Current Conversations
Each month, "Current Conversations" explores a different service Gloucester County, Virginia's Government provides its residents and visitors. We are glad you're here!
Episodes
42 episodes since 2022
Season 4, Episode 7: Gloucester Resource Council creates holiday-themed Festival of Trees
What's better than enjoying the holiday decorations along Main Street? Enjoying interactive decorations with a purpose!The Gloucester Resource Council will be bringing together nonprofits, service organizations and businesses that serve...
September 09, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 7
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17:30
Season 4, Episode 6: The Upcoming School Year and Cell Phones in Schools
This month, Dr. Anthony Vladu, Superintendent of Gloucester County Public Schools, joins us to discuss some hot topics going into the 2024-2025 school year. Division leadership has been working hard over the summer on a strategic p...
August 07, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 6
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15:22
Season 4, Episode 5: The Zoning Ordinance Impacts Everyone in Gloucester
Many of you received a letter in the mail last week from our Planning & Zoning Department regarding a Zoning Ordinance update that will go before the Gloucester Planning Commission next Thursday, July 11. No rezoning of property is pr...
July 03, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 5
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10:08
Season 4, Episode 4: Reviewing Renovations at the Main Library
In the era when many people find reading materials and conduct research online, public libraries have taken up the mission of remaining a community "place." For our Main Library, the draw isn't just the 90,000 print volumes in our ...
June 05, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 4
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16:33
Season 4, Episode 3: Preparing for a Very Active Hurricane Season
The 2024 Hurricane Season is set to begin June 1st. With the combination of record-breaking warm waters and a La Niña, this hurricane season is predicted to be very active. Forecasters predict 24 named storms, with 11 of those being hurricanes ...
May 01, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 3
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15:36
Season 4, Episode 2: VDOT explains work in progress at Guinea Road intersection
We've had questions rolling in about the road work in progress at the Guinea Road and Route 17 intersection. Kelly Hannon, VDOT's communications manager for the Fredericksburg District, was kind enough to explain the reasons behind this median ...
April 02, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 2
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20:39
Season 4, Episode 1, Part 2: What's Being Developed Across From Lowe's?
Sticking with the theme of real estate this month, we've received many questions about why so much land is being cleared along Route 17 Southbound, just past the intersection of Burleigh Road, across from the Lowe's Home Improvement store. In P...
March 06, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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13:45
Season 4, Episode 1, Part 1: Gloucester's Current Housing Market
This month, we have a two-part podcast. For Part 1, we branch off a bit from County government, and speak with Kandy Fist, President of the Chesapeake Bay and Rivers Association of Realtors (CBRAR), about Gloucester's current housing market. Ka...
March 06, 2024
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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20:02
Season 3, Episode 11: Addressing Current Challenges in Education
This month, we are joined by our School Superintendent, Dr. Anthony Vladu, who just completed his first six months on the job! He updates us on how his entry plan is going and discusses some of the current challenges the school system is facing...
February 07, 2024
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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14:14
Season 3, Episode 10: 2023 was a year of Public Service and Modernization
Quinton Sheppard and Savannah Haugdahl with the Community Engagement and Public Information Department are uniquely privileged to work with all of the other departments, highlighting their work throughout the year. In the first week of January,...
January 05, 2024
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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28:36
Season 3, Episode 9: How Victim Witness Advocates make Gloucester a better place
Almost everyone knows that criminal defendants have rights, but often, victims and witnesses of crimes don't know that they ALSO have rights. Chelsea Pierce's team of Victim Witness Advocates help those people navigate our court system and acce...
December 01, 2023
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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10:04
Season 3, Episode 8: Learn About our Upcoming Reverse Vendor Fair
In this episode, we chat with Christine Joyce, our Purchasing Agent, and Sherry Spring, our Economic Development Director about an exciting initiative coming up in December called the Reverse Vendor Fair. Are you interested in poss...
November 01, 2023
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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8:08
Season 3, Episode 7: What You Need to Know about Voting, from the Director of Elections
Nov. 7 is right around the corner, and Early Voting has actually already started! We have a few special circumstances on the ballot, and some new rules about voting absentee, so Bobbi Morgan is here to make sure you have the information you nee...
October 02, 2023
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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15:49
Season 3, Episode 6: Meeting Your New School Superintendent
This month, we are joined by Dr. Anthony Vladu, the new Superintendent of Gloucester County Public Schools. Dr. Vladu talks a bit about his background, his vision for GCPS, and his passion for the students and their learning experiences. <...
September 06, 2023
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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17:16
Season 3, Episode 5: School Coordinators Help our Entire Community
Debra Falkenberg was a school coordinator at Page Middle School for six years, and was just promoted to become our senior coordinator. Her team is responsible for everything from arranging field trips, to organizing food assistance for families...
August 01, 2023
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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11:32
Season 3, Episode 4: What's in the Future for Gloucester? An Update on County Projects
This month, we chat with Deputy County Administrator George Bains about what projects are happening at the County level. George oversees the Community Development team, which means he's in-tune with most of the projects that are in progress or ...
July 05, 2023
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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17:59
Season 3, Episode 3: Parks, Recreation & Tourism Prepares for Summer
Tourism Coordinator Susan Ammons has all the details about upcoming sports, fishing tournaments, museum happenings and a 50th birthday party that you (and your family) are invited to!
June 01, 2023
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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11:53
Season 3, Episode 2: Adult Services and Adult Protective Services
Lisa Kersey, the director for Gloucester County's Department of Social Services, shares resources for adults during Older Americans Month. Social Services has resources to help people who are struggling with a disability, food insecurity, housi...
May 11, 2023
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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12:18
Season 3, Episode 1: How's the Broadband Project in Gloucester Going?
Welcome to Season 3 of the Current Conversations podcast! In this episode, we sit down with Eric Beach, Gloucester's Director of Information Technology, who provides us with the latest updates on the Broadband Project in Gloucester County. Eric...
March 02, 2023
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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12:44
Season 2, Episode 11: Looking Back on 2022 and Ahead to 2023
This month, we are honored to be joined by Gloucester's County Administrator, Carol Steele. During this episode, she looks back on a few of the many accomplishments the County made in 2022 and also some of the challenges the County faced. She a...
January 05, 2023
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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25:01
Season 2, Episode 10: The Opioid Crisis
Join us for this important episode as we address the Opioid Crisis locally, and ways the County is working to enhance existing opioid addiction services in the community. This month, Steve Wright, Gloucester's Deputy County Administrato...
December 07, 2022
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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11:31
Season 2, Episode 9: The General Reassessment
Real Estate reassessment notices for property owners in Gloucester County will be mailed out in mid-November for the January 2023 General Reassessment. This month, County Assessor Dan Thomas explains the ins and outs of the reasses...
November 02, 2022
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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22:38
Season 2, Episode 8: Community Planning Month, Zoning, and What's Next?
The month of October is Community Planning Month, so we sat down with Anne Ducey-Ortiz, Director of Planning, Zoning & Environmental Programs, and Carol Rizzio, Senior Comprehensive Planner, to discuss the history of Planning and Zoning in ...
October 05, 2022
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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23:18
Season 2, Episode 7, the Gloucester Museum of History
This month, we sit down with Robert Kelly, Gloucester's Museums Coordinator. Robert is a true history buff and is extremely engaging. In the short 2.5 years he has been in the role, Robert has worked to expand the Museum's offerings inside and ...
September 07, 2022
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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26:14
Season 2, Episode 6, the Inaugural Gloucester Day
This month, we learn about the Inaugural Gloucester Day, which will be celebrated Sept. 3. As part of the newly founded Gloucester Collaboration, this is a day to celebrate our own “Land of the Life Worth Living,” and the many aspects of our co...
August 03, 2022
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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12:27