The view from the press box at the Democratic National Convention. Photo: Jen Sorensen.
You can follow Jen Sorensen’s DNC Twitter feed here.
Excerpt: “Welcome to the show. Same lofty seats I had last time.”
“We were scattered all over the country, never to meet each other again until we were in another world,” wrote enslaved laborer Peter Fossett after his family and friends were sold in Monticello’s 1827 and 1829 estate sales. Thomas Jefferson died in debt, and soon after his death his
People power Opponents of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline scored a huge victory last week when the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals repealed Dominion Energy’s permit to build an invasive compressor station in Buckingham County’s historic Union Hill neighborhood. “Today we showed that our community,
“No pipeline.” “Climate action now.” “That awkward moment when you burn your own planet.” On December 6, a crowd of about 70 sign-carrying protesters gathered at Charlottesville’s Free Speech wall to demand the city and state government take immediate action against climate change.
Snowy roads didn’t stop about a dozen people from making their way to the Carver Recreation Center last Tuesday for a brainstorming session on something that’s been in the works for nearly 10 years: the Three Notched Trail. The Rivanna Trails Foundation is spearheading the effort to build a
My first semester at the University of Virginia was full of surprises. I was surprised to learn just how difficult college classes are, how frustrating roommates can be, and how competitive everything at UVA is—just to name a few things. What I found the most surprising though was that in
Two busloads of activists from Charlottesville, plus several dozen from Richmond and Norfolk, brought their campaign for local control over Confederate monuments to Richmond this week, rallying in front of the state Capitol Wednesday. Six legislators were scheduled to speak, but the first day
Building a better city New Year’s is a time for resolutions, but this year, we decided to focus our attention on city improvements, not self-improvement. So we asked a bunch of community leaders about their hopes for Charlottesville (and added a few of our own). Here’s to a new year, a new
On one of the last days of classes before the holiday break, the bell rings at Walker Upper Elementary School, and kids stream for the exits. But Becky Calvert is just getting settled into her “classroom,” a sprawling institutional kitchen with a lot of buffed stainless steel surfaces. “I try
Loud and Clear Nikuyah Walker begins a second two-year term as mayor of Charlottesville, after being re-elected at the January 6 City Council meeting. Councilors Michael Payne and Sena Magill voted for Walker, while Lloyd Snook and Heather Hill (who made her own bid for mayor) abstained. Hill
The campaign to take down Charlottesville’s statues of Confederate generals Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee has taken on a new tenor with the election of a Democrat-majority government in Virginia. The Monumental Justice Virginia Campaign, a new organization dedicated to removal of the
By Ali Sullivan A five-minute trolley ride from UVA Grounds, ThriVe Women’s Healthcare occupies a refurbished, blue and white house on West Main. Judging by its sign, and its marketing materials (there are fliers at the public library, among other spots), ThriVe appears to be a women’s health
On January 1, three new Charlottesville City Council members will officially begin their terms. Michael Payne, Sena Magill, and Lloyd Snook will join current councilors Heather Hill and Mayor Nikuyah Walker as Wes Bellamy, Mike Signer, and Kathy Galvin ride off into the sunset. Magill and
Priorities Weeks after self-appointed Confederate monument defenders began monitoring downtown parks, city police arrested two Charlottesville residents for allegedly vandalizing the Stonewall Jackson statue in Court Square in the wee hours of the morning of December 19. Nic McCarthy-Rivera and
From a new skate park to a vineyard pup, here are a few images that capture the year that was. (Click photos to enlarge). In May, we wondered if the city’s ubiquitous electric scooters were a handy transit alternative or a public nuisance. Photo: Eze Amos In June, Will
We looked back on the year and (with the help of Google Analytics) our most-read stories online. The takeaway? Our readers care about marijuana, Confederate statues, and food—with a side of basketball victory. Here’s a rundown of our most-popular stories from 2019: 1. Pipe dreams: Virginia
Photos by Zack Wajsgras In January, The Haven will celebrate 10 years of serving homeless and extremely low-income people in the heart of Charlottesville. As the Downtown Mall has been revitalized, the area has become increasingly expensive, home to luxury residences like C&O Row and the
Back in 2018, the wedding site Zola published an article titled “8 Unique Charlottesville Wedding Venues,” including The Jefferson Theater, Meriwether Springs Vineyard, and James Monroe’s Highland—one of Virginia’s most famous plantations. But now Zola is one of several wedding planning
Tree huggers On an unseasonably warm December Sunday, Yoseph Asmellash, owner of Little River Christmas Trees, had dozens of Fraser and Douglas fir trees for sale in the parking lot of the Fashion Square Mall—one of many local spots for buying Christmas trees that pop up around the holidays.
Nearly four years after a student’s petition called for their ouster, three years after a City Council vote to remove them, two years after a deadly white supremacist rally in support of them, and months after a judge ruled generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson must stay, Confederate
Green light: Climate protesters seek ‘radical action’ The protesters chanted a straightforward call and response as they marched on the Downtown Mall: “What do we want?” “Climate justice!” “When do we want it?” “Now!” Drums, tambourines, and mandolins accompanied the chants. The
