In brief: Victory for C-VILLE, new trails, UVA living wage, and more
Case dismissed Judge throws out defamation lawsuit against C-VILLE and UVA prof On October 28, the Albemarle Circuit Court ruled in favor of C-VILLE Weekly and former news editor Lisa Provence, concluding that a defamation claim brought by Edward Tayloe II lacked the legal basis to proceed. Judge Claude Worrell also ruled in favor of […]
‘United for Progress’: Daily Progress union calls for fair wages, community input
By Ali Sullivan The story is all too familiar: Media corporation buys local newspaper, budget cuts ensue, and seasoned journalists lose their jobs. The staff at the Daily Progress doesn’t want to be next. Murmurs of unionizing began in January, and the formal announcement came on October 14. The Progress staff has formed a union—the […]
Picture this: Champions of dance
The unlikely pairing of beer and ballet—under an outdoor tent, no less—drew a standing-room-only crowd last Saturday at Champion Brewing Company, beside the railroad tracks downtown. Attendees, including plenty of kids, were treated to a pas de deux from The Nutcracker by member of the Charlottesville Ballet. The event, which kicked off the ballet’s 2019-20 […]
Out and about: Living, food & drink events
Get your goat Next Tuesday Caromont Farm, the craft goat-cheese haven, invites you to stop by, take a tour, and enjoy a nosh with your fall weather. While you’re sure to see some of the crazy-eyed critters who make the cheese possible, the real attraction is the chance to meet owner and culinary sage Gail […]
Food & Drink: Editors’ picks
Where and what we’re eating and drinking now. Hickory Hill Store BBQ, gas station, cheap eats This no-frills roadside stop offers solid, reasonably priced pork and chicken barbecue slow-cooked on hickory and oak in smokers on the asphalt lot out front. What you have here is a convenience store with a kitchen, a counter with […]
ARTS Pick: The Haunting of Hill House
Ghost writing: When Shirley Jackson decided to write a ghost story, she took inspiration from a real-life 19th-century scientific investigation, and created The Haunting of Hill House. Jackson said it was important to believe in ghosts in order to write the novel, and the result was a definitive horror classic, a finalist for the National […]
Building character: Actor Dennis Christopher on Breaking Away
In his 50-plus year career, actor Dennis Christopher has defied typecasting. His wildly varied characters include an Olympic runner in Chariots of Fire (1981); tormented Eddie Kaspbrak in It (1990); and Mr. Candie’s lawyer in Django Unchained (2012). Christopher, 64, describes himself as “very hands-on in every role I take…I make what my characters look […]
ARTS Pick: The Avett Brothers
Making hay: On their website, The Avett Brothers claim humble beginnings: They grew up on a small hobby farm, grumbling often over the fact that they had never seen the likes of Hall & Oates, David Lee Roth, or El DeBarge anywhere near a pasture or a chicken house. But things are looking up. The […]
ARTS Pick: Mason Ramsey
Adding up: Mason Ramsey has always been a precocious child—his family says he was crooning and harmonizing before he could talk. By age 4, Ramsey was singing at the Kentucky Opry, and he got on stage with country music legend Kenny Rogers at age 7. So in 2018, when a video of the 11-year-old yodeling […]
ARTS Pick: Rosier
New trad: Explorations in indie, jazz, pop, and bluegrass turn the bilingual songs of Rosier into sophisticated, emotional journeys. It’s not surprising that the Montreal-based band has a facility with reinterpreting age-old folk songs. The group takes its new name (it was formerly known as Les Poules à Colin) from a traditional song, and its […]
In brief: Campaign fundraising reports, World Series bars, CRB proposal protests, and more
Follow the money Breaking down campaign finance reports With election day less than two weeks away, candidates will submit their final campaign fundraising reports on October 28. Using data provided by the Virginia Public Access Project, here are how things stand in two races with significant local ties, as of the last reports submitted September […]
Filling out the ballot: Other races to watch (and who’s running)
By Spencer Philps Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Three of the six districts in Albemarle County have elections for the Board of Supervisors, where members serve four-year terms. Scottsville District Lawyer and retired Navy captain Donna Price (D) is squaring off with Mike Hallahan (R), also a lawyer and a former deputy sheriff for Albemarle […]
Staff picks: What we’re eating (and drinking) now
The only thing better than working in the C-VILLE Weekly newsroom is leaving it to get a drink and a bite to eat. The paper’s writers and editors are just like you: Our pockets aren’t very deep but we love the city’s vibrant and diverse food scene. Here are a few of our favorite places […]
ARTS Pick: Wolfman’s Got Nards
Monster smash: When it was released in 1987, The Monster Squad was deemed a monster dud. But during a series of anniversary screenings and Q&As 30 years later, the cast and crew were shocked and delighted to learn that the horror film had become a cult classic. That realization inspired Andre Gower, one of the […]
ARTS Pick: Company Aiello
Handy advice: In the theatrical tradition of Italy’s commedia dell’arte, Company Aiello tells old stories in a new light through puppetry and musical accompaniment. Main character Spazzolino is a good-hearted prankster who only wants two things: “a mountain of beans to eat and justice for everyone.” Company founder Angelo Aiello is an inventive puppeteer who […]
ARTS Pick: Katie Toupin
Western lights: Katie Toupin is not forthcoming about her split with the alt-blues band Houndmouth, but it’s clear that the breakup spurred a new creative direction. The keyboardist left Kentucky to launch a solo career in Los Angeles, and she stepped up to the mic to put her own poetry into song on 2018’s Moroccan […]
ARTS Pick: Bill Mize
Listen in: “I received most of my musical education from a cheap Zenith radio,” says fingerstyle guitarist Bill Mize. Growing up in Tennessee with proximity to the area’s musical riches had a clear influence on Mize’s mastery of acoustic instrumentals. He is a past winner of the National Fingerstyle Guitar Competition at The Walnut Valley […]
Rock-star night: The Music Resource Center’s annual party never disappoints
By Sean McGoey It’s easy to miss the Music Resource Center, hidden in plain sight inside the former Mount Zion Baptist Church, on Ridge Street at one of Charlottesville’s busier intersections. The MRC is one of the city’s best-kept secrets, and this week you’ll have a chance to see what you’ve been missing out on […]
In brief: Barefoot is history, first-gen funds, Daily Progress staff unionizes, and more
Barefoot is history The executive director of the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society has resigned less than two years into his tenure. Coy Barefoot, a well-known local author and media personality, was hired in March 2018 after his predecessor Steven Meeks resigned amid questions of mismanagement. Barefoot told at least one person, who later described the […]
“I was about to die!” Three writers recount terrifying close calls.
Exploring outdoors, whether in a city or the wilds, can be relaxing, exhilarating, ennobling—and sometimes, extremely dangerous. We’re not talking about the kind of danger one knowingly faces, for instance, during an extreme undertaking like climbing Everest, where 11 people have died in 2019. Most injuries and even fatal incidents occur during much more low-key […]
Flipping the script: Behind bars, finding freedom in feminism
By Sydney Halleman Richie Edmond-Vargas sits on a shaded bench on the University of Virginia law school terrace. He’s digging into a vegetarian burrito bowl, enjoying a brief break from traveling. He pauses to point to some of the tattoos on his forearms—the Green Bay Packers logo, piano keys. “Eventually, I want to get bell […]
Future code: How will a tech boom change the city?
By Sydney Halleman It’s 10am on the Downtown Mall, and already the sounds of demolition flood the area. Pedestrians stream past Mudhouse Coffee and The Whiskey Jar, and a few glance at the tall fence erected recently across the walkway, and the signs that read, “Do not trespass. Construction site.” Machinery looms over the area […]
ARTS Pick: The Drama of Celebrity
Cult of personalities: Almost 25 million people have visited Graceland since Elvis’ death in 1977; Beyoncé has 134 million followers on Instagram; and over 46 million adults read People magazine every week. Why do we care so much about famous people? In her new book, Sharon Marcus looks at The Drama of Celebrity, starting with […]
ARTS Pick: Jackie Venson
Axe grinder: Texas singer-songwriter Jackie Venson is starting to escape a tagline. Winning Best Guitarist at this year’s Austin Music Awards pushed Venson past all of the gender references that typically surround a woman with an electric guitar in her hands. Combining power, skill, and dreamy vocals, her music draws comparisons to Jimi Hendrix and […]
ARTS Pick: Coral Kingdoms and Empires of Ice
Water worlds: National Geographic photographers David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes share their underwater experiences in Coral Kingdoms and Empires of Ice, a photographic journey that captures three unique marine environments—Kimbe Bay in Papua New Guinea, the icy waters of Antarctica, and Canada’s extraordinary Gulf of St. Lawrence. Doubilet jokes that he’s spent more of his […]
In brief: Albemarle’s climate plan, monument case breathes new life, Brackney pushback, and more
Inching closer Albemarle County staff is recommending the Board of Supervisors consider adopting an ambitious climate goal: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050, aligning themselves with the same goals as the city. Last month, county staff gave the Board of Supervisors a second update on […]
Capital secrets: News outlets sue VADOC to view executions from start to finish
By Spencer Philps Four news organizations, including BH Media Group, which publishes The Daily Progress, are suing the Virginia Department of Corrections over procedures they believe violate the public’s First Amendment right to witness state executions in their entirety. Members of the public, including the press, are allowed to witness executions. But the plaintiffs argue […]