Tuesday, May 15
TEC hittin’ the beach
Need more proof that defense contracting is big local business? The Naval Facilities Engineering Command at Pearl Harbor has awarded a $30 million defense contract to TEC Inc. Joint Venture, based in Charlottesville, MSN Money reports. The contract is for “environmental planning to support strategic initiatives” in Guam, Hawaii, Saipan and other locations at the Naval Facilities’ Pacific station. Looks like surf’s up, if they ever get any free time, that is.
An innocent woman?
 Grisham’s name was in the news more than once this week. In addition to being UVA’s graduation speaker, the woman who’s suing him in a spat over anonymous letters just added a reward to help her case. |
Katherine Almy, the local woman who’s suing author John Grisham and two others over anonymous letters that, she claims, were falsely attributed to her, is now offering $10,000 to anyone who can lead her to the letter’s true authors, Business Wire reports. St. Anne’s Belfield parents Donna and Alan Swanson, starting in 1996, received letters making unseemly accusations about them. Grisham, also a STAB parent, received his own nasty letter in 1998. The trio, believing Almy penned the letters, took action that Almy is alleging in the Virginia Supreme Court to be “so outrageous in character, and so extreme in degree, as to go beyond all possible bounds of decency, and to be regarded as atrocious, and utterly intolerable in a civilized community.” Almy has hired lawyers and FBI investigators, and even has her own website, www.theinnocent woman.com, named in reference to Grisham’s nonfiction book, An Innocent Man.
Wednesday, May 16
Violence down
UVA psychologist Dewey Cornell testified before a House Education and Labor Committee meeting that, despite the recent shooting at Virginia Tech, campus violence is on the decline, thanks to UVA’s Virginia Youth Violence Project “threat assessment” programs, which were implemented in schools in a dozen states after the 1999 Columbine High School attack. According to the Virginian-Pilot, the preventative programs teach administrators how to recognize students prone to violence, Cornell told the Senate committee, at a hearing on “best practices.” Lawmakers have been brushing up on how to curb campus violence since Seung-Hui Cho gunned down 32 people at Virginia Tech in April.
Thursday, May 17
Caps off for pro bono pro
Former IRS Commissioner and UVA law professor Mortimer M. Caplin, Esq. accepted an award for pro bono work today at the University of Richmond’s school of law. The Virginia State Bar’s Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Award was accepted at the Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center at the UVA Law School on behalf of UVA law students, who have performed thousands of hours of pro bono work. Caplin served as IRS commissioner during the Kennedy Administration, and taught both Robert and Ted Kennedy while a professor at UVA Law.
Friday, May 18
A visit from Flicker
 Hangin’ with Flicker: The city’s newest mascot visited C-VILLE staffer Meg McEvoy, bringing his mission of cheerily educating citizens about gas safety. |
Boy, did we feel special when we were paid a visit by the city’s newest personality today. The city held a gas mascot contest last month, awarding a “Downtown Mall Family Package” to the citizen with the best name for the cheerful little blue flame. Now Flicker will tackle the task of educating citizens about gas safety. Getting the message out about gas won’t be easy, though. When we took a stroll down the Mall with the costumed blue flame, one guy remarked: “I hope this means the price of gas is going down!” Good luck informing the masses, Flicker!
Saturday, May 19
Free stuff!
 Shuffle around: People snatch-and-grab other people’s furniture at the sofa shuffle, meant to distribute students’ possessions among the citizenry during the big move-out weekend. |
To benefit possibly furniture-less community members—and avoid the annoying sidewalk pilings that occur when UVA students move out of town en masse—the city cooperated with the Salvation Army, UVA and 1-800-GOT-JUNK? for a “Sofa Shuffle” today at Management Services Corporation’s clubhouse on Madison Avenue. Unclaimed items went to The Salvation Army Thrift Store or were hauled away. Folks also donated canned goods to the Emergency Food Bank. Now doesn’t that feel good?
Sunday, May 20
Another round of Wahoos
Nearly 35,000 spectators funneled onto Jefferson’s Lawn to watch UVA’s graduates make the traditional procession from the Rotunda to Old Cabell Hall. After the usual observances and a moment of silence for those who died at Virginia Tech, author John Grisham delivered an unscripted keynote address. He outlined three lessons for the Class of 2007: Avoid planning out life; be wary of war-hungry politicians; and help save the environment. Noting the statistical probability that 42 of the assembled 6,000 graduates would one day be commencement speakers themselves, Grisham urged them to “go forth, and start working on your own speeches.”
Monday, May 21
Keep on rollin’
At last, the volunteers of Meals on Wheels of Charlottesville/Albemarle get a meal of their own. The organization held its volunteer appreciation luncheon at the Omni Hotel today, honoring the 30th anniversary of the group, which delivers hot meals five days a week to needy residents. “In many cases the Meals on Wheels volunteer is the only person the meal recipient sees that day,” says Mandy Hoy, executive director. Mayor David Brown spoke at the luncheon. Meals on Wheels is funded completely through private, local donations.
