Month: May 2004

Recent studies suggest that, in accordance with customary local belief, the world does indeed revolve around Charlottesville. We’re not too big, not too small; not too wholesome, not too seedy; not too hot, not too cold. In the words of Outside magazine, Charlottesville is one of those “dream towns that have it all.” Only one problem: You haven’t received your cut. While all the fat cats on Main Street bling it up in their limousines and cement ponds, you prepare for another summer in the gutter using discarded napkins to write your Great American Novel.

 Unless your sweater has “DMB” monogrammed on it, you could stand to save a little dough—especially considering all the great cost-cutting opportunities available in the area during the June-to-August lull. That’s why C-VILLE came up with its complimentary list of places to go, people to meet and things to do with your summer that won’t burn your bank account. Many great ones didn’t make the list: breathing, sleeping, looting…you can do those anywhere. C-VILLE’s list is made up of 25 no-cost alternatives—from groping produce at the City Market to scoping out the local meat market—that contribute to making Charlottesville what it is. In it you’ll find ways to be entertained that the scalpers don’t want you to know about, how to get your education without the hassle of college loans, not to mention the hidden secret behind that oft-dismissed “free lunch” (if you’re willing to take on the challenge).

Some free things require long hours of work or negotiation. Others will leave you with a little free time left over. Some may seem obvious. Others will shock and surprise you. The one thing they all have in common is that, if you play your cards right, they won’t cost you a dime.

Catch some air at the skateboard park

Playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is great and all. You get to practice wicked tricks and, when you’re done, still have the ripped thumbs to prove it. But if the rest of you needs a chance to catch up, head to the McIntire Skate Park, which extends its daily hours starting June 14 as schools let out. Hit the park’s Skatelite ramps, jumps and boxes or go kick some ass in a pick-up game of hockey. By the summer’s end you’ll be tanner, fitter and maybe even have a couple cool battle scars so that people will believe your lies about the time you nailed a 540-varial-double-backflip and landed with a manual/nosegrind combo.

 

THE   ESSENTIALS

  Send a message to terrorists

Putting aside horns, red lights, pollution, parking, the little nervous tic you get every time you sit in traffic and the fact that C-VILLE’s Rant line is on speed dial in your mobile phone, there’s one very good reason not to use your car this summer: gas prices. The extra money you’ve been feeding your tank recently must be taking its toll on your paycheck. Instead, catch Charlottesville Transit Service’s free trolley, which theoretically makes its rounds every 15 minutes, Mondays through Saturdays, 6:38am to 11:53pm. You may think the trolley can’t get you to where you need to be in time. But its simple route up and down Main Street—circling UVA on one end and the Downtown Mall on the other—means you’ll never get lost, laid over or side tracked. Pretty soon, you’ll forget 29N ever existed.

 

Get your grub on

If you’re one of the scores of local residents suffering from acute penuriousness, the problem may seem all too familiar: You’ve blown your budget on drinks and, with the few bucks left in your pocket, find yourself forced to choose between dinner and that one last shot of Old Crow. You know what you have to do. Take the Crow and head to the third floor of Miller’s where you can gorge yourself on free popcorn until a stocky bartender cuts you off.

 While Miller’s true place in the summertime hall-of-fame belongs to its patio, which is one of the fastest-filling retreats for weekend strollers on the Downtown Mall (and a great place for people-watching), the Miller’s upstairs, with $1 pool and a typically rowdier crowd than its downstairs counterpart, is a retreat from the retreat. When you’re ready to reemerge, the barred-up pool-hall window provides a great vantage point for scoping out open outdoor tables below.

 

Play doctoral student

The folks at UVA didn’t invent the library, but they sure did perfect it. And since erstwhile Heisman Trophy contender Matt Schaub caught the midnight train to Georgia, the best way for townies to appreciate the massive public learning institution in their backyard is through its wealth of academic—or in some cases, just plain frivolous—resources. Check out the 1940 Henry Fonda classic The Grapes of Wrath at the Robertson Media Center on the third floor of Clemons Library. Then stroll over to Alderman Library’s Special Collections and ask to see the original manuscript of Steinbeck’s novel. (Good luck with that.) Once you’re thoroughly inspired, head to one of the school’s many computer labs, rarely crowded during the summer, to begin work on your own masterpiece. In other words, write a couple sentences, check your e-mail and give up.

 

Pitch your crackpot idea

Your teachers said you needed to get your feet on the ground. Your colleagues told you it would never fly. But that theory of yours on how distributing yellow hover-boards to all City residents would ultimately put an end to world hunger—well, thinking like that is what helps grease the wheels of the American governmental system.

 “The crackpot idea is the fundamental right of all Americans to propose,” says UVA Politics professor Larry Sabato (who took time away from his frequent cable news appearances and Associated Press punditry to comment on hometown government). Every first and third Monday of the month, City Council gets paid to settle into their chambers and hear your zany pitches for how to make Charlottesville a better place. And if you’re not there to exercise your rights, you can bet another loony will be there to do it for you.

 

 

JUST FOR KICKS

Go crazy with people-watching

No use trying to hide it. Everybody does it. And that small percentage of the population that denies doing it are probably the ones doing it the most. After all, how could a city like Charlottesville be the great cultural bastion that it is if it wasn’t for its colorful characters and the people who watch them? On a busy night at the Downtown Mall, you can see hundreds of stories pass before your eyes: That group of yuppies there just sealed the biggest business deal of their lives; those gutter punks came through on a boxcar six months ago and never left; the woman with the tambourine will one day be the next Bob Dylan. Once you’ve gotten your feet wet with a little people-watching, try navel-gazing or star-searching for an interesting twist. The best places to practice are the patios and terraces of local restaurants/coffeehouses. Public benches will also suffice, but beware—someone else may be watching you.

 

Sugar Hollow’s sweet relief

No summer would be complete without a visit to the County’s favorite free swimmin’ hole, Sugar Hollow Reservoir. It’s an adventure just getting to the reservoir, located deep in the northwestern part of Albemarle, not far from the Appalachian Trail. The 30-minute drive takes you beyond Garth Road and past the one-store community of White Hall, over sharp curves and perilous single-lane bridges. Risk getting lost and finding yourself in the none-too-friendly company of Virginia Tech fans.

 But the sublime beauty of the dam and peaceful surroundings make it all worthwhile. Nearby trails are perfect for mountain biking. Or wade through the river to an old fire road, which leads you to the popular Blue Hole. There, if you’re daring, you can swing from a rope off the 15-foot ledge and into the frigid water below.

 

See a work in progress

Think of Charlottesville as your personal art school but without the tuition. Those who want to learn about the creative process behind great art works can head to the McGuffey Art Center, a nonprofit artistic cooperative off Second Street NW in the former McGuffey Elementary School. The center opens the doors of its 23 studios to the public for 17.5 hours a week, to see projects like Miki Liszt’s modern dance explorations, Rosamond Casey’s book-making and Rose Csorba’s rather…interesting…puppets. If you seek a more hands-on artistic experience, head to Cilli Original Designs Gallery’s newly established lounge nights, Thursdays, 8pm-midnight, when artist Monty Montgomery opens the studio below the Downtown Mall’s Jefferson Theater for participants to share ideas and to get feedback or guidance on their own projects.

 

See a bigger work in progress

When the weather gets warm, it’s time for building projects to move out of their “under development” phases and into the nitty-gritty of construction. Sure, there may be hassles associated with having the lot across the street turned into a work site: noisy crews, messy runoff and that heinous orange mesh wire. But when all is said and done, what remains is a monument to progress, a fixture to assume its permanent place in the architectural history of Charlottesville. This summer, grab your lawn chair and sunglasses, and head out to see these many projects insinuate themselves plank-by-plank into your world: the Walker Square apartments, which promise to revitalize and gentrify life south of Main Street; Hollymead Town Center, which offers economic growth at the expense of culture; UVA’s arena project, bringing better basketball and more traffic; and Court Square renovations, due to make the Downtown area more tourist friendly and spike property taxes.

 

 

HOT DATES

Look to the stars

Penniless romantics throughout the ages have discovered that gazing at the stars can turn the tide of even the lamest dates. No need to make it look cheap, though. UVA’s McCormick Observatory, located atop the aptly nicknamed Observatory Hill, off McCormick Road, hosts free public nights the first and third Fridays of every month, running through the summer from 9 to 11pm. A glimpse into the observatory’s 26-inch telescope will make dinner and a movie seem colder than the Boomerang Nebula’s minus 272 degrees Celsius. When the moment is right, say something about how your darling is more beautiful than the Transit of Venus and her heavenly body will be yours.

 

Douse yourself in cool music

You can sense the gentle rushing of James River, just over the levee and across the tracks from Scottsville’s Dorrier Park, as you spread your blanket and watch night fall to the music of Rhythm on the River. Compared with the bustling scene at Charlottesville’s Fridays After 5, Scottsville’s monthly summer concert series, starting Sunday, June 6, with Los Angeles’ EastMountainSouth, offers just the right mood for a relaxing evening, “like Golden Gate Park in the ’60s, but probably with less ganja going around,” says Rhythm on the River President Jan Glennie-Smith. The Scottsville festival doesn’t sell beer, thus avoiding a boozy ruckus—but picnics are encouraged and a sixer of Bartles & Jaymes in your basket isn’t going to set off any alarms.

 

Get touched by an Angel

You’ll be moved. You’ll be provoked. You may get a little depressed. But if you do, just remember what a great bargain you received on your catharsis at Live Arts’ production of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches. The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, about two men coming to terms with having AIDS in the 1980s—and a lot more—runs for 17 shows during June. But if you want to see it for free, you have only four chances. As always, free tickets are available at the C-VILLE Weekly office (106 E. Main St.) on a first-come, first-served basis for the show’s preview night, Thursday, June 3. Each of the following Wednesdays through June 23 is pay-what-you-can, which is sort of like getting in for free, if you can endure the mighty glare of Box Office Manager Darryl Smith.

 

Streak The Lawn

From a strictly legal standpoint, it would be irresponsible to engage in the UVA tradition of streaking The Lawn. The fear of getting busted by campus police for indecent exposure and having your name added to the State’s list of sex offenders, alongside unwed couples guilty of “lewd and lascivious cohabitation,” may deter some. But hypothetically speaking, if you were to streak The Lawn, summer would be a good time to do it. With all the students gone, you can enjoy maximum privacy…unless you count the web cam mounted on Old Cabell Hall (www.virginia.edu/cgi-local/rcamcgi). Or professor Larry Sabato, who says he sees sprinters au natural practically every night during the school year from the window of his Pavilion IV apartment.

 

LEARN SOMETHING NEW

Bone up on the irrelevant

You may have seen them before inC-VILLE’s Get Out Now calendar. Each week, free lectures pass through on dozens of scintillating topics like “Contemporary Indigenous Photography in Australia” or “Extreme Star Formation in the Local Universe: From Ultracompact HII Regions To Proto Globular Clusters.” And who could forget “Roles for Glial ERK and p38 MAP Kinases in Reactions to Brain Surgery”? Someone has to go to them and it may as well be you. Learn to turn any casual parlour conversation dead silent in deference to your vast amounts of random knowledge. Better yet, bring a cohort so you can insist that “The Speaker of the House: Past and Present” is something everybody ought to have an opinion on. As an added bonus, most museums and lecture halls offer top-of-the-line air conditioning.

 

Train to be a Hogwaller Rambler

It’s not about the glory when it comes to The Hogwaller Ramblers. The Hogs have looked fame and fortune in the face, stared them down and gone back to the bar for another round—where you’re likely to find them several nights of the week, playing free regular gigs at the Blue Moon Diner (Tuesdays), The Shebeen (Thursdays) and Escafé (Sundays). Though the Hogs’ roots-driven music is some of the best around for what it’s worth, it’s difficult to call them a band. The words “conglomeration,” “tradition” or “jam session” might fit better. During its 13-year run, the group has hosted around 30 members with connections to many well-known “side projects.” Spend some time hitting the shows and learning the songs and, chances are, they’ll let you become a member, too.

Look up your buddy’s record

You’ve been trying all spring, but just can’t seem to persuade your friends that their summer days would best be spent serving you ice-cold lemonade as you relax in your hammock. What you need is some leverage. The State general district court system’s Virginia Courts Case Information webpage (http://208.210.219.132/vadistrict) gives you instant blackmail at your fingertips. All you have to do is click on the city or county in which a transgression occurred, select the nature of the violation (hint: the juiciest stuff is in criminal) and type the person’s name. Your old lady gets on your case about driving too fast. But did she mention the five speeding tickets she has under her belt? And it turns out that night your boyfriend refuses to talk about wasn’t spent cheating on you, but rather in the local drunk tank. Thank goodness for open government!

 

Free French help

Il y a une année puisque les Américains ont célébré leur “mission accomplie” en Irak. Qui peut douter que la prochaine étape en la guerre contre le terrorisme sera d’envahir la France, et probablement le Canada aussi? Quand tout est fini, une connaissance de base des expressions françaises, comme “Apportez-moi une autre bouteille de vin, cochon!” et “Où est ta Jean d’Arc maintenant?” aidera considérablement à soulager les tensions d’initiale entre les deux cultures …

 Alors, peut-être la dominance imminente mondiale n’est q’une possibilité, en attendant l’élection en Novembre. Néanmoins, on ne peut pas nier l’importance d’être un bon diplomate à ces périodes incertaines. On ne sait jamais quand il pourrait être utile pouvoir parler une autre langue: après avoir perdu vos bagages à Paris, en voyageant à la Somalie pour une mission humanitaire, ou demander à quelqu’une de vous montrer ses doudounes, à la Nouvelle-Orléans.

 Need help with French? Call Jason at 293-3190 to schedule a free meeting.

 

 

SOCIAL MOBILITY

See how the other 3% lives

Just as the über-wealthy get the urge to go slumming every once in a while, your lower-income status doesn’t prevent you from acting like a Brazilian playboy or Hollywood diva on occasion. First, slap on your monocle and stroll into a ritzy boutique to try on some new duds. When you’re done admiring your fine self in the mirror, on your way out, grab a copy of that other free newspaper, The Real Estate Weekly, to skim the “Open Houses” section and arrange for a tour of your pretend mansion. (A good place to start might be Real Estate III, which advertises homes for a mere $500,000-plus in Foxchase subdivision, with open houses every weekend.) As a final coup de grace, try a Porsche on for size. You need only be a legal adult and have a valid driver’s license to experience the finest in German engineering, says Greg Stratos, sales manager at BMW of Charlottesville/Crown Porsche: “We don’t discriminate.”

 

Tennis, anyone?

Perhaps it was the Boar’s Heads, Glenmores and Farmingtons that prompted Tennis magazine to name Charlottesville its No. 1 tennis town in 1999. But with 63 public courts in Charlottesville and Albemarle, it’s easy to make sport like the idle classes without shelling out the hefty membership fees. Each of the area’s four high schools offers lighted courts, as do Piedmont Virginia Community College, UVA’s Snyder Tennis Center and Tonsler Park at the corner of Fifth Street and Cherry Avenue. Drag the kids out to practice with you until they’re ready for the City Youth Tennis Team’s summer league, which meets at Pen Park starting June 14 for advanced players, ages 10-18 (970-3271). The sooner they become the next Venus and Serena, the sooner you can open your own country club.

 

Sample the world

Never mind milk and bread. The real reason you keep going back to the grocery store week after week is obvious. The supermarket sample is the ultimate freebie—you can’t resist that smiling face doling out miniature portions of guilt one toothpick at a time, enticing you to cave in and just put the sausage patties in your cart. At local gourmet stores, you can find samples from each of the four basic food groups and then some, allowing you to turn the simplest toilet-paper run into a truly cultural experience. Enjoy a little sushi here and some extra-ripe Brie on a Triscuit there. Wash it all down with a trip to a local winery for even more sampling extravagance. And if shopping in style is your specialty, make sure to head to the City Market on Water Street, the place to see and be seen buying locally grown goods, produce and crafts, Saturday mornings through October.

 

Give something back

You’ve gleaned every available free resource, so the next step is to give back to the community. The volunteer opportunities abundant in the area are, in many cases, what sustain those small, cost-free pleasures you take for granted, like the Rivanna Trail (which has workdays every second Saturday of the month). If you enjoy watching construction, call the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity to find out how you can help build houses for those in need. If karaoke’s your bag, contact the Music Resource Center about ways to volunteer working with teens in the community. And if you simply enjoy life, giving blood is a quick, simple and painless…O.K., so it hurts like the Dickens… way to pass it on to someone else. All will leave you bubbling with a feeling of magnanimity, which may be one of the best free things of all—next to looting. For more ideas on how to volunteer, see Get Out Now, starting on page 26.

 

Get serenaded with Top 40 hits

There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who are for Maroon 5 and those who are against them. Before you start getting serious with your soul-mate-apparent, wouldn’t it be wise to know what you’ll be singing along to on the radio during those long trips to your mother-in-law’s? Will your beau be there with you when you’re cranking the Chumbawamba, or will he try yet again to slip in that infernal C.W. McCall CD? Karaoke night will test your date’s mettle when it comes to the issues that matter. And if you’re looking for someone, head to the free sing-a-longs at Baja Bean on The Corner (Tuesdays) and Buffalo Wild Wings in Barracks Road Shopping Center (Thursdays) to see whose heart melts when you take the mic.

 

Try 100 different kinds of yoga

If Charlottesville were to come under nuclear attack, leaving nothing but cockroaches, it would only be a matter of time before the little buggers set up their own yoga center. Perhaps more than any other pastime, yoga exemplifies the fitness-driven, extra-crunchy lifestyle that pervasively steers local residents. From specialty techniques (Inward Bound Yoga), to the exotic (Union Yoga’s viniyoga) to Alex McGee’s ever-intriguing “Yoga for Stiff Guys” at Studio 206, there is a veritable smorgasbord of styles available for you to mix and match in the area. Best of all, most places offer the first class free to newcomers so you can see just what it is you’re missing out on. C’mon, one little taste won’t hurt you. Just try it—you’ll like it.

 

Declare your independence from admission fees

Maybe you should go to Monticello, but you can’t afford to part with your hard-earned dead presidents for yet another lesson about why you’ll never be as good as Thomas Jefferson. And anyway, if you had that kind of money it wouldn’t matter because you could look at the estate on the back of a nickel and be satisfied. Fortunately, if you live in Charlottesville or Albemarle County, you can get to Monticello for free just by accompanying a paying guest. Your guests may beg and plead for you to split the cost, but hold your ground—remind them that if Jefferson had wanted them to have free admission to Monticello, he would have written it into the Constitution or something.

 

THE LONGEST DAYS

Monday, May 31

Oakencroft Winery holds its Spring Fiesta to release their 2002 Merlot Reserve and 2002 Petite Verdot, along with tastings, tours, picnic time and live music. $10, 11am-5pm.

The Outdoor Adventure Social Club takes you horseback riding in the mountains. $28 plus membership, 3pm.

 

Wednesday, June 2

The Wintergreen Nature Foundation’s Jay Shaner leads a hike up Reddish Knob. Bring lunch and water. $10-15, 8:30am.

 

Thursday, June 3

Bulk up your library at the Barnes & Noble Book Fair to raise money for The Virginia Museum of Natural History. Free, 9am-11pm.

 

Friday, June 4

The Barnes & Noble Book Fair continues. Free, 9am-11pm.

Sculptor James Welty visits the UVA Art Museum for a gallery talk. Free, 5pm.

The Jimmy O Band plays Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

The Outdoor Adventure Social Club offers a backpacking trip to Three Ridges Wilderness returning Sunday evening. $18 plus membership, 6pm.

 

Saturday, June 5

The Strawberry Festival and Mountain Heritage Day heads to Stanardsville’s United Methodist Church with strawberry-themed food and activities, music and more. Breakfast (8am), parade (11am) and festival (10am-dusk).

The Outdoor Adventure Social Club offers a backpacking trip to Three Ridges Wilderness returning Sunday evening. $18 plus membership, 8:30am.

The Barnes & Noble Book Fair continues. Free, 9am-11pm.

The Rivanna Trail Foundation celebrates National Trails Day with a morning of trail-building. Registration required. Free, 9am-noon.

Monticello holds “Saturdays in the Garden” at Tufton Farm with Laura Krom teaching you how to make garden baskets. Registration required. $30, 9:30am-2pm.

Stamp collectors stick with the Charlottesville Stamp Fair. Free, 10am-5pm.

Go on a rock climbing excursion with the Outdoor Adventure Social Club. $24, 10am-7pm.

Take a workshop on “Buddhist Practice: Development of Inner Peace and Compassion” with the Jefferson Tibetan Society at the Wesley Foundation Building. $40, 10am-4:30pm.

Go canoeing on the Maury River from Lexington to Buena Vista with the Virginia Canals and Navigation Society. Must have your own canoe. Reservations required. Free, 10:30am.

The Covesville Ice Cream Festival features music from Jonoah, Michael Cvetanovich, Tom Proutt & Emily McCormick and Heather Berry & Virginia Carolina at the Cove Presbyterian Church. 2-5pm.

 

Sunday, June 6

Join the Wintergreen Nature Foundation’s Bill and Nancy Corwin for a morning bird walk. Register by Thursday at noon. Meet at the Monocan Building. Free, 8am.

The Strawberry Festival and Mountain Heritage Day continues in Stanardsville with a concert from Nashville’s Todd Sanson (5pm), games and strawberry-themed activities.

See the Butterfly Celebration with a butterfly release in the Montpelier Butterfly Garden at Montpelier. $25/butterfly, 3pm. Registration required. 540-825-4840.

EastMountainSouth does mellow music for Scottsville’s Rhythm on the River with Red Beet. Dorrier Park. 6pm.

 

Monday, June 7-

Sunday, June 13

Wintergreen welcomes the pros at Stoney Creek Golf Course for the Lewis Chitengwa Memorial Golf Championship. Free, 7:30am.

 

Wednesday, June, 9

Sandy Rakowitz comes to the Animal Connection to teach inspirational training methods to your pup. $70, 9:30am-5pm.

Canoe the James River with the Wintergreen Nature Foundation. Bring lunch and water. $25-30, 1pm.

The Animal Connection hosts Yappy Hour at Darden Towe Park, where you can bring your pooch and meet others to walk him with. Free, 6-8pm.

 

Friday, June 11

Get down with Wanda and the White Boys at Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

 

Saturday, June 12

As part of the Great Eastern Trail Run Series the 15K Hardrock Carter Mountain Challenge comes to Charlottesville. Registration required. $30-35, 8am. Carter Mountain Orchard off Thomas Jefferson Parkway (Route 53).

The Rivanna Trail Foundation holds a “Second Saturday” workday. Free, 8:45am.

Join Blue Ridge Mountain Sports for an overnight backpacking trip to High Mountain Meadows. $40, 9am.

The Piedmont Center for Horticulture opens up the garden gates of the Woltz Garden. $5, 9am-noon.

First Colony Winery hosts its third annual Pig Roast with hayrides, music, wine tastings and tours. $10-18, noon-4pm. Reservations required.

The Wintergreen Nature Foundation invites young naturalists to learn about litter at Wintergreen. $3-5, 1pm.

Barboursville Winery presents Opera in the Vineyard with the Virginia Opera at the Barboursville Ruins. $35-200, 3-8pm.

NASA’s Jeff Halverson visits Wintergreen as part of the Field Studies Institute to present “An Evening with the Stars,” a guided tour of the night skies. Free, 7:30pm.

Celebrate the UVA Art Museum’s 30th birthday at “Exquisite Collage” with food, drink, art and fun. $75, 8:30pm.

 

Saturday, June 12 – Sunday, June 13

Raise money for the National Sclerosis Society with the MS 150 Bike Tour that starts and ends at Walnut Creek Park. $45 and minimum $200 pledge to ride, 6:30am.

 

Sunday, June 13

Congregation Beth Israel celebrates its 100th anniversary with a walking tour of Jewish Charlottesville led by anthropology professor Dr. Jeff Hantman. $8-12, 2pm.

 

Tuesday, June 15

Light House Youth Media presents “Beyond Borders: Personal Stories from a Small Planet,” with films by youth from all over the world. $10, 6-8pm.

 

Wednesday, June 16

Take a trip to Blandy Experimental Farm, Virginia’s State Arboretum, with the Wintergreen Nature Foundation and learn about how to restore a meadow from director David Carr. $10-15, 8am.

 

Friday, June 18

Don’t get stoned, but check out the Stoned Wheat Things at Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

 

Saturday, June 19

The Sierra Club leads a six-mile hike around Jump Rock to Maury River. Bring food, water and appropriate clothing. Meet at the old Howard Johnson on Afton Mountain, Route 250. Free, 8:30am.

Lynn Richmond gives a lecture at Monticello on “The Natural History of Eastern Forests: A Botanist’s Perspective.” $5, 9:30am.

Shenandoah Shakespeare presents Shakespeare Saturdays for Families: “Foolish Rhyming Mortals (A Mid Summer Night’s Dream).” Registration required. $15, 10am.

The Nature Conservancy holds a special trail construction day at Fortune’s Cove Preserve Trail. Registration required. Free, 10am-4pm.

Congregation Beth Israel celebrates its 100th anniversary with a walking tour of Jewish Charlottesville led by UVA history professor Dr. Phyllis Leffler. $8-12, 2pm.

Taste wines, nibble on cheese and listen to the tunes of Blue Ridge jazz on the top of Wintergreen Mountain at the Wintergreen Wine Festival. Reservations required. $10-$12, 2-4pm.

The Cardinal Point Concert Series brings in the King Bees for some rhythm and blues. $7, 3-7pm.

 

Wednesday, June 23

Go on a tour of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and then move on to the Hollywood Cemetery, both with the Wintergreen Nature Foundation. Bring lunch. $25-30, 8am.

 

Thursday, June 24

Adopt-a-Highway with the Wintergreen Nature Foundation. Free, 10am.

 

Friday, June 25

Don’t skip the Skip Castro Band at Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

The Outdoor Adventure Social Club holds an information session and photo show for potential members. RSVP. Free, 8-10pm.

 

Saturday, June 26

All ages are invited to canoe the James River with the Wintergreen Nature Foundation. $55-60/pair, 9am.

Peggy Cornett hosts Monticello’s Saturdays in the Garden, discussing a “Lewis and Clark Garden.” $10, 9:30am.

Get wet with the Outdoor Adventure Social Club when they offer a white water rafting trip to West Virginia. Returning Sunday evening. $88, 10am.

The Nelson County Summer Festival kicks off with Tiger Lily, Terri Allard Band and a reunion of world beat band Baaba Seth fun and games, food, and representatives from local wineries. $10-15, 11am-6pm.

Jefferson Vineyards celebrates independence with “Red, White and Bluegrass,” including bluegrass tunes, food, drink and more. Reservations required. $14-28, noon-5pm

 

Sunday, June 27

The Nelson County Summer Festival continues with a bluegrass and more by the Jan Smith Band, Hackensaw Boys and Seldom Scene. $10-15, 11am-6pm.

David Adamski of the Wintergreen Nature Foundation gives a workshop on moths entitled “How to Get Moths to Land on Your Bedsheet” at the Monecan Building at StoneyCreek. $3-4, 6pm.

 

Wednesday, June 30

Jack Hillard and the Wintergreen Nature Foundation lead a hike to the Jones Falls in the Shenandoah National Park. Bring lunch and water. $10-15, 9am.

 

Friday, July 2

Catch some cool bluegrass with King Wilkie at Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

Kick off the July 4th weekend with a trip to Staunton and a Vespers Service with gospel singing at Gypsy Hill Park. Free, 6pm. 540-885-9583.

 

Saturday, July 3

Staunton celebrates July 4th a day early with a parade, talent program and music from Rumors and 1960s hit makers The Coasters at Gypsy Hill Park. Free, 10am-11:30pm. 540-885-9583.

It’s a “Red White and Listen to the Blues” weekend at Oakencroft Winery. $10, 11am-5pm.

Go hike and spend the night at Dolly Sods in West Virginia with Blue Ridge Mountain Sports leading the way. $40, 11am.

Celebrate the Dalai Lama’s birthday with a potluck with the Jefferson Tibetan Society at Mint Springs. Free, 4pm.

Dixie Power Trio mixes Dixieland music with rock ‘n’ roll at Scottsville’s Rhythm on the River with The Rogan Brothers. Fireworks to follow. Dorrier Park. 6pm.

Guest chef John Marshall from Al Di Restaurant in Charleston comes to Palladio Restaurant at Barboursville Winery to cook a special four-course meal. Reservations required. $85, 7pm.

 

Sunday, July 4

Monticello celebrates Independence Day with a Naturalization Ceremony, featuring the remarks of W. Richard West, Jr., the director of the National Museum of the American Indian and music from the Charlottesville Municipal Band. Free, 10am.

It’s a “Red White and Listen to the Blues” weekend at Oakencroft Winery. $10, 11am-5pm.

Staunton wraps up its three-day July 4th celebration at Gypsy Hill Park with a gospel service and music from Grammy-nominated gospel singers, The Crabb Family. Free, 11am. 540-885-9583.

 

Wednesday, July 7

Kids can play games from Colonial times like Capture the Flag at Montpelier. $8, 9am-noon.

 

Friday, July 9

The Nighthawks aren’t at the diner, they’re at Fridays After 5 on the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

 

Saturday, July 10

The Rivanna Trail Foundation holds a “Second Saturday” workday. Free, 8:45am.

The Piedmont Center for Horticulture welcomes visitors to the Reed Garden to see the 10,000 day lilies. $5, 9am-noon.

Monticello’s Saturdays in the Garden welcomes Laura Sullivan at Tufton Farm speaking on “Perennial Plant Propagation.” Registration required. $10, 9:30am.

 

Wednesday, July 14

Take a trip to Montpelier with the wee ones to learn about “Yolk Folk.” $8, 9am-noon.

The Animal Connection hosts Yappy Hour at Darden Towe Park, where you can bring your pooch and meet others to walk him with. Free, 6-8pm.

 

Friday, July 16

The Casuals play Fridays After 5 on the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

 

Saturday, July 17

Star gaze, swim and go caving in West Virginia with the Outdoor Adventure Social Club. Return Sunday evening. Cost TBA, 9am.

As part of Monticello’s Saturdays in the Garden, Peter Warren holds a “Garden Insects Workshop.” Registration required. $10, 9:30am.

Go to Staunton for food, seminars and wine as part of the Daylily Festival at Andre Viette’s Nursery. $15, 10am-6pm.

The Cardinal Point Concert Series brings in the King Bees for some rhythm and blues. $7, 3-7pm.

Bring in Bastille Day with a “Fete de la Bastille Dinner” at Jefferson Vineyards, including a five-course meal and lots of wine. Reservations required. $85, 6:30pm.

 

Saturday, July 17- Sunday, July 18

Monticello holds a “Plantation Community Weekend,” bringing the look and feel of the 19th century to Mulberry Row with artisans dressed in the costumes of the day. General admission, 10am-5pm.

 

Sunday, July 18

The Animal Connection offers a holistic dog care class with trainer Wendy Volhard. $75, 9am-4pm.

Have a summer evening at Montpelier with “period lively arts” of music, dance and theater presented by the Rappahannock Colonial Heritage Society. $5, 6:30pm.

 

Wednesday, July 21

Bring your kids to Montpelier to make masks and learn about myths. $8, 9am-noon.

 

Friday, July 23

Get wet with the Outdoor Adventure Social Club when they offer a white water rafting trip to West Virginia. Returning Sunday evening. $88, 10am.

Celebrate the country life at the Orange County Fair at Montpelier. $2, 3-10pm.

CC & Co. rock on at Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

The Outdoor Adventure Social Club holds an information session and photo show for potential members. RSVP. Free, 8-10pm.

 

Saturday, July 24

The Orange County Fair continues at Montpelier. $2, 9am-11pm.

Arrange flowers at Monticello with Janet Miller as part of their Saturdays in the Garden program. Registration required. $10, 9:30am.

Jump in with the Outdoor Adventure Social Club when they offer a white water rafting trip to West Virginia. Returning Sunday evening. $88, 10am.

 

Sunday, July 25

The Orange County Fair continues at Montpelier. $2, 9am-4pm.

 

Wednesday, July 28

It’s “Bats in the Belfry” at Montpelier. $8, 9am-noon.

 

Friday, July 30

Don’t change the channel on the English Channel when they play Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

 

Saturday, July 31

Taste tomatoes with Maggie Stemann Thompson through Monticello’s Saturdays in the Garden series. Registration required. $10, 9:30am.

Oakencroft Winery holds a Tomato/Salsa Fest with wines, tours and live music. $10, 11am-5pm.

Palladio Restaurant at Barboursville Winery welcomes guest chef Dave Everett of Blue Talon Grill in Williamsburg as he cooks a four-course meal. Reservations required. $78, 1pm.

Sunday, August 1

Oakencroft Winery holds a Tomato/Salsa Fest with wines, tours and live music. $10, 11am-5pm.

Day Break heads to Scottsville’s Rhythm on the River with Ryegrass Rollers. Dorrier Park. Free, 6pm.

 

Wednesday, August 4

Kids can learn about all the wonders of “Water Walkers” out there in the great big world at Montpelier. $8, 9am-noon.

Friday, August 6

Alligator does Grateful Dead covers at Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

 

Saturday, August 7

Learn about “Durable Native Plants” with Matt Sensabaugh at Monticello’s Saturdays in the Garden. Registration required. $10, 9:30am.

 

Wednesday, August 11

The Animal Connection hosts Yappy Hour at Darden Towe Park, where you can bring your pooch and meet others to walk him with. Free, 6-8pm.

 

Friday, August 13

Corey Harris & 5×5 sing the blues at Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

 

Saturday, August 14

The Rivanna Trail Foundation holds a “Second Saturday” workday. Free, 8:45am.

Monticello’s Saturdays in the Garden series welcomes Tom Buford, Peter Hatch, Gabriele Rausse and Kerry Gilmer for a “Summer Fruit Tasting.” Registration required. $10, 9:30am.

 

Friday, August 20

Terri Allard sings at Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

The Outdoor Adventure Social Club holds an information session and photo show for potential members. RSVP. Free, 8-10pm.

 

Saturday, August 21

Monticello’s Saturdays in the Garden features “The Ornamental Kitchen Garden” with Maggie Stemann Thompson. Registration required. $10, 9:30am.

Get wet with the Outdoor Adventure Social Club when they offer a white water rafting trip to West Virginia. Returning Sunday evening. $88, 10am.

Palladio Restaurant at Barboursville Winery welcomes guest chef John Brand of Keswick Hall to cook a four course meal. Reservations required. $85, 7pm.

 

Friday, August 27

Monticello Road rocks and rolls at Fridays After 5 on the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

 

Tuesday, August 31- Sunday, September 5

Ride the rides, eat the cotton candy and see the livestock at the Albemarle County Fair.

 

Friday, September 3

Celebrate Labor Day with The Houserockers at Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

 

Saturday, September 4

As part of the Great Eastern Trail Run Series, run the 100K or 50K Great Eastern Endurance Run through the Blue Ridge Mountains. Registration is required. 100K $85-100, 50K $55-70, 6am. Meet at Rockfish Gap, on 64W at exit 99 at Rockfish Gap.

Saturdays in the Garden at Monticello holds a “Seed Saving Workshop” with Allie Skaer and Stephen Bromm. Registration required. $10, 9:30am.

Oakencroft holds its Harvest Music Festival with live music, tours and tastings. $10, 11am-5pm.

Mountain Cove Vineyards and Winegarden hosts its second annual Labor Day Old Time Music Festival with live music, tours, tastings and food. $10, noon-5pm.

 

Sunday, September 5

Oakencroft holds its Harvest Music Festival with live music, tours and tastings. $10, 11am-5pm.

Mountain Cove Vineyards and Winegarden hosts its second annual Labor Day Old Time Music Festival with live music, tours, tastings and food. $10, noon-5pm.

Renowned bluegrass fiddler Vassar Clements saws away at Scottsville’s Rhythm on the River with Uncle Henry’s Favorites. Dorrier Park. 5:30pm.

 

CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS

The McGuffey Art Center presents “Planet Art,” “a festival of creativity for children,” from June 15-June 30 featuring free workshop in everything from ceramics and stained glass mosaics painting and dance. Times vary.

The Old Michie Theatre offers a series of summer programs for children. June 14-18, “Pre-Theatre” for ages 5-7 from 1-4pm; July 5-16, “Shake Hands with Shakespeare” for ages 9-14 from 9am-3pm; July 19-30, “Theatre Camp,” for ages 8-13 from 9am-3pm; August 2-13, “In Love with Shakespeare,” for ages 11-16 from 2-5pm; August 16-20, beginners “Puppeteer’s Paradise,” for ages 5-7 from 9am-noon; August 16-20, “Incredible Improvisation,” for ages 13-17 from 2-5pm. $165-340.

The UVA Art Museum gives 4th- through 12th-graders the chance to explore their creativity with programs led by professional artists in mediums ranging from photography to mixed media to poetry to improvisation. Session 1: July 5-16; Session 2: July 19-30; Session 3: August 2-13. $405-485, 9am-4pm.

Studio 206 in Belmont holds two sections of “Masks, Movement and Music, a Creative Dance Summer Camp,” August 9-12. One section for ages 3 1/2 to 5 years old and another for ages 5 to 7 years old. $75, 9-10:30am and 11am-12:30pm.

Yogaville hosts a series of summer workshops and retreats to help you get in touch with yourself and Mother Earth. June 4-6: “Alive and Raw Foods Workshop”; June 18-27: “Ten Day Silent Retreat,” with daily meditation and yoga; July 9-11: “Mastering Stress and Enhancing Well-Being”; July 16-18: “Workshop of Cosmic Comedy,” to laugh at learn wisdom simultaneously; July 23-25: “Osteoporosis, Yoga and Bone Building.” $265-795.

Montpelier lets kids go to “Mud Camp,” a.k.a. Natural History Day Camp. June 21-25 for rising 3rd- and 4th-graders; June 28-July 2 for rising 5th- and 6th-graders. $90, 9am-3pm.

The Jefferson Tibetan Society has summer classes and workshops. Sundays, through June 13: Class series on “Bodhisattva Way of Life” with Geshe Thupten Kunkhen at the Wesley Foundation Building. $12/class, 11am-12:30pm; August 1-15: “Tibetan Healing Puja Ceremony.” Time and cost TBA.

The Virginia Museum of Natural History offers summer programs for children. June 28-July 2: “Creatures that Leap, Prowl, Slither and Swim”; July 5-9: “Be ‘Shore’ to Have a Great Summer”; July 12-16: “Our Earth and the Great Beyond”; July 19-23 and August 2-6: “Entomologists in Action!” to learn about insects. $115, 9am-noon.

 

SUMMER TIMES INDEX

Andre Viette’s Nursery Off Route 608 in Fishersville. 540-324-1133.

The Animal Connection 1701 E. Allied St. 296-7048.

Barboursville Vineyards 17655 Winery Rd. 540-832-7572. www.barboursvillewine.com.

Barnes and Noble 1035A Emmett St. 984-0461.

Blue Ridge Mountain Sports Barracks Road Shopping Center, 1121 Emmet St. 977-4400. www.brms.com.

Cardinal Vineyards and Winery 9423 Batesville Rd. 540-456-8400. www.virginiawines.org.

Charlottesville Stamp Fair Holiday Inn, 1901 Emmet St. 703-273-5908. www.reddogstamps.com.

Congregation Beth Israel 301 E. Jefferson St. 295-6382.

Cove Presbyterian Church 5531 Covesville Ln., Covesville. 295-4457.

First Colony Winery 1650 Harris Creek Rd. 979-7105. www.firstcolonywinery.com.

Fortune’s Cove Preserve Trail Off Route 651 near Lovingston. 951-0585 or e-mail sboven@tnc.org.

The Great Eastern Trail Run Series Meeting places vary. 293-7115. www.badtothebone.biz.

The Jefferson Tibetan Society 980-1752 or e-mail jts108va@aol.com.

Jefferson Vineyards 1353 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy. 800-272-3042. www.jeffersonvineyards.com.

Light House, A Youth Media Center 121 Water St. 293-6992. www.lighthousestudio.org.

Live Arts 123 E. Water St. 977-4177. www.livearts.org.

McGuffey Art Center 201 Second St. NW. 295-7973. www.mcguffeyartcenter.com.

Monticello 931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy (Rt. 53). 984-9822. www.monticello.org.

Mountain Cove Vineyards and Winegarden 1362 Fortune’s Cove Ln., Lovingston. 263-5392. www.mountaincovevineyards.com.

Nelson County Summer Festival Oak Ridge Estate Route 653, south of Lovingston. 263-8676. www.oakridgeestate.com.

Oakencroft Winery 1486 Oakencroft Ln. 296-4188. www.oakencroft.com.

Old Michie Theatre 221 E. Water St. 977-3690. www.oldmichie.com.

Omni Hotel 235 W. Main St. 971-5500. www.omnihotels.com.

Outdoor Adventure Social Club 420 E. Main St. 760-4453. www.outdoorsocial.com.

Piedmont Center for Horticulture Garden locations vary. 286-2679. http://avenue.org/pch.

Rapunzel’s 2924 Front St. in Lovingston.263-6660.

Rivanna Trail Foundation Rivanna Trail trailhead on Melbourne Road. 923-9022 or e-mail info@rivannatrails.org. www.rivannatrails.org.

Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville Off Route 604 in Buckingham. 969-3121. www.yogaville.org.

Shenandoah Shakespeare 10 S. Market St., Staunton. 540-885-5588. www.shenandoahshakespeare.org.

The Sierra Club, Blue Ridge Group Meeting places vary. Call 263-6199. www.sierraclub-blueridge.org.

Stanardsville United Methodist Church Court Square, Stanardsville. 985-3888.

Stoney Creek Golf Course Wintergreen Resort off Route 664, Nellysford. 325-8255. www.wintergreenresort.com.

Studio 206 206 W. Market St. 296-6520. www.studio206downtown.com.

UVA Art Museum 155 Rugby Rd. 924-3592. www.virginia.edu/artmuseum.

Virginia Canals and Navigations Society Call for all details 977-3733 or e-mail prunge@ntelos.net.

Virginia Museum of Natural History 104 Emmett St. 800-858-9642. www.virginia.edu/vmnh-uva/.

Walnut Creek Park Off Old Lynchburg Road. 540-776-0985.

The Wesley Foundation Building 1908 Lewis Mountain Rd. 980-1752.

Wintergreen Winery Off Route 664, Nellysford. 325-8292 or 800-594-8499. www.wintergreenresort.com.

—Compiled by Nell Boeschenstein and Ben Sellers

Q: Ace: With a serial rapist still on the prowl and some recent intrusions into homes where women were sleeping, our sense of safety is shaken. Can you tell me, did any of these women have dogs, or if dogs even make a difference in situations when it’s Man against Woman and her Beast?—Germanna Shepherd

A: With six unsolved rape cases genetically linked to one man, as well as “hundreds” of breaking and entering cases in the past six months (accordingto Lieutenant J.W. Gibson of the Charlottesville Police Department), your fears are unfortunately well founded, Germanna. And no doubt about it, when it comes to crime, dogs sreally can be a woman’s best friend: A faithful pooch by your side could leave your would-be attacker barking up the wrong tree.

 Gibson says it’s almost impossible to get statistics on what percentage of the recent break-in victims owned dogs, without doing extensive research. But in regards to “the serial assaults, there have been no dogs in any of those homes,” he says.

 Both Gibson and his colleague at the police department, Officer Joe Brown, agree with the common consensus that dogs act as a crime deterrent. There is, however, some discrepancy as to whether the type and size of dog matters. Popular lore has it that if you’re looking for a best friend who doubles as your body guard, your best bets are canines with bad-ass reputations like German Shepherds, Rottweilers and Doberman Pinschers.

 Brown backs up this theory, explaining, “A criminal would be thinking, ‘I don’t want to get bit,’ and [if you] compare a big dog and a small dog…a thief with big boots on would probably be more afraid of the big dog who could jump up and get around his throat.”

 That might be the logical assumption, but Gibson says size doesn’t matter and that the “bad-ass” factor is irrelevant when it comes to your dog’s ability to protect you. What’s important, says Gibson, is not the dog’s impulse to attack your assailant, but his ability to alert you to impending danger.

 In fact, says Gibson, “A Chihuahua, if he wakes you up, has done a great service. He doesn’t have to be a killer dog to improve your security.” The website petrix.com supports Gibson’s theory by listing, along with Rottweilers and German Shepherds, Scottish Terriers, West Highland White Terriers, Miniature Schnauzers and Chihuahuas (all averaging under 20 pounds) among the Top 12 “Dogs Most Likely to Succeed at Watchdog Barking.” Those least likely to make a scene: gentle giantssuch as Bloodhounds, Newfoundlands and Saint Bernards.

 Whatever your theory, new Pit Bull owner Ace knows that a li’l bow wow can be scary. A word of advice to would-be criminals: Don’t push your luck—the bite is worse than the bark.

Q: My mind’s a little foggy these days, but if my memory serves me true, I believe that the upscale housing development of Mill Creek out on Avon Street Extended is located on what was once a city dump. With prices soaring for a Mill Creek home, say these poor folks aren’t getting royally duped!—Miss Carbonne Leek

A: Let Ace assume you are using the term “poor” ironically and ease your troubled mind, Miss Leek: Our social structure remains intact (at least until the revolution comes). Upscale is upscale and Mill Creek is no dump.

 When stymied by Judith Mueller, director of the City’s Public Works Administration, who, when asked about a former City landfill out Avon Extended, said flatly, “I don’t have any idea. I don’t know,” Ace did some sleuthing. Following clues from Sam Craig, the owner of Craig Builders (which built Mill Creek), who had mentioned he’d “heard something…about a landfill [that was] just south of the interstate,” Ace steered the Acemobile over to the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society.

 Poring over pages clipped from The Daily Progress in 1972 and 1973, Ace confirmed Craig’s suspicions. Sure ‘nuff, back in the 1960s there was a city landfill out Avon Extended, but Mill Creek, with homes currently selling for as much as $255,000, is not its geographical legacy. No, what was once the City dump is about a mile up the road from Mill Creek, and known fondly to all as the Albemarle Charlottesville Nelson Regional Jail.

 Phew. For a second Ace thought some true controversy had been unearthed and that Mill Creek property values would plummet as residents started an Erin Brockovich-style crusade to discover how they were poisoned by decomposing batteries circa 1968. But the development, known not for McMansions but for modest earth-toned houses, can keep its enviro-friendly appeal intact.

 Built in 1988 on approximately 400 acres of land, Mill Creek used to be a farm belonging to a family named Reynolds, according to Craig. And by the calculations of Kurt Illig , the vice-president of the Mill Creek Homeowners Association, the subdivision now is the site of about 220 units, with only one plot still undeveloped.

 This is a far cry from the regional jail and our former City dump, which closed in the wee hours of 1973. The new jail welcomed its first batch of residents in 1974. By the end of last month it housed 496 inmates, thus giving Mill Creek’s “neighborly feel” a run for its money.

“I flunked,” Marybeth Wagner jokes as she checks out the nutrition facts on a bag of her favorite cookies, Pepperidge Farms’ Double-Chocolate Milanos, finding that they contain more than 20 grams of fat per serving—far more than the three grams or less she’s shooting for. Wagner and her two daughters are checking the nutrition facts on butter, cereal, crackers, meats and more as part of a supermarket tour, hosted by Rita Smith, a registered dietician at Martha Jefferson Hospital. Disappointed, Wagner puts the cookies back on the shelf, moving on to the next aisle on the tour, saying, “That will be my biggest adjustment.”

 In the cereal aisle, 9-year-old Gabby Barnes, after examining the sugar content in her favorite cereal, solemnly says, “Mom, Frosted Flakes go bye bye.” But only minutes later she finds another brightly colored box of cereal with less sugar.

 To successfully navigate the grocery store, you must be part skeptic, part Sherlock Holmes, examining labels, comparing serving size and dismissing sketchy product claims. If cereal bars don’t actually contain real fruit, why are pictures of fruit plastered all over the package? And if expensive low-sugar cookies are as healthy as they claim to be, why are they as loaded with saturated fat as Oreo cookies?

 At the end of Smith’s supermarket tour, she is asked about the trendy Atkins diet. She nods disapprovingly. “Have you ever talked to someone who used Atkins one year later?” she asks. “They usually gain all the weight back, because after they lose it they go back to their old eating habits, never learning how to make permanent changes.”

Smith, who remembers when Atkins was first introduced in the early ’70s, says she’s surprised to see the trend back in fashion, saying, “It’s taken on a life of its own.”

 

Got carbs?

“A life of its own” might be an understatement, judging from McDonald’s new low-carb Happy Meal and bunless burgers. Removing the bun from a 600-calorie Big Mac does not suddenly transform it into a healthy meal. But try telling that to food manufacturers like Coke, Kellogg’s and Coors, who are tripping over themselves to profit from low-carb products before the trend fades. Coca-Cola’s answer to the low-carb trend is a new soft drink, called C-2, that will have half the calories, carbs and sugar of regular Coke. Hershey’s has introduced a low-carb candy bar, Coor’s has introduced a low-carb beer and even Kellogg’s is jumping on the bandwagon with a new low-carb version of Special K cereal and low-carb Keebler cookies.

 Low-carb diets, like mini-skirts and leg-warmers, return to trendiness every few decades [see sidebar]. This time around, however, the low-carb, mass-media, cross-marketing, product-licensing promotional madness is harder to ignore than a supermodel in a barely there dress. Low-carb products are nauseatingly popular and nearly unavoidable in the grocery store.

 Proof that the trend has reached a peak is the existence of Carbiz Magazine, an online publication devoted to the low-carb industry, which debuted less than a year ago. Laurie Kuntz, CEO of Carbiz Magazine, says, “Twenty-eight percent of Americans are controlling their carb intake and another 20 percent are considering the trend.” She points to the more than 1,300 low-carb food items currently on the market, like Hain-Celestial’s new CarbFit product line, specifically formulated in response to the low-carb trend, as further proof that low-carb has taken hold in America.

 

Got brains?

Yet the take-home message from the low-carb buzz is the common misconception that all carbs are bad. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies should know. They have been setting our Recommended Dietary Allowances for years, and in 2002, said, “The lowest specific amount of carbohydrate that people should consume each day is 130 grams to maintain normal levels of glucose in the brain. To give you an idea of how much that is, a slice of bread contains about 15 grams of carbohydrates, while a glass of skim milk contains 12 grams. This recommendation is based on the minimum amount of carbohydrates needed to produce enough glucose for the brain to function properly.” That’s right—your brain.

 And if you’re athletic or exercising frequently, you might need more than the minimum. According to Erin Szablowski, a registered dietician and food and diet coach at Atlantic Coast Athletic Center, “Carbohydrates or grains are the best supplement before and after exercise.”

 Before you toss your good sense out with the bun, consider a recent study in The New England Journal of Medicine that compared high-protein, low-carb diet plans to low-fat, high-carb diet plans. In the first six months, low-carb dieters were losing more weight than their high-carb counterparts. But by the end of one year, the weight lost by each of the two groups was nearly identical.

 The low-carb frenzy has even prompted the Atkins company to weigh in with a word of warning. In a statement last month, the company encouraged consumers to look at new low-carb foods “with a critical eye,” saying that by “just lowering your carbs with many of the new food products that are hitting the market without correctly following a healthy low-carb lifestyle, you could easily get in trouble.” This unprecedented warning could be a genuine attempt to help consumers make informed decisions, but for a company that makes an estimated $500 million to $750 million a year selling low-carb food products, nutrition bars and books, it could also be a thinly veiled attempt to bring consumers, who might replace Atkins products with any number of new low-carb products, back into the Atkins fold.

 Lest you get the idea that Atkins is in the business of nutrition education, consider the company’s recent decision to enter into a licensing agreement with George Weston Foods, a carb-heavy company that produces baked goods like Arnold bread, Boboli pizza dough and sugary sweet Entemanns pastries. The Atkins logo appears on Arnold brand “Carb Counting” wheat bread, along with a new “Net Carb” logo. The “Net Carb” logo is a food industry creation that would make disgraced Tyco bigwig Dennis Kozlowski proud, involving a questionable equation designed to mask the actual amount of carbs and sugars in food products.

 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has yet to issue guidelines for what constitutes a “low-carb” product. In the absence of any ruling, food companies, even bread makers, can boldly advertise their product as “low carb” on the label without meeting any regulatory standard.

 Wendy Vigdor-Hess, a local dietician and nutrition counselor, is skeptical of the low-carb diet craze. “Now, you pick up a jar of mayonnaise and it says ‘no carbs’ on the label—but it never had any carbs,” says Vigdor-Hess, calling labels like these “false advertising.”

 Susan Del Gobbo, a registered dietician and manager of outpatient nutrition services at UVA’s Nutrition Counseling Center, says, “In no way would I recommend eliminating carbs completely.” Instead, she says, “every meal can include some nutritious carbohydrates, including vegetables, fruit and whole grains.” The Atkins diet, Del Gobbo says, “is an extreme approach,” adding, “it’s not a wise idea to eat a lot of meats, butter and rich creamy foods.”

 

The real deal

Entire diet crazes, countless books and more than a few careers have been based solely on excluding certain foods from our diet. What then, in this age of en vogue food deprivation, should we be eating? The answer, it seems, is quite simple. “We all need the basics of nutrition: protein, carbohydrates and fats. All of these components help to fuel our bodies like gas does a car,” says Vigdor-Hess.

 If you believe the Madison Avenue-created hype, there’s a secret to good nutrition, weight loss and vitality that only a select few are privy to. But don’t worry if you’re not so blessed as to be among the select few. They’ve created clubs to join, food products to buy and books to read, so that, for a price, you too can know the “secrets” of nutrition. The last thing advertisers want you to know is that there is no secret, and that a little education, a little common sense and a dose of thoughtful choices in the grocery store are all most people need to satisfy their own nutritional goals.

 ACAC’s Szablowski compares learning good nutrition to learning how to ride a bike. “Once you learn to ride the bike, you can ride it through an obstacle course,” she says. But fad diets “are like going down a hill at full speed without knowing how to use the bike.” Her point, echoed by every nutritionist I spoke with, is that trendy diets are unnecessary as long as you learn what your body’s nutritional needs are, set goals for yourself and follow those lessons throughout your life.

 Ultimately, the choices you make about food are personal choices. “Each person is an individual with specific nutritional needs making it difficult to make a recommendation for everyone to benefit [from],” says Vigdor-Hess.

 According to Vigdor-Hess, the best plans are individualized, “with easy tips for incorporating healthful foods into their routine while still receiving the joys of eating, socializing and daily life activities.”

 Developing healthy eating habits [see sidebar] may not be as fashionable as Atkins or South Beach diets, but it can be good for your wallet. Learning good nutrition allows you to pick and choose among all the products in the grocery store, without limiting you to certain diet brands or expensive new products. Szablowski says, “You can walk into any store, it doesn’t matter where you shop.”

 Part of the appeal of fad diets like Atkins and South Beach is that they do the thinking for you. Even the simplest guides, like the Food Pyramid, can still leave you with difficult choices. For instance, the current Food Pyramid emphasizes cereal-based foods. As Del Gobbo points out, “Frosted Flakes could qualify as a cereal-based food, but they are full of sugar and not whole grain.” If you’re following the Food Pyramid guidelines, Del Gobbo says, it’s easy to make “consistently poor nutrient choices.”

 A simpler approach, suggests Del Gobbo, is to view your diet as you would a meal—by what’s on your plate. According to Del Gobbo, a plate should have “two thirds or more plant foods and one third or less animal foods.” Plant-based foods, like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans, “protect us from disease and are also naturally low in calories,” says Del Gobbo.

 Rita Smith concurs, “No matter what the fraction, the majority of your plate should be vegetables.”

 Here in Charlottesville, you might ask yourself, “What would TJ do?” Our favorite founding father, Thomas Jefferson, had a few things to say on the subject of nutrition.

 “Look at Thomas Jefferson,” says Smith. “He lived to 83 and he has written about eating a primarily vegetarian diet, with meats served only as a condiment.”

 Whether you agree with Jefferson or with Dr. Atkins, Del Gobbo reminds us, “Eating should be pleasurable, comforting and nurturing.”

Lost in time
Dieting fads through the ages

1960s:

In 1961, Jean Nidetch started a women’s weight-loss support group called Weight Watchers in Queens, New York. The company now has millions of followers and operates in 30 countries.

 In 1964, for just $1, you could buy Robert Cameron’s pamphlet The Drinking Man’s Diet, a self-proclaimed “no-willpower diet for teetotalers and women too” that promotes a low-carb diet consisting mostly of meats and, of course, alcohol. Cameron turned the original pamphlet into a small book and by 1966 had made millions in sales. A new edition of The Drinking Man’s Diet was issued in 2001.

 In 1967, Dr. Irwin Stillman wrote The Doctor’s Quick Weight Loss Diet, which emphasizes lean protein, low carbs and plenty of water. However, the low-carb plan has some unpleasant side effects, including constipation, that caused Stillman’s diet to fall out of fashion.

1970s:

In 1972, Dr. Robert Atkins first introduced his low-carb Diet Revolution to an unfriendly audience, including critics in the American Medical Association and other health organizations. Atkins was forced to testify in front of Congress and his diet received negative publicity, eventually leading to its decline and replacement with fashionable low-fat diets and more moderate low-carb plans.

 In 1973, short-shorts aficionado Richard Simmons became famous for his sassy fitness advice and emotional support for overweight Americans. After overcoming his own weight problem, Simmons sold his weight-loss plan—focused on low-fat eating and exercise—in the form of popular exercise videos such as Sweatin’ to the Oldies, Dance Your Pants Off and Disco Sweat.

 In 1978, Dr. Herman Tarnower, a New York cardiologist, wrote The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet, a high-protein, low-calorie, low-carbohydrate diet that gained popularity for being less restrictive than Atkins.

 In 1979, Dr. Nathan Pritikin introduced the Pritikin Program for Diet and Exercise, a trendy low-fat, high-fiber diet based on his observational research and studies as a practicing physician.

1980s:

In 1981, actress Judy Mazel introduced the Beverly Hills Diet, a fruit-only diet that includes consuming mostly pineapples, mangoes and papayas. Many followers developed serious side-effects, such as diarrhea, after several days on the diet.

 Also in 1981, millions consumed a steady diet of low-calorie liquid protein drinks on the Cambridge Diet, which was banned following the death of several people on the diet who suffered fatal heart attacks.

 In 1985, Jenny Craig brought her Australian weight loss program and counseling centers to the United States.

 In 1987, the extremely low-calorie Rotation Diet was introduced. The diet lost followers who found it difficult to keep up with the diet’s strict and ever-changing calorie limit.

 In 1988, liquid diets were all the rage and the Optifast diet plan received critical attention after Oprah Winfrey successfully lost weight, but fell out of favor after she soon gained all the weight back.

1990s:

In 1991, Robert Pritikin, son of Dr. Nathan Pritikin, published The Pritikin Weight Loss Breakthrough, and opened several treatment centers in Florida in an attempt to reinvigorate his father’s weight-loss program.

 In 1994 , Dr. Dean Ornish introduced a low-fat, vegetarian diet, the first veggie diet to go mainstream, in his book Eat More, Weigh Less.

 In 1995, Barry Sears wrote The Zone, featuring a low-fat, low-sugar, high-protein diet, that was soon followed by several other best-selling Zone diet books. Sears started selling Zone food products to accompany his book and in doing so intensified a cross-marketing diet trend that was started by Weight Watchers and is still followed today.

 In 1996, Judy Mazel gave her fruity diet another try with The New Beverly Hills Diet.

 In 1996, Michael Eades jumped on the Zone bandwagon, with his own high-protein, low-carb diet plan called Protein Power.

 In 1997, diet pill Fen-Phen (fenfluramine-phentermine) was recalled after more than 20 percent of takers experienced heart problems.

 In 1998, Klaus Oberbeil’s book Lose Weight with Apple Vinegar advised using healthy doses of vinegar on foods, claiming it could help “burn” fat.

 Also in 1998, Dr. Bob Arnot introduced his Revolutionary Weight Control Program, in which he compares sugar-heavy foods to illicit drugs and eliminates nearly all starches from his diet plan. He was widely viewed as an extremist.

2000s:

In 2001, Rachel and Richard Heller took their cues from Arnot and wrote a series of diet books for the carbohydrate addict.

 Also in 2001, a mass-market paperback of the Atkins’ diet, only slightly revised from 1972, was released and encouraged followers to replace carbs with full-fat dairy products, steaks, bacon and eggs.

 In 2002, the Eat Right for Your Type Encyclopedia was released, which uses evolutionary history to determine what types of foods are appropriate for your blood type.

 In 2003, Dr. Arthur Agatston introduced the best-selling South Beach Diet as a low-fat, low-carb diet administered in three phases.—K.W.

 

Tipping the scales

A few general pointers on how to eat healthierToday’s most popular diets are about doing without. Strip your diet of carbs! Avoid bad fats! Restrict your sugar! Don’t look at that Krispy Kreme! Finding the truth behind the low-carb hype entails learning which sources of protein, carbohydrates and fats are beneficial and healthy.

 For instance, a lean source of protein for vegetarians can come from soy products and other meat substitutes, like veggie burgers. For meat eaters, ground turkey breast and chicken can often replace red meat. Even fats, once thought to be evil in all forms, have a role in healthy diets, such as substituting olive or canola oil for corn or palm oil. And carbohydrates, the important food source everyone loves to hate, can be healthfully consumed in whole grains and vegetables.

 Small changes, even in the foods you snack on, can often make a big difference. “Choose popcorn that doesn’t contain large amounts of saturated or transfatty acids,” says Susan Del Gobbo, a registered dietician at UVA’s Nutrition Counseling Center. For example, brands like Orville Redenbacher “Smart Pop” and Healthy Choice have less hydrogenated oils and make a healthier snack than brands containing trans-fats or partially hydrogenated oils.

 If you have a sweet tooth, “my recommendation is to use more natural sugars like honey, agave, or brown rice syrup and slowly replace the artificial ones,” says nutritionist Wendy Vigdor-Hess. “Everyone can benefit from reduction of and eventual omission of artificial sweeteners as well as adding healthy fats in the form of omega-3 oils such as flax seeds or quality flax oil or quality fish oil.”

 Del Gobbo also suggests substituting nuts and seeds that “are high in omega-3 fatty acids” like walnuts, in place of processed snack foods, in part because “omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the risk of coronary artery disease.” Similarly, Erin Szablowski of ACAC suggests “making your own trail mix with almonds or walnuts and dried cranberries,” and, smiling, adds, “but without the carob chips or candies.”—K.W.

There has never been a shortage of partisanship in presidential campaigns, as each party spends millions of dollars to support its nominee and rally its base. Yet while both sides have actively supported their candidates in recent years, there hasn’t been a lot of excitement.

   Wake Us When It’s Over is the title of Jack W. Germond and Jules Witcover’s book about the 1984 election between Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale. In 1996, everyone knew that Bill Clinton would have no trouble trouncing Bob Dole. And while the 2000 campaign was dramatic because it was close, the most suspense-filled part of the election came after Election Day, as the two parties challenged one another in Florida and the Supreme Court.

   This year, however, is different. Due to Democratic anger, Republican determination, a longer general election campaign and an electorate that is closely following the campaign and remains sharply divided, the 2004 election is set to become the most partisan in decades.

   “Everything’s going in the same direction,” says Burdett Loomis, a political science professor at the University of Kansas and the co-editor of the book Choosing a President: The Electoral College and Beyond. “When the winds start sweeping off the Plains, there’s nothing to stop them.”

 

Democratic ire, Republican determination

Thanks to the 2000 Florida debacle and anger over the way the White House is handling Iraq, the economy and other issues, Democrats are determined not to allow President George W. Bush a second term. That was clear during the primaries, when voters rated electability as one of their chief reasons for choosing Senator John Kerry. The rise in grassroots groups and the record amount of money raised—first by Howard Dean last year, then by Kerry in the first quarter of this year—is proof that Democrats are revved up for November.

   Republicans, on the other hand, are just as determined to keep Bush where he is. They’ve sent his campaign record amounts of money. First Lady Laura Bush is becoming more of a presence on the campaign trail, helping to raise money for congressional candidates, according to nonpartisan newspaper The Hill. White House Senior Advisor Karl Rove is reaching out to Bush’s base, determined that the evangelical voters who stayed home in 2000 make it to the polls this year. Bush’s opposition to gay marriage and defense of his tax cuts despite the rising deficit are signs that pleasing GOP diehards is his first concern.

   The involvement of third-party groups, such as MoveOn.org and the Club for Growth, is helping to shrink the middle too. “So many forces are pushing toward a partisan election, not just the Democratic and Republican parties,” Loomis says. Earlier this month, the St. Petersburg (Florida) Democratic Club came under fire for urging that voters should “pull the trigger” on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

   Congressional races aren’t immune to the increased partisanship, either. The Club for Growth is supporting Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Pennsylvania) in his bid to unseat Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania), even though a Toomey win in the April 27 primary could cost Republicans that seat this fall. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) led efforts to redraw the Texas redistricting map and give the GOP an edge in House seats for the next decade. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tennessee) is campaigning for former Rep. John Thune (R-South Dakota), who is challenging Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-South Dakota). As Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call reported recently, it’s the first time in recent memory that one party’s leader has challenged the other on his home turf.

   “You look someplace for an opposite trend and have a very difficult time finding it,” Loomis says.

 

A split electorate

Another reason for the split is that “We’re in a transitional phase in many different respects,” says Darrell West, a political science professor at Brown University and the author of several books on presidential and congressional campaigns. “The Bush Administration has changed the country’s approach to fiscal and foreign policy. Not surprisingly, that has spurred a lot of controversy.”

   A New York Times/CBS News poll taken in mid-March showed that 65 percent of voters had already made up their minds about whether they would vote for Bush or Kerry (27 percent said it was too early). A Gallup poll conducted in early April showed that 61 percent of voters have already given the election quite a lot of thought (versus 33 percent who’ve thought about it only a little). There’s no doubt that the contested Democratic primary, unstable situation in Iraq and attention-grabbing hearings of the 9/11 commission have made Americans pay more attention to politics.

   “We have a lot of big issues on the agenda,” West says. “People feel very engaged because the stakes are very high.”

   Asked for whom they would vote, 47 percent of those surveyed in the Gallup poll chose Bush and 46 percent chose Kerry. In an early April Newsweek poll, 46 percent chose or would lean toward Kerry while 42 percent chose or would lean toward Bush. Those numbers, which are in the statistical margin of error, haven’tmoved much in the last few months. That’s because the electorate remains split almost down the middle between the parties, as we saw in the 2000 presidential campaign and in a Senate that’s now 51-48-1. Although party identification may be declining, it’s still a strong indicator of how people vote on Election Day.

   “A small difference in the electorate can produce major political ramifications,” West says.

 

Playing hardball

A number of factors contributed to this perfect storm of partisanship. Since Republicans gained control of Congress in 1994, they’ve adopted hardball tactics—such as limiting Democrats’ ability to offer amendments to bills—to shut Democrats out of the legislative process. Then came Clinton’s impeachment and trial. “When you politicize impeachment, all bets are off,” Loomis says.

   The Florida recount and Vermont Sen. Jim Jeffords’ decision to leave the Republican party in 2001—handing control of the chamber to Democrats for 18 months—exacerbated tensions between the parties. Democrats also felt cheated by Bush’s claims in 2000 that he would change the tone in Washington and govern as a “compassionate conservative.” When they backed him on the No Child Left Behind bill in 2001, Bush undercut the legislation by inadequately funding it. Democrats are determined not to repeat that mistake.

   With the candidates offering clearly contrasting images of where they want to take the country and the parties reaching out to their bases rather than the middle, where does that leave voters who haven’t made up their minds? “It’s going to be a nasty campaign, so there’s the risk that by November, people could hate both presidential candidates and be disengaged in the process,” West says. In other words, even though there’s a lot of voter mobilization going on, those people may decide to just stay home come Election Day.

   Voters may also punish the party they see as being too partisan. In 1998, for example, House Democrats bucked the trend of the president’s party losing seats in a mid-term election after voters became angry that Republicans pressed for Clinton’s impeachment.

   With the tone of the campaign already set, there’s no turning back. That may get core Democrats and Republicans to the polls, but it’s going to make it harder to govern once the election is over. Legislating happens because lawmakers compromise in order to get bills passed. If neither party is willing to yield, not much is likely to get done. And that result—rather than an exciting election—may be the lasting legacy of the 2004 campaign.

 

Mary Lynn F. Jones is online editor of The Hill.