Bully for Bowers
Recently I had the opportunity to review the documents that prompted UVA to fire Dena Bowers [“Supporters rally for Bowers,” 7 Days, December 6]. A reasonable individual could only conclude that the e-mail that led to Ms. Bowers’ dismissal was personal in nature. The e-mail is brief, informal and bears no resemblance to official University communications. (As a faculty member, I am very familiar with such communications.)
A reasonable individual could only conclude that the report attached to the e-mail was unofficial. The first sentence on the first page of the report states: “Prepared by the Albemarle/Charlottesville NAACP.”
Notwithstanding official UVA insinuations to the contrary, Ms. Bowers did nothing to “trick” others into believing that the information in her e-mail was official. The colleague to whom Ms. Bowers sent the e-mail—and who later forwarded it to others—has told me that she understood that the e-mail was personal and unofficial.
If a reasonable individual could only conclude that Ms. Bowers’ e-mail was personal, and if the University now admits that there is nothing wrong with using one’s University e-mail account to send a personal e-mail that is critical of administration policies, why was Ms. Bowers fired?
She was fired because the administration was eager to rid itself of one of its most articulate critics among the classified staff. She was fired because the administration wanted to send a message to employees that it will brook no dissent as it endeavors to push the inaugural “management agreement” through the General Assembly. She was fired because the administration is eager to slow the rise of the Staff Union, which under the leadership of Jan Cornell—and with crucial assistance from Ms. Bowers—has become a respected and effective advocate for UVA employees.
Having reviewed the evidence, I can only conclude that Ms. Bowers’ dismissal was an abuse of administrative power and a crude attempt to quash dissent.
With this rash act, the administration has violated the values of the University and placed the rights of employees—faculty and staff alike—in jeopardy.
Justice will only be served in this case if Ms. Bowers is immediately reinstated.
Jeffrey Rossman
Charlottesville
Kick in the nuts
Should Charlottesville residents be happy about the new Five Guys burger joint opening up on the Downtown Mall? [“Five times three,” Restaurantarama, November 8] At first glance, it might seem so. With all the pricey upscale cuisine down there (plus some great dumplings and pizza), it’s one restaurant niche in Downtown that hasn’t really been filled. It could be great to have another inexpensive, tasty lunch or dinner option, and they even provide free entertainment for those waiting for a burger: unshelled peanuts. Grab a few, chow down, and feel free to throw your shells on the floor—it’s all good!
But look closer. The opening of Five Guys poses a danger to some of the Downtown Mall’s most ardent fans: families. Peanut allergies are among the most severe food allergies around; for some people, even being in the same room with a peanut can cause anaphylactic shock and death. And yes, for those with the allergy, peanuts are equally lethal whether you’re a child or an adult. However, Five Guys poses a danger to peanut-allergic children in particular because of those fun, irreverent peanuts and the shells that litter the floor. Kids handle everything at their level and those peanuts will get in their fingers, then their hair and mouths, into the treads of their shoes and tucked into pockets.
The catch is that at the Downtown Mall (as opposed to a setting like Barracks Road), kids often spend several hours going places like the Discovery Museum, Weeville, the public library, the Ice Park, or the several toy stores the Mall offers. In between all the fun is often a stop for lunch. And any kid who goes into Five Guys—not just one who eats peanuts, and not just one who even intentionally touches a peanut—will carry that dangerous substance into all the places kids like to go, making them unsafe for peanut-allergic children.
Five Guys also uses peanut oil for frying, which means that families with peanut-allergic members won’t eat there. They can make that choice and feel safe. But if someone else eats there and tracks in peanut shell dust to a place where their child is playing, their choice is rendered useless, and their child is in danger.
I love a good burger. I have a 1-year-old son, and we spend a lot of time at the Downtown Mall. He’s not allergic to peanuts. But he has friends who are, and so do I. They won’t be going to Five Guys, and unless Five Guys chooses to get rid of their peanuts, neither will I.
The Downtown Mall is Charlottesville’s richest resource for families, and the families who go there recognize that through continued patronage at many local businesses. Please, Five Guys, don’t take that harmony away. Get rid of your peanuts, and we’ll welcome you with open arms and hungry bellies.
Erin Hanusa
Charlottesville
CORRECTION
We misspelled the name of country legend Dwight Yoakam on last week’s cover.