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News

Your pain is the city's gain

Pesky parking tickets got you down? With the dearth of free parking spots in the city and expensive lot fees, parking illegally is increasingly tempting. While no one wants to get caught, take solace in the fact that when you do, at least those fines are going to a good cause.


When you see one of these bad boys on your car, don’t throw a ticket tantrum. Just think about your money being put to good use by city government for, say, a few extra seconds of corporate training.

According to Ric Barrick, city spokesman, the city makes about $1,000 to $1,500 a month in parking tickets, all of which goes into general city funds. With parking fines earning an annual revenue between $12,000 and $18,000, we decided to look into the city budget and see what the amount of average illegal parking decisions could add up to buy.

Unfortunately, Charlottesville’s looking for pricey upgrades in the upcoming year, and those fees can’t really buy much on their own. With all the parking fines, the city can possibly pay for half of the $35,000 "corporate training fund" for city employees. It could get close to covering the $25,000 cost of providing weed cutting on sidewalks, drains, and curbs for the city’s right-of-way areas. Or it could get lost in the sea of local school funding, at best a mere 0.05 percent of that $38.3 million expenditure.

So next time you’re feeling risky and are tempted by a yellow curb spot, think of the worst case scenario in terms of the overall civic gain. This year, maybe our efforts can actually buy something in full.

C-VILLE welcomes news tips from readers. Send them to news@c-ville.com.

Categories
News

City man kills girlfriend, himself

A day after Christmas, a dispute between two city residents ended in deadly violence. On December 26, Sanada C. Monroe, 21, was shot and killed inside her apartment at 810 Hardy Dr. by her 19-year-old boyfriend.


The Westhaven community suffered a tragic outburst of violence on December 26 when Khalil Akeem Powell, 19, shot and killed his girlfriend, Sanada C. Monroe, 21, inside her apartment. Powell then killed himself.

Khalil Akeem Powell shot Monroe, then left her apartment and walked to the building’s parking lot. There he shot himself once in the head. According to police, there were a number of witnesses to both shootings. Monroe and Powell were taken to the UVA Hospital, where Monroe was pronounced dead.

According to city spokesperson Ric Barrick, a neurologist pronounced Powell clinically brain dead on Wednesday, December 27, at around 2pm. Though he didn’t have any brain activity, Powell was then placed on a respirator because he was an organ donor.

"His mom is in a federal penitentiary, and it was difficult getting in touch with her," says Barrick.

Powell was later taken off the respirator and pronounced dead, said a UVA Hospital spokesperson. Barrick says that he expected that to happen sometime Thursday afternoon, but the hospital spokesperson couldn’t confirm that.

Detective Jim Mooney of the Charlottesville Police Department says he is unsure if Powell was living in the apartment with Monroe. The police do know Powell was a Charlottesville resident because of Powell’s past run-ins with the law. According to The Daily Progress, Powell was out on bail after stabbing Robert Banks, Jr. in the head with a butcher knife. There was a warrant out for Powell’s arrest on the day he killed Monroe.

"His exact address I wouldn’t know," says Mooney. "In fact, I would say he has no fixed address."

The December 26 shootings were the city’s third murder this year. Two occurred around the same place: the 800 block of Hardy Drive. On June 21, 28-year-old William Miller Herndon, a Charlottesville resident, was found unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds. He later died at UVA Hospital.

On November 9, the body of Jayne Warren McGowan was discovered in her apartment by her co-workers. Police later arrested William Douglas Gentry, 22, and Michael Stuart Pritchett, 18, and charged them with her murder.

C-VILLE welcomes news tips from readers. Send them to news@c-ville.com.

Categories
News

Double H Farmers waive hearing

Richard Bean and Jean Rinaldi were originally scheduled to appear in Charlottesville General District Court at 1pm for their December 27 preliminary hearing on charges of selling uninspected meat at the Charlottesville City Market. Local entrepreneur and activist Jody Joy sat on a wooden court bench, waiting for not only the judge to enter the room but also the Double H farmers who, unbeknownst to her, had already waived their right to a hearing that morning. "We need to show our support for our local farmers because we may have to rely on them in the near future," Joy said. "Not just support," she elaborated, "but work to strengthen their current efforts and cement the alignment of their interests with ours."


Double H farmer Richard Bean (right), with his partner Jean Rinaldi, will have to appear in Charlottesvile Circuit Court because of a felony charge that he intended to defraud customers that his pork was organic.

Previous Double H coverage:

Double H Farmers Plead guilty
Must have state inspect farm kitchen

All you can’t eat
The Double H Farm case highlights how local meat farmers just can’t swallow government food regulations

Nelson County for Double H
Supervisors to write letter to General Assembly

Double H farmers busted for selling pork
Nelson County couple hit with 12 counts for selling “life-transforming” food

Previous local food coverage:

Food fights
Charlottesville is a hub for the new local food movement. But what happens when food gets to be more political than flavorful?

The $5 tomato
How upscale produce, a status symbol for the new foodies, is saving local farms

Bean and Rinaldi were arrested on their Wingina farm in September by state and local police and ultimately charged with 11 misdemeanors each for selling uninspected pork that Bean—a lifelong butcher—had raised and killed himself. A felony charge of selling uninspected meat with intent to defraud was added for Bean in Charlottesville.

The farmers were last in court for four misdemeanors in Nelson County. They pleaded guilty to only one misdemeanor, a suspended fine, and a year of probation with a number of conditions. On December 12 in that county’s General District Court, Judge Joseph Serkes actually encouraged the farmers in their efforts to change the law that had brought them into his courtroom. "He wished us luck in modifying the regulations," Rinaldi says. "It was like a weight taken off our shoulders."

In Charlottesville, Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Claude V. Worrell has required that their matter be resolved in Circuit Court, a mandate he says is common when a felony is involved, as it is with Bean. "We intend to honor and respect the Commonwealth’s approach," confirms Bean’s attorney Steve Rosenfield. As part of their Nelson County plea, the farmers agreed to act within the boundaries of state law.

To that end, they have already begun to outfit their own premises with the necessary measures, installing washable walls as well as printing up new cards and invoices with the words "Certified Organic" removed. Local farmers are also helping craft legislation for the upcoming General Assembly, such as a bill that would allow on-farm sales of processed hogs. Bean and Rinaldi’s circuit court appearance is scheduled for February 19.

C-VILLE welcomes news tips from readers. Send them to news@c-ville.com.

Categories
News

Tensions flare at Farmington

Burnt pizza was the least of Farmington Country Club‘s worries when an oven fire caused substantial devastation to the property four years ago. Today, Farmington is seeking $1.3 million in damages with an Albemarle County Circuit Court case against the cleaning company it says directly caused the fire.


The Farmington Country Club blames Cannon’s High Pressure Cleaning, Inc. for a 2003 grease fire that started within the vent hood and ductwork of a brick pizza oven located in one of the restaurants in the country club.

On November 3, 2003, a fire started within the vent hood and ductwork of a brick pizza oven located in one of the restaurants in the country club. The fire spread to the roof and caused extensive damage to the entire premises. According to the complaint, officials concluded that an accumulation of grease in the exhaust ductwork, which was then ignited by embers in the wood-burning oven, caused the fire.

Up to that point, Farmington had relied on Cannon’s High Pressure Cleaning, Inc. of Farmville, Virginia, to clean its oven equipment on a quarterly basis. Cannon’s had sole responsibility for the cleanliness of the oven equipment and thus, Farmington is placing sole blame on Cannon’s for the fire. As stated in the complaint, the cost of the damages to Farmington amounted to $1.3 million, which it has requested from Cannon’s and not yet received.

Farmington is now seeking legal justice against Cannon’s with a complaint consisting of five counts, all revolving around the inability of the company to fulfill its responsibilities in a professional and non-negligent manner. Cannon’s is formally accused of negligence, breach of contract, breach of express and implied warranties and gross negligence. Shortly after the complaint was issued, Cannon’s contested two of the charges, but the judge denied its request and all five counts are still being heard.

The trial date for the case is June 9, 2008. In the meantime, Cannon’s has filled out a mediation certification form, suggesting that it is seeking an alternative means of resolution.

C-VILLE welcomes news tips from readers. Send them to news@c-ville.com.

Categories
News

Car lost, found, lost, found

O.K., so, you’re at this party off of Barracks Road. You just got a job as a waitress, and this is one of those restaurant parties. Everyone is happy, a pipe is probably going around and there is beer and wine everywhere. At some point you drop your purse and keys on a table and wander around. Hours later, when you come back, your eyelids just a tad heavier, the keys are not there. You go outside to check on your car, a 2007 Hyundai your mom bought you last Christmas, but—like your keys—it is gone. What the…?

Something like this actually happened to Free Union resident Shannon Bird. She pieced it together that a drunk must have grabbed her keys and stolen her car, but while she was trying to decide just who, the police pulled him over on the other side of town. By the time Bird called in a stolen vehicle report, the absconder was imprisoned and her vehicle towed away.

A month and a half later, Bird was still without a car when her insurance company called. Her car had been found. All along it was at Charlottesville Wrecker Service and they asked for $500 for its return. In the meantime, Bird had lost her job at the restaurant and her child’s spot in preschool, so when she found out that the car had been in a nearby tow yard this whole time, she was pissed. After a conversation yelling at the county and city police—and being yelled at in return—she called C-VILLE.

But luckily for Bird, the city—namely one Captain Bryant Bibb—agreed to pay the tow yard fines, and she now has her car back, albeit with some sort of dent.

C-VILLE welcomes news tips from readers. Send them to news@c-ville.com.

Categories
News

Previous coverage revisited


Gerry Mitchell

On December 11, we reported that the court date for Gerry Mitchell, a wheelchair-bound man who was hit by an Albemarle County cop and ticked for it, was moved back to January 3. Charlottesville Commonwealth’s Attorney Dave Chapman now says that the City of Charlottesville will ask the city’s General District Court to dismiss the ticket against Gerry Mitchell when he makes his court appearance. Mitchell, a local painter, was hit by a county police car as he was crossing W. Main Street. After being taken to the UVA Hospital, Mitchell was issued a ticket because, according to city police, he did not have the right of way. The provision under which Mitchell was cited, however, deals specifically with crosswalk signals that use the words "Walk" and "Don’t Walk." Because the intersection in which Mitchell was hit has flashing symbols instead of words, Chapman says that the provision did not apply to Mitchell’s case.

Categories
Arts

The C-VILLE Minute! [video]

Brendan Fitzgerald also writes Curtain Calls, C-VILLE’s weekly arts column. Read this week’s column here.

Categories
Living

Holiday hideout

We made a big mistake when we stopped by Beer Run late afternoon on Christmas Eve to chat with co-owner and daily operations guy John Woodriff. We were interested in checking out the place now that it has been open for a few weeks and finding out from Woodriff how things were going at this Carlton Road beer, wine and cheese store/café/bar/sandwich shop/all-things-to-all-people place. Because, personally speaking, Restaurantarama had already stocked up with holiday necessities—wine, the fixings for seven-layer cookies, wine, dinner rolls, wine, cheese for the cheese ball, wine—we assumed Beer Run would be quiet and slow and that we’d have plenty of time to converse with Woodriff. Boy, were we caught by surprise when we discovered the place was hopping at 3:30pm. There were shoppers perusing the store’s beer and organic wine selections, several folks chatting loudly in the café seating area and a half a dozen patrons bellied up to bar. All of them were keeping Woodriff on his toes ringing people up, bringing second and third rounds of drinks and taking sandwich orders. He was way too busy to speak with us, and from the looks of Woodriff’s harried face, the pace had been similarly hectic all day.


One thing at a time: Co-owner John Woodriff readies some beer for selling in his beer, wine and cheese store/café/bar/sandwich shop/all-things-to-all-people place, Beer Run.

That’s O.K. The hustle and bustle spoke volumes about how this business is faring. And observing the light-filled and airy space—more bright and cheery coffeehouse than seedy saloon despite the impressive 14 beers on tap—we could easily see how folks could be encouraged to guiltlessly throw a few back well before 5pm on a weekday, especially on a day when they should have been home getting annoyed with relatives like the rest of us.

The cupcake condition

In a 2006 Time magazine article, Joel Stein said, "Our society’s twisting of the cupcake’s role has become a sickness."  He was referring to the nation’s growing obsession with specialty cupcake boutiques such as Sprinkles, the Beverly Hills-based shop-gone-global-chain, and Magnolia, the Greenwich Village-based cupcake bakery made famous on "Sex and the City." Stein lamented that Americans’ preoccupation with cupcakes was obfuscating the market for more time and skill-intensive baked goods —like canelés, for instance. Well, for one, Mr. Stein, we don’t even know how to pronounce canelés, but two, we don’t really care if cupcakes are the comfort food simpletons of the dessert world. If cupcake love is an illness, then we’ve got a bad case. And apparently, so do you, dear readers. It’s only been a few weeks since a new local cupcake venture called Cupcakes & Co. has been supplying from-scratch goodies to local gourmet food shop Feast!, and already the things have been selling, like, well, hotcakes and getting lots of local blog buzz on cvillain.com.

Restaurantarama is partial to the Dark Chocolate Cake with White Chocolate Cream Filling and Dark Chocolate Frosting, which is like a gourmet riff on the Hostess cupcake, but all of the six current flavors available at Feast!—Almond Cake with Almond Buttercream Frosting and Red Velvet Cake with Vanilla Cream Frosting, for instance—are deliciously moist morsels made from high-quality ingredients. There’s really no comparison to the mass-produced grocery store junk that your mom brought to your third grade birthday party at the roller rink—except, of course, for the childlike glee you feel when you peel away that little paper wrapper.

The two local women behind the cakes currently are supplying Feast! with 12-15 dozen a week, and all of it’s made out of one of the pair’s—UVA grad Kieran Matthews—tiny home kitchen. So may we soon expect a Cupcakes & Co. storefront to fulfill our ultimate this-ain’t-LA-or-NYC-but-we-have-decent-sushi-and-a-cupcake-boutique-so-it-might-as-well-be fantasy? The two aren’t making any promises about that just yet, but Matthews says, "We have 20 other flavors that are available for special orders and that we hope to introduce in the near future." And the two say to look for Cupcakes & Co. fare to make appearances at other local retailers.

Got some restaurant scoop? Send tips to restaurantarama@c-ville.com or call 817-2749, Ext. 48.