Words to the unwise
I’ve written before about the use of gutter language in C-VILLE Weekly. From the words used in your latest issue, I can only conclude that you employ mostly uneducated people. Why not use the word “tree” instead of “sucker” [Big Picture, November 22]? Why use the phrase, “If she refuses to get her lazy ‘a’ out of bed, I’m here to serve,” [“Fowl Play”, November 22] instead of “If that time is too early, try these options.” If you want to be a respected communication in Charlottesville you don’t use the word “sucker” under a prominent picture in the paper.
Ron Ritter
Palmyra
Breeden barks back
I’ve lived at Biscuit Run [“Breedens sell land, get rich overnight” 7 Days, November 29] since I was born, but my parents never owned the land or the house we lived in. My grandfather bought Biscuit Run in the ’70s with the intent to develop it. He owned it throughout his lifetime, passing it on to my grandmother. When my grandmother died five years ago Biscuit Run went into limbo. Recently her estate was settled and the land was sold. Instead of letting everything go to developers my parents used their portion of the inheritance to buy our house and some of the land we’ve lived on for over 30 years. It will hurt to see the trees cut down and the driveway disappear. It already hurts to have vandals leave spray-painted signs at the end of our driveway calling us land sluts and stapling pieces of paper to 46 trees, all saying, “One million.” We did not make the decision to sell this land. We made the decision to keep what we could.
Skyler Breeden
Charlottesville
Puzzle love
I’d like to second Maya Seligman’s request [“She’s got our number,” Mailbag, November 29] that you return to routinely having a 3-star Sudoku puzzle along with a 1-star puzzle. And yes, an occasional 4-star would be welcomed.
Richard Crisci
Earlysville
The editor replies: Christmas comes early! See page 70 for a full complement of Sudoku puzzles.
Good gifts
As this year’s board chair for our United Way, and also as a regular C-VILLE reader, I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed your column on gift giving [“Presents of Mind,” Feature story, November 29]. Thank you for being a supporter of our United Way and for encouraging others to do so as well. I enjoy working with the organization and I know how much it means to our community. In a place of plenty, which we certainly are, it is sometimes hard to get folks focused on how much we benefit the community and how needed we are as a result. Your encouragement is much appreciated. Happy Holidays, and thank you!
Steve Krohn
Charlottesville
Quality job on nuke plant
Thank you for the update on Dominion’s plans for the North Anna nuclear plant [“Good nukes?” November 29]. As you stated, Dominion plans to modify the design of the cooling system for one of the possible two new reactors should reduce thermal discharge into Lake Anna. We urge Dominion to also ensure that evaporation rates are reduced. In this way, water quality and flow are better protected in Lake Anna and downstream in the North Anna River, which residents and aquatic species alike will surely appreciate—if the company ever pursues plans to build the reactors, that is. (Dominion is currently seeking a preliminary determination, or Early Site Permit, from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that North Anna would be a suitable location for additional plants if it decides to build them in the future.)
On another point, Harry Ruth and the Friends of Lake Anna played an important role in speaking out on this subject, and their efforts are certainly appreciated. However, the real credit goes to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Game and Inland Fisheries for standing firm in the face of pressure from Dominion to narrow the scope of the state’s environmental analysis. This fact was unfortunately overlooked in your story.
In a series of meetings and letters dating back to January 2004, DEQ and DGIF insisted that Dominion fully analyze potential environmental impacts on the lake and downstream, and indicated that there were likely to be problems with increased temperature and reduced flow. In fact, Dominion had already changed the cooling system design for a potential fourth reactor in response to agency concerns. It was beginning to appear unlikely that DEQ would have approved the original cooling system proposed for the third reactor.
Without the firm stance of DEQ and DGIF, these important changes would not have happened. They deserve our appreciation, too.
Rick Parrish
Senior Attorney
Southern Environmental Law Center
SELC represents environmental groups that intervened before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to oppose an Early Site Permit for North Anna.
CORRECTION
Working from a mistaken press release, Restaurantarama printed an incorrect phone number for the Seasonal Cook in the November 29 column. The correct number is 295-9355.