Two weeks ago, an illegal dump was discovered in Batesville, at the Crown Orchard property.
The debris reached 8 feet in height. According to the Daily Progress, the dump was filled with tires, batteries, and appliances.
This week, County officials have released an update on the investigation into illegal dumps found on Crown Orchard Property. Three sites are under investigation:
1- The first site that was found in violation last week has been completely cleaned up, according to a press release. The property owner removed 69 tons of debris.
2- The second site contained debris from the orchard and the property owner has agreed to begin the clean up effort, to be finished within 30 days.
3- The third and final site was found to have no violations.
And so it is, brick watchers. We’re quickly approaching our last day together and while BW would love nothing more than to report today’s Downtown goings on…well, that’s just not true. We’d like, even more than that, to reminisce (read: brag). And so, our Top 10 Favorite Brick Watch moments, five from the Head Brick Watcher and five from Bricktern. Enjoy!
5. How fun was this? Just picture BW, sitting in the kitchen of the C-VILLE office, dressing a brick with ribbon. It garnered many a strange (read: jealous) look from coworkers, but all in all, we think it was a success.
4. It takes a very special blogger to concern herself with this sort of thing while on vacay, but that’s just the sort of dedication we here at BW have to you people.
3. We don’t like to brag (OK, that’s a lie), but this was a pretty awesome video. Note the music! The rhythm! The sheer brilliance of the mason’s choreography. Perfection, no?
2. We totally called you out! We’re not trying to take credit for the city sprucing up their blog soon after we posted this (and why would we? It still couldn’t touch Brick Watch!), but there was noticeable improvement (read: copy-catting) in their subsequent posts. We’re just saying is all.
1. What would a true reminiscence be without a look back to the very beginning? We remember that day. Bricktern was just a glimmer in Head Brick Watcher’s eye, and the Mall, nearly untouched, was primed and ready for its big renovation.
Of course, we wish this list could go on longer. Searching through the archives, we realized: (Nearly) every day has been a joyous one. And you, dear brickreaders, have made these last four months go by very quickly.
And now on to Bricktern’s choices! What kind of exciting things will he remember?
….
Hello beautiful brick fans. I can’t believe it’s almost over, and soon we’ll be signing off for good. Tear (all sarcasm aside, and that’s saying a lot for me. I will truly miss this when it’s gone). There’s been some good times, there’s been some annoying dust and jackhammering, and there’s been plenty of laughs. Here’s my top five:
5. Fairly recently BW took a stroll down the Mall for our morning double shot of brickspiration, and found some seriously hilarious stuff. How often do you see a construction worker "relieving" himself on the bricks?
4. April Fool’s Day was fun. Head Brick Watcher tried to suspend Feedback’s stapler in a jello mold (like in The Office) but experienced a bit of a setback. Meanwhile, we decided to mess with your heads a bit. The prank was so successful that even some employees at Barton Malow were freaking out a little.
3. One day, whilst the 300 block was buried under construction machines, dust, and partitions, BW had a stroke of genius while we were spitballing ideas. Crews had just put up a "runway" of sorts, so C-VILLE employees could enter the building. We felt there was only one natural course of action for us.
2. In one of BW’s famous (read: office-wide) brainstorming sessions (usually starting with: "What the heck do we do today?") a coworker came in and told us there was a film crew setting up to make a movie. We went to investigate and ended up getting our big break!
1. What a great finale, no? We had such a great time going around to Mall businesses and spreading the joy. It literally took 15 minutes or more of convincing to get these lovely folks to dance.
Watch the dancing, and be sure to do a little dance yourself. And, after you’re finished, share your own favorite Brick Watch memories! Clearly you must have a few.
An update on the swine flu virus via Lee Catlin, Albemarle County’s spokeswoman: Staff from the Thomas Jefferson Health Department are getting ready to set up a plan of action for a possible outbreak of the virus in the Commonwealth.
“While there have not yet been any swine flu cases confirmed in Virginia as of this morning," reads a press release, "state health department officials do expect the virus to spread and believe that there is substantial possibility that cases will be confirmed in Virginia before long.”
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has set up a website with information on how to prevent infections. Here are the prevention measures they are citing:
* Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
* Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
* Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
* Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.
* Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, as germs spread that way.
* Try not to touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus.
* Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
States confirmed cases
Arizona 1
California 14
Indiana 1
Kansas 2
Massachusetts 2
Michigan 2
Nevada 1
New York 51
Ohio 1
Texas 16 TOTAL COUNTS 91 cases 1 death (Texas) Source: The World Health Organization
Though perhaps not as busy as Tim Granlund, former C-VILLE employee and current air guitar legend by the nom de rock "The Six-String General." And unlike me, Granlund doesn’t make excuses when it comes time to do his job.
"In air guitar, I’ve seen broken ankles, cuts and bruises…even an amputated toe," says Granlund during an eight-part (!) online video series dubbed "How to Play Air Guitar." In the films, Granlund provides invaluable instruction in the areas of performance flair, wardrobe and costumes, and (danger alert) acrobatics.
Words fail me. Fortunately, I have a visual. Good work, Tim!
Let’s poll the audience: How much cash would it take to make you abandon your current job for a life as an air guitarist? Share your stage names and song choices here. (But remember—"No Stairway." Denied!)
Sometimes all the news seems to be about one topic. This week, we have a lot of local stories that ultimately come back to waste: how we deal with it, where it’s going, whether it’s worth any money and how to avoid generating it in the first place. It’s a problem that’s always with us, even if it’s not always explicitly in the headlines.
First of all, the plot of the illegal dump story thickens with this news about two more things that might be illegal dumps on the property of Henry Chiles and/or his Crown Orchard company. I was saying to someone last week that for people who live in the country, it’s no surprise that ad hoc landfills exist; maybe the size of that first Chiles dump is surprising, but that’s about it. It’s all a reminder that no matter how nice our official community systems are, individuals ultimately have the responsibility and power for keeping their our county clean. And not everyone, alas, is on board.
Speaking of official community systems, recycling is not as pretty a picture these days what with the economy bringing down prices for paper and metal, as the Daily Progress reports. The McIntire facility might be closed on Mondays starting in July. That doesn’t mean no recycling, of course, but it’s not exactly the direction you’d hope to see things go.
This is more the direction you’d hope to see things go: the City is setting up a reusable bag program where businesses agree to give a 5-cent rebate at the register to folks who bring their own bags. Lots of people already do that, of course, but incentives can’t hurt. Fewer plastic bags might save us the equivalent of an entire illegal dump someday, folks.
One final thought, ripped off from William McDonough: Waste equals food. Maybe even peaches.
It doesn’t necessarily take power to know power, but it sure as heck takes power to sign power to a management deal. Billboard reports today that country musician Tim McGraw inked a deal with Coran Capshaw’s Red Light Management, and that "McGraw will be joining Dave Matthews Band and Phish as Capshaw’s primary focus."
For his part, McGraw—who has sold more than 40 million albums, released more than 30 No. 1 country singles and plays the slick modern Johnny to Faith Hill’s June Carter—read a prepared statement that praised Capshaw for the usual reasons. Coincidentally, the announcement comes a day after C-VILLE named Coran Capshaw the most powerful player in the local arts scene, citing his involvement with local music venues and the power of his booking agency, Starr Hill Presents, in addition to Red Light and his ATO Records label. (Read the feature here.)
So customize those Google alerts now, country music fans—it may only be a matter of time before Starr Hill Presents announces a Tim McGraw gig at John Paul Jones Arena.
Hello there, brickrollers. Only three more days—despite our slightly misleading counter above this post—until the project is complete! And while that means Brick Watch will no longer be making our way into your homes and your hearts, it does mean that life for Downtown retailers and food-servers will soon return to normal.
Upon realizing this early this morning, Brick Watch thought, We should make people dance! We thought this for a few reasons: First, it would be effing funny. Second, it would give workers Downtown a much-needed outlet for their excitement over the end of the rebricking project.
And so we set out, on a journey of sorts. A journey down the Mall and back up again, searching for happy dancers to participate in our bricksperiment of shame. Lucky for you, we found some! …And we filmed it. Merry Bricksmas!
Oh, and P.S. Many of the people in the video had no idea that it was only three days until the project was complete. Hey, City of Charlottesville: Why don’t they know this? No room in the marketing budget for end-of-project signs? "The end is here." Or, "We’re at our bricks’ end!" Or, "This is the short end of the brick." Those are just some suggestions. Call us if you need more.
P.P.S. A special thanks to employees at Caspari, Mudhouse, The Mole Hole, Splendora, Java Java, Derriere de Soie, Siips and Alakazam for participating!
Ace: I have been hearing an incredibly loud piercing sound the last several days near Tiger Fuel, across from C’Ville Market on Carlton Road. My friend and I traced the sound as far as the RR tracks and the recycling center. I was wondering if you know anything about this odd sound. It is elusive and mostly heard at night.—Mildred Pearce
Millie: Ace certainly knows something about elusive sounds mostly heard at night, but he was unaware of this one. And as much as he wanted to heed the siren’s call, investigating the sound would require working after the hour of 5pm. If Ace makes one exception for a reader, soon he’s not pouring his first drink until 5:15, then 5:20, and so on. Where will the working day stop? Ace has to draw the line somewhere, and he draws it firmly at 5pm. Or 3pm on Fridays.
But Ace couldn’t help but be intrigued by the question of the mysterious noise. So he did what any off-duty reporter would do—he sat around and waited for the reader to pursue the question herself. A week later, Ace received a follow-up from Millie in his mailbox: “I found the high piercing sound to be coming from Lexis Nexis’ compression silo. There are 30 or so belts in it to grind up books, and they are going bad. They, or so says a man from the recycling place 50 yards or so away from the compressor, will not change them until they blow. Since it is getting louder and louder, I plan to get in touch with the company before they blow. Maybe Ace can now go there and hear it.”
Now the ball was really rolling! Answers! Book grinding! Corporate intrigue! Ace does not like to jinx solid investigative work, so he held tight for more correspondence. A few days ago, this message arrived: “I took a friend behind the Carlton Avenue print manufacturing. The compressor is between Worksource Enterprises and Lexis Nexis/Cadmus Communications. Ace will have to sneak around the back near the RR. We went tonight and I’ll be glad to get pictures and sound if he can’t. It’s unbelievably loud.” Yes, please get sound and pictures. Ace will be here tending his scotch.
You can ask Ace yourself. Intrepid investigative reporter Ace Atkins has been chasing readers’ leads for 20 years. If you have a question for Ace, e-mail it to ace@c-ville.com.
Rumors have been swirling about the fate of Blue Light Grill ever since January when owner Coran Capshaw’s director of restaurant operations Michael Keaveny departed to start his own restaurant and then commercial real estate agent and Nook owner Stu Rifkin stepped in to oversee Capshaw’s fleet of eateries that also includes enoteca, Mono Loco, Mas, Ten and the Three Notch’d Grill. First, Restaurantarama heard speculation that Rifkin was planning to turn Blue Light into a sports bar. Then there are the constant rumors that Capshaw is trying to sell off his restaurant businesses, that Rifkin is trying to buy them or that they simply are going to close. Whew, that’s a lot of talk. Turns out none of the above is true according to Rifkin, who sat down with Restaurantarama to share the real news on Blue Light.
From the Si Tapas kitchen, former Charlottesvillian Josh Hutter has taken over as chef at Blue Light Grill.
“We’re transitioning to more classic American seafood,” says Rifkin, who’s been slowly making adjustments to Blue Light’s menu and staff over the last few months with the purpose of making the place “more approachable,” he says.
“No sports bar, no Asian-fusion. Just fresh fish we’re getting locally from Seafood at West Main.” Prices are coming down as well, he says, with most appetizers in the $7-15 range, salads in the $5-7 range and entrées in the $17-25 range. The most expensive entrée will be $25, adds new manager Carrie Throckmorton.
Rifkin and his staff are also making some adjustments to the design and interior of the space—new paint, new chairs, a large chalkboard to indicate daily specials seven days a week. While Blue Light will continue to serve raw bar items such as oysters, the raw bar area of the dining room is being transformed into a bar bar with a new beer cooler. That’s good news for anyone who’s been to Blue Light on a busy weekend and struggles to get through all the congestion to order a beverage at the existing front bar. All these changes are in an effort to accommodate the new theme—or maybe it’s a return to the original theme. “We’ll actually be using the grill again,” says Rifkin.
As for new kitchen staff, Josh Hutter, who returned to Charlottesville from California just a few months ago to take the inaugural chef spot at Si Tapas, has taken over as chef at Blue Light. Turns out Rifkin was Hutter’s first boss years ago in the kitchen at Rococo’s—the Italian restaurant that used to occupy the La Cocina del Sol spot on Commonwealth Avenue. Pei Chang, long-time sous chef at Ten, is taking over as executive sous chef of Blue Light as well. According to Rifkin, Chang’s new two-part role is part of a plan to “make these two assets work together rather than separately.”
Over all of them in the organization is General Manager Dan Cotting, who is also the sommelier and General Manager at enoteca.
As for precisely what Rifkin’s role is in the organization, he is a bit vague:
“My relationship with Mr. Capshaw is between Coran and me.” But he says, “This is a long-term partnership.”
For his part, McGraw—who has sold more than 40 million albums, released more than 30 No. 1 country singles and plays the slick 
