Tuesday, January 11
DNC gives Kaine a $5M kiss
National Democratic Party chair Terry McAuliffe today announced that the DNC would contribute an unprecedented $5 million to Lt. Governor Tim Kaine’s gubernatorial campaign. Calling Kaine “the future of this party,” McAuliffe said, “he’s a pro-business Democrat, a man of strong faith and values and is committed to fiscal responsibility. He is dedicated to carrying on Mark Warner’s tradition of leadership, bringing people together across party lines,” according to a DNC news release. Kaine will
run against Virginia Attorney General Jerry Kilgore.
Rape near Belmont Park
At about 7:30 tonight, a suspect whom police describe as an African-American male of medium build in his 20s raped a 46-year-old woman. She entered her Belmont Park-area home to discover him inside, where she was assaulted. While Chief Tim Longo later said in a news release that it would be premature to link this attack to the serial rapist who has struck at least seven times since 1997, “there are similarities that are being examined.”
Wednesday, January 12
Even Tech has an ACC win, for Pete’s sake!
That low moan rising across Charlottesville tonight was the sound of UVA men’s basketball fans facing the inevitable: The Hoos’ only path out of the ACC cellar is via Coach Gillen’s ouster. Following tonight’s loss at U-Hall to ACC newcomer Miami, which leaves the Cavs 0-3 in the league, C-VILLE officially calls a halt to all men’s basketball coverage until the team posts an ACC win. Check this space next year.
Former Supe Humphris gets a park
The County Board of Supervisors today renamed Whitewood Park, a property in Albemarle’s urban ring, for onetime Supervisor Charlotte Y. Humphris who died last year. A champion of that very park, Humphris once declared to her fellow Supes, “A city or county is known for its parks, not by its paved areas.”
Thursday, January 13
City schools heat up
Previewing what will be a highly charged budget session next Wednesday when Superintendent Scottie Griffin presents her recommendations, tonight three-dozen white parents and teachers faced a couple of Charlottesville School Board members at Walker Upper Elementary to respond to the curriculum audit conducted in November by Phi Delta Kappa, a national education group. The strident audit depicts a two-tier, racially based educational system. As parents railed against the factual and mathematical errors in the audit, Board members Ned Michie and Peggy Van Yahres strained to simultaneously disavow the report’s negative tone yet support its recommendations.
Friday, January 14
Chainsaw massacre ends
The Charlottesville Parks and Recreation department today wrapped up its weeklong project of pruning the shade trees on the Downtown Mall. Crews worked their way east day by day, blocking sections of the Mall with their equipment and irritating retailers and passers-by with the incessant buzzing. But it was overdue, says Parks and Rec Director Mike Svetz, and the trimming would protect pedestrians from random falling deadwood.
Saturday, January 15
Fornicators rejoice!
Following a ruling yesterday by the Virginia Supreme Courts, skanks, hos and those greasy guys who mack on every woman at Blue Light are free to pursue nonmatrimonial sex. Taking its lead from the 2003 Texas court that struck down that state’s anti-sodomy laws, the Commonwealth’s highest court said the 19th-century law that criminalized fornication “improperly abridge[s] a personal relationship that
is within the liberty interest of persons
to choose.” The court’s opinion did apply to Virginia’s anti-sodomy law.
Sunday, January 16
Grisham brokers another mega-hit
Jonathan Yardley, eminence gris of The Washington Post Book Review, today blesses the latest novel—the 18th—by gajillionnaire author and Albemarle resident John Grisham. Titled The Broker and featuring a—what else?—lawyer who joined the dark side and faces a chance to redeem himself years later, the novel unfolds against an Italian backdrop. Formulaic? Yes. Fun to read? Yes, again, says Yardley. But the critic advises Grisham to slow down. “My entirely unsolicited opinion is that Grisham has been writing at Mach 10 for too long,” he writes. “He should give it a rest for a couple of years…. Now it would be interesting to see just how good he really can be, and that, it says here, takes time.”
Monday, January 17
Martin Luther King, Jr. remembered
Though Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 76th birthday was two days ago, today marks the federal holiday in his honor, shuttering schools, government offices, the postal service and Wall Street. Locally, those wanting to join the annual King Birthday celebration, always an uplifting event that fills Charlottesville’s performing arts center, will have to wait until Sunday when State Delegate Mary T. Christian will give an address. The Martin Luther King Performing Arts Center at Charlottesville High School was previously booked for today.
Written by Cathy Harding from news sources and staff reports.
Raising the roof
New homeless shelter already at capacity
“I’m not planning to make this a lifetime thing,” says B.J. “Right now I just need a place a to lay my head.”
Simple enough, but not always easy to come by in America’s No. 1 place to live. B.J. is middle-aged, working on a construction crew and homeless. On recent nights B.J. has been laying his head on a cot provided by PACEM (which stands for People and Congregations Engaged in Ministry), the name that a group of concerned religious congregations adopted for their homeless shelter effort, first reported in C-VILLE on August 31, 2004 [“Shelter skelter”].
About seven congregations take turns setting up cots for the “guests” (only men, but PACEM will help others find shelter elsewhere), and about 30 congregations support PACEM with donations and volunteers. So far the group has raised about $40,000, including grants from the Bama Works Foundation and the Junior League.
Even though this winter has been unusually balmy, the need for PACEM is all too evident.
“We’ve been hovering around our capacity for the last few weeks,” says Dave Norris, PACEM’s executive director.
PACEM provides 35 cots, based on a January 2004 survey by the Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless (TJACH) that found 33 out of 156 homeless people in the area regularly spent nights without shelter. PACEM’s board of directors is considering adding as many as seven more cots. PACEM will close around the end of March, and Norris says he will spend the coming year trying to raise about $120,000 so that PACEM can stay open all year in 2006.
“I’m surprised that this many churches opened up,” says B.J., forking through a dinner provided in First Presbyterian’s cafeteria just off Park Street. He came to PACEM after serving time in the Dillwyn Correctional Center. After staying at a transitional shelter called Piedmont House, B.J. took an apartment with a friend. “But he went back to his wife, and I couldn’t handle the rent on my own,” he says.
He stayed at the Salvation Army for a while. He doesn’t say why he was kicked out from there, but like many local homeless people B.J. says the rules there are strict and sometimes arbitrarily enforced. Norris says PACEM fills a void between the Salvation Army, which has a zero-tolerance policy toward drugs and alcohol, and Region Ten’s Mohr Center, which provides a few beds for the dangerously inebriated.
“Our philosophy is if you put people in a positive environment, they respond accordingly,” says Norris. And it’s paid off—there has been no violence, and no churches have reported missing items.
Indeed, a night at PACEM feels a little like summer camp. After dinner, B.J. goes to an adjoining building full of cots, where volunteer Anne Brown points new arrivals to the shower sign-up list, and takes data on new guests. (PACEM has adopted the term “guest” because “so often people who are sleeping out in the street are treated as human refuse,” says Norris. “These are human beings with amazing stories who deserve our love and support.”)
“The churches are getting a real eye-opener on how easy it is to be homeless,” says Brown. “It’s not what they expected. People who have been working consistently can’t afford to keep a home and a car.” According to PACEM stats, about 60 people have spent at least one night there, and about half have some kind of job.
While B.J. checks on his laundry, volunteer Pat Inglis is learning how to play UNO from Dexter, a young man in tight cornrows. Nearby, others watch The Chronicles of Riddick. Walt, a 60-year-old suffering from Crohn’s Disease, munches a brownie and tells stories of traversing the East Coast in search of clinical trials at hospitals—the only way he can get drugs to treat Crohn’s. He’s slept with friends, in churches and woods from New York to Florida.
“I see something different in Charlottesville,” he says. “A genuine concern.”—John Borgmeyer
Come out, come out, wherever you are
Gay rights advocates hit Richmond in droves, but their cause looks lost this year
“If there has ever been a time for our community to come out and be heard, this is it,” says Dyana Mason, director of Equality Virginia, a Commonwealth gay rights organization. “There’s so much at stake.”
Swirling around her in the lobby of the Commonwealth Park Suites Hotel in Richmond were more than 200 gay rights activists from across the state, warming up for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Lobby Day on Thursday, January 13.
The amateur lobbyists face an uphill climb in the General Assembly, to put it mildly. Legislators will consider at least five anti-gay bills this year [see chart]. All 100 members of the House of Delegates face re-election in November, and it’s unlikely that many pols will risk casting themselves as supporters of gay marriage by putting up too much of a fight.
“The emphasis will be to get out of here with as few waves as possible and get back to the campaign trail,” said Charlottesville Sen. Creigh Deeds, a Democrat running for his party’s nomination for Attorney General. Some kind of anti-gay amendment to Virginia’s constitution is “a done deal,” driven by the conservative atmosphere in the House, Deeds told a group of lobbyists from Charlottesville.
Equality Virginia has at least one champion this year. Del. Mitch Van Yahres (D-Charlottesville) is sponsoring a bill that would repeal the Affirmation of Marriage Act, the 2004 law prohibiting the Commonwealth from recognizing civil unions performed in other states. Van Yahres argues that churches may refuse to perform gay marriage as a religious ceremony, but the government cannot deny gay people the health care benefits and contract rights that straight couples enjoy.
He says “just a few Democratic friends” have signed on to support his bill so far.
But as they coursed through the Statehouse last week, Equality Virginia lobbyists met few advocates, being greeted instead with polite but firm rebuffs. The afternoon’s climax came when 12 members of Equality Virginia met for the first time with Virginia’s leading anti-gay crusader and sponsor of the Affirmation of Marriage Act, Del. Bob Marshall (R-Manassas).
Marshall—who apparently follows gay culture more closely than might be expected from a conservative Catholic—says his measures “protect marriage” but do not discriminate against gays.
“I can’t find one famous homosexual in history who says they felt they should have been married, or that they were second-class citizens,” Marshall told the lobbyists.
Ellen Bass, an engineering professor at UVA, said that whether gay relationships are called marriage or something else, “we’re going to have relationships and families, and we want to feel our families are protected.” Bass encouraged Marshall and other delegates to support an amendment to UVA’s charter bill that would allow the university to extend health benefits to spouses of its gay employees.
Marshall, as expected, remained unmoved, but he did agree to have his
picture taken with a gay couple. “This better not show up in The Blade,” said Marshall, referring to the Washington, D.C., gay newspaper.
Marshall deserves some credit for spending 20 minutes debating 12 of his staunchest opponents; the same can’t be said for fellow religious conservative Richard Black (R-Louden). He left his aide, Herb Lux, to answer questions, appearing only to peek out of his office. A few minutes later, he burst out and sped down the hallway.
Despite Black’s snub, Equality Virginia got a boost of star power later Thursday evening, when Governor Mark Warner breezed through a reception for lobbyists and legislators.
“I don’t support gay marriage, but I have a problem when [anti-gay bills] affect contract rights,” says Warner.
In an election year in a conservative state, that’s about the strongest support Equality Virginia could hope for.
—John Borgmeyer
H.B. 1633—Sponsored by
Del. Mitch Van Yahres
Repeals the statute that voids any civil union or contract between members of the same sex in Virginia.
S.J. 337—Sponsored by
Sen. Stephen Newman
Constitutional Amendment providing that “only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage” in Virginia.
H.J. 528—Sponsored by
Del. John Cosgrove
Constitutional Amendment providing that marriage is between a man and a woman and that nothing in the Constitution shall be interpreted to recognize or permit same-sex marriages.
H.J. 584—Sponsored by Del. Bob Marshall/Del. Richard Black
Constitutional Amendment similar to H.J. 528 that also prohibits the creation, recognition or enforcement of “imitations of marriage.” Nonetheless, the bill also says that rights of marriage may be conferred on an unmarried person by statute.
H.J. 586—Sponsored by
Del. John Cosgrove
Similar to H.J. 584, but without the clause allowing the rights of marriage to be conferred upon an unmarried person.
H.B. 1660—Sponsored by
Del. Scott Ligamfelter
Authorizes a special license plate to read “Traditional Marriage,” with two golden bands interlocked over a red heart.
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HOW TO: Justify Britney Spears With the sad ending to the storybook marriage of Jennifer and Brad, we turn for solace to Britney. It’s good to still have her with us. A couple of gumdrops in a sausage casing, rushing on Red Bull and probably not wearing underwear, Britney restores our faith in the real. She is so authentically shallow, spoiled, and sexually demanding that she could not possibly disappoint. Hers is genuinely insouciant petulance. People like Jen and Brad, on the other hand—they’re practically Olympians. They coo, they bill, they don’t wear advice t-shirts or punch out the paparazzi. They don’t lip synch. So, inevitably, when they succumb to human weaknesses and their lives come apart a little bit, they let us down. But Mrs. Kevin Federline has already become a barefoot housewife. Where is there for her to go? When she strays at a nightclub with a former WWE “star” or a porn producer, it will not surprise. When we learn that her pill-popping has gotten out of control…we’ll say “told you so.” With apologies to Paul Simon, every generation throws a ho up the pop charts. Britney is ours. |
Spanish lessons
Nuevas Raìces joins community newspaper market
As the state’s Hispanic population has grown, the press has changed with it. Nuevas Raìces, a Spanish-language weekly from the Shenandoah Valley, is distributed in Charlottesville now, too.
“Nuevas raìces” means “new roots,” which the paper’s staff thinks aptly describes a goal of Central Virginia’s Hispanic community: to cultivate a new beginning. As Carlos Terán, who represents the paper in Charlottesville for both the business and content sides, says, “We immigrants left our countries and came to Virginia, and we left our roots at home. We want to grow new roots here.”
The newspaper dates to July 2001 as the brainchild of Gerardo Pandolfi, the owner-editor. Originally from Uruguay, Pandolfi moved to Harrisonburg and found his new community without Spanish-language media. In short order, he collaborated with Terán. Nuevas Raices began with a circulation of 2,500 copies in the Valley.
Now circulation is up to 12,000 issues per week. The paper comes out every Thursday and is distributed through stores like Food Lion and Kroger. In Charlottesville, restaurants likePapusa Crazy, Mamma Mìa and Café Cubano also carry Nuevas Raìces.
The stories tend to focus in some fashion on integration issues for Latinos new to Virginia and the United States. Most leading news focuses on American politics as they relate to the Latino community. Roberto Gonzalez’s nomination as U.S. Attorney General was a front-pager on November 18, for instance.
Other articles have instructed readers on how to fill out income tax returns and how to help reduce the chance of breast cancer in women. There’s job news too, and listings for such resources as the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Refugee Resettlement and Employment Office in Norfolk.
Inside, there are regional columns dedicated to news in Charlottesville, Harrisonburg and Winchester, along with local Hispanic success stories, news about the Mexican Football Federation and an Aztec horoscope.
Nuevas Raìces is further indication that Virginia is becoming a top destination for many Spanish speakers. According to the U.S. Census, the number of Hispanics in Virginia grew by a whopping 112 percent between 1990 and 2000, increasing to 329,540 from 155,353 .
Five percent of Virginians are now Hispanic. Demographic trends strongly suggest that the upswing in the Latino population will continue—the U.S. Census Bureau expects Hispanics in the state to double in the decade to come. Carlos Terán figures the circulation of Nuevas Raìces will follow the trend. “There are two types of immigrants that come to Charlottesville,” he says, “people who are looking for a new way of life and migrant workers. Both groups need a newspaper to read.”—Kelly Quinley
As Told To
Conversations with Old-School Business Owners
We opened at the Meadowbrook Shopping Center on August 1, 1962. The same time the Center opened. And we remained there for 38 years until we moved here in April of 2000.
Why did we move? Well, we had always rented the space, and then the owner died, and a real estate person took it over. The rent was increased: we just couldn’t negotiate a new lease.
But that wasn’t the only reason—the lease. We were told that tractor-trailers couldn’t be parked there, and so it wasn’t possible for us to get our supplies. And there were also a lot of other things…
Yes, this is a good location. As for what kind of people come into the store, I’d have to say all kinds. We get locals and also people from all the surrounding counties. Farmers, contractors, working people. We also get professionals, like doctors and lawyers. Our customers are a mixed group. I would have to say that people shop here, rather than in the big stores, because we help people when they need it. We specialize, for example, in paint. In mixing and matching colors for our customers. And in hardware, our staff is knowledgeable. They know where everything is.
I’ve had two employees for 30 years, and also have longtime office help. We hang onto our people. For example, Bobby Irving, in the paint department. He’s been here for 25, 28 years. Yes, I am proud of my help, and I’m good to my help, but it works both ways. I’m good to them, and they are good to me.
As for what you can find here that you can’t find anywhere else, I’d say small hardware. Those big stores specialize in big items. Also important is the fact that our customers get personal service and personal attention here. That’s why people keep coming back—they feel at home here.
Altogether, I have 10 employees. No, none of them is family. And no, I didn’t always want to own a hardware store. But I always knew that I wanted to have a business of my own. Didn’t want to work for anyone else.
Am I local? You can’t get any more local than I am. I was born here, and went to Venable, then Lane and the University. I majored in education at UVA, but no, I never wanted to teach.
I am proud to say that our customers have moved with us. They are very loyal. And so is my help—they have stayed with me through the move. But back to paint: We know what the customers want. All they have to do is tell us what they want, and we get it for them.
No, I don’t have anyone in the family to take over the business, but this kind of store is important. If it should close, there is nothing to replace it but the big stores where employees don’t know the customers the way you do in a small store like this one is.
We do have more space here, which means we can stock more things.
The place is larger, but our service is still the same—still personal.
You see, everyone in the store is local, and we know each other and our clientele. I guess this sounds strange, but it’s like a marriage.