The big picture

Mint Springs Valley Park temporarily closed on Friday, August 9, after a failed culvert pipe made its way through the road surface at the entrance to the park following heavy rains from Tropical Storm Debby. Central Virginia saw several inches of residual rainfall during Debby’s trek north, and the high water levels forced the pipe […]

The Big Picture

The top of the Water Street Garage was a popular spot on Monday, April 8, when residents gathered a little before 3pm to see the partial (about 86 percent) eclipse, when the moon blocked a large part of the sun from view. If you missed it, you’ll have to wait a while for a similar […]

The Big Picture

Charlottesville’s oldest restaurant just reached a milestone. Opened in 1923 by University of Virginia alums Billy Gooch and Ellis Brown, The Virginian (shown at left in 1983) celebrated its 100th anniversary on September 23. The Corner mainstay has grown and changed a lot during the past century, from serving soda during Prohibition, to desegregation in […]

Marking history

In 1959,  7-year-old Charles Alexander (Alex-Zan) walked into Venable Elementary School, accompanied by his mother, Elizabeth Alexander, and fellow classmates Marvin and William Townsend. He was among the first Black students to attend the newly integrated Charlottesville City Schools. On April 8, just down the road from Venable, Alex-Zan celebrated the unveiling of the Black […]