Tuesday, September 19
Forage for bookworms
Hungry book lovers have a bit more information to keep them satiated until March 2007 when the 13th Annual Virginia Festival of the Book will be held. Today the festival announced its luncheon speaker will be Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and novelist Doug Marlette on March 22. Marlette, who is best known for his syndicated cartoon, Kudzu, has published his second novel, Magic Time. The festival also announced that Lee Child of the Jack Reacher series will be the Crime Wave Luncheon speaker and Michael Veeck, minor league baseball team owner and co-author of Fun is Good: How to Create Joy and Passion in Your Workplace and Career will speak at the Business Breakfast. Tickets for these events go on sale at 9am September 27. Most of the rest of the five-day festival is free fare for bibliophiles.
Wednesday, September 20
Fingers reattached by UVA meds
At 6am today, doctors at the University of Virginia Health System reattached four fingers to the hand of a 3-year-old girl. Around 3:30pm on Tuesday, September 19, Myra Mackenzie Barco-Calderon became trapped beneath her father’s riding lawnmower, at which time her fingers were severed from her hand. Myra was transported by helicopter from her home in Jeffersonton, Virginia, to Inova Fairfax Hospital, then to Charlottesville, where the surgery was performed. The Culpeper Star-Exponent reports today that “medical personnel searched for orthopedic specialists in Baltimore and Philadelphia before transporting Myra to Charlottesville.”
Thursday, September 21
It’s only a game
UVA might have dropped their first ACC game tonight in an ugly 24-7 loss to Georgia Tech, but the Cavs remain “undefeated at home in conference play!” according to UVA head coach Al Groh. Or rather, according to the Al Groh parodied on the website www.dontfirealgroh.com. The website, presumably created by Virginia Tech fans, extols Groh with headlines like “Groh Guides Cavs to Within 26 of Victory” against Pittsburgh and “Groh Leads Western Michigan to Win Over Own Team.” We’re sure that Groh, known for his charming rapport with the press, is appreciative of the humor.
Friday, September 22
Weed goofs
Bob Gibson of The Daily Progress reported a blunder today from the Al Weed, Democrat for Congress campaign. A recently-filmed TV ad misidentified a former contractor involved in the MZM scandal as a felon. In fact, Richard Berglund pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for giving straw contributions to Republican Congressional incumbent Virgil Goode, which could earn him up to a year in jail. Goode has not been charged with any wrongdoing in the fundraising scandal, which left the town of Martinsville out of the loop when an MZM plant built there using federal grants went out of business. Weed apologized for the misnomer in a statement: “I regret the error and apologize to Mr. Berglund. I will have the ad changed accordingly.” Weed’s campaign manager, Curt Gleeson, said, “The fact still stands that Mr. Goode took illegal contributions and got authorization for MZM to get up to $15 million of taxpayer money.”
Saturday, September 23
Fear the green
Nationwide E. coli infections, likely related to bagged spinach from California, may have spawned ironical Popeye jokes a plenty, but it’s no laughing matter for the 166 people in 25 states who’ve been infected. The Richmond-Times Dispatch reports today that a UVA student, junior Adam Hermida, received treatment at UVA Medical Center for a severe intestinal ailment as a result of the E. coli bacteria. Public health officials are asking people not to eat raw spinach—a request that vegetable-phobes across the country are surely cheering.
Sunday, September 24
Writers’ circle
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jim Webb showed his writerly side at a fund raiser with authors even better-selling than himself on Sunday. John Grisham and Stephen King joined Webb, an author of war novels, at the Paramount for a $2,100-a-head wine and cheese reception and book talk (though the cheap seats were only $100). About 1,000 people turned out. Grisham, who organized the event, and King gave readings from their upcoming books. Webb has been maligned by opponent George Allen for being an author—Gov. Tim Kaine praised Webb for throwing a literary event despite the criticism. Webb raised more than $125,000 at the event.
Monday, September 24
Miller time
Is the honeymoon over for Pittsburgh’s top draft pick in 2004? Former UVA tight end Heath Miller is leading the Pittsburgh Steelers in receiving yards, but his play in Sunday’s loss to the rival Cincinnati Bengals wasn’t lauded by today’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The paper notes that Miller was the intended target for a touchdown pass that was instead intercepted and didn’t make the lineup late in the game.