Primarily inclined

If there are two words in the English language guaranteed to strike fear into the hearts of political scribblers everywhere, the first would be “August” and the second “primaries.” First of all, only the tiniest sliver of the American electorate can be bothered to contemplate the qualitative differences between various party candidates this time of […]

City schools to push digital learning

Charlottesville City Schools have decided to embrace the uncertainty that comes with adopting new technology on a large scale as they implement the use of tablet computers in the classroom this year.

Magic touch

“O.K., I have had enough. What else can you show me?” —Bob Dylan, “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleedin’)”   One night in 1973, Russ Warren went to his Houston home, pulled a large sheet of paper from a stack, and composed a grid—dozens and dozens of 1.5" squares. He sharpened one pencil, another, another. […]

Trump it up

Don’t expect a hotel overhaul at the former Kluge Estate Winery & Vineyard, which will reopen in September as Trump Vineyard Estates—the family’s first winery, run by the youngest of Donald and Ivana’s three children, Eric Trump. Winery employees Tim Rausse and Gregory Brun, former director of winery and vineyard operations at Kluge Estate, were […]

Albemarle road race

Both candidates for the county Board of Supervisors’ Rivanna District—Democrat Cynthia Neff and incumbent Republican Ken Boyd—agree that northern Albemarle needs a bypass around 29N. They simply don’t agree on the definition of “bypass,” a word that may well define their race for Boyd’s supervisor seat.

Play

“Hey B, wanna go to a park?” “No, I wanna stay home.” “All day?” “Yeah, all day!” “No, c’mon. We gotta get out of the house, it’s super nice out.” [Silence, as B goes back to his toys and I try to figure out another approach.] “Hey B, wanna go to the river and see […]

The King and I; The Paramount Theater; Saturday, July 30

If you’re wondering why Ash Lawn Opera chose this year to produce Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical The King and I, with its dated themes of conformity and imperialism, look no further than the 20 or so local kids in the cast. Ah, the children, each wrapped in bright silks, collectively looking like a bag […]

Getting their feet wet

Despite an unexpected power outage that threatened to postpone the debate, seven Democratic City Council candidates defended their visions for the future of Charlottesville before a sizable crowd at Jackson P. Burley Middle School on July 20. Asked about whether he would support a dredging-only plan for the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir (pictured), candidate Brevy […]

The show must go on

In what Meadow Creek Parkway opponents are calling a victory, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers withdrew a permit last Wednesday for key components of McIntire Road Extended (MRE), one of the two city portions of the Meadow Creek Parkway (MCP). The permit, which allowed for the creation of a sewer crossing and culvert, was necessary for construction of the long-debated roadway.

On the road again

When the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) voted to earmark $230 million for a 6.2-mile Western Bypass in Albemarle County and Charlottesville that’s been stuck in the planning queue for decades, the obvious question was: Why now?