Barking ordinance's greatest hits

On June 11, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors approved a measure meant to silence incessantly barking dogs in the urban area of the county. Passed by a 4-2 vote, the measure makes it against the law “to harbor an animal which disturbs the peace and quiet” of anyone in the county except those who […]

Webb 2.0

You remember Jim Webb, right? Hard-charging ex-marine, occasional writer of slightly salacious war fiction, and general issue hard-ass who stomped into the U.S. Senate wearing his Iraq-stationed son’s combat boots, a look of pissed-off determination etched into his squinting face.

We Are Star Children

We Are Star Children sounds like it’s from the ’80s. That statement could refer to an embrace of the decade’s frequent gaudiness, from Cyndi Lauper and other girls who just want to have fun to Men With Hats’ synthy bounce for safety. Or it could point towards the less pop-indulgent sounds of post-punk groups of […]

The Starman Omnibus, Vol. 1

Starman changed the way I look at comics. The series debuted in 1994, when I was a teenager, growing somewhat bored with traditional super heroes zapping and punching villains and each other. But Starman was different. The book was about a superhero, yes—but its protagonist, Jack Knight, wasn’t just another costumed crime fighter. He was […]

On message

Dear Ace: I was walking from the Inn at Court Square the other day and noticed on the back of The Paramount Theater a phrase was painted: “The Friendly Paramount.” Where did it come from? And what does it mean?—Bree K. Wall Bree: Ace suspects you’re unaware of the many levels to your question. In its […]

Reinvigorating downtown Crozet

Downtown Crozet is ready to return to the limelight, and the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors is willing to approve a rezoning plan that property owners, consultants and the Planning Commission thinks could take it there.

The right angle?

This rendering, a view of the northern side of West Main Street, show early plans for a nine-story building on the corner of McIntire Road and West Main Street, with retail on the ground floors and condos above. Architecture firm Morrison Seifert Murphy presented preliminary designs last month to the city’s Board of Architectural Review. […]

Woolen Mills on path to local historic district

On June 2, North Carolina resident Janet Leitch stood before Charlottesville’s City Council to speak about the historic seven-acre estate on East Market Street in the Woolen Mills neighborhood where she grew up. “I was going to write a letter but then just decided to come up,” she says. During the public comment period, Leitch […]

NGIC “contractor tail” still undefined

Northern Albemarle County is getting at least 1,000 new jobs in the coming years—and probably a lot more. Army Colonel Mark Moffatt gave the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors an update June 4 about the expansion at the National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC), almost doubling the number of employees who work at the facility on […]

Red dirt alert!

Pantops has some fertile soil for development. Preparation work is underway for Richard Spurzem’s Gazebo Plaza shopping center, which historically has been a lightening rod for controversy. Spurzem took the county to circuit court to get the go ahead for the project. Now, Gazebo Plaza makes for a conflict between two surrounding neighborhoods: Spurzem has […]