In brief: Money flows, DP/CTom breakup, Tracci runs, and more

Funding cut loose Long-on-the-books redevelopment plans for Friendship Court, Southwood Mobile Home Park, and Crozet’s town center got millions in funding last week. Southwood and Crozet Plaza each got a $3.2-million go-ahead from Albemarle’s Board of Supervisors  June 19, contingent upon rezoning approval in August. And Friendship Court can start phase one of its redevelopment […]

No free lunch: Paid parking comes to Belmont

When the ParkMobile signs went up June 15, the paid parking designation caught Belmonters by surprise. Parking can be a challenge in the neighborhood, and customers at two new restaurants, Belle Coffee & Wine and No Limits Smokehouse, had been using the adjacent lots for free. Now, they’ll have to pay. Belle Coffee & Wine […]

Threat of ICE raids creates fear in local immigrant communities

Although President Trump walked back his order to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to conduct mass roundups of migrant families in major U.S. cities over the weekend, the delay did nothing to forestall the anxiety already created in the local immigrant community.  The raids were postponed to allow talks between the White House and […]

Gaston’s history: Idealism spurred civil rights activist

When Paul Gaston came to the University of Virginia in 1957, it was overwhelmingly white and male, and segregation was the order of the day. And that’s why the young history professor and early civil rights activist chose it for his life’s work. He brought Martin Luther King Jr. to Old Cabell Hall in 1963, […]

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 […]