City requests board restructuring

Despite recent controversy, City Council has recommended to reappoint Mike Gaffney to a fourth two-year term as joint chair of the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA) and the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority (RSWA). The appointment needs the consent of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, which is likely. “We had some very good candidates […]

City misstep?

Hey man, what’s up with that whole Downtown Mall rebricking deal? The Mall seems pretty sweet to me as it is. Apparently, you haven’t been strolling down the Mall with a high-heeled woman on your arm. The materials used when the Mall was built in the 1970s were pretty darn good—except for the mortar in […]

Old yellers

Dear Ace: I’m confused. UVA’s mascot is the cavalier, but the students are all called “hoos,” which, to me, seems to have more to do with a big-eyed nocturnal animal than some dude on a horse. What’s up with that?—Lee Harvey Owlswald   Lee: It’s quite natural to be confused. Ace has always said, confusion […]

Oh, you'd better watch out…

Next March will see the release of Watchmen, a movie that comic fans have been both anticipating and dreading for 20 years. Anticipating because Watchmen is arguably the most important comic work of the modern age: a turning point for the industry that proved that comics could be literate, thoughtful, and certainly not just for […]

Wrong time to cut capital spending?

There’s at least one good thing about the current recession from local government’s point-of-view: cheaper contracts. With contractors growing hungry for work, more of them are competing for bids. Moreover, they tend to trim expenses to make their proposals more attractive. Bids for the Downtown Mall rebricking project, for instance, came in at least 10 […]

A veces, la policía y Latinos hablan español

A group of local police officers, guns pointed, raided a migrant home in search of a homicide suspect. After securing the house, they entered the bathroom. An officer threw back the shower curtain, found a man curled in hiding, and said, “Feliz Navidad!” It was the only Spanish that he knew. Lt. Todd Hopwood, spokesman […]

Your tax dollars, at work

Richard Wiggans Job title: Director of finance for Albemarle County Resides in: Crozet Has worked for the county for: 5 years Best of times: The opportunities to help people directly. “Much of what the financial department does is administrative, so those times that we get to render a direct service is nice. Raising funds for […]