Over the course of the 2016 presidential election, then-candidate Donald Trump asserted the election was going to be “rigged” by unspecified actors. No evidence was ever offered to support that claim, and his concerns about election integrity curiously seem to have evaporated on November 9. But the uncertainty and doubt generated by those statements, and […]
In a town with 400 restaurants, one might be forgiven the occasional restaurant-ownership fantasy. And some of us actually take the plunge, becoming the lucky owners of diners, Chinese takeout joints or high-end date spots. But what do you actually get when you buy a restaurant? That depends. Primarily, says business broker Stu Rifkin, “You’re […]
Greater productivity is good for business. What if the materials that comprised your products could be used—and reused—more productively over their entire life cycles? No matter what your business makes, you have potential to get more value out of your materials. Charlottesville-based nonprofit GreenBlue can help. Its mission is to foster “a resilient system of […]
The words “back to school” don’t mean the same thing for everyone—it’s not all sharpened pencils and shiny red apples for the teacher. For many, it means scraping together tuition for college. But, school is a time for personal development (and not financial anxiety), which is where Virginia’s 529 plan comes into play. Named after […]
How do you get kids to learn math and science? It’s a question that has vexed many a teacher, but Charlottesville-based ExploreLearning has some pretty good answers. Founded in 1999 by UVA math Ph.D. David Shuster, the company develops online learning tools that are now used around the country. The key, says EL’s Tammy Weisman, […]
At the Chancellor Street Preschool Co-operative, the business manager is a parent. The person who refills the supplies and maintenance closet with soap and toilet paper is also a parent. Parents administrate admissions and provide diversity outreach. Parents set the tuition, design the schedule and make strategic decisions about the school’s future. “Every job is […]
Refugees flee violence and persecution to rebuild their lives—and careers—in new places, and over the years, the Charlottesville area has been the initial home for more than 3,500 refugees from 32 countries. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps them integrate into the workforce by partnering with local businesses. Design Electric, a 250-person company that builds […]
By Marilyn Pribus – Hard to believe, but some trees are actually starting to lose their leaves for winter. You should be thinking about getting ready, too. Here are some pointers to prep your property for cold weather. Don’t wait for winter storm warnings. Outdoors Inspect the outside of your property, looking for cracks in […]
By Celeste M. Smucker– Commercial real estate is still a hot commodity in both Charlottesville and the Shenandoah Valley. Agents report the phone is ringing and they are cautiously optimistic that the upward trend will continue. A recent article in Forbes magazine expressed similar confidence in the national market stating: “the industry is expected to […]
By Ken Wilson– Taste of the Mountains Main Street Festival is what’s it’s called, but there are so many different tastes to try as you stroll down Main in the beautiful and historic town of Madison. You could start with the barbeque from Pig ‘N Steak, real pit-cooked, hickory smoked pork and ham the locals […]
By Celeste M. Smucker – Welcome to the annual article featuring our amazing, public schools. If you plan to relocate to Charlottesville or the Shenandoah Valley, or will be moving to the perfect house in a different, nearby location, you can learn all about the public schools right here. Read about educational opportunities available in […]
Barbara Stettner grew up in the wine country of northern California, but she’d been in Virginia for 15 years before she found her weekend place in Sperryville. “It’s sort of like the coastal mountains [in California],” she says, looking toward the layered Blue Ridge views. In 2011, when she and her husband, Michael Ewen, bought […]
Over about a dozen years of living in their home on an Albemarle byway, the couple saw many changes. Their twin sons grew from age 5 to nearly 18, and the family’s use of spaces in the house changed along with the boys. More houses were built along their stretch of rural byway. And the […]
Tonda and Mark Morriss had renovated several houses before, and they swore they were done with all that. They also thought they would downsize when they moved from Texas five years ago to be near their daughter and her family—they dreamed of a one-level house with less property to care for. “We did the opposite,” […]
When Charles D’Angelo, managing director of D.C.-based Westmount Capital Group, first saw the Clifton Inn and its surrounding countryside, his initial thought was, “Wow.” “It’s a stunning property, from the 19-acre lake and Blue Ridge mountain views to the infinity pool with the canopy of trees overhead,” says D’Angelo. As a business enterprise, however, the […]
Katherine Kane had always imagined a greenhouse in a certain spot at her magnificent garden at Waterperry Farm in western Albemarle. And not just for sheltering plants. “There are two kinds of greenhouses,” says architect Jeff Bushman, who customized the kit that Kane bought from the English company Alitex. “There are purely service buildings, and […]
Tucked behind a 1920s-era house on a small Belmont lot lies a modern wonder: a water garden oasis featuring ornamental plantings, a raised deck surrounded by a black slate patio, a hand-carved fire pit and a mountainous stone structure from which a waterfall cascades gently into a tiered, purling river. The landscape plan was dreamed […]
Back in the ’80s, I ran a landscape crew at Albemarle Farm and its later incarnation as John Kluge’s Morven Farm. I kept a well-thumbed, constantly annotated 3×5 spiral notebook with a card for each month’s tasks for the areas we maintained: ornamental displays of shrubs, perennials and annuals; creekside buffers; an allee of willow […]
By Ken Wilson – There is peace in the valley if that’s what you want—and plenty to keep you occupied when you don’t. Just “over the mountain” from Albemarle County is the storied Shenandoah Valley with all that lush countryside, and all those country places. Once so richly farmed it was dubbed “the breadbasket of […]
Patrick McGettigan & Elliott Glass September 23, 2017, at Grace Estate Winery Photographs by Ryan & Rach Photography Throughout the night, Patrick and Elliott kept hearing from guests that the love and positivity in the tent was palpable. That was all the affirmation they needed. “From the very beginning,” Patrick says, “our focus had been on […]
Sarah Peck & Jonathan Elsasser June 3, 2017, at Panorama Farms Photographs by The Mallorys When planning a wedding, some people start with a beautiful linen, or a particular prop. For Sarah and Jonathan, the setting was the jumping-off point. “We knew we wanted to showcase the beauty of Charlottesville’s outdoors,” Sarah says, “and have a […]
Huong Doan & Eddie Sniezek July 1, 2017, at Keswick Vineyards Photography by Sarah Goodwin Less is more, and in the case of Huong and Eddie’s wedding, they knew that adding too much to their beautiful venue might detract from its impact. “We wanted to keep it elegant and simple,” Huong says. That meant a muted […]
Caitlyn Stego & John Anderson February 18, 2018, at Kardinal Hall Photographs by Amy Jackson The plan was, there was no plan. A stylist by trade, Caitlyn didn’t want to overcomplicate the planning process by matching patterns and colors. “I find it more inspiring to let the pieces that you find write the style of what […]