Dear Ace: What’s the deal with those cute little racks of restaurant menus that are at the Visitors Center and in hotel lobbies? Who’s putting them up and how do restaurants make the cut?—Food Man Chu Food: Wow, this sounds like an infomercial setup if Ace has ever heard one. “Hey Ace, why is this […]
Dear Ace: Why is Water Street next to the Downtown Mall called Water Street? I’ve been up and down the street plenty of times, but I’ve never seen any water.—H. Choo Oh H.: This is an easy one. Any Charlottesvillian worth his or her salt knows that Water Street is named for Thomas Jefferson’s buddy […]
Dear Ace: Forgive me, Professor Atkins, but my American history is spotty. Basics I got. Jefferson? Check. Madison? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Monroe? Old news. But what about this Claudius Crozet I’ve been hearing about? With a town (and a pizza joint!) named for him, he must have been someone pretty special. But special how, when […]
Dear Ace: The Foxfield Races designates a charitable organization to receive proceeds from its semiannual steeplechase races, but how much are the Foxfield folks actually giving to charities?—Horace O. Coors. Horace: Boy, you’re even more cynical than Ace, huh? Still, Ace supposes you have some justification. Those white-glove-wearing, julep-sipping, portfolio-having derbyites over at Foxfield surely […]
Dear Ace: What’s this about Monticello and UVA being declared a UNESCO “World Heritage Site”?—Hester E. Buff Hester: Sounds prestigious, huh? It is. This ain’t “world’s greatest grandpa” here; being a World Heritage Site is a pretty big deal. So who decides which sites get to bear that designation and how do they decide? Is […]
Dear Ace: Recently, I was driving past the Old Trail development out in Crozet and saw that they’d built a tall screening fence along Jarman’s Gap Road. I noticed that the fence-side is facing Old Trail and the post-side is facing the road. I always thought when you built a fence, your neighbors were supposed […]
Dear Ace: I know gambling is illegal in Virginia. Is online gambling O.K.? —Tex S. Holdem Tex: Kenny Rogers’ rotisserie chicken chain may have gone belly-up, but his wisdom springs eternal: You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away and know when to run. But […]
Dear Ace: I’ve heard that Charlottesville was briefly the capital of Virginia, but no one seems to know any details. Was it? —Dom Inion Dom: So you’re not satisfied that this is the best place to live in America? You’re not content living in the place where that woman who claimed to be Anastasia made […]
Dear Ace: I noticed that UVA and Monticello are commemorating Jefferson’s birthday on Friday, and I got to wondering: How would Thomas Jefferson have celebrated?—Celia Brating Celia: Images of T.J. in a pointy hat, hopped up on Sprite and Doritos, tearing open presents with abandon and harassing a party clown are certainly tempting to conjure, […]
Dear Ace: I thought the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court building was supposed to be finished by now, but every time I drive by it, it’s still under construction. What’s the deal?—Joe V. Hall Joe: Oh, no worries. The Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court is still open for business. You can still press charges against […]