Virginia: the scorecard

There are lots of things we Virginians think we are (e.g. better than West Virginia) and lots of things we think we aren’t (e.g. a bunch of gun-toting, tobacco-chewing, suburban-sprawl-loving hicks). Also, lots of things we wish we were (e.g. home to a major professional sports team), and lots of things we wish we weren’t […]

Summer construction round-up

Ah, summer. With the undergrads out saving the rest of the world, Grounds is abandoned to us townies—well, us and several battalions of construction workers. UVA’s campus is abuzz with builders this offseason, the clatter of cranes and belches of backhoes burgeoning from Fontaine Research Park to Rugby Road. Here’s a list of major projects […]

Another early NCAA exit for baseball squad

Despite going through what some might consider an offseason by UVA’s standards, baseball Head Coach Brian O’Connor and his team fought inexperience to make it to the ACC tournament finals and to the NCAA regional tournament. Overall, O’Connor was happy with his team’s play. “I thought it was a good season,” says O’Connor. “There were […]

What’s in your backpack?

Giselle Childs Age: 21 Year: Rising senior Major: French and foreign affairs Hometown: Great Falls, Virginia What’s in your backpack? The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon, notepad, mints, Trident gum, lots of chapstick, plastic knife, Purell, Sex and the City movie stub, Band-aids, camera, sunglasses case, headband, iTouch, headphones, Blackberry, green tea.

Next big water question: Why dredge?

When county Supervisor Sally Thomas met with dredging consultants Gahagan & Bryant Associates last month about the possibilities of dredging the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, they said the first question to answer was, Why are you dredging?

Council picks interchange for MCP

As growth extends throughout the city and county, the roads around and through Charlottesville have become ever more crowded. To alleviate some of the congestion, area officials have moved forward with two controversial projects, the Meadowcreek Parkway (MCP) and Eastern Connector. Both would pass through a city park—McIntire and Pen parks, respectively. City Council held […]

Your tax dollars, at work

Diane Behrens Worked for the county for: 33 yearsResides in: Greene CountyJob title: Executive director of support Services for Albemarle County Public Schools. Oversees building services, which includes maintenance and upkeep of building and planning for redistricting and new additions and buildings. Also oversees child nutrition programs, school athletic directors and school nurses.Best of times: […]

Be glad Virginia doesn’t…

More: Virginia: the scorecardFrom cost of living to number of strip clubs—how our state ranks with the other 49 In case you’re starting to think that 28th in tornado fatalities is just too high for you, consider the following other things that you don’t have to worry about in Virginia. We promise you’ll fly your […]

Sidewalk this way

Dear Ace: What’s with these newfangled sidewalks the city is putting in? Are they supposed to be artistic, longer-lasting or just cheap?—Connie CreteConnie: Even though Ace has cheerfully covered other readers’ sidewalk-related questions in the past, never has he had the opportunity to tell this (he thinks) uproarious story from his childhood. Allow him now, […]

Anywhere I Lay My Head

Of all the dingy movie theaters in the city, her rump had to walk into mine, clad in sheer pink panties beneath the opening credits of Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation. Her name was Scarlett, she said, the color of her lips. A name and a color red enough to make your knees shake like […]