Travel
Standing In The Shadow of Monticello:
Mayor Satyendra Singh Huja
by T. SHER SINGH
As the years flit by, my list of places-I-must-visit-before-I-die has shrunk substantially, and not coincidentally but through satiation, so has my hitherto frenetic desire to travel.
As I tick off each place left on my ever-shrinking list, I particularly enjoy the time I now have to savour it all in retrospect, and to learn from it all in leisure.
One such place I had the pleasure of visiting - and removing it from my to-do list after a life-long desire to visit it - was only a few weeks ago.
Monticello.
The magnificent home and estate designed and constructed by the man who also helped to design and construct the very vision of the United States of America: Thomas Jefferson.
An exceptionally gifted man, he stood head and shoulders over - both literally and otherwise - the extraordinary men who put their heads together to initiate a historic experiment which would flower into a nation which would ultimately lead the world in so many ways.
A political leader par excellence, he was a man of letters - literally! Copies of almost all of his proliferous letter-writing have survived to this day and serve as an impeccable history of the momentous decades he lived through … as one of America’s Founding Fathers, author of the Declaration of Independence, Congressman, Governor of Virginia, Ambassador to Paris during the heady French Revolution era, Secretary of State, Vice-President … and then, the third President of the United States!
As a farmer and father of six children, he spoke five languages. He freely dabbled in science, religion and philosophy. He was an amateur but very successful inventor.
When his life-long dream of founding the University of Virginia saw fulfilment, he helped design its buildings and grounds. The campus - much of it inspired by him - is now lauded as “the most significant work of architecture in America”!
He applied the same skills and passion as an amateur architect to build his own home at Monticello, which is now a World Heritage site and draws millions of visitors to Charlottesville in the State of Virginia, where the estate overlooks the city - and his University - from a sprawling mountain-top!
Spending a day touring Monticello a few weeks ago was a special treat.
But Charlottesville has another emotional connection for me.
I have known of another extraordinary man who hails from the same city. In fact we published a story on his life’s work on sikhchic.com - “A Matter of Balance” - a mere three years ago.
Sardar Satyendra Singh Huja too is an architect.
As the Director of Strategic Planning for Charlottesville, he was widely acclaimed as having brought the city alive, re-designing it as a contemporary marvel while meticulously preserving its historical heritage.
Like Jefferson in “retirement“, Satyendra has flowered in different directions.
He is a poet and an artist. A potter. Sculptor.
And a volunteer extraordinaire.
He’s designed a soup kitchen.
Started a Meals on Wheels.
And a meditation Centre.
And a school for troubled children.
He teaches Planning at Jefferson’s University of Virginia.
He finds time for bicycle lanes and public gardens and art.
Since “retirement”, he has found time to be a City Councillor.
But here’s what made my day.
He’s now been proclaimed the Mayor of Charlottesville, and was sworn in on Tuesday, January 3, 2012.
Thomas Jefferson would have heartily approved!
Here's the news from Charlottesville's local press:
THE NEW MAYOR OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA
by GRAHAM MOOMAW
Satyendra Singh Huja has been chosen as the next
mayor of Charlottesville after the City Council voted unanimously
Tuesday night (January 3, 2011) to elect the longtime city planner as the ceremonial head
of local government.
Satyendra, known as being one of the architects of the
Downtown Mall, was nominated by fellow Councilor Kristin Szakos, who in
turn was elected to be the next vice mayor, also by a unanimous vote.
A Sikh who came to America at the age of
19 to attend college, Satyendra thanked his wife, his council colleagues and
the city voters for giving him the opportunity to serve as mayor.
“It says a great deal about our community that
someone like me can become mayor,” he said. “Our community appreciates
… diversity.”
“As the mayor, I will work with City Council for a
future agenda for the community,” he continued. “I will listen to the
desires and concerns of the citizens, residents and businesses. I’m
accessible 24/7 to hear your concerns and ideas. As mayor, I will work
my very best to protect the interests of our community. I will work to
enhance the quality of life and the environment, so that Charlottesville
can be a great city, a great community for all of its residents.”
The council picks a mayor every two years, and the
results of last year’s election virtually assured that Norris would not
have the support to stay on for another term if he had sought one.
Tuesday marked the first meeting for new Councilors Kathy Galvin and Dede Smith, who won election alongside Satyendra Singh in November.
Huja thanked Norris for his service to the city for
the past four years, prompting a standing ovation from the audience in
council chambers.
After the councilors performed what City Manager
Maurice Jones called the “City Council shuffle,” Norris and Smith were
seated at one end of the dais with Satyendra Singh, Szakos and Galvin sitting on
the other side.
Presiding over his first council meeting as mayor, Satyendra Singh maintained a sense of humor after a few slight missteps.
After the public comment period, he began to
proceed with the rest of the night’s agenda, but Szakos leaned over to
remind him to allow time for councilor responses to the public.
“Thanks for reminding me,” Huja said. “That’s one of the nice things to have a vice mayor to help you out.”
[Courtesy: The Daily Progress. Edited for sikhchic.com]
January 9, 2012
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