Nonprofits profit from design marathon

Outside the financial limelight, nonprofits, ever vulnerable to the ebb and flow of donor funding, are battening down the hatches for an economic squeeze. As a result, they have less money to spend on fundraising. “Because of budget cuts…nonprofits have to focus their money on serving the community,” says Serena Gruia of Alloy Workshop design […]

Gleason finally breaks ground

  After at least a year’s worth of delays, ground has finally been broken on the new condo project at the old Gleason building. Since units have been on sale since at least 2006, what took so long? “It’s had nothing to do with interest,” says J.P. Williamson of developer Octagon Partners. “It’s a difficult […]

Anti-coal group trains local activists

Earlier this year, the state approved a new $1.8 billion, 585-megawatt coal-fired power plant in southwestern Wise County, and Dominion Power began construction this summer—yet a coalition of environmentalist groups continues to fight it. Wise Energy for Virginia hopes both to halt the current plant and prevent future ones from being approved. Consequently, the coalition […]

State releases new figures on graduation rates

For the first time, the state of Virginia has released standardized numbers about how many students are graduating from high school. The new on-time graduation rate shows how many students who entered the ninth grade actually graduated in four years, accounting for transfers. Best of all, the formula is now the same across the country, […]

Your tax dollars, at work

Job title: Director of community attention, guiding children and families in need Has worked for the city for: 13 years Resides in: Charlottesville Best of times: Seeing alumni of his program. “It’s great when kids come back years later, and can clearly tell you what a difference the program has made in their life.” Worst […]

VQR's four-star G.I. journal

Now that the “surge” is “working,” there appears to be a surge of disinterest in (or outright indifference to) the war in Iraq. Well, leave it to The Virginia Quarterly Review—which, as regular readers know, takes flying leaps beyond the usual literary journal parameters—to get the lump back in your throat, and, if you’re so […]

Love Tentacles, revisited

On the right nights, the underprepared bands and overqualified bands share the same small crowds. Roughly a dozen people attended last Tuesday’s gig at The Bridge, and half were the musicians—the four amiable dudes in Alabama’s Baak Gwai, and opening performers Dirt Eater (Max Dreyer) and Jameson Zimmer, members of the defunct local band Love […]

Immigration raids impact local families

Maria’s husband worked two jobs to help pay rent, to buy food and other necessities. Maria, who prefers not to have her last name printed, says he was working one day in late September, when police approached him. Now, he’s being held at Piedmont Regional Jail in Farmville. Maria and their 8-year-old-daughter have not seen […]

Zap dance

Dear Ace: Is there a place in Charlottesville where you can get laser tattoo removal? (Not that I want to or anything…)—Tom E. Lee Tom: For years, Ace wore only pants. Never Bermuda shorts, never running shorts, never even a bathing suit. He’d never moon passers-by, never undress with anyone in the room (unless it […]