Yvette Graffie Cooper, who have had considerable support from OEM Director Grady Griffin and Director of Recreation Maria Richardson.

Mayor Gusciora finished his address expanding on major improvements at Trenton Water Works; exciting updates with respect to Trentons Parks, Recreation and Culture; and major capital city aid and transitional aid to help move the city forward.

God bless America, and God bless the City of Trenton, said Mayor Gusciora. Lets continue to lift this city together.

You can check out the full video recording and transcript of the Mayors speech on Facebook at facebook.com/cityoftrentonnj, viathe Citys website attrentonnj.org, or in Spanish via the Latino Spirit at facebook.com/thelatinospirit.

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Mayor Guscioras Fourth State of the City Highlights Progress; Calls for Unity - TrentonDaily News

I awake sore and stiff, curled up in the back seat of a strangers car. After bailing yet again from some bad weather on a traverse I keep trying to finish, I feel about as confident as I look which is to say, pretty broken. Theres always a silver lining in failure, but sometimes we just have to accept and sit with the disappointment.

Artists call this process a work in progress, an unfinished piece slowly, but surely, coming together. In the outdoors, these situations take the form of summits not yet reached, traverses unfinished, or routes dreamt about but not yet started. In some ways the saying is applicable to our entire lives. Love, work, friendships, and most importantly, ourselves are constantly evolving: constant works in progress.

Sometimes, however, the evolution and progress pause and it can feel like were stuck in a whirlpool.

As I reflect on this season, I feel like I was everywhere and nowhere all at once. I have been digging deep lately, prying at the dark corners of my mind as I navigate the floodwaters of my worth. Awash in the murky tide, I have found myself grasping for happiness within. Normally, running and mountains help me to find solace in dark times, but even those have become a struggle as I feel both emotionally and physically drained.

I chase things fervently in life, and I know Im not alone. After all, I dont think many of us would even contemplate running 100 miles through the mountains if there wasnt some deep-seated passion we cant contain. But sometimes, our lives can take a downward spiral and we cant physically run through, or away, from what ails us. For that there is only time, and a lot of learning about ourselves, until our thoughts lighten and we can run free again.

During this melancholic time, I am trying to practice patience with myself, but also curiosity and compassion. As my legs ached and I pushed myself into the dark on a recent outing, I found that the physical pain I was feeling seemed far more manageable than the emotional pain I have been dealing with. So at least in some way, I am gaining perspective and a glimmer of strength in the fog.

Life is fickle and not always fun, but we can always practice gratitude and kindness with ourselves and the world around us.

In that painful moment when we dont live up to our own standards, do we condemn ourselves or truly appreciate the paradox of being human? Holding the paradox is not something any of us will suddenly be able to do. Thats why were encouraged to spend our whole lives training with uncertainty, ambiguity, insecurity. To stay in the middle prepares us to meet the unknown without fear; it prepares us to face both our life and our death. The in-between state where moment by moment the warrior finds himself learning to let go is the perfect training ground. It really doesnt matter if we feel depressed about that or inspired. There is absolutely no way to do this just right. Thats why compassion and maitri [loving-kindness], along with courage, are vital: they give us the resources to be genuine about where we are, but at the same time to know that we are always in transition, that the only time is now, and that the future is completely unpredictable and open. Pema Chdrn, The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times

I shuffle downhill in the darkness. The light of my headlamp illuminates as a small glow in front of me. I pause for a minute and sit down. I turn off my light and lay against the tundra. The Milky Way glows brightly overhead, along with the waxing moon. The mountains are silhouetted against the inky sky. I dont lay there long; tears well up in my eyes. I have to keep moving before my aching heart stops me. Like the artist whittling away at their work in progress, I too chip away at myself and the ridgeline that unfolds before me.

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Work in Progress - iRunFar

To some of the areas college students, Farmvilles history involving equality may be surprising. Many may not know that when schools were being pushed to integrate with Brown v. Board in 1954, Senator Harry F. Byrd created a policy of massive resistance in which he encouraged continued segregation. At this time, black Prince Edward County students were already striking for equality and integration The Robert Russa Moton Museum is the building which served as the black-only school during segregation, and it has since been transformed into a comprehensive exhibit of the struggle for racial equality in Farmville.

The policy of massive resistance effectively closed the public schools in Prince Edward for five years from 1959 to 1964 when the Civil Rights Act was created. During this closure, Prince Edward Academy, now the Fuqua School, was a private white-only school. Consequently, there is a generation of people still in Farmville who never received a proper education.

The loss of education in the black community in Prince Edward has a direct effect on the community today. According to Cainan Townsend, director of education and public programs at the Robert Russa Moton Museum, the adult literacy rates here are absolutely abysmal. He attributes this in part to the school closures, but he also blames a long trend following 1964 of underfunded education in Prince Edward.

Speaking as someone who received an education from Prince Edward County Public Schools and from Longwood University, Ms. Jacquelyn Reid, funeral director and vice president of Bland-Reid Funeral Home, agrees that the public education is not at the height it should be. Reid said, though, that she thinks that partnerships between college students and the students in the public schools could be mutually beneficial. She feels that those that are going into education especially, theyre not all going to end up in rich school systemsand if they work with (less privileged) kids now and are going into education for the right reasons, theyll want to get that under their belt so that they are prepared to work with children in all situations.

Reid and her son, Elder Warren A. Reid, both work at their familys business, Bland-Reid Funeral Home, which is the oldest black-owned business in Farmville. The business was founded in 1936 by Ms. Reids grandfather, Warren A. Reid. The family has seen the evolution of racism fairly intimately as Mr. Reid, according to his granddaughter, was a quiet man, but when he talked, he was listened to. Reid was a bail bondsman, banker, undertaker, ambulance driver, and much more to the community. His great-grandson who shares his name has followed in his footsteps being a member of the Farmville Junior Chamber (The Jaycees) as well as a big player in the family business.

E.W. Reid has witnessed the effects of racism first-hand by working so closely with the community and the family business. He said that the funeral business is still rather segregated, but they have seen more diversity within their business since the beginning of the pandemic. As a community leader and parent of a Fuqua School student, he has seen sentiments of racism in the resistance to remove the sign that says Prince Edward Academy from the school. He said that There are people who are Prince Edward Academy graduates, and they say that this is their history and their heritage, but he feels that history can still exist without memorializing it as it is a racist history.

Perhaps the most personal way that racism affects Reid is that he does not feels safe on Longwoods campus because he may be perceived as a threat. Walking through a predominantly white school and people knowing that you dont belong there or that youre from the town creates anxiety. He said subconsciouslyas people were walking down the sidewalk, I would cross the street and walk down the other side and that if there were and altercation or miscommunication no one is going to care that Im on the Chamber of Commerce or on any board. Theyre going to hear that Warren Reid is accused of assault, is accused of sexual harassmentso we walk on eggshells, and I think a lot of the community does that.

The Reids grew up on Longwoods campus, and the change in attitude toward people of the town from the time that E.W. Reid was a child to now has gone in such a negative direction that he no longer feels safe in a place he once played. Ms. Reid said that I grew up right across the street where the commuter lot isand where the library, the music building, and the art building are all used to be black neighborhoods. The family, as well as many other black families, lost their house to eminent domain when the university expanded. She also said, there were 60-70 kids in those blocks, and weve lost that sense of community now that they are spread out.

Although the Reids and Townsend feel as though there is a divide between the college communities in the county and the community of people who have made lives here, they have hope and ideas for drawing people together and creating a more equal, well-rounded community. For starters, the 3 of them have all condemned the use of the word townie. Townsend said that I absolutely think its replacing the n-wordand many people mean it harmlesslybut when I was in school I and my black friends would go to a party and there would be 15 white guys going in before us then when its me and my black friends they want to see our Longwood I.D.s. and that he would regularly hear things like lets keep the townies out so he stopped going out altogether.

Townsend would like to see more local and diverse entrepreneurshipbecause we only have maybe 2 black-owned businesses not including funeral homes and barber shops. He and the Reids would like to see more affordable housing for families. Townsend said Farmville is kind of in an identity crisis. We want to attract young professionals and young families, but we cant do that if they dont have a place to live. Landlords and companies are buying houses, renovating them, and charging by the room because of college students. He adds that if a family wants to rent these houses, theyre charging them $600 a room, and who can afford that in Farmville?

The Reids especially think that Longwood and Hampden Sydney educating their students about Farmvilles history could create a closer bond between students and residents. E.W. Reid said that You need to know what happened here, and that has done a big disservice because students come here and have no idea of the history that surrounds them. They think that a required class about Farmvilles history could go a long way for creating an understanding for the community that students enter when they come to school. Longwood has taken steps to encourage its students to become educated on Farmvilles history through its partnership with the Moton Museum which began in 2015, and Townsend said that his biggest goal for the community is I want people to be genuinely surprised at the history that happened here because he invisions such a bright future for the area.

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The evolution of racism in Farmville: the progress made since the end of segregation - The Rotunda

The Pittsburgh Steelers running game has gradually shown signs of life over the course of the first five weeks of the 2021 season, finally really breaking through this past Sunday in a win over the Denver Broncos. Rookie running back Najee Harris had a strong day, rushing for 122 yards with a touchdown on 23 carries.

A lot of it had to do with the fact that he had more holes to work through than normal, with the offensive line providing him with greater opportunities. Second-year running back Anthony McFarland was hardly surprised to see that, and knew it was coming for a long time.

Ive always had confidence in our O-line for a very long time, he told reporters on Friday. Even before the Packers game, I just knew the running game was gonna get going. I could just tell how they practiced, how they go about their business, I just knew we were gonna get it right.

The offensive line looks a lot different than it did last season, McFarlands rookie year. Gone are starters Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, Alejandro Villanueva, and Matt Feiler. In comes rookies Kendrick Green and Dan Moore Jr., second-year Kevin Dotson, and free agent signing Trai Turner, so far with Chukwuma Okorafor returning at right tackle.

Its been amazing to watch because weve been with these guys all camp, and to see these guys come out here and just learn how to play together, I feel like thats everybodys job, McFarland said. Just to learn how to play together. And I feel like thats the biggest thing as an offensive lineman. To see those guys stick together through the tough times and just to bring the running game along, its a good thing to see.

Theyve made strides just run in the run blocking but in pass protection as well. The lone sack that Ben Roethlisberger took this past week, for example, was his own fault for not getting rid the ball when he should have.

Theyve been progressing very well, the back said of his blockers. Theyve been doing everything theyre supposed to do. Ive been very excited because Ive been seeing them in training camp, just working so hard, doing what theyre supposed to do. I just knew they were gonna get it right. Always had confidence in them.

McFarland has been on the Reserve/Injured List, but looks likely to be ready after their Week 7 bye. Then hell get to put his money where his mouth is with regards to his faith in this offensive line to block for him and the rest of the Steelers runners.

The rest is here:

Anthony McFarland 'Very Excited' By O-Line's Progress As He Nears Return - Steelers Depot