Tuesday, November 16 Giving voice to the beakless While the drive-through window remained busy, a pair of young activists from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals appeared outside the Emmet Street KFC this noon, dangling rubber chickens and holding signs that read “KFC tortures chickens” and “Boycott KFC.” Activist Kat Erdel wore a flat-screen […]
Anise Labrum was 20 years old and living in Los Angeles not long before the 2000 presidential election. She had been seeing her boyfriend for about a year. Back then, Labrum, a fashion stylist, loosely considered herself a Democrat. Her sweetheart, on the other hand, was a Republican. They knew they differed on politics, but […]
Tuesday, November 9 Big bucks for Virginia Virginia is sitting on a pot of money for the first time in four years. Members of the General Assembly today met at the Boar’s Head Inn to discuss what to do with the cash. The bulk of the bounce in revenue results from Northern Virginia cashing in […]
Here in Charlottesville, where architects seemingly outnumber traffic lights, the concept of building “green”—or environmentally friendly—homes, schools and city buildings is an idea whose time has come. Whether you chalk it up to rising electricity prices or greater public awareness of the toxic chemicals in traditional building materials, there’s no denying that the trend of […]
Tuesday, November 2 Albemarle gets blue shading Voters came to the polls in droves in both Charlottesville and Albemarle County today, with voter turnout topping that of the 2000 elections. In Albemarle, a whopping 75 percent of registered voters came to the polls to vote in the presidential race, as did 66 percent of Charlottesville’s […]
Tuesday, October 26 A detestable act Today The Daily Progress announced it would adopt a new advertising policy, after some readers protested the newspaper’s decision to run an anonymous ad decrying homosexuality as “A Detestable Act… Wickedness… Gross sin!” The quarter-page ad, which contained no identification of its sponsor, appeared in the DP on Monday, […]
In the roughly 25 years since his death at age 50, Steve McQueen has enjoyed a vibrant afterlife in the American pop consciousness. Including memoirs by two ex-wives, biographical treatments have come out at a pace of at least one every three years. Remakes of his movies—Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger’s turn at The Getaway […]
Tuesday, October 19 Bush’s beady eyes A tour bus featuring a giant picture of President Bush and the line “Yes, Bush Can! ’04” rolled into town today, coming to a halt at an environmentalist rally near the UVA Rotunda. Two men in suits emerged from the bus to loudly voice their support for the President. […]
Tuesday, October 12 No such thing as a free ambulance Many city governments must factor rescue and emergency medical services into annual budgets. Not here in Charlottesville, where the all-volunteer Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad (CARS) gets the job done with zero tax dollars. CARS is the busiest volunteer squad in the country, having responded to more […]
When Melissa Howard joined the Wal-Mart store in New Castle, Indiana, in 1992, she received a blue vest, a red, white and blue nametag, six bucks an hour, and the title of “electronics department manager.” Howard hoped to climb the corporate ladder, accept greater responsibility and take home a fatter paycheck. So she worked diligently […]