Just say no

Ace, I live out in Zions Crossroads and am thoroughly sick and tired of having to drive either into town or down to Forest Lakes for a gym. Any word on whether with all this new development there is an ACAC or other gym planned in the Crossroads?—Mrs. Hermussles Mrs. H: Ace has never been […]

Dwell time

If you had to cast Virginia’s U.S. Senate delegation as the leads in a Hollywood buddy cop movie, the dynamic duo of Jim Webb and John Warner would seem like a pretty good match. Republican and Democrat, sure, but with a curmudgeonly, oil-and-vinegar chemistry that brings to mind the best the genre has to offer: […]

Correction from September 25 issue

Due to a reporting error, an incorrect date was included in the story about Virginia wine published last week [“From the ground up”]. Oakencroft Winery was established in 1983, not 1990, as stated.

Whose America?

Monday, October 8, is Columbus Day, started in…well, that’s not important, is it? After all, what is Columbus Day but a celebration of the man himself, Christopher Columbus, without whom our ancestors might not have crossed the Atlantic? That all depends on how open you are to history.

Columbus Day Quiz: Process of Discovery

So you’ve all heard about Queen Isabella selling the crown jewels to finance Columbus’ valiant trek across the ocean blue, right? And how he discovered America, met the natives, yada yada yada. But how much do you really know about the guy?

Sex offending Spivey to serve 21 months

Jonathan Spivey, the 47-year old Charlottesville High chorus teacher who pleaded guilty in June to four charges of sexual misconduct with CHS students, will serve 21 months of a 20-year sentence, the rest of his time being suspended. Wait, you say—only 21 months for having sex with underage students in the chorus room closet during […]

Child porn can be tough to define

Many sex crimes involving children and the Internet can appear similar, at least in terms of sentences. Former Western Albemarle High School teacher Richard Neal Willetts has pleaded guilty to coercion of a minor and is potentially facing 10 years in prison. Stephen Michael Fortney, Bryan Petersen Malmstrom and Walter D. Gregory, all of Albemarle […]

Kings of Leon, with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Simple Kid

music Popularity is related to visibility, right? Example: A majority of high schoolers have seen the homecoming queen, even if they don’t know her personally. Using the same logic, “Law & Order” must be the most successful crime drama in history, because I am yet to find an hour during the day when I can’t […]

North Carolina Dance Theatre

dance There can be no arguing with the technical prowess of North Carolina Dance Theatre. They were in town, playing their “American Masters” program (to a very sparse audience), which meant a dose of jazz-heavy Alvin Ailey (“Night Creatures,” to music by Duke Ellington), neo-classical George Balanchine (“Who Cares?” to George Gershwin), and ballroom-witty Twyla […]