Tuesday, June 27
No excuses for college grads
Unemployment in Charlottesville dropped to 2.2 percent from 2.5 percent between April and May, according to news today from the Virginia Employment Commission. The drop mirrors a statewide dip in the jobless rate—at 2.9 percent, Virginia’s May unemployment rate is the lowest in five years. The Associated Press quotes William Mezger of the VEC saying that “this is going to be the best summer job market since 2000,” with service-industry employers scrambling to fill positions. So even if UVA grads don’t get that six-figure entry-level job, there’s always Starbucks.
Wednesday, June 28
Kuttner company under investigation
This week the top brass of a sweater manufacturer called the Hampshire Group Ltd., including local philanthropist, developer and rich guy Ludwig Kuttner, were sweating an investigation related to alleged misuse of assets. CEO Kuttner, vice presidents Charles Clayton and Roger Clark, and two personal assistants were all placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by an independent counsel hired by the company. Locally, Kuttner developed Central Place on the Downtown Mall, and he’s among the group currently developing the Frank Ix building on Elliott Avenue. Additionally, he helped his son Oliver develop The Terraces on Water Street. Hampshire’s share price continues to fall to the $15 range, down from more than $20 in early April.
Thursday, June 29
Presidents are people, too
Following the Saturday suicide of University of California Santa Cruz’s rising Chancellor, Denice Denton, Inside Higher Education today reports on the sometimes inhuman pressure on university leaders. Denton leapt to her death from a San Francisco high rise due to depression over her personal and professional life. She had taken heat as a leader of women in the field of engineering as well as for her sizeable salary at UCSC. Denton also described an incident in which students trapped her in her car and made her watch their skit about racism. Margaret G. Klosko, former speechwriter for UVA prez John T. Casteen III, reports in “Prick Them — Do They Not Bleed?” that he hasn’t had an easy time of it himself. During this spring’s Living Wage protests, according to a letter Casteen wrote to alumni, students made obscene and threatening calls to his home, some between 1:30am and 3:30am when Casteen was visibly in Madison Hall but his wife was at home. Klosko writes, “I guess this is
why college presidents get paid the big bucks.”
Friday, June 30
TB (as in tuberculosis) pays a visit to NGIC
Consumption plagues the National Ground Intelligence Center. The Thomas Jefferson Health District launched an investigation in the Albemarle site after a tuberculosis-infected contractor from out-of-state visited the facility for several months, according to today’s Daily Progress. The investigation found that 129 people had a high or medium risk of exposure to the disease, of which 8.5 percent tested positive for TB. Apparently that isn’t cause for concern: Officials only worry when 10 percent or more test positive, says the article. The investigation is now closed.