Room with a pee-yew

The smoke goes on in some area restaurants that have separately ventilated smoking areas. That is, if the section meets the three conditions. First, a smoking area can’t represent a portion of the restaurant that is so large as to eclipse “reasonable” nonsmoking areas. Second, smoking rooms are to be separate “to the extent reasonably […]

Pairings we'll miss

Sure, you can still smoke. But can you smoke as the waiter clears your plate, blowing rings over that little dish of creamers that only exists in restaurants? Nope. An era has ended. And along with it, some classic pairings of local menu items with their tobacco-based soulmates. Here are five we’ll miss.   • […]

Quoting the law

Turns out that membership fees to a private club earn you more than a secret handshake or a t-shirt with your nickname on it. Under the new smoking ban, private clubs are exempted, which makes them some of the last unfiltered puffing posts. Want to turn your living room into a cigar bar? Know your […]

Stink balm

Been spending too much time in a smoky private club (not, I repeat, not a restaurant)? When you get home, do you smell like an ash tray? Here are some simple tips to get your garments smelling fresh and clean.   First, simply try washing the clothes. Use your favorite detergent (though a few Internet […]

Bowled over?

Adam Soroka began smoking cigarettes at age 17 and stayed the course for a decade or so. One day, he bought a pipe from Cavalier Pipe & Tobacco and “found that I liked it immensely,” he says.   “The tobacco that is used for rolling cigarettes for machine-rolled cigarettes—with the exception of dip—is the lowest […]

Puff piece

If the smoking ban hasn’t discouraged you from buying a pack, maybe the grim health consequences will.  According to the National Cancer Institute, cigarette smoking is the leading cause of premature and preventable deaths in the United States.    And, contrary to common belief, smoking doesn’t only harm your lungs: The esophagus, larynx, mouth, throat, […]

Biscuit Run tax credits soften loss

The addition of Biscuit Run to the state’s land conservation arsenal helped the Kaine Administration surpass its goal of preserving 400,000 acres in four years.    And at such a good price.   In late December, the Commonwealth bought Biscuit Run as a bargain sale for $9.8 million and tax credits. “It was worth dramatically […]

How to sue Halsey Minor

When ground broke on the Landmark Hotel nearly two years ago, developer Halsey Minor said it would be “like nothing people have ever seen.” Boy, oh boy, have truer words never been spoken. Since then, Minor’s been involved in a slew of nasty lawsuits, the most recent of which involved a refiled suit against former […]