It all falls down (again)

Four pieces of the Berlin Wall that called UVA home for nine years were removed last week. The concrete slabs were loaned to the university by Robert and MeiLi Hefner to commemorate the 1989 fall of the wall. A spray-painted mural, titled “Kings of Freedom, by graffiti artist Dennis Kaun adorns the sides that once […]

Respect the neighbors

After a tense community meeting this July, Stony Point Development Group President Chris Henry has temporarily paused plans to meet with the Charlottesville Planning Commission about phase 3 of the Dairy Market expansion. The proposed project would encroach on the location of several local businesses, bring in new high-rise apartments, and triple the size of […]

In brief

Shaping up On August 5, the Southwood community celebrated the dedication of Village 1, the first section of  the resident-led redevelopment effort. Charlottesville residents showed up in droves on a sweltering Saturday for the dedication ceremony, which highlighted those moving into the mixed-income village. Speakers included community development and nonprofit leaders, and local celebrities. Speeches […]

Wordplay

The new browser-based game Initial Instinct hinges on a simple and elegant premise: Assign famous names to two random letters and rack up points under a time limit. Though the game is perfectly suited to an internet-connected smartphone, the idea for Initial Instinct actually dates back to designer David Levinson Wilk’s high school days. The […]

Another day, another Olympian

Olympic silver medalist Claire Curzan recently announced on Instagram that she was transferring to the University of Virginia, joining a women’s swim team that has won three consecutive national championships. In April, Curzan, who just finished her first year of collegiate swimming at Stanford University, said she’d be an “Olympic redshirt” during the 2023-24 season. […]

Deadline looming

The Charlottesville Planning Commission has until mid-November to hold a public hearing on new rules for development within the city’s 10 square miles. Council was expected to vote August 7 to officially refer the new zoning ordinance to the appointed body for a recommendation, even though no one but staff and consultants have seen the […]

The champ falls

By Shea Gibbs and Catie Ratliff When Champion Brewing Company announced on social media that June 30 would be its “last day of operations” just two weeks before the scheduled closure, the post’s comments—from both fans and company owner Hunter Smith— made it clear that “last day” referred to that of Champion’s Sixth Street brewpub. […]

Who you gonna call?

The City of Charlottesville is attempting to control invasive plant species, and it’s brought in a highly specialized team to help consume the unwanted greens. The Goat Busters, an Afton-based herd of 50 goats, are currently munching away in a wooded area near the pool at Washington Park. The controlled ram-page should take one week, […]

In brief

Name changers The Albemarle County School Board will hold a meeting on August 10 to decide if four schools should keep their names. The public is invited to attend via an Albemarle schools livestream and make comments on the school board website. At a July 13 meeting, research was presented on the names of six […]

Starting strong

During a July 28 media event ahead of the fall football camp, University of Virginia running back Mike Hollins talked about how he’s getting ready for the season physically, emotionally, and mentally. “Training wise, it’s been hot, fun. I see my body returning to where I used to be,” said Hollins, who was injured during […]