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Liz Lerman’s invitation to the dance
There are certain words that, through sheer overuse, lose all meaning. “Natural” would be an example. (Is there any such thing as an unnatural egg?) “Green” is another one, describing everything from floor wax to insulation to architectural theories.
North Pointe vote delayed
Last-minute tweaks to Great Eastern Management's plans for the 269-acre North Pointe development will delay a vote on the controversial project until next month.
Christine Lynn is Opinionated
“Three soldiers killed.” But oil prices keep going up, and so the early-morning TV news will switch to prices at the pump. Dogs must be fed and phones answered.
A soldier’s tale
Dear A.B.: Ah yes, the Vietnam Graffiti Project. Ace has more than a passing interest in this fascinating endeavor himself, as his father also served in Vietnam. Here\’s the deal: Around 1997, local military artifact historian Art Beltrone was helping with research for Terrence Malick\’s World War II epic The Thin Red Line. One of his assignments involved shooting video of the troop compartment of the venerable General Nelson M. Walker troopship (affectionately nicknamed the “Okinawa Express,” due to her frequent trips to Japan). The Walker was the very definition of a military workhorse, having seen active duty in WWII, the Korean War, and the opening years of the Vietnam conflict (she was deactivated in 1968, and eventually laid up in the Navy\’s James River berthing area).
What is affordable housing?
“The inherent problem is the dirt, and the dirt is too expensive. Unless the government owns the dirt we have a problem.” The comment from local developer Dan Walters sparked some chuckles and quite a few nods of agreement from the 100 or so people crammed into the upstairs chamber at Baja Bean for Left of Center’s monthly meeting. On Tuesday, May 9, the new youth-centric Democratic group took on the topic of affordable housingâone of the most severe issues facing the City of Charlottesville as it deals with continued growth and inflated real estate costs.
Why don’t investors like Target?
As the debate continues over how much retail is too much for Albemarle County, tree-huggers aren’t the only people concerned about a shopping surplus.
City seeks land payback
When 180 acres are flooded to make way for the long-planned Ragged Mountain Reservoir expansion, the city will lose acres of public hiking trails. City Councilor Kevin Lynch wants replacement public land, but finding a location could prove tricky.
Cook gets nine months for resisting arrest
Faced with a life-changing experience, people can change. That was the central argument of Kerry Cook's defense attorney during a three-day trial that unfolded in Charlottesville Circuit Court last week. On May 11, the jury sentenced Cook to nine months in prison for resisting arrest during a domestic dispute at Friendship Court back in August 2004. The fight ended when one of the cops shot Cook in the stomach, leaving him near death and in a coma for three weeks. Cook faced two other assault charges in the incident, but the jurors could not reach a decision on those charges. Cook, who has been in jail for 21 months on separate charges, will now serve another nine.
Who’ll foot the Bill for Washington’s settlement?
On May 5, Earl Washington got his due. After a two-week civil case in federal court, a jury awarded Washington $2.25 million, plus attorneys fees and costs, for the nine and a half years he spent on death row for a crime he did not commit.