Roxana De La O, her husband Ramiro Angel, a full-time cook at Bizou, and their two kids were one of eight local families celebrating their new Habitat for Humanity homes June 1 in Lochlyn Hill. The families contributed more than 3,300 hours of sweat equity on six job sites. Habitat built the three- and four-bedroom houses with Milestone Partners, which is developing the new mixed-income, diverse-architecture neighborhood, where residents can look forward to Angel’s contributions to the Lochlyn Hill potlucks.
Keeping watch: Statue defenders take security into their own hands
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
In brief: Climate petitions, faux cops, beer fears
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
Tunnel vision: Emmet renovations include bike lanes, pedestrian underpass
A central stretch of Emmet Street, from Arlington Boulevard to Ivy Road, may see some improvements thanks to the state-funded Emmet Street-scape project. Plans for the renovations were on display at a public design hearing last week. New bike lanes, an expanded sidewalk, handicapped-accessible
Pushing forward: Albemarle writer’s lawsuit goes to trial
After paying nearly $11,000 in taxes to Albemarle County, freelance writer John Hart will have a chance to get a refund. On December 4, Judge Claude Worrell of Albemarle Circuit Court ruled that Hart’s lawsuit against the county will proceed, rejecting the county’s request that it be
SLAPP-happy: Virginia’s weak anti-SLAPP law attracts defamation lawsuits
What do Johnny Depp, California Congressman Devin Nunes, and Confederate statue defender Edward Tayloe II all have in common? This year, they all filed defamation lawsuits in Virginia. Depp sued his ex-wife Amber Heard for allegedly defaming him in a Washington Post op-ed in which she wrote
Pushing for play: The local mom behind an effort to bring a playground to Walker Elementary
By Alexis Gravely Christa Bennett is no stranger to community advocacy. After earning a master’s degree from King’s College London in international relations with a focus on human rights, she directed an organization focused on ending the genocide in Sudan. She’s worked on community
Changing the game: Esports come to middle school
Amy Brudin has always been a gamer. She grew up playing games like Myst and Doom, back when computers were “way less cool than they are now.” And today, she loves playing games on her phone. So when Brudin, director of educational technology at the Peabody School, first learned about
In brief: Garage rage, statue spray-paint, second-amendment sanctuaries, and more
Making space: City Council approves land purchase for downtown parking lot Late Monday evening, City Council voted unanimously to purchase Albemarle County’s portion of the 701 E. Market St. lot, where it plans to build a new, 300-car parking garage. The $1.28 million purchase—half of the
Where is Gladys the emu? The beloved pet of an Albemarle couple is still missing
Today, the day after Thanksgiving, I am praying for Gladys the emu. A lapsed Catholic, I haven’t been a churchgoer for years. But praying to St. Francis for the safe return of Gladys, for her reunion with her brother Floyd and sister Mabel at their home 10 miles south of Charlottesville, and
Scattered history: The city’s 74 historic properties piece together our past
The city of Charlottesville wasn’t incorporated until 1888, but people are recorded as living in the region as far back as 1612, when English explorer John Smith encountered a Monacan village and documented it on the very first map of Virginia. The Native Americans gradually left as European
Speaking out: UVA prof Jalane Schmidt offers thoughts on public engagement, defamation lawsuit
On a chilly Thursday evening last week, several dozen people gathered at the Central Library for a talk on “the risks and rewards of public engagement” by someone who knows them all too well. Jalane Schmidt, a community activist and professor of religious studies at UVA, was recently sued for
Freedom, but no pardon: Soering and Haysom to be paroled, deported
“Finally.” That was the first word tweeted on a Twitter account for Jens Soering November 25, the day he learned he and former girlfriend Elizabeth Haysom had been granted parole, 34 years after the savage murders of her parents, Derek and Nancy Haysom. Upon their release, Soering, 53, and
In brief: Untold stories, bad deeds, record-breaking ballerina, and more
Untold stories “There’s a whole story of black Charlottesville that no one knows about,” Tanesha Hudson narrates over the opening sequence of her film A Legacy Unbroken: The Story of Black Charlottesville. The documentary premiered in front of a sold-out crowd at the Jefferson School African
Doing the work: Social Services department seeks to innovate and reflect
The Charlottesville Department of Social Services oversees a broad array of programs; everything from Child Protective Services to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid, and more. In its November 18 annual report to City Council, the department’s advisory board highlighted
In brief: form-based code delayed, UVA soccer wins, A12 appeals denied, and more
Rain check Planning Commission delays form-based code proposal After much debate, the City Planning Commission has decided to table its plans to introduce an alternative kind of zoning, called form-based code, to the city’s Strategic Investment Area south of downtown. Unlike conventional
Power struggle: Residents and homeowners associations clash over solar panels
For Lillian Mezey, installing solar panels on the roof of her family’s home wasn’t just about saving money—“We just care a lot about environmental issues,” Mezey says. That’s part of the reason Mezey was so frustrated when the homeowners association that governs her neighborhood rejected her
Moving on: City Council votes 4-0 to remove statue of Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea from West Main
Rose Ann Abrahamson has seen nearly every depiction of her ancestor Sacajawea in the United States. “This statue in Charlottesville is the worst we have ever seen,” she told City Council at a meeting on November 15, referring to the statue of Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea on West Main Street.
In brief: statue antics, spelling mishaps, PVCC graduation, and more
On their own terms “If you have a dream, and you focus on it, and you work hard, your dream will come true one day,” Bushiri Salumu told a small crowd assembled at Piedmont Virginia Community College on Thursday, November 7. He spoke from experience: Salumu lost family members to the civil war
No service: Looking to curb distraction, some schools ban phones in class
By Alexis Gravely All of the nearly 50 students at the Renaissance School have their own mailbox in the front office. But as the teens walk into the Charlottesville private school every day, they’re not dropping papers into them—they’re dropping their cell phones. The students can check their
Blue wave: Dems take General Assembly—but GOP keeps local legislators
Governor Ralph Northam declared Virginia “officially blue” following Tuesday’s election that gave Democrats control of both houses in the General Assembly for the first time in 26 years. And Dems swept Albemarle County, taking the Board of Supervisors, commonwealth’s attorney, and sheriff