Month: July 2009

Just curious: Alex George of Just Curry fame has applied for an ABC mixed beverage, beer and wine license to put some kind of food establishment into this Fry’s Spring-area landmark.

First, a bit of breaking news: Alex George, owner of Just Curry, is behind a new project at the old Fry’s Spring Service Station on Jefferson Park Avenue. We’ve noticed George coming in and out of the place since the station closed up shop earlier this year after 70 years in business. And now George and his partners have applied for an ABC mixed beverage, beer and wine license. Likely, George has a bit more time on his hands since his flagship Just Curry location closed on the Corner a few months ago (the small outpost in the Downtown Transit Center is still open). When the project is revealed it’s likely to maintain the integrity of the old garage’s circa 1930s bones and character: The building is on the Virginia Landmarks Register and its exterior vintage architecture is protected by oversight from the city’s Board of Architectural Review.

More to say on Crozet

Next, an update on news we shared two weeks ago. We told you that Trailside Coffee—the coffeehouse going into the Old Trail Village Center in Crozet—would open on July 6. We jumped the gun a bit on that. Turns out Trailside will have its grand opening along with all the other new businesses in the Center, including a wine bar called da Luca and an outpost of JPA area favorite Anna’s Pizza, on July 18. We stopped into Trailside to check on the progress and found owners Marcia McGee and her brother, Bill Campbell—yes, that Bill Campbell, Western Albemarle High School alumnus and its first horse-riding mascot (oh, and he’s also a Hollywood actor)—hard at work hammering and painting and getting the 1,600-square-foot space ready to serve Intelligentsia Direct Trade coffees (a step beyond “Fair Trade” in that beans are purchased directly from growers without use of a potentially corrupt middleman), courtesy of the roasters at Williamsburg Coffee & Tea Company and 100 percent fruit smoothies, as well as sweet and savory edibles, including sandwiches, soups, salads, baked goods, bagels from Agnes’ Very Very out of Verona and ice cream from Chaps.

McGee, who grew up in the area (“I was a Martha Jefferson baby”) and was familiar with Old Trail when it wasn’t yet a subdivision (“I  used to ride my four-wheeler around this farm”) is happy to finally be getting her shop opened 10 months behind schedule. She’s been serving her coffee from a cart at the Old Trail pro shop since July, where she thought she’d only be for two months. The commercial developers’ delay in getting the Old Trail Village Center built has been somewhat of a blessing, however, as it has given McGee, who was in the spa industry before becoming a barista, time to hone her new craft and attend American Barista & Coffee School in Portland, Oregon.

Trailside will offer all the fancy espresso drinks and periodic coffee “cupping” events for those interested in educating themselves on the myriad flavor profiles of java. But for those of you Old Trailers who just want a cup of caffeine for your daily drive into Charlottesville or whatever, McGee says she plans to set out a drip station with an “honesty box” so you need not deal with a cashier let alone a long line of vanilla-soy-latte-extra-foam folks.

 

When Tim and Dory Doyle made their grand entrance into their wedding reception three months ago, one honored guest almost stole the spotlight. “You can actually rent the Hokie bird for $200,” says Dory, who managed every aspect of the big day. The feathered Virginia Tech mascot preceded them into the Farmington ballroom to the tune of “Enter Sandman,” the same song that inspires the Tech football team before games. Even Dory’s father, a UVA fan, wanted a picture with the bird. Dory also surprised her new husband with his own cake replica of the Tech football stadium.

Although the bride still opted to wear traditional white instead of maroon and orange, the reception was rich in sports symbolism. That day, in front of hundreds of cheering fans, Tim and Dory began their marriage like a game they were about to play forever, hard knocks and all. 

Tim Doyle and Dory Tucker April 4, 2009 Photo by Sarah Cramer

Tim and Dory were born months apart at Martha Jefferson Hospital, but they didn’t meet until they were both seniors at Albemarle High School. “I was a drama nerd and he was a jock,” she says. They started dating right before prom and never looked back. Dory spent her freshman year at Vanderbilt and then transferred to Tim’s Virginia Tech, where they both graduated in 2007.

When the two returned for a weekend in Blacksburg, Tim drove Dory to a duck pond on campus where the two used to walk together in the evenings. “We were both ready [to get engaged], but I had to do something a little bit special,” says Tim. Dory was surprised that her occasional searches hadn’t turned up the ring. “I had the ring for a month and a half,” says her husband proudly. 

When the two were engaged, Dory’s parents presented them with a fixed amount of money, saying “We challenge you to make your dream wedding on this budget.” Tim and Dory were up to the task. They made their own invitations, designed save-the-dates for free online, and incorporated a candy buffet in their reception (which some young cousins discovered before the ceremony).

“It was neat trying to be thrifty,” says Dory. “When we have kids that’s how we’re going to do it.” In fact Dory did such a professional and creative job that her friend chose her to help plan her April 2010 wedding. But Tim was also involved in the planning sessions: “I provided some of the muscle,” he says. “Although it doesn’t take much to fold invitations.” 
It rained every day during the week leading up to the wedding, which took place on the couple’s sixth anniversary. It was still cold and windy at their rehearsal dinner. “Some of our family almost got blown over,” says Tim. But the day of the wedding was sunny and exquisite, making the couple happy they’d chosen just a week before to hold the ceremony outside.

And in keeping with what Dory says makes their marriage work—“Every day we laugh together”—it’s been sunny days ever since.

Really? Free?

In the spirit of freecycle and freesales, here’s another national trend that’s easy on your wallet: Really Really Free Markets. They’re events held in cities across the country where folks can show up with their excess belongings, and other folks can browse and take what they want—no bartering, payment, or haggling necessary. We all win when waste decreases, right? Plus, the markets tend to feature music and food.

Charlottesville’s not on the bandwagon yet, but Richmond is. The capital city’s RRFM is held the last Saturday of every month in Monroe Park. Check out myspace.com/rvafreemarket for details. Yeah, we know it’s not that green to drive to Richmond for free stuff, but if you’re gonna be there anyway, by all means: Help yourself.—Erika Howsare

Less is more green

Hey, homeowners! If you’re a Dominion customer, a change is coming to your electric meter that’s meant to help conserve energy in the community.

On June 16, a group of notable Virginia figureheads including Governor Tim Kaine and Dominion CEO Thomas Farrell, along with local officials, announced the establishment of a new program called SmartGrid Charlottesville. This energy-efficiency program has now made Charlottesville the first city in the state and one of the first in the nation to be on a “smart grid” network.

A smart grid network is a two-way communication system that sends information directly between a power source, in this case Dominion, and energy customers, through the use of “smart meters” in customers’ homes.

Through these meters, the company says it can significantly reduce the amount of power being used. According to Dominion, the smart meters will reduce usage by 4 percent or more for typical residential customers and remove 12,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. In the future, the company says we’ll be able to shift power usage to off-peak times to save more money.

As of June 1, 22,000 smart meters had been installed locally. By the end of the year, Dominion plans to have 46,500 installed in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. If you would like more information, check out dom.com/about/conservation/smartgrid-charlottesville.jsp.—Caroline Edgeton

Green gadgets that are really worth it

Far be it from Betty to promote the latest, greatest green gizmo with a hefty price tag and made-in-China label, but I believe your pocketbook and the planet will appreciate these eco-gadgets. 

The Smart Strip delivers “bang for your buck,” says Betty.

The Smart Strip “is still the best bang for your buck as far as green gadgets,” according to Paige Mattson of the Blue Ridge Eco Shop. Given our love of Plasma HD, LCD, TV, and all things bright and flashy, it behooves all of us to conserve energy in any way we can. This powerstrip can sense when devices are on and off and acts accordingly to eliminate any excess energy drain. Reviews suggest the cost (around $40) can be recouped within months.
 
So many items in our home require the use of batteries, why not use solar battery chargers? They now come in all shapes, sizes, and options. Ubergreen geeks will love the HyMini which has an option to collect wind power while you jog, bike or ski! Given the wide price range, consider your budget and remember solar power requires some planning and patience.

Finally, two gadgets which conserve our most precious resource: water. No plumber is needed for the Controllable Flush, a five-part handle replacement, which converts a standard toilet into dual flush. After all, not every flush needs a full flush. (If it’s yellow…). A two-person household can save 15,000 gallons of water per year depending on your toilet!  

The five-minute shower timer is simple, durable and costs $5. Suction cup this (recycled) plastic covered hourglass to a relatively dry area to help you to cut down your shower time.—Betty World Betty

 

 

LEAPing forward

“We bought this house when you could buy a house in Charlottesville,” says city resident Ingrid Feggans. Even though she is proud to own her house, the cost of power has been quite a burden for her.

Through the help of community outreach programs including SPARK and the Quality Community Council (QCC), she has gotten assistance this year with such energy-efficiency upgrades as an on-demand water heater, heat-retaining foam in her basement, and weatherization of windows and doors. “I have noticed a little bit of a change in (my utility bill),” says Feggans, “but when the winter comes, I’m excited to see what will happen.”

Standing outside Feggans’ home on June 23, Mayor Dave Norris announced a new city program called LEAP (Local Energy Alliance Program), which will launch in January and is meant to provide many more residents the kind of assistance Feggans received. “LEAP will pick up where (community programs) have left off,” Norris said. Through a revolving loan structure funded largely by federal stimulus money, as many as 2,000 homes will receive upgrades in 2010 and 2011. Look to hear a lot more about LEAP as this far-reaching program gets underway.—C.E. and E.H.

Become a fan of moving in the proper direction.

Blade basics

We don’t have to tell you it’s hot around here at this time of year. If you’re like us, you’re sleeping under a ceiling fan in hopes of catching some decent Zs. But did you know that its blades need to be turning counterclockwise in order to function properly? It’s true: Ceiling fans have winter and summer settings. In winter, blades turn clockwise to force warm air down. In summer, they do exactly the opposite.

If yours are spinning the wrong way, get yourself on a stepladder (careful! and turn the fan off, for pete’s sake!) and check for a toggle switch on the body of the fan. Flip it, step down, and enjoy a much cooler breeze as you snuggle off to sleep.—E.H.

Just getting to the house that Richard Hewitt is building for himself and his wife requires some work. The road starts out innocently enough, skirting a Crozet apple orchard, but quickly devolves into a rock-strewn, rutted beast which climbs a steep mountainside to the wooded spot that is Hewitt’s homesite. It’s here that the real work begins: Hewitt, the sommelier at Keswick Hall and an experienced contractor, is constructing a house largely of salvaged materials, and doing it almost singlehandedly.

Such conditions, of course, require ingenuity. For example, the normal procedure is to frame exterior walls, install windows, then add siding and trim. That takes more than one worker. So Hewitt built his exterior walls in sections lying on the ground, finished them right down to the paint and caulk, then jacked them up to vertical and attached them to each other.

The project also shows a love for historical detritus (perhaps honed when Hewitt spent time renovating houses in Portugal). The inside of the house resembles the Habitat Store (at which Hewitt is a regular customer): It’s stacked with porch columns, 40 French doors from Keswick that Hewitt’s using as windows, light fixtures and many other elements that will someday find their place in the scheme of things.

Hewitt has to be willing to take materials when they present themselves, not necessarily when he needs them. Take, for example, half of his roof shingles. “I was driving to Richmond on 64 and I was about 20 miles past Charlottesville,” he remembers. A palette of shingles had fallen off a truck, and the driver was busy trying to clean up the mess. Hewitt stopped to help and just happened to mention, when they were not quite finished, that he was looking for some shingles for his house.

The driver, of course, offered him the rest of his scattered stock, and drove off, leaving Hewitt to load as many as he could onto his pickup and then conceal the rest in the woods until he could come back. A police officer came along and questioned him as he was doing this. “You expect me to believe that?” he said in response to Hewitt’s explanation. “It’s too weird not to, isn’t it?” replied Hewitt. “Yeah, you’re right,” said the cop.—Erika Howsare

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“People say, ‘I can’t believe you built this all yourself.’ I’ve tried hiring people. But if they’re good, they cost a lot. If they’re not, you spend all day following them around. Since there are two jacks [when raising walls] and there’s only me, I have to go side by side. The wall torques a little. So I have to redo a little caulk and paint.

“I just found this [three-part kitchen counter] at Habitat—it’s from the Virginia Store in Stanardsville. When they were moving it, they thought it broke, but that’s just how it is. The chimney pots are from a Harlow Powell auction. Those are my favorite thing.

“The lumber in the roof is from a Better Living truck sale. The ceiling wood is from a lady’s fence. She said it was all taken down; just load it up. You can’t resist that. That light [a heavy green-shaded chandelier with fringe] is from over the billiard table at Keswick. Those doors are from Habitat; I think they were from a church.

“I end up using 99 percent of what I buy. This is the stuff [lumber] that came from the ark in Crozet [built for the filming of Evan Almighty]. It was in panels. That was the only time I got stuck up here; I had a 24-foot U-Haul in the creek. The flooring is from a factory; those lights were in a gym in Ruckersville.

“I went a little crazy on Craiglist. I have this amazing corbel collection. They’re from all over the U.S., mostly New England.

“The plywood came from the [renovation of] the Jefferson Theater. That was perfect timing. But there were so many nails in it. [When I was loading it] I had no gloves; I was bleeding. I had to get a tetanus shot.

“If you’re patient, stuff sort of falls in your lap.”