What's in your backpack?

Jordan Taylor Age: 31 Year: Graduate student Jordan Taylor Concentration: EnglishHometown: RichmondWhat’s in your backpack? Moleskine notebook, Landscape and Race in the United States by Richard Schein, bandanna, glass, 25 cent flipbook from a kid at Milano, keys, CD from WTJU, map of MoMA, condoms, dust jacket for Kalooki Nights by Howard Jacobson, Monument Avenue […]

Western State violated patient's civil rights

On August 1, the State Human Rights Committee (SHRC) affirmed a ruling that Western State Hospital in Staunton violated the civil rights of a Spanish-speaking mentally ill patient by keeping him in seclusion for the last 15 years. Fifty-seven-year-old Cesar Augusto Chumil’s treatment plans and medication-related information were always delivered in English, which he barely […]

Toscano applauded by environmental group

Many of Virginia’s elected officials showed greater support for conservation bills promoted by the Virginia League of Conservation Voters (VALCV), according to its 2008 conservation scorecard. The league recognized a record number of delegates and legislators supporting all bills it endorsed as legislative heroes, totaling 40 delegates, including Charlottesville Del. David Toscano, and one senator. […]

Odd couple helps each other stay clean

Devin Schneider is proudly sporting dark khakis, a blue tie and a big smile the morning of July 31. It is an important day for him: He is drug-free and has been for a whole year. Roughly a year ago, Schneider was arrested for possession (he would not tell this reporter the substance) while studying […]

Your tax dollars, at work

Worked for the library for: 3 years Resides in: Albemarle County Job title: Circulation assistant. Downing checks books in and out, organizes books on the shelves, and issues library cards. Best of times: Being around others. “I’m able to help people. I love to see the children in here over the summer. It’s better that […]

Heavy lifting ahead for light industrial park

An Albemarle County report lays out a need for more light industrial zoning, and Will Yancey is proposing a business park on the outskirts of Crozet that would add 150 acres of light industrial. Yet Yancey is smashing against a well-established county principle that opposes expanding the growth areas. Light industrial is a broad zoning […]

Developers stick to plan at Bundoran

After Fred Scott sold Bundoran Farm in 2006 for $25.8 million, a bunch of suits from New England came to town with some big promises for the development of 2,300 acres of southern Albemarle land that many feared would start sprouting McMansions.

TDR plan resurfaces with stakeholder talks

As a way of exploring whether the idea of transferable development rights (TDR) has a place in Albemarle County, “stakeholder” talks got underway last week. David Slutzky, the county supervisor who has been hawking the idea since fall 2006, is still enthusiastic about the possibilities, and he spent most of the first meeting laying out […]