Month: May 2007

Categories
News

Albemarle County: Whom are you going to vote off the island?

Neatly wrapped in the politically correct banter of sustainability, local human population control is gathering steam in Albemarle County. This charge is being led by a vocal minority “not in my backyard” (NIMBY) tying population control concepts to environmental preservation or sustainability. The elitist NIMBY vision of economic freedom is now that I own my piece of Albemarle County, I am empowered to remove that opportunity for others.

The no growth citizen group, Advocates for a Sustainable Albemarle Population (ASAP), has proposed spending $25,000 of Albemarle County’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) money to study an optimal population number. Surprisingly, the Board of Supervisors is seriously considering the proposal. The Free Enterprise Forum is opposed to this expenditure and believes this CIP money could be better spent on much needed infrastructure.

ASAP’s short term goal is to determine the number of humans that can be sustained in Albemarle County without impacting the ecological systems and natural heritage. The longer term goal is to create a government cap on the population of Albemarle County. This cap could create targeted birth rates and effectively build a moat around Albemarle County.

The concept of government population control is not new. One example of modern population control is China’s one-child policy. This policy requires payment of a “social compensation fee” for couples having more than one child in urban areas. The Chinese policy recognizes the significant costs associated with the education of children (a refrain heard often in Albemarle) and seeks to recoup that investment from parents with more than one child. This creates a clear economic disadvantage for, and social disapproval of, families with multiple children.

Garrett Hardin’s 1968 essay “The Tragedy of the Commons” (which can be found on ASAP’s website www.stopgrowthasap.org) proposed that society must relinquish the “freedom to breed” through “mutual coercion, mutually agreed upon.”

A review of the Weldon Cooper Center’s population numbers for Albemarle County (2000-2006) shows that 33 percent of all growth is natural growth (births over deaths). This is a positive trend as we have both a lower birth mortality rate and we are living longer. If this trend continues and ASAP is successful in their government population-control cap, eventually we will be forced to either relinquish the “freedom to breed” and/or we will have to decide whom to force out of Albemarle County (vote off the island).

The Free Enterprise Forum promotes housing affordability, economic freedom and economic vitality and thus we are opposed to government population control. ASAP (and related organizations) see economic growth as a threat to economic sustainability, national security and international stability.

The human race has an impact on the environment. Every successful species has an impact on the environment. Just as the physical environment we live in today is very different (better) than that of just 20 years ago, I anticipate the world in 2027 will be improved. If our environment is always changing, why is it necessary to evoke ecological preservation at any point?

Rather than focus on government population control, the Free Enterprise Forum suggests developing market driven solutions to the issues related to population growth (traffic, schools, etc.). In a recent Charlottesville speech, Portland Economist Randal O’Toole highlighted congestion pricing on privately owned toll roads and privately owned transit as two innovative concepts that may assist in relieving gridlock.

Regardless of how many environmental, ecological buzz words surround the ASAP proposal, it is clearly about government population control. The Free Enterprise Forum is diametrically opposed to Albemarle County government wasting $25,000 of CIP funds. Rather than funding a biased study to determine when ASAP is going to start digging its moat, CIP funds should be used to build infrastructure for citizens who live here today and tomorrow.

Neil Williamson is the executive director of The Free Enterprise Forum, a privately funded public policy think tank. For more information on the Free Enterprise Forum vist their website www.freeenterpriseforum.org.

Categories
Arts

First Friday, June 1st [with photo gallery!]

Art Upstairs “All Things Bright and Beautiful,” paintings by Sue Sencer, 6-9pm.

Ben Around Tattoos and Offbeat Gallery “Interiors,” a group show, 6-10pm.

BozArt Gallery “Recent Works” by Bob Klonoski, 6-9pm.

The Bridge/Progressive Arts Initiative High school photography exhibit, 6-9pm.

C&O Gallery “Concrete World,” photography by Bill Emory, 5-7pm.

Café Cubano “Kids,” portraits by Sarah Cramer, 6-8pm.

Cassis “Crows,” photography by Kevin Blythe, 5-7pm.

Club 216 “Leather Family,” documentary portraits by Mary Motley Kalergis, 9-11pm.

Fellini’s #9 Reportage photography by Jason Lappa, 5:30-7pm.

The Gallery at Fifth & Water “The Mountains and the Old Towns,” pastels and woodcuts by John Carruthers, 5:30-8pm.

The Ix Building Entries and winners from the global warming contest; “On Thin Ice,” an ice sculpture; “One Man’s Vision,” environmental illustrations by Christophe Vorlet, 5-9pm.

Jane’s Attic Used Books and Art Original art by Romney Brand and Chris Wharam, 4:30- 7:30pm.

Kenneth Coles Salon “Reflections on the African Diaspora,” images by Frank Stallings, 5-9pm.

Kronos “Sunfirewatersky: Abstract Photography Plus a Case of Slinkies,” by multiple artists, 6-9pm.

La Galeria “Scenes from France and Italy,” watercolors by Peter Almonte, 5-8pm.

Les Yeux du Monde “Five Decades,” photography by William Albert Allard, 5:30-7:30pm. Part of the Festival of the Photograph.

McGuffey Art Center “13 Books,” mixed media by Eugene Richards, 5:30-7:30pm. Part of the Festival of the Photograph.

Migration: A Gallery Printmaking by Maggie Crisp, Foust and Betty MacDonald; works by Jan Aronson, 5:30-8pm.

New Dominion Bookshop Works by Kelly Wilkinson and Henry Wingate, 5:30-7pm.

Sage Moon Gallery “Celebrate Virginia,” a collection of oil, watercolor and photograph landscapes by multiple artists, 5:30-8pm.

Second Street Gallery “The Given: Studio Work by Sally Mann,” 6-8pm. Part of the Festival of the Photograph.

Sidetracks Recent paintings by Darrell Rose, 5:30-7pm.

Three Esthetics and Hair Care “An Intimate Study,” photographs by Alexis Day, 5-8pm.

Transient Crafters Photography by multiple artists, 6-9pm.

Categories
News

Not a drop

Dear Ace: Why is Water Street next to the Downtown Mall called Water Street? I’ve been up and down the street plenty of times, but I’ve never seen any water.—H. Choo Oh

H.: This is an easy one. Any Charlottesvillian worth his or her salt knows that Water Street is named for Thomas Jefferson’s buddy Todd Water. Todd Water was born in Goochland County in 1748, the son of—O.K., Ace is lying. The truth is, Ace had no idea why Water Street is so named, considering the only water to be found there is on tap at C&O. Certainly, Market and Main are easy enough to figure out. But why Water Street? Where’s the water? Ace put in a call to the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society to find out.


There used to be water on Water Street next to the Downtown Mall, probably around the same time there were affordable “watering holes” Downtown.

So where’s that eponymous water? Look down. Way down. A Historical Society volunteer explains: “There used to be water. There were wells all along where Water Street now runs. It was where people used to get water for their horses.” There’s a big aquifer a few dozen yards beneath Water Street, and so it became the place to get water back when fresh, clean H2O was not so easily obtained. And evidently, just recently, remnants of 19th century wells—basically octagonal wooden pipes running from 30′ underground up to the surface—were uncovered when the foundation was being laid for the new transit center. The transit folks sent ‘em over to a grateful Historical Society.

So while Water Street remains shrouded in mystery to some degree—why is the Water Street Parking Garage so unattractive? Where can you find a drink on Market Street for less than nine bucks?—consider this case solved. In this age of uncertainty, it’s nice to have something so cut and, er, dry: It’s called Water Street because people used to get their water there. But if you want to get your water on Water Street, H., you’ll have to start digging.

Categories
News

Correction from previous issue

Due to a reporting error in “Where the money isn’t,” May 22, 2007, we incorrectly stated that The Paramount Theater’s auditorium was sponsored by Hunter J. Smith. It is the Paramount’s ballroom that is named after Hunter J. Smith. The auditorium itself is not named.

Categories
News

Felony cat hoarding

This week at The Odd Dominion, we’re going to take a rest from lampooning the Commonwealth’s elected representatives. For a change of pace, we thought we’d take a gander at an even-more-tempting target: Virginia’s incomparable history of enacting boneheaded laws.

Our interest in this subject was inspired by a sad story we recently heard involving a young man, a pair of amorous cats, and a truly Kafka-esque trip through small-town Virginia’s labyrinthine legal system. We’ll spare you the gruesome details, but the basic toms-gone-wild tale goes something like this: Soft-hearted feline enthusiast adopts cute pair of lady kitties; said kitties soon reveal themselves to be carrying an unexpected cargo of even smaller kitties; surprised fellow suddenly finds himself the not-so-proud owner of a dozen mewing kittens, with furry little mouths firmly attached to moms’ milk-filled bellies.

What’s a blindsided pet papa to do? Well, in this case, our intrepid protagonist decided to wait for the kittens to wean, and then attempt to place them in loving homes (or at least a no-kill shelter). Unfortunately, his landlord had a slightly different idea. And so it came to pass that, while he was at work, the local authorities raided his home, grabbed the furballs, trashed the place and left behind a warrant for his arrest.

The charge? Why, felony cat hoarding, of course.

Now, before legions of animal lovers start to flood the Odd e-mail inbox with horror stories of puppy farms and crazy cat ladies, we should make it perfectly clear that in no way do we encourage the cruel (and indescribably stinky) practice of cat hoarding. But a felony? You have got to be kidding.

And yet, when we heard about this nightmarish bit of legal lunacy, we really weren’t very surprised. After all, Virginia cities are notorious for passing ridiculous laws banning such dangerous behavior as driving barefoot, tickling women and washing your mule on the sidewalk. And it’s not much better on the state level: The resources that were wasted debating and enacting the first provision of state law 29.1-521, which makes it illegal to hunt animals on a Sunday (except for raccoons, which may be hunted until 2am), should, in our humble opinion, be refunded to state taxpayers in the form of free bacon.

Now sure, all of these arcane provisions provide lots of yuks on the Internet (www.dumblaws.com informs us, among other things, that it’s illegal to own a pet skunk in Prince William County, spit on a seagull in Norfolk, kick your wife out of bed in Lebanon, and—for motorists of the female persuasion—drive a car up Waynesboro’s Main Street unless your husband is walking in front of the car waving a red flag), but the practical results can, as our felony cat-hoarding friend found out, be devastating.

And nowhere is this more apparent than in the (supposedly private) confines of the average Virginian’s bedroom. Now, our fine Commonwealth might have been founded by Protestants, but Virginia’s history of intrusive sex laws is puritanical to its core. As amazing as it seems, consensual sex between unmarried adults was illegal in Virginia up until January 2005 (when our state supreme court finally overturned the no-ring-no-nookie law), and both oral and anal sex remain Class 6 felonies, even though the federal Supremes ruled such anti-sodomy laws unconstitutional way back in 2003.

Of course, I’m sure that some out there would argue that, to the contrary, Virginia’s uptight and intrusive laws don’t go far enough. After all, if lawmakers would just extend these no-sex statutes to cover the animal kingdom, cat-hoarding cases would instantly become a thing of the past.

O.K., I shouldn’t even joke about that—given Virginia’s demented history, some overzealous legislator will take me seriously, and the next thing you know our legal system will be up to its eyeballs in felony cat-fornication cases.

Me-ow.

Categories
Arts

Capsule reviews of films playing in town

28 Weeks Later (R, 99 minutes) 2002’s apocalyptic zombie flick 28 Days Later was a shot in the arm to a stagnant horror film industry. Unfortunately, director Danny Boyle isn’t back for this follow-up. Substitute Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (Intacto) can’t quite replicate Boyle’s kinetic camerawork; but he does O.K., adding a few honest jump scares to a fairly standard script. It’s six months after the initial outbreak of the Rage Virus, and the U.S. Army has arrived in England, helping to secure a small section of London for repopulation. Naturally, everything goes wrong and those American boys start getting a tad trigger-happy. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

300 (R, 117 minutes) Much like his previous work, Sin City, Frank Miller’s stylish comic book 300 comes to life on the big screen. This faithful (nearly panel-for-panel) adaptation arrives courtesy of up-and-comer Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead). This violent, highly visual adventure tale tells the story of the battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. where 300 bedraggled Spartans beat back the entire Persian army. Gerard Butler (The Phantom of the Opera) and Dominic West (“The Wire”) star. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Away From Her (PG-13, 110 minutes) Actress Sarah Polley (Dawn of the Dead, My Life Without Me) writes and directs this drama/romance, based on a short story by Alice Munro. The story concerns a Canadian man (Gordon Pinset) torn apart by the rapid onset of Alzheimer’s in his wife (Julie Christie). After being put into a full-time care facility, she begins to forget her husband, transferring her affections to a mute resident (Michael Murphy). There are plenty of heartbreaking moments with a slight undercurrent of humor. Polley displays skills beyond her years, offering up a subtle, well-shot character study about love and loss. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Bug (R, 101 minutes) Ashley Judd headlines this somewhat misleading horror thriller directed by Exorcist helmer William Friedkin. Judd plays a lonely woman trapped in a spooky Oklahoma motel room with a paranoid, possibly unhinged Gulf War vet who believes he is being persecuted by invisible insects. It’s based on the claustrophobic stageplay by Tracy Letts and features far more psychological drama than cinematic horror. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Disturbia (PG-13, 104 minutes) It’s a blatant steal of Hitchcock’s Rear Window, but the film is fairly honest about it. Shia LaBeouf (Holes, Constantine) stars as a teen stuck at home under house arrest. Bored out of his skull, he takes to spying on the neighbors. Before long, he spots one who might just be a serial killer, bumping off victims in his garage. Is this observation real, or just the product of an overactive imagination? Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Fracture (R, 112 minutes) Anthony Hopkins as a manipulative killer behind stuck bars? Haven’t we seen this somewhere before? Ryan Gosling plays the young D.A. caught up in a game of cat-and-mouse with Hopkins’ could-be killer. TV producer Gregory Hoblit (“NYPD Blue,” “L.A. Law”) directs. The film misses a lot of opportunity for suspense, but the absorbing script and quality acting make this a good bet for legal drama fans. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Georgia Rule (R, 113 minutes) Garry Marshall (The Princess Diaries, Runaway Bride, Pretty Woman, Beaches) adds another chick flick to his resumé. This one follows a rebellious, uncontrollable teenager (Lindsay Lohan, who surely was not typecast) who is hauled off by her dysfunctional mother (Felicity Huffman) to spend the summer on an Idaho farm with her tough-talking, no-nonsense granny (Jane Fonda). Lessons are learned, motherly bonds are strengthened and hankies are moistened. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Gracie (PG-13, 92 minutes) According to the hands on my watch, it’s time for another inspirational, based-on-a-true-story sports movie. This one’s about a teenage gal (Carly Schroeder from Disney Channel’s “Lizzie McGuire”) who faces an uphill battle of sexism and prejudice when she fights for the opportunity to play on a competitive soccer team. Dermot Mulroney and Elizabeth Shue (who says this story is based on something that happened to her) play the caring parents. Personally, I’m inspired enough as it is, but you may feel differently—especially if you’ve already worn out your copy of Bend it Like Beckham. Opening Friday; check local listings

Hot Fuzz (R, 121 minutes) Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, the team behind the 2004 gem Sean of the Dead, reunite to tweak another movie genre. This time around, Pegg stars as a top London cop who is sent to a sleepy English hamlet and teamed with a dimwit partner (Sean’s Nick Frost) by jealous colleagues. Eventually, the mismatched duo are prevailed upon to solve a series of bloody murders. The film has a blast making fun of classic ’80s buddy cop movies, and the laughs are—more often than not—explosive. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Knocked Up (R, 129 minutes) From the team behind The 40-Year-Old Virgin comes another witty sex comedy. Seth Rogen (“Freaks and Geeks”) is a fun-loving party animal whose life gets turned upside down when a one-night stand (Katherine Heigl from “Grey’s Anatomy”) shows up on his doorstep with the info that she’s pregnant. Opening Friday; check local listings

Mr. Brooks (R, 120 minutes) Kevin Costner is cast severely against type as a mild-mannered suburban hubby who is occasionally controlled by his alter ego, a vicious serial killer embodied by William Hurt. A sleazy reporter (Dane Cook, also playing against type) finds out about our hero’s little split personality problem and tries to blackmail him. Is it too much to hope that Cook gets slaughtered? A surprisingly violent, twist-filled thriller. Opening Friday; check local listings

The Namesake (PG-13, 122 minutes) Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, Vanity Fair) directs this multigenerational drama/comedy about an American-born son of East Indian immigrants who tries to shake off his parents’ too-traditional ways. Kal Penn (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle) stars as our sullen protagonist, stuck between two worlds. Like the novel it’s based on (by Jhumpa Lahiri), the film wisely paints its pictures in small, intimate strokes. In English, Bengali and Hindi with English subtitles. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (PG-13, 168 minutes) After the two-and-a-half-hour cliffhanger that was Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest comes the nearly three-hour conclusion. This time, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush and Keira Knightley have sailed to the ends of the Earth to rescue Johnny Depp. They’re also required to gather a massive pirate army to fight the forces of nastiness and villainy (still embodied by squid-faced Bill Nighy and uptight Tom Hollander). Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

Shrek the Third (PG, 93 minutes) Kids and fart-loving adults are welcome for this third gathering of the CGI Shrek cast. Seems that our titular ogre’s father-in-law has fallen ill. Now it’s up to Shrek to assume the throne of the fairy tale-filled kingdom—a job he’d rather not take. The voice cast is getting crowded, with Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Rupert Everett, Eric Idle and Justin Timberlake on board for this go-around. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

Spider-Man 3 (PG-13, 140 minutes) The third time is supposed to be a charm, but poor Spider-Man is having an awfully bad time of it in this second sequel to the smash hit superhero flick. Seems that Spidey’s best friend (James Franco) has gone insane and is now trying to kill him. He’s also been possessed by a malevolent alien life force and is trying to bring a sand-powered supervillain (Thomas Hayden Church) to justice. Oh, and he’s thinking of getting married. The film’s a bit long, but there’s plenty of action and the special effects should please hardcore comic book fans. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Waitress (PG-13, 107 minutes) In this guilt-free Southern-fried treat, Keri Russell ("Felicity") stars as an unhappy waitress in a small-town cafe. She’s blessed with an unearthly ability to bake pies, but cursed with an emotionally abusive lout of a hubby (Jeremy Sisto from "Six Feet Under") and a sudden, unwanted pregnancy. Her life turns around when she meets her obstetrician, though, an awkwardly charming new hunk in town (played by Nathan Fillion of "Firefly" fame). The film occasionally surrenders to its more sitcome-esque moments, but it’s mostly a good-natured, emotionally complex dramedy about pregnancy, infidelity and delicious desserts. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Categories
Arts

“Starter” deck

“The Starter Wife”
Thursday 9pm, USA Network

“Will & Grace”’s Debra Messing returns to TV in this mini-series about a 40something wife of a Hollywood bigshot who has to move on with her life after being unceremoniously dumped by her jerk of a husband. It’s based on the novel by Gigi Levangie Grazer, wife of superproducer Brian Grazer (Ron Howard’s business partner), so she knows a little something about the Hollywood social scene. This is a perfect role for the always-reliable Messing. Although she’s become better known for her comedic work, she started out as a serious dramatic actress; this project features a bit of both worlds. The rest of the cast is surprisingly stuffed, with Judy Davis, Joe Mantegna and Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls) all sharing the screen.

“Reunited: The Real World Vegas”
Wednesday 10pm, MTV

Back in the day I was a “Real World” addict; I never missed an episode. Then came the Las Vegas season in 2002. After one episode I was done with the series pretty much forever. Everything I liked about show—likable, ordinary people trying to transition into adulthood while dealing with real-world issues and the standard jerk roommate—was jettisoned in favor of seven drunk assholes sleeping with each other and anything else that moved. We’re talking threeways in the hot tub, with cameras capturing every second of it, in the first episode! Gross. Apparently MTV has decided that this debauched gang is precisely the role models young people today need and has brought them all back to live in the same outrageous hotel suite for six more episodes. This is the first of a series of “Real World” reunion mini-series, and I’m hopeful that it does well only so we can see some of the likable older casts, like San Francisco or New Orleans.

“Creature Comforts”
Monday 8pm, CBS

Here’s a weird little entry. Aardman Animations—the studio that brought you claymation duo Wallace & Gromit and the excellent Chicken Run—has created a TV show in which the producers interview everyday people about, well, anything, and then take the answers and put them in the mouths of oddball clay animals. So you’ll have a peppy chicken describing why he fell in love with his hen wife, or two carousing dogs talking about a fine bottle of wine. Yep, it’s definitely summer TV season. But at least it’s not an hour of people playing Bingo!

Categories
Arts

A world of music

Ever fantasize about quitting your office job, leaving town and moving to the beaches of Brazil? Madeline Holly Sales did it. Speaking only Spanish, she lived there for three years, studied music and toured with a band.


“You begin by covering styles, but then you make the music your own,” says bossa nova and samba songstress Madeline Holly Sales of Beleza Brasil.

Sales went to Charlottesville High School and Duke. After college, she traveled in Mexico for a year, and then returned to D.C. to work for the Nature Conservancy. Here in town, she met Malian griot and musician Cheick Hamala Diabaté, who performed regularly at The Prism. She began singing with him in D.C., sometimes in English and sometimes in African dialects that she learned from him.

But Sales did not like the idea of being tied to a desk. She knew that she loved world music, and that she loved living close to the ocean. So in the fall of 2001, she packed up her belongings and moved to Salvador, the capital of the Bahia province of Brazil, known for its deep musical tradition. She began studying samba and bossa nova music, and singing both Brazilian and North American styles. She also started to study Afro-Peruvian percussion, and she was asked to be part of a band that included guitarist Humberto Sales. That band did so well that they spent six months touring outside of Brazil.

Sales says that, as a singer, “you begin by covering styles, but then you make the music your own.” And although she went to Brazil without a great deal of experience as a musician, she feels that she has become a vocalist.

Sales will appear with Humberto and their band Beleza Brasil at Saxx Saturday, June 7, for a multimedia event of music, photos and dance. The duo will have bass and drums backing up their usual show of guitar, vocal, percussion, and rhythm loops. Also, special guest dancer, Kristi O’Brien, will perform a short flamenco vignette as a preview to a Gravity Lounge show June 15th.

Humberto Sales has been working out a group of local drummers who are getting together to play in the big Carnaval style that is very popular in Bahia and quite recognizable here. That group will be on stage when Beleza Brasil opens for Son Quatro at Fridays After 5 at the Charlottesville Pavilion June 22.

Sales not only worked with Cheick Hamala during her time here, she also got to know Estela Knott and Dave Berzonsky. Knott and Berzonsky met in Charlottesville, and spent a good deal of time traveling through Latin America studying music. They formed their band, Lua, with the intention of exploring roots music from all of the Americas. For the last three years, they have been living in Berkeley, California, but they just recorded their second disc of music with some musicians and friends from Peru. The disc has an Afro-Peruvian feel melded with Berzonsky and Knott’s more Western songwriting. You can purchase the disc and watch for Lua when the couple returns to Charlottesville this fall.

                                                            •

You can celebrate WTJU, the radio station that explores world music and all types of music, Saturday, June 2, at Satellite Ballroom. This weekend is Alumni Weekend, and the station expects a number of former DJs to be back in town for WTJU’s 50th Anniversary. And although this is an unofficial event, many current and former TJU jocks are expected to make the scene following a more formal event.

Station manager Charles Taylor says that former DJs and engineers are coming from as far away as California, and that a few DJs from the earliest days of the station, 1956-1959, should make the event. 

Happy hour begins at 7:30pm and the public will get a chance to rub elbows with colorful selectors from bygone eras. Then an early club show of music starts at 9pm, with bands that include current and former DJs. Maynard Sipe’s mid-1990s band Bombpop, with all original members plus guests, will perform. Gate Pratt’s group The Janks will play a set, as well as Dale Kutyna’s mid-1980s band Noman. John Beers of Happy Flowers fame was asked to play a set, but owing to a broken ankle, he is likely to join the music as a guest. RSVPs for the social hour are requested for planning purposes and may be directed to TJUcelebration@gmail.com along with any questions. Also, log onto www.wtju.net, and go to 50th Anniversary Event, and you can check out many details of the event, as well as audiophiles and photos from the past.

Categories
News

County should market local food

On May 9 the Albemarle Board of Supervisors voted to include funding in their new budget for a rural areas support position in the county planning department. Support for this position was a significant win in the campaign to keep Albemarle’s open spaces open.

Albemarle’s agriculture sector has declined steadily in recent decades, even though it is cherished by many and promoted in Albemarle’s land use policies. Most of the decline has been due simply to the difficulty of making a profit with traditional agriculture. Typically, local farmers raise livestock and sell them at auctions, essentially as raw materials of food products. Prices paid for live animals often do not meet the costs of production. Others earn profits possibly in food processing, distribution and retail marketing.

The Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club (on whose behalf I speak) believes that if agriculture is to survive and prosper, Albemarle County’s agricultural sector needs to be transformed, with a new focus on locally grown foods marketed to area residents. Why? First, many consumers want to eat foods they know are produced locally and by practices compatible with natural resource conservation. Second, local marketing allows farmers to add value by processing, distributing and retailing their products. Third, more local marketing can help protect the environment. Profitable farms are more likely to remain in open space. Local marketing lowers food distribution energy costs. Environmental stewardship by farmers can be a marketing plus.

So, why isn’t local marketing pervasive? Consumers must recognize added value in local, sustainably produced foods. Some products cannot be produced locally or may be available only seasonally. Farmers must learn many new skills and accept new financial risks. Still, food producing agriculture is essential to civilization, and we see local marketing as the best, if challenging, path to economic viability
of farms.

Recognizing the possibilities, the rural areas chapter of the Albemarle comprehensive plan, adopted in 2005, calls for creation of an “Agricultural/Forestal Support Program position” that among other things will educate farmers and help develop marketing strategies. This position wasn’t funded in the last budget. Funding for the rural areas support position was recommended in the 2007/2008 budget developed by the county executive. However, supervisors Boyd, Wyant and Dorrier sought a major reduction in the Albemarle property tax rate, jeopardizing funding for many recommended programs, including the direct marketing position. Eventually a compromise reduced tax rate was adopted but this new rate left the marketing position probably unfunded again.

At that point, the Sierra Club wrote to the supervisors proposing that the position be funded out of the Economic Development Opportunity Fund created earlier this year. We were able to enlist assistance in an e-mail campaign from members of EAT Local, an organization concerned with local production and consumption of healthful food. At their budget work session on May 9, supervisors Thomas, Rooker, Slutzky and Dorrier expressed a desire to fund this item, and by the end of the session, funding was provided from reserve funds.

Appointment of a county staff in this position should provide a concentrated effort aimed at developing local agricultural marketing. This person should also help assure that agriculture is promoted in a manner consistent with Albemarle’s commitments to protecting vital natural resources.

Albemarle County’s agricultural sector may be poised now to enter a more prosperous period based on a new focus on local marketing. This transition is hardly certain and won’t happen easily. We are certain, though, that in the path to creation of this position, voices of consumers and environmentalists were heard clearly as a local government reached an important decision regarding an agriculture program. We want more of this.

Tom Olivier is the conservation chair of The Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club. He is a biologist and raises sheep with his wife, Wren, on their farm in southern Albemarle County.

Categories
Living

Shop talk

I recently sat down with John Riggins, Washington Redskins Hall of Famer turned D.C. talk radio host. Here’s what he had to say.

Wes McElroy: New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens has once again been given special considerations: He can leave the team on days he does not pitch. How would “special considerations” have gone over in your Redskins locker rooms?

John Riggins: You’ve got to remember and you’ve got to appreciate that sports has evolved so much in the last 20-30 years, and I am sure the 30 years before I came in the NFL. This is the evolution of the sport and I’m not exactly sure, but I think the old mindset would be: “Who in the hell does this guy think he is?”


Former Redskins running back John Riggins says no GM is a mistake for Washington.

The Redskins have a Hall of Fame head coach and an owner who are willing to spend, but is the missing piece a true football-minded general manager?

Yeah, that’s been my contention all along. I thought the Redskins should have really given that some serious consideration, but to a certain extent, when you pony up that kind of money, you‘ve got to figure at some point you’re going to catch on. Jerry Jones is somebody who came into it but he had a little bit of a football background having played football at Arkansas. He kind of understands a little bit of it and is the general manager of the Dallas Cowboys. I’m not saying Dan Snyder can’t become that. He hasn’t caught on to it as quickly as one would hope. I don’t think there ever was any intention of actually seriously considering getting a GM, and I think that’s a mistake for the Redskins right now.

How different is Coach Gibbs the second go around?

I can’t really speak directly because I’ve had very little contact with Joe since he’s been back. I haven’t been in the locker room and I haven’t been in the meeting room, and the game itself, you know since I’ve last played it, has changed considerably. But from what I’ve seen, I think it’s been a difficult transition for Coach Gibbs, and nobody said it was going to be easy, but when you come in and got three Lombardis on your resumé, you kind of assume: “Let’s go! We’re going to turn this around.” When you look at the second year back and the playoffs, I’m starting to think that was a little bit more flukeish, but then again, you have to look at the league overall, there are a lot of teams that make the playoffs that are there one year and gone the next. Is there any consistency with the Redskins? Right now, you have to say no. After three years there is no consistency. 

Many former players have criticized the benefits and treatments for NFL veterans. Former player and union leader Gene Upshaw is a bull’s eye of that criticism. Is Upshaw the right man for the job?

I think Gene Upshaw does a good job, but Gene needs to change his focus a little bit, and I think he has to remember some of the guys that he was down in the trenches with and, as the popular saying goes, “show them a little love.”

Wes McElroy hosts “The Final Round” on ESPN 840 am. M-F. 4pm-6pm.