Building space: Women break into the skilled trades 

Anne Lassere is the very model of a young woman whose career is about to take off. Competent, confident, poised and well-educated, the daughter of a doctor and a lawyer, she’s studied sculpture and anthropology and has lived in France, where she worked as a translator. She’s recently left her job to launch her own […]

In brief: Rice reactions, RBG ruling, TJ’s party over, and more

‘Odd’ indictment The felony embezzlement charge against former City Council clerk Paige Rice, 37, for an iPhone and Apple Watch valued at more than $500 has many scratching their heads. “It seems very unusual it got to this point without a resolution,” says attorney Scott Goodman. “It seems like something that could have easily been […]

City ban: Prosecutor boots Queen of Virginia gaming machines

The lights flash and a series of images roll across the screen. A row of matching pictures are lined up around the board and the word “WINNER” greets players, accompanied by a cha-ching sound if they secure the top prize. No, this isn’t a slot machine. In fact, according to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control […]

Staying social: Public officials take different strategies to social media

When Rory Stolzenberg accepted an appointment to the Charlottesville Planning Commission last October, he hoped to play a role in how the city government shapes its citizens’ way of life. What he didn’t expect is just how much weight his words would now carry online. The 27-year-old software developer has an active presence on social […]

Bloom time: Chris Greene Lake dodges algae so far

By Eileen Abbott In the serenity of an early June morning, while mountain mist embraces the treetops, pilot Mandy Baskin’s hot air balloon gently floats above Chris Greene Lake Park, off U.S. 29 North, her favorite scenic launch site. “The water looks so clean and inviting lately. It’s absolutely beautiful,” observes Baskin, owner of Monticello […]

City vision

Former Charlottesville mayor Maurice Cox, now Detroit’s director of planning and development, talks about managing growth, recovering from a crisis, and the power of telling the right story. There was a time when Maurice Cox couldn’t escape being recognized in Charlottesville. In August 2012, almost a decade after he served as mayor, he sat with […]

In brief: The ice rink cometh, will TJ’s birthday goeth? And more

You name it! Good news for hockey players, figure skaters, and curlers who have been adrift since the Main Street Arena closed in spring 2018. Construction is scheduled to begin on a new ice rink in Brookhill, the Coran Capshaw and Alan Taylor-owned Riverbend Development project off U.S. 29 in northern Albemarle, in July. Nonprofit […]

Distressed: Historic Tonsler house needs help

By Ben Hitchcock The roof of the front porch is missing, leaving exposed wood visible from the road. A notice from the Board of Architectural Review approving a window replacement has hung on the front door since 2017. Unused scrap wood sits piled in the side yard. Neighbors report that until last week, the grass […]

Free Union fray: Appeals board upholds rural business

Close to 100 of the landed gentry filled Lane Auditorium for an Albemarle Board of Zoning Appeals hearing, a crowd size rarely seen during the usual Board of Supervisors meetings there. Well-heeled rural residents lined up for and against a Free Union Road business, lobbing accusations of “Californian,” “cronyism,” and “sleight of hand” in a […]