Tuesday, May 22
Grisham on “Dateline NBC”
John Grisham, famous local author and recent UVA commencement speaker, appeared on “Dateline NBC” tonight to discuss his recent book, The Innocent Man. Grisham’s first nonfiction book tells the tale of Ronald Keith Williamson, former minor league baseball hopeful and resident of Ada, Oklahoma, who was wrongfully accused of murder. After 12 years in prison, Williamson was finally exonerated by DNA evidence. Grisham’s book hearkens to Virginia’s own wrongful imprisonment case—that of Earl Washington, Jr., who served more than 17 years in prison for a 1982 Culpeper murder and was recently awarded a settlement from the state.
Wednesday, May 23
City vision
Pick a day, any day this week, and the City of Charlottesville is likely having another “vision.” The week kicked off with a blood drive and health information fair, and progressed into a guided hike and bike tour of Downtown trails. Citizens could also tour the city in a bio-diesel bus or put in their 2 cents on quality housing and economic sustainability. The grand finale included outdoor performances and exhibits preceding Fridays After 5. Whew! And, speaking of vision, the city will need to envision someone else in the assistant city manager’s seat. Rochelle Small-Toney announced this week she’s leaving all this behind and moving to Savannah, Georgia, to become that city’s assistant city manager for public development.
Thursday, May 24
Going for a stroll
 UVA alum Nicholas Kimbrell prepares to walk from the Rotunda to Washington, D.C., just in time for Memorial Day, in protest of the Iraq War. |
Apparently inspired by John Grisham’s anti-war speech at UVA’s commencement, recent UVA grad Nicholas Kimbrell decided to take a walk—all the way from UVA’s Rotunda to Washington, D.C. He departed today, timing the approximately 115-mile hike for his arrival in the nation’s capitol on Memorial Day. Kimbrell is walking in protest of the Iraq War—a worthy endeavor for anyone with a very marketable master’s in English.
Friday, May 25
Thanks, Yanks
 Virginia Tech President Charles Steger accepted $1 million from the New York Yankees at their game against the Boston Red Sox this week. The money will go to grief counseling, memorials and assistance to families of the Tech shooting. |
The New York Yankees donated $1 million to Virginia Tech’s Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund, and said they will play an exhibition game on or near Tech’s campus next year, to benefit the university, Reuters reports. Money from the fund is intended to aid the healing process after last month’s shooting incident that killed 32. Virginia Tech president Charles Steger accepted the donation at Yankee Stadium and threw the first pitch at this week’s game against the Boston Red Sox. Steger has also been a popular guy with UVA alumni, who recently recommended Steger to Arts & Sciences Dean Ed Ayers as a potential commencement speaker for next year.
