Month: October 2011

Categories
Living

Abode: Turning around a bad bathroom

Though it’s small, we expect a lot out of the bathroom. It’s a place where we go to escape, to groom, to pamper, and to well, you know. If you’re a renter, or living in a small space, you most likely only have the one bathroom to share. We can’t lock the door and ask our guests to do their business at the Shell Station down the street—and to make things more challenging, when it comes to rentals, most bathrooms are designed for function over form. From dealing with dated tile to conquering your clutter, a quick, inexpensive bathroom makeover can keep sound design from slipping down the drain. 

Photo by John Robinson.

Many renters and owners alike are plagued with unattractive bathroom finishes and fixtures, from soap-scummed shower tile to dingy peel-and-stick flooring. The key is to work with what you have. When possible, make “mistakes” look purposeful.  

For example, one of the bathrooms in my house is covered in Pepto pink deco tile. Unable to remove the tile, and unable to ignore it, I embraced it. By selecting a new shower curtain, towels, and accessories that complement the pink tile, I made it part of a deliberate scheme. 

If you’re able to paint, awesome. (Semi-gloss works well and still cleans in damp conditions.) A contrasting color will help draw the eye away from your eyesore and make the old feel new again. Pink and gray are a beautiful combination, or pink and green if you’re feeling particularly preppy. Add a fun and colorful bathmat to distract from the lackluster floor. Make your own vinyl mat by priming, painting, and cutting a shape out of a roll of vinyl flooring. Seal it with some marine varnish for a unique, waterproof floor covering. 

Measure your towel bars and hooks, and then swap them out for new, inexpensive, stainless steel fixtures. They’ll add a fresh, modern touch to the space, and if you stick to the same size, you won’t have to drill any new holes. If your landlord left you hanging out to dry, consider an over the door towel bar or some command adhesive hooks. If you’re stuck with a dirty and depressing glass shower enclosure, consider masking it with peel and stick frosted window film on the outside of the glass (allow it to dry out/adhere before using the shower). 

With all the “functions” that happen in the bathroom, there can in turn, be a lot of clutter. You don’t want to feel claustrophobic in what’s already a small space. Start by sprucing up your vanity. Empty out your cabinetry. Toss all of the products that are unused or expired. Remove excess packaging for a cleaner look. Replace cabinetry knobs with new ones to add a personal touch to dated fixtures. (Anthropologie is great for inspiration.) 

If you’re short on storage space, avoid cluttering surfaces. A few wicker baskets are great for storing paper products, and necessities. Or how about an over-the-door, clean vinyl shoe organizer to hold your extra toiletries and smaller items—a fun and efficient way to stay clean and organized. Avoid unnecessary items like knick knacks and picture frames. They’ll only take up space. 

With a few easy steps, and a few bucks, you can take your dated bathroom from washed out to overflowing with style.—Ed Warwick

Before joining the ABODE team, Ed Warwick was the author of “Simply Cville,” a blog about D.I.Y. design, entertaining, and home improvement projects. A UVA grad, Ed currently works as the Coordinator of LGBT Student Services under the University’s Dean of Students.

On tape

Is duct tape really all that it claims to be? I think not.

In my experience, the adhesive on this supposed “cure-all” inevitably turns into a gummy, gooey mess and often makes the problem worse.

In fact, duct tape was never intended for use on ductwork at all (for that, you’ll need a fire resistant, foil tape). Duct (or “duck”, as it was more likely originally named) tape was created for military use back in the 1940s and has been used for emergency, in-field repairs on Army Jeeps and boats, and has even saved lives aboard NASA spacecraft. 

Civilians, it seems, tend to use duct tape more for fashion and hazing than anything else. Yes, you can patch holes in inner tubes, hoses and kiddie pools—I’ve done it and it wasn’t worth the effort. You can also bundle things such as computer cords and use it to hang stuff from walls, like posters and small children, apparently. But getting the stuff off cleanly and without further damage is a major hurdle. 

If you are looking for a strong, useful and removable, fabric-backed tape, I recommend gaffer tape. True, you might not find it in hot pink zebra stripes, but when you need to keep your vehicle’s taillight in place until you get to the mechanic, it will do the trick. Traditionally used in television, film and theatre, gaffer tape can be precisely torn by hand and is employed in “the industry” to keep cables and cords tidy (among myriad other uses). It comes in a variety of widths and several colors. In the home, the tape can be used in small pieces as labels for containers of fasteners and tool drawers, to create an ant trap, to fix holes in everything from hoses to pants, and the list goes on. 

The big benefit of gaffer tape is that it is made with synthetic rubber, offering the bonus of clean removal (read: no sticky mess). You can use it, just like duct tape, to tape a dorm room shut. But at least with gaffer tape, you’re more likely to get your deposit back at the end of the year.—Christy Baker

Christy Baker is a local Jane-of-all-trades. Whether it’s fixing furniture, building a chicken coop or maintaining her roller skates, this creative mom of two always keeps a toolbox (or at least some gaffer tape) handy.

Categories
Living

Abode: A nod to the past

The 300-square-foot studio apartment where Sean Santiago lives is not easy to find. Hidden behind an iron gate and an urban, ivy filled garden, the space is a refuge for the local designer, writer and photographer. In it, he’s created a home that tells a story of who he is and what he likes. 

Photo by Nick Strocchia.

In Santiago’s favorite corner, amongst stacks of fashion magazines that are piled almost waist-high, there’s a white mirror that has a collection of vintage black-and-white photographs sticking around the edges. In fact, Santiago’s entire space, like he himself, is a nod to the past. 

“Almost my whole wardrobe is vintage. I would say that my aesthetic vibe is secondhand glamour.” A true embracer of all things local, Santiago is adamant about furnishing his apartment with Charlottesville finds or hand-me-downs from his family, who live in Crozet. “So much of what I have is stuff my mom thought was ugly!” 

Having just gotten back from a year he spent in China (a collection of his photographs will be on display this October at Artifacts), Santiago betrays an Asian influence: pops of bold, primary colors, like a kelly green bench he spray painted. Santiago, who “loves a good floral pattern,” surrounds himself with retro finds, all the while making sure his belongings have a place to go. “That way, if things get a bit hectic, cleaning involves putting everything back where it belongs.”—Cate West Zahl

In his own words…

“It was definitely fun coming into this small space and expressing myself, but it’s harder for me to design interiors because my vision that I have in my head for a space doesn’t easily manifest itself. There’s something so immediate with fashion and putting together an outfit; a room takes much longer. I’ve definitely taken my time with this space. Everything is very edited. 

“Respecting your belongings is important. I think that when you don’t respect your belongings, it’s reflected in your space, and that’s when it turns into an episode of ‘Hoarders’ or something!

“My great aunt lived in Panama, and that painted candlestick holder was a gift to my grandmother, and it was out in my parents’ dining room. I’m pretty sure my mom thought it was ugly, but I thought it was cool, so I took it! That’s actually how I acquired a lot of items in the apartment—I had a vision for something that was going to be discarded or was in storage.

“I’m a total form over function person. I’m like ‘It doesn’t function at all, that’s O.K., it looks good!’ And that’s very true in everything I have. The books here, the magazines, I can’t read them. But they look good in the stacks. I mean yes, there are days when I take apart the piles, but it just feels like a mess. 

“I love a good floral pattern. I love color, especially really bold, primary colors. The walls are white, because it is easier. I painted it this color because in the end I thought it would be more peaceful. Before I moved in, I did a month of cleaning up and painting. I polished it up. The space really felt like a blank slate that I could slowly make my own.

“I like creating little moments or vignettes around my space. It’s almost like ‘merchandising’ your areas, if that makes sense. Even the bedside table has surprises. There’s an Hermes box, hidden under the ‘Arrested Development’ DVD case! Which is all under War and Peace, of course.”

 

UPDATE: Ten Albemarle students hospitalized after bus accident

Press release from Fire Chief Charles Werner: 

Update: After closing McIntire Road to unload injured students and transport them to the hospital, Werner reports that the road has reopened.

Members of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad and Charlottesville Fire Department provide medical treatment for 10 students on an Albemarle County School bus involved in an accident. Ten students are being treated and transported to local hospitals as a precaution. No serious injuries. Bus No. 130.

Accident located on McIntire Rd in front of Albemarle County Office Building.

 

Charlottesville TEDx conference planned for 2012

Next year, Charlottesville may receive a visit from TED. Heather Burns, director of the Charlottesville Writing Center, was recently licensed to host a local conference under the aegis of TED, the nonprofit devoted to the promotion of "ideas worth spreading."

Although official TED conferences usually take place in Long Beach or Palm Springs, the organization grants one-time licenses to third parties to host TEDx events in other cities. Franchisees must agree to adhere to a set of rules, including limiting the number of invited guests to 100 and showing at least two pre-recorded, official TED talks (over 900 of which are available for free online). Speakers are not paid and must agree to give TED the right to edit and distribute their presentation.

Although ted.com lists the Charlottesville TEDx conference for November 17, Burns is postponing the event to 2012 to give herself more time to find speakers and supporting organizations. 

Local teacher John Hunter, the subject of the documentary World Peace and Other 4th Grade Achievements, spoke at a TED conference earlier this year.

The old and the new in the fall garden

The garden looks funny this time of year.

Our tomato plants, the stars of high summer, are very faded. The stakes are falling over, the plants are mostly brown, and the fruit is just hanging around, staying green, with one or two lackluster red ‘maters occasionally showing their faces. You can almost hear them sigh as they ripen.

Of the summer stuff, the peppers are the only plants that still look perky, but their production is also slowing down with the cooler weather. We’re still harvesting habaneros and jalapenos, plus some bells, and we’ll surely get another round of poblanos before the season closes.

On the other hand, our fall and winter crops are doing quite nicely. They love all the rain and cool nights. Here’s part of our fall salad patch: mixed lettuce, mizuna, and arugula. We’ve planted more of those crops, plus mache and claytonia, for winter salads that will live under cold frames when the frost arrives.

This is our first time experimenting with floating row cover, which we put over the winter salad beds and this little patch of kale. We’ve had many problems in the past with slugs and unidentified bugs eating these little seedlings, so this is an organic solution that so far, seems to be working great. Not the most picturesque thing in the world, but we’re fine with the tradeoff.

We’ve also got decent turnips and radishes going, and a parsley patch that won’t quit. So, despite the generally tired vibe, the garden is actually still very much alive.

What do you have growing? Anything coming along for fall and winter?

 

Jefferson-Madison library board surveys state candidates

PRESS RELEASE: Jefferson-Madison Regional Library Board–– For the first time in its history, the Board of Trustees of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library has polled local and statewide political candidates on their experiences with and support for public libraries in advance of a General Election. The answers to questions asked of all 43 candidates in JMRL localities are available on the library system�\’s website (www.jmrl.org) and in printed form at library branches. The idea to poll candidates about library issues was a recommendation of the Library Board�\’s Advocacy Committee.

 

The Library Board asked no more than two questions of each candidate seeking election to the State Senate, House of Delegates, Boards of Supervisors, or Charlottesville City Council from the JMRL participating localities of Albemarle, Charlottesville, Greene, Louisa and Nelson. All questions were approved by the full Library Board and were tailored to specific funding issues in the General Assembly races and to local library topics in Boards of Supervisors and City Council contests.

 

Questions were both postal mailed and electronically mailed to candidates with their answers due back by September 23. There was no word limit placed on the candidates, and all candidates were told that their answers would NOT be edited.

 

The Library Board received on-time replies from 60% of the candidates. Answers to the candidate questions in each election are listed on the JMRL website in the order (by date and time) that they were received.

 

While the Library Board does not and will not endorse candidates, the Trustees hope that the information will be helpful to voters as they go to the polls on November 8.

Jefferson-Madison Regional Library serves Albemarle, Charlottesville, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson, and is one of the most heavily used public libraries for its size in the United States.

 

For further information or comment, please contact:

John Halliday, Library Director, halliday@jmrl.org

Tim Tolson, Library Board President, TfjTolson@gmail.com

Gary Grant, Chairman, JMRL Advocacy Committee (978-1825)

First Fridays, The Festy, “Parade” and “Make Believe”

Summer, we barely knew ye. It may not be sweater weather yet, but there’s no better indication that fall is here than the host of impressive gallery openings that come with an October First Fridays. This year’s bounty includes Nancy Bass‘s latest paintings of Virginia livestock at Chroma Projects, but for the anthropologically aware, Sean Santiago‘s photographs of China will be up at Artifacts, and the Bridge/PAI is opening an installation of documentary photographer Andrew Stern’s famous black-and-white photographs of mid-century life in Appalachian coal country. Stern himself will be there, which should be a treat.

Kentucky Miners, courtesy of Andrew Stern.

The Festy started this afternoon, a local three-day music festival that’s now in its second year. "Come mingle with your fellow man, he’s really stoked that you’re here," the Festy says. If you start getting your camping gear together right now, you can still catch an open-air show tonight from the inimitable Love Canon. When they played their last Final Fridays, they sold the Pavilion out of beer, and they’ll have to play extra hard tonight to do the same to Devils Backbone Brewery. Saturday and Sunday’s festivities include sets by Brett Dennen, Red Rattles, and the Grammy-nominated Infamous Stringdusters. 

 How’s that for dusting strings?

Last night, UVA drama kicked off its fall season with the opening night of Parade at Culbreth Theatre, a late-nineties take on murder, communal outrage, anti-Semitism and scapegoating in 1913 Atlanta, Georgia. Tickets are going fast for tonight’s showing, and Saturday night’s is going to be the last one.

And on Saturday night, Make Believe comes to the Paramount, the documentary about teenage magicians that stole the show at last year’s Los Angeles Film Festival. This little film that could by Charlottesville-native director J. Clay Tweel is turning heads everywhere, and if reviews are any indication, it’s a heart-warmer.

Seeing is believing.

 

Categories
Uncategorized

The Best in New Home Design on Display Again This Weekend at Charlottesville's 2011 Parade of Homes

offering area residents a second opportunity to view the best in new construction from local builders.  When you study Parade maps you will find featured homes available across a large geographic area that includes Greene, Fluvanna and Louisa Counties as well as Charlottesville city and Albemarle County from Keswick to Crozet. This year’s Parade also includes the newly opened Preserve at Glenmore where multi-acre wooded homesites (including a 23 acre site) are available for yet-to-be-built homes.

The Parade is a terrific opportunity for prospective buyers, people contemplating remodeling an existing home, or those who just appreciate the best in new construction, to learn about the latest trends in home building such as energy efficient appliances and insulation as well as what is current in building supplies. Maintenance free decking, tankless water heaters, and programmable thermostats are hot this year, as are cutting edge heating and cooling systems.  Beautifully designed interiors are also on display including the latest in countertops, cabinetry and windows.
 
For builders the Parade is valuable for offering positive exposure to the marketplace.  Rick Beyer, of R.L. Beyer Custom Homebuilders describes his company’s long participation as a “highlight of the year.”  Wes Kent of Craig Builders  said “the Parade is a premier event for builders allowing us to showcase our best product to the public.  Hundreds of people walk through our homes during one of these events.”  Of course home buyers have a golden opportunity to meet different builders or their representatives and view their product giving them a head start for when it’s time to build.
 
If you are thinking about buying a new home, remodeling your present home or are just curious and want more information about the process, the kinds of homes available, and the builders who can make it happen, take time to visit this year’s Parade.  Maps are available at the BRHBA website and in many local publications.  Homes are open Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5:00 pm and will be staffed with experts, including often the builders themselves, to answer all of your questions.
 
First Floor Master Suites are Increasingly Popular
As  Baby Boomers retire with money in their pockets, their preferences are helping set trends for new homes. A popular choice is one floor living, or at least first floor master suites.  According to the National Association of Home Builders, at least 40 percent of new homes nationwide have first floor masters, up 15 percent from a decade ago.
 
Locally builders are seeing the same demand and are building accordingly.  For example, Charlie Armstrong, Vice President of Southern Development Homes, referenced their popular Keswick model, which is all on one level.  “It’s not just Boomers requesting these kinds of floor plans,” he said. “Many younger buyers are requesting first floor masters as they plan for the future.”  This may in part reflect another trend.  Armstrong said more and more people are viewing a home purchase as a much longer term investment than perhaps they would have some years back.  When they buy a home they know they may live there until poor health makes it difficult to climb stairs and they plan accordingly.
 
Justin Kent, a REALTOR® with Better Homes and Gardens, Real Estate III, who represents Craig Builders, also mentioned the importance of first floor living and offered yet another suggestion about their apparent popularity. “Many of our customers ask for this feature in part because they feel it will help with resale.” 
 
Rick Beyer agrees that first floor masters are important and a priority for many buyers. In addition, however, he sees a growing demand for homes with two master suites.  “Retirees and empty nesters have more free time today,” he said, “and they like having a comfortable place to entertain friends and family. With two master suites guests can come for a visit and not have to walk down the hallway to use a shared bathroom.”  Of course, a second master suite also works well in those situations where adult children move back in after leaving home for awhile.
 
Energy Efficiency
Another big focus in today’s new homes is energy efficiency. “This has been a slowly building movement since the early 80s,” Beyer said.  He added that while early on this interest was not mainstream,  it has become so in the last several years due to big cost increases.  The home building industry has responded with homes that are more tightly built and better insulated. In fact, several of the builders pointed out that energy efficiency is a big reason to buy a new home rather than a resale.
 
Efficiency is helped along by heating and cooling systems which are increasingly efficient as well as innovations such as tankless water heaters.  Justin Kent suggested that while Craig Builders is cautious about any new technology, today’s tankless heaters are much improved over the original models and they are seeing an increased demand for them.  “It is primarily the younger crowd which is asking for them,” he said.
 
Rick Beyer noted that tankless heaters, while improved, must still be appropriately sized for the house.  Larger homes with four or five baths require a different heater from a starter home.  For people who prefer standard technology, conventional water heaters are also much improved, he offered.  Today they are better insulated and some even have their own heat pump built into the unit.
 
Custom Design
A big advantage of new construction over purchasing a resale house is the flexibility of choosing personal design elements.  Alternative floor plans and the ability to select certain types of features like paint, wallpaper or floor coverings are standard.  However, depending on the builder and the price range many other possibilities are available.  
 
For example, Wes Kent enjoys working with people to accommodate their interests and special needs.  Recently when consulting with a family with one disabled member, his company created a design with wider than average doorways and hallways to allow passage for a wheelchair.  Other kinds of handicap access were also built into the home making it much more liveable for this family than the average home.
 
Kitchen design is a  big focus in today’s new home market, according to Rick Beyer.  Many people are choosing upgraded appliances such as stoves with extra burners or warming drawers.  Double ovens are also in demand.  Beyer reports that entertaining and fixing food for friends is a popular pastime and people want to be able to entertain large groups with ease.  
 
While kitchens have always been important in home design, Charlie Armstrong explained that today people are more willing to settle for a home with less square footage, in exchange for an upgraded kitchen.  More and more the kitchen is a room where we all spend a lot of time so it is a place where people are choosing to spend more money to get exactly what they want.
 
When you attend the Parade look for another popular concept, the flex room or flex space. Armstrong explained this is a space which can serve different purposes as the need arises. For example it may start out as a den, but turn into a playroom when a couple starts having children.  Later, empty nesters may convert the space into an office or craft room.  This kind of flexibility allows people to manage with a smaller house and stay longer if they choose to do so.
 
The National Association of Homebuilders reports that incorporating these kinds of universal design features into new homes is becoming increasingly popular as people build with the intention of staying put.  Other popular options are designs which provide for more light. This could include large windows as well as carefully placed fixtures in areas like under counters, over bathroom mirrors or in closets making it easier for aging eyes to shave, put on make up, read recipes or do craft projects.
 
If you don’t enjoy landscaping and other yard maintenance chores, be aware of another benefit available in many new home communities.  Exterior maintenance is provided in townhome communities and some of the neighborhoods within a larger community such as Glenmore or Old Trail.  If this feature appeals to you, be sure to ask if it applies in the neighborhood where you want to live before signing a contract.
 
The Many Benefits of Buying a New Home
The builders emphasized that building a new home has many advantages over buying a resale product. You have the flexibility to create a space to fit you and your family rather than being forced to adapt to someone else’s idea of what is liveable. You can also enjoy a much higher level of energy efficiency saving lots of money in the years that you live there.
 
Today, more so than in previous years, prices are affordable and interest rates are very low.   Armstrong explained that this favorable combination often allows you to get a custom designed home at a price comparable to what you would have to pay for a resale home, yet when you move in, you won’t have to make any changes because it already fits your needs. Beyer agrees, stressing that this combination of low prices and interest rates won’t last.
 
Special financing is available for qualifying new home buyers.  Josh Klemmer, Market Leader of the Central Virginia Region for New American Mortgage, one of two presenting sponsors of this year’s Parade, explained that building a home can take from four to eight months.  As a result, his company offers a program for new home buyers that permits them to lock in today’s low rates for up to six months.  If rates go down during that time they can even benefit from the lower rate if it happens within 30 days of closing.
 
To best enjoy this weekend’s Parade, start with a map and focus on location first, Armstrong advises.  Pick the neighborhoods and homes that are near amenities you consider to be important. “Today central locations are popular,” he continued.  “Many people like to be near town or other amenities such as restaurants and gyms.” This may account in part for the popularity of walkable communities such as Old Trail or Belvedere, both of which have models in the Parade. After you visit the homes that make sense geographically, then work your way out to the ones  that are further away.  All of the homes have something special to offer.  So go in and  be prepared to ask the builders and their staff a lot of questions.  As Armstrong says, “ get engaged.” 
 
Celeste Smucker is a writer, editor and author of Sold on Me, Daily Inspiration for Real Estate Agents.  She lives near Charlottesville.
 

Rivanna Trails Foundation announces October cleanup efforts

PRESS RELEASE: Rivanna Trails Foundation–– Between construction of the Meadowcreek Parkway and the seemingly endless sewer replacement project, a number of sections of our beloved Rivanna Trail have been closed all year. Despite that, the dedication of our volunteers and our partnerships with property owners and the City have enabled us to mark detours and rebuild quickly, and the coming months promise both the restoration and continued expansion of our network of trails. The coming year will be–quite literally–one of reconnection.

It is also a time for the Rivanna Trails Foundation to reconnect with our members and supporters. Towards that end, we have a completely new web presence at http://www.rivannatrails.org/. The new site allows us to better communicate news and information about the trails, post news and photos, track registrations for special events, and accept on-line memberships and renewals. Behind the scenes is a new membership database that we’ve assembled from various spreadsheets and email lists, which will allow us to better acknowledge and communicate with our friends (the message sent earlier this week about the postponement of the annual meeting was the first test of the new email capability).
If you’re getting this message, it’s because we already have you–or at least your email address–in our database. Please take a moment to log into our new page and update your contact information or renew your membership. At the bottom-left corner of the page is a “forgot password” link that you can use to generate an initial password.

There are a number of great trail events planned for the next few weeks:

October Work Party: This Saturday, October 8, our monthly work party will finish the rerouting of the trail section immediately north of Hydraulic Road that was begun on the Day of Caring (see the story and photos on the web site). We’ll meet at the RTF Tool Shed, behind the English Inn at 2030 Morton Drive, and make the short walk to the work site.
Loop d’Ville: November 5 is the annual group walk of the entire 19-mile loop. We meet at Riverview Park 6:30 AM, and work our way counter-clockwise around the entire loop. After rest stops at Bodo’s and 5th Street, we usually finish around 2:00 in the afternoon. If you prefer to complete only part of the circuit with the group, that’s okay, too! Please sign up for this event–it helps our planning to know how many people to expect–which you can do on the new web site.
November Work Party: We have an extra-special work party scheduled for November 12, when we will be establishing a new section of the Rivanna Trail loop replacing the long roadwalk along Stribling and Sunset. As part of clearing the new trail, we’ll be building a stream crossing. This will be an exciting opportunity to help create an entirely new link in the Trail!

As always, we value your support and interest in the Rivanna Trails. We look forward to seeing you on the trail!
 

The RTF Board of Directors

Larry Sabato and Oliver Stone to host JFK discussion at Virginia Film Festival

PRESS RELEASE: UVa Center for Politics–– Professor Larry Sabato, Director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, will host a discussion with filmmaker Oliver Stone about his landmark film “JFK” as part of the 2011 Virginia Film Festival. Sabato’s discussion with Stone will follow a special screening of the film scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. on Friday, November 4th at the University’s Culbreth Theatre.

“JFK” tells the story of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, who doubts the official story of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and investigates the crime for himself. The film sparked controversy upon its release in 1991, showing how the JFK assassination and the questions behind it still loom large in American life.

Sabato is completing a new book, “The Kennedy Half-Century,” about the political life and legacy of President Kennedy. It will be released in 2013, the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination, by Walker & Company, a division of Bloomsbury Publishing.

The 24th Annual Virginia Film Festival will be held in Charlottesville from November 3rd through November 6th. For tickets and additional information on the Virginia Film Festival, visit http://www.virginiafilmfestival.org/.