Month: May 2006

Categories
News

Medicare plan sows chaos

Between six and nine million people eligible for the new Medicare prescription drug plan missed the May 15 deadline to sign up last week. Locally, senior citizen advocates say the plan’s complicated rules caused mass confusion for those who wanted to enroll.

Those who didn’t sign up by May 15 will pay a penalty calculated at the rate of 1 percent per month they wait to join. Since the next enrollment period isn’t until November, that means that any nonsubsidized senior who missed this deadline will pay at least 7 percent higher premiums—on average, $2.50 per month. (Those who qualify for low-income subsidies are exempt from the penalty.)

“It was chaotic in the last seven to 10 days [prior to the deadline],” says Gordon Walker, CEO of the Jefferson Area Board of Aging (JABA). “People have been extremely anxious and worried and frustrated. They can’t understand why this penalty is being imposed on them.”

As the backlash mounts, lawmakers who supported President Bush’s Medicare reform are responding. Legislators in both houses of Congress are advancing bills that waive the penalty, at least temporarily. Virgil Goode, Charlottesville’s congressman who voted for the Medicare drug plan, says he supports a bill that would extend the deadline to January 1, 2007.

The prescription drug plan began enrolling last November. But the deadline found millions struggling to discern which—if any—of the 42 possible plans was right for them. Because of the penalty, many who didn’t need the coverage have joined, just in case they might need it in the future.

Counseling about the appropriate plan took an average of 1.5 hours per person at JABA, according to Walker, whose organization provided consultation for roughly 3,500. “Over the past week, it was so nuts that we had to turn people away because we didn’t have enough staff and volunteers to provide the consultations that people needed,” says Walker. In many such cases, JABA could only provide printed guidelines and encourage people to use the Internet.—Will Goldsmith

Categories
News

Ex-Guv keeps his eye on the White House



For someone who quips in speeches that he’s unemployed, Mark Warner sure has been busy lately.

Operating out of his Alexandria headquarters, the former governor—and presumed presidential candidate—has been jet-setting around the country to raise money and deliver stump speeches. Warner’s flurry of activity has chipped away at his low public profile, and his coffers are now the second-largest among the top 20 presidential hopefuls. But he still remains a distant runner-up to New York senator Hillary Clinton.

According to an analysis by the political journal Hotline, Clinton has raised almost $20 million to the $5.2 million raised by Warner’s Forward Together political action committee. Clinton is also attracting many Democratic heavy-hitters, who are bringing their campaign experience (and decade-long losing streak) to her camp.

Only 3 percent of Democrats nationwide tagged Warner as their presidential preference in a February poll. But mounting media coverage, including a lengthy cover profile in The New York Times Magazine and attacks on Warner by conservative pundits, are sure to bring those numbers up.

And in a sign that he is becoming a real Beltway warrior, Warner has taken a tentative step into the most dangerous minefield for any presidential candidate: the Iraq War. According to an Associated Press report, Warner told a Washington audience on May 9 that while he hopes the war is successful, he would consider the withdrawal of U.S. troops if progress is not made in coming months.—Paul Fain

Shorter film reviews

Akeelah and the Bee (PG, 112 minutes) In case you hadn’t noticed, Hollywood is in the midst of a red-hot spelling bee craze. In the wake of Spellbound and… um, Bee Season, comes this drama about an 11-year-old girl from South Los Angeles who tries to make it to the National Spelling Bee. The story is, as expected, cute and inspirational. It’s also predictable, emotionally simplified and filled with clichés. Think The Karate Kid with a little girl taking over for Ralph Macchio, Laurence Fishburn doing the Mr. Miyagi thing, and words instead of crane kicks to the head. (Devin O’Leary) Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
 
An American Haunting (PG-13, 90 minutes) Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek star in this historical horror film about the Bell Witch, the very same rural legend that gave birth to The Blair Witch Project. Sutherland and Spacek are a pair of landowning parents in 1817 Tennessee who find themselves besieged by a nasty poltergeist. The film looks classy and has a few lightweight scares, but director Courtney Soloman (Dungeons & Dragons) doesn’t know quite how to take full advantage of his fine cast. Like The Exorcism of Emily Rose, this one feels more like a made-for-TV drama than a full-on horror story. (D.O.) Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
 
Art School Confidential (R, 102 minutes) Reviewed on this page. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre
 
Brick (R, 110 minutes) Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“Third Rock from the Sun”) continues his transformation into a fascinating indie actor. (Check out Mysterious Skin for further proof.) In this clever and intricately plotted crime film, Gordon-Levitt plays a teenage loner who investigates the disappearance of an ex-girlfriend in the dark underworld known as high school. The film plays out like a straight-faced ‘40s film noir, complete with hard-boiled dialogue, dangerous dames and double-crossing villains—except that its set among modern-day teenagers. Think of it as Pretty in Pink as written by Raymond Chandler. Gimmicky as hell, but it works thanks to the great cast and the mad filmmaking skills of newcomer-to-watch Rian Johnson. (D.O.) Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
 
The Da Vinci Code (PG-13) What do you want from me? Dan Brown’s book has sold slightly less than the Bible. This is the most eagerly awaited film of the year. Nothing I say is gonna make dollar one difference. Personally, I think the book is silly and director Ron Howard (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Edtv, Willow) is often a mediocre filmmaker. That said, the film does make Brown’s talky book quite a bit more action-filled. Plus, the cast (Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina, Paul Bettany) is worth watching. (D.O.) Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4
 
Hoot (PG) Hollywood finally gets around to following up Carl Hiassen’s infamous novel-to-movie Striptease with, oddly enough, this adaptation of the writer’s award-winning kids’ book. A young boy (Logan Lerman from “Jack & Bobby”) moves from Montana to Florida where he joins forces with a few other kids to stop an evil land developer (Tim Blake Nelson) from destroying the habitat of some endangered owls. Luke Wilson shows up as the clueless but good-natured sheriff. Sun-damaged crooner Jimmy Buffet (who produced this film) also makes an appearance. The film has a good ecological message, but isn’t much fun for the adults. (D.O.) Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
 
An Inconvenient Truth (PG, 100 minutes) This documentary examines former Vice President Al Gore’s campaign to make the issue of global warming a recognized problem nationwide. The film recasts Gore as a lone crusader out to save the world, all the while delivering sobering, easily accessible facts about our world’s crumbling environment. It’s a persuasive argument, but one not likely to be heard by Hummer-driving Republicans. (D.O.) Coming Friday; check local listings
 
Just My Luck (PG-13) Lindsay Lohan, backsliding to her lame Disney days, stars in this juvenile romantic comedy about a Manhattan girl with the greatest luck in the world. After a chance encounter with a cute but down-and-out young man (Chris Pine, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement), she realizes that she’s swapped her fortune for his. From the director of Mystic Pizza, Miss Congeniality and My Favorite Martian. If you’re 14 and female, this will be a very profound movie experience. (D.O.) Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
 
King Kong (PG-13, 187 minutes) Both stupendous and a little boring, Peter Jackson’s three-hour remake of the classic jungle flick gets bogged down in storylines that most of us don’t really care about, but it also contains moments of rare, delicate beauty and some of the finest action sequences of recent years. Naomi Watts gives a rich performance as the victim/love interest, yet it’s Kong who nearly breaks your heart. (Kent Williams) Playing through Thursday at Jeffeson Theater
 
Look Both Ways (PG-13, 100 minutes) From Australia comes this strong indie drama. Spread amongst the film’s ensemble cast are a group of middle-aged characters, all undergoing assorted interwoven crises over the course of one long weekend. The narrative cops a bit from Mag-nolia, but some animated sequences and a few musical interludes add to the film’s stylistic appeal. (D.O.) Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
 
Mission: Impossible III (PG-13, 126 minutes) J.J. Abrams (the guy behind “Alias” and “Lost”) takes over as director for this third outing. Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Laurence Fishburne, Keri Russell, Billy Crudup and Philip Seymour Hoffman (doing bad guy duty) make up the impressive cast list. Unfortunately, it’s scripted by the guys who wrote The Island. As in previous Impossible outings, the plot is baroque to the point of nonsensical. The explosions look pretty, though. (D.O.) Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
 
Over the Hedge (NR, 96 minutes) An all-star voice cast (Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, Wanda Sykes, William Shatner, Nick Nolte) lends its talents to this CGI toon adaptation of the popular newspaper comic strip. Willis plays a mischievous raccoon who helps his forest buddies adapt to the encroaching sprawl of suburbia. The animation is fluid and the writing has a bit more spark than most of the recent computer toons we’ve been subjected to (The Wild). From the director of Antz. (D.O.) Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4
 
Poseidon (PG-13) Reviewed on page 53. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
 
RV (PG) Steve Martin must have been busy, because it’s fallen to Robin Williams to star in this pathetic, plotless excuse for a “family” comedy. Williams stars as a hapless dad who tries to pass off a business trip to Colorado as a family vacation. Along the way, the annoying clan has lots of wacky misadventures in a rented RV. That’s it, folks. Williams was starting to get annoying on screen, now he’s just sad. Go rent National Lampoon’s Vacation instead. It’s pretty much the same movie, only 20 times funnier. (D.O.) Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
 
Stick It (PG-13, 103 minutes) The rather rude title is meant to lead a certain air of attitude to this film’s subject, the world of competitive gymnastics. Seems we’ve got a rebellious teen (“Life As We Know It”’s Missy Peregrym) who gets herself enrolled in an elite gymnastics program run by legendary trainer Jeff Bridges. Naturally, our gal brings some of her street-smart ‘tude to the balance beam, making this the Bring It On of gymnastics movies. Unfortunately, it’s already been brought. (D.O.) Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
 
Thank You for Smoking (R, 92 minutes) Based on Christopher Buckley’s satiric novel about a tobacco-industry lobbyist (Aaron Eckhart) who seems to feel good about what he does for a living, Jason Reitman’s refreshingly un-PC film lets both sides of the smoking/anti-smoking debate have it with both barrels. Encompassing a trip to Hollywood as well as a kidnapping, the movie gives off a caffeinated buzz, capturing the book’s slightly giddy tone. (K.W.) Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6
 
Thumbsucker (R, 96 minutes) This hip, satirical indie traffics in some mighty familiar coming-of-age angst. (Heathers, Donnie Darko and Garden State are just a few distant relatives.) Still, newcomer Lou Taylor Pucci does give a star-making turn as an underachieving suburban teen saddled with a bratty brother, a disappointed dad (Vincent D’Onofrio), a distant mother (Tilda Swinton) and an unfortunate habit of sucking his thumb. When a New Age orthodontist (a surprisingly good Keanu Reeves) breaks him of the habit, our boy descends into Ritalin addiction and scary perfectionism. Freshman filmmaker Mike Mills wants to be Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry, right down to the Polyphonic Spree-filled soundtrack, but he does show potential. (D.O.) Playing through Thursday at Jefferson Theater
 
United 93 (R, 90 minutes) Whether people are actually ready to watch dramas about the events of 9/11 remains to be seen. Director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy) keeps it pretty close to the vest with this film about the doomed passengers of United flight No. 93 (the ones who provided Bush with his “Let’s roll!” catchphrase). A cast of unknowns dutifully acts out the events of that tragic day in real time, providing not so much dramatic insight as unflinching recreation. You witnessed it on the news, you relived it in the TV movie “Flight 93”. Now, you can see it some more. (D.O.) Playing at Carmike Cinema 6
 
Why We Fight (PG-13, 98 minutes) Fifty years after President Eisenhower brought up something called the military-industrial complex in his Farewell Address, we’ve become the military state he warned us about. Or so Eugene Jarecki would have us believe in this collage-barrage of images and ideas, a history lesson that doubles as a damning indictment of our plowshares-into-swords orientation. (K.W.) Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre
 
X-Men: The Last Stand (NR, 104 minutes) Bryan Singer,  ( defected to the DC Universe to direct this summer’s Superman Returns, hands the reins over to Brett Ratner (Rush Hour) for this third mutant-minded offering. Seems that a “cure” has been found to treat mutantkind. Naturally, that news doesn’t sit too well with good-guy mutant leader Professor X (Patrick Stewart) or bad-guy mutant leader Magneto (Ian McKellan). You can also add Beast (Kelsey Grammer) and Angel (Ben Foster) to the mutant mix this time around. (D.O.) Coming Friday; check local listings

Categories
Arts

D’earth tones

Dawn Thompson and John D’earth are releasing the second CD of music by The Thompson D’earth Band. When the Serpent Flies will be available for fans at the band’s performance at Fridays After 5 this week, and you can find it at their Thompson D’earth website and Musictoday. TDB’s first CD, Mercury, came out the weekend that Dave Matthews Band first played at Scott Stadium, and it featured Carter Beauford on drums. This time around, the band consists of Pete Spaar on bass, pianist Daniel Clarke, guitarist Jamal Millner, J.C. Kuhl on tenor sax and drummer Brian Caputo. D’earth says that the new CD aims for a live feel, with an even split of original vocal and instrumental tunes. D’earth also says that Thompson likes the band to be as free as possible, “which is unusual for a singer.” Recorded without extra production in order to get the live sound of the band, D’earth credits Crystalphonic engineer Jack Gray as “absolutely fantastic” to work with, and says that Crystalphonic is out to support local bands, an approach that D’earth applauds. Thompson D’earth is also scheduled to play at Blues Alley in D.C. on May 30. If you do not mind a short road trip, you can catch the band at a venerated club.
    Producer Greg Howard says, “John and Dawn’s collaboration in life and music are really played out in this record. They’ve found a way to fuse the high-energy instrumental jazz that John has always composed so well and Dawn’s image-laden dreamlike lyrics into a very creative and accessible sound. Dawn is not your typical jazz vocalist. She’s singing about life.”

Howard has always been closely connected to D’earth and Thompson, both as producer (he also worked on D’earth’s Live at Miller’s) and as a performer (he plays the Chapman Stick) with bands like Code Magenta. Howard has recently taken time off from gigging locally to rethink what he is doing with his music. He recently played a festival in Marseilles, France, and he has been working with Stick Enterprises out of California, creating a new instructional book and video, as well as producing a CD for a Stick player from Michigan. Howard will perform in Ann Arbor at The First National Stick Festival this July. You can sample Howard’s musical stylings on his latest CD, Ether Ore, (as well as any of his other CDs), by going to his website, www.greg howard.com.
    Locally Howard has also been working with harpist/storyteller Eve Watters on a project, as well as recently remastering a recording from the golden age of Tim Reynolds’ TR3.
    It is amazing the number of great, young musicians who have come through D’earth’s bands. For drummers alone, Thompson D’earth has featured Robert Jospé, Carter Beauford and Robbie Sinclair. But also in the Miller’s band (which is distinct from Thompson D’earth), great drummers Aaron Binder and Eric Stassen have sat in, as well as Howard Curtis. Stassen is on his way to graduate school in conducting, and Curtis just got a tremendous job as full faculty member at a conservatory in Graz, Austria. And I just saw Clarence Penn playing in New York with Dave Holland. Penn was a student of D’earth’s at Virginia Commonwealth University, but D’earth says, “I probably learned more from him [than he did from me.]” According to D’earth, Penn showed up at every rehearsal with one or two pieces of fully conceived original music for the band to play, some of which he would crumple up right after the band performed it. In any case, D’earth deserves a ton of credit for giving jazz musicians a forum to play regularly and expand their talent.

Categories
News

What’s the future of Route 29?



Consultants galore descended on Sutherland Middle School this week to present their ideas for the future of Route 29N. Delivering the expected lip service to mixed-use centers and walkable spaces, land-use consultants Community Design + Architecture and transportation consultants Meyer, Mohaddes Associates presented three primary concepts for planned growth to an audience of concerned locals on Thursday, May 18. On Saturday, they held more workshops for those who just can’t get enough land-use planning.

The chart that follows outlines the three options on the table. Sure, they look great, but where’s the money coming from? “We haven’t gotten into cost estimates yet, so it’s just a sense of the order of magnitude,” says Phil Erickson, president of Community Design + Architecture. Brian Wheeler of the development-education group Charlottesville Tomorrow noted that of the 69 proposed secondary road projects in the county, only three have specific cost estimates.

Considering that these two consulting firms get a total of more than $1 million from the City, the County, the State and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, it would be a shame if these plans end up gathering dust. The consultants say they will return in mid-September to unveil the preferred framework. The finalized “Master Plan” will be presented in January.—Will Goldsmith

 

Three Options for Route 29N

Option 1: Big Fat 29. The main feature of this plan is a six-lane 29. It has the lowest build-out capacity and concentrates employment in the area around the airport.


Option 2: Parallel Plan. This entails joining roads both east and west of 29 to divert more local traffic, with growth dispersed along these parallel roads. Also included is a “Midtown” mix-use center.


Option 3: Uptown World. Creates a major “Uptown” by focusing development around the airport. Estimated build-out is highest with this plan.


Go online at www.albemarle.org for more information

Categories
News

Local developers love Lynchburg



The hottest new market for local real estate magnates is… Lynchburg? You heard it right. That stodgy bastion of religious conservatism, home of Jerry Falwell, is poised for an urban renaissance. A pair of local builders have become major players in Lynchburg, saying the real estate market there is poised to make huge gains in the coming years.

“Charlottesville is still a good investment, but I’m not 100 percent sure the returns will be that high,” says Oliver Kuttner, who says he owns 21 buildings in Lynchburg. Kuttner says real estate markets go in cycles, and while Charlottesville sits atop a price peak, Lynchburg is on the upswing. “Lynchburg kind of died and got stuffy and old, and now it’s going to go in the opposite cycle,” he predicts. He claims that young creative types will be drawn to the town’s cheap prices and cool warehouse spaces.

Michael Gaffney, owner of Gaffney Homes and a major investor in Sonabank, is also representing in the big L. “The city government is great to work with,” says Gaffney. “They’ve done a great job of putting money into infrastructure.”

Gaffney and Kuttner are partners on some Lynchburg projects, including the purchase of the entire west side of the 700 block of Fifth Street. “Things are relatively inexpensive compared to almost everywhere else,” said Gaffney, who also purchased two 20-30 acre parcels he plans to turn into mixed-use developments.

Kuttner and Gaffney are gaga over Lynchburg’s spirit of accommodation. After Kuttner expressed interest in a Riverfront building that the city planned to demolish, they instead gave it to him for $1 with the stipulation that he put in a tenant within a specific time period.

“In Lynchburg, I have more of a free hand for what I want to do,” he said. “The town [doesn’t] get bogged down in the details. In Charlottesville…50 people have to agree before anything gets done.” —Jayson Whitehead

Categories
News

Rumor mill wrong on Gainov suicide

Reports of Dr. Iain Gainov’s death appear to have been greatly exaggerated. Last week, C-VILLE received a mysterious letter alleging that Gainov, the local pediatrician convicted last fall on one count of felony child abuse and neglect for incidents involving his baby girl, had committed suicide at the Mecklenburg Correctional Center, where he is currently doing time. Hot on the rumor trail, C-VILLE immediately contacted Mecklenburg, whose rep said, “I can’t talk about that,” and immediately referred C-VILLE to the Department of Corrections in Richmond. Richmond, in turn, insisted that they had no record of a “Gainov,” and further said that, even if they did, they couldn’t comment on an ongoing investigation.

Finally, a call to the Albemarle Commonwealth Attorney’s office shed some light on the situation. Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Cynthia Murray, who had prosecuted the case against Gainov back in November, acknowledged that she, too, had heard the rumor.

“It’s so weird!” She exclaimed, adding that the report appeared unfounded. After hearing the news, and being understandably alarmed by it, she had called Mecklenburg, and been assured by the people in charge that Gainov is still very much alive.—Nell Boeschenstein

 

 

 

 

Categories
Uncategorized

no article this week

Categories
Arts

Our “House”

“House” Tuesday 9pm, Fox
If you’re tired of the Asian bird flu overkill, and need some really freaky new diseases to obsess about, look no further. This medical drama, which wraps up Season 2 tonight, never disappoints with the truly horrific, obscure ailments it inflicts on its patients each week. (Example: Last week a young woman’s fungus-filled body started shutting down, and she began literally crapping out of her mouth. Delightful!) Brit Hugh Laurie continues to impress as the non-British Dr. House, a morphine-addicted jackass who takes the Hippocratic Oath as more of a vague guideline than actual ethical contract. Well, tonight he gets shot, and six months from now he’ll be winning an Emmy.

“Lost” Wednesday 9pm, ABC
It’s season finale time, which means something’s actually happening on “Lost.” I swear, you could watch only the first and last two episodes of any season and still follow the sluggish plot (such as it is) perfectly. To its credit, the show has offered up a few surprises of late, specifically Michael’s betrayal and the deaths of both Libby and Ana-Lucia. In this two-hour send-off Jack and Sayid finally make a move against The Others, while Locke and Eko tussle over the bunker button (will somebody just smash that damn thing into pieces, already?). Doesn’t sound terribly exciting, but there’s supposedly a scene so shocking even the actors involved didn’t know until the last minute, so that’s promising.

“Karate Dog” Monday 7pm, ABC Family
My 5-year-old nephew asked me to write this up. Who am I to refuse? As he pointed out, it features a dog that knows karate, and that is apparently “cool.” More specifically, the dog is named Cho Cho, and he is a black belt who can also talk to humans. He helps a detective (ex-MTV VJ Simon Rex, proving karma exists) track down the man who murdered his master. Jon Voight and Chevy Chase are also involved, which makes me a little sad. The “special effects” sure are…special. But it’s on ABC Family, and features a talking, high-kicking dog, so your kids will love it. And Hong Kong Phooey could certainly use the copyright infringement settlement.—Eric Rezsnyak

Categories
Arts

Alphabetical list of all venues in our database