Darden explores poverty’s dilemmas

Veronica Brooks left the Darden School of Business (www.darden.edu) on January 31 more than a little miffed. After listening to back-and-forth discussion at the school’s first-ever Symposium on Poverty—featuring experts in fields such as public policy, education and outreach—Brooks shook her head in dismay. “I’m just really surprised there isn’t more awareness about these things,” […]

Places we love

Andrew Wyeth, the American painter, was said to have preferred winter, when a lack of annoyingly bright leaves allowed one to see the “bones of the landscape.” Clearly Wyeth never had to sludge from 14th Street to Newcomb Hall with a 30-pound backpack in 19-degree weather. Charlottesville does not wear winter well.But amidst the dreary […]

Once again, admissions time

People in Peabody Hall are drowning in papers: It’s February, deadlines for UVA’s undergraduate admissions (www.uva.edu) have passed, and it’s time for staff at the admissions office to get down to business with the mountains of forms and essays. According to admissions Dean John A. Blackburn, his staff is reading applications “about every night and […]

Buford class gets college grant

“When somebody says you can’t write, what are you going to tell ‘em?” shouted Alvin Edwards, City School Board (www.ccs.k12.va.us) chair. “I can!” yelled back the seventh grade of Buford Middle School. Such was the call and response at Alumni Hall on January 31, part of the official kickoff of what will be a five-and-half-year […]

MACAA dismisses exec director

After a year with Phillip E. Dukes at the helm of the Monticello Area Community Action Agency (MACAA) (www.avenue.org/macaa), the Board of Directors has decided to cut ties. “MACAA needs to move in a different direction and that will require new leadership,” said Robert Smith, president of the Board of Directors. MACAA is a nonprofit […]

State GOP chair tackles party woes

As the chairman of the Republican National Committee, Edward W. Gillespie was at the helm of the party in its glory days, when the Republicans trounced the opposition in 2004 and retained both the presidency and Congress.

Biscuit Run traffic at last addressed

For the third time in a month, the County Planning Commission (www.albemarle.org) convened almost solely to discuss Biscuit Run. But on this occasion, January 30, they were joined by the City Planning Commission, and for the first time offered comments on what is possibly the biggest issue with the project: the traffic problems and solutions […]

City Assessments rise 14 percent

Though the rest of Central Virginia’s housing market has slowed, Charlottesville apparently didn’t get the memo. The local real estate market is healthy, and assessments, just mailed to homeowners on January 31, went up again, showing Charlottesville residents the downside of living in one of America’s most desirable cities. According to the City Assessor’s office […]

RED DIRT ALERT!

Never fear: This apparent blemish on Monticello’s (www.monticello.org) nearly flawless face is but a necessary step on the path toward improvement. Construction of the new 42,000-square-foot Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center and Smith History Center began January 19 with the demolition of Monticello’s former ticket office. The new facility will house an improved ticket office, gift […]