Month: April 2012

Charlottesville Salvation Army Celebrates Centennial

 The Charlottesville Salvation Army is celebrating its 100 year mark by hosting a week of service projects.

The national organization was founded in 1865, but the Charlottesville affiliate began in 1912 near the Omni Hotel site downtown. Its current location is on Ridge Street, providing services to those in need such as weekly worship services, emergency services, and homeless intervention programs.

Service projects through the week are aimed at improving the Ridge Street facility so that the organization can continue its efforts. The non-profit is also trying to raise $100,000 in honor of its 100 years of service.

A parade will be held on Friday to conclude the week’s events. The march will end at Main Street Arena, where a celebration will be held. The event will feature the food, prices, service exhibits and the Salvation Army national band.

Click here for the full schedule of events and a chance to donate. 

 

Categories
Arts

Aboriginal artist Vernon Ah Kee wants people to see him “proppa”*

Modern artist Vernon Ah Kee sees through black and white in his stark, candid work on exhibit through May 10. 

Vernon Ah Kee, an Australian Aboriginal artist, can’t remember not drawing. “I think of myself as a drawer. I’m an artist, but if you ask me what kind of artist I am, I will first say that I’m a drawer.” Ah Kee just wrapped up a ten-day residency at the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, where his individual show, “ill-like,” combines a series of impressionistic graphite figure drawings with typographic installations.

“Ill-like” falls into a body of work Ah Kee calls “unwrittens.” “These are faces with no eyes and no mouth and no nose and no ears. There’s no features in them at all. But these are ordinary aboriginal people…these are me, they are us, this is just how white people see us. In this kind of unformed, barely human visage, and we’re always having to become what the white expectations are.”

Born into an Aboriginal community in the small town of Innisfail, near the resort town of Cairns in North Queensland, Ah Kee’s father’s family comes from the Yidindji people, a rainforest tribe linked by a common language group. The political, social, cultural, and historical tensions inherent in being an Aboriginal person with an ancient identity living in a contemporary and urban world underly Ah Kee’s work.

“I make all of my work from the context of my being Aboriginal. Being a native person. And the politics that informs that identity and the family connections and the international native connections that inform that identity.”

Ah Kee could “draw very well” even before he went to art school, but he describes himself as obsessive in his pursuit of the technique. He has a doctorate of visual arts from Queensland College of Art and has enjoyed 13 solo exhibitions in the past 13 years, in addition to countless group shows.

In 2006, he and nine other Aboriginal artists started Proppa Now, an artist’s’ collective based in Brisbane, Australia, that shares an artistic ideology and explores the identity roles of indigenous artists in contemporary society. Loosely translated, the group’s name means “doing the right thing in the right way right now.”

Ah Kee sees his exhibition at Kluge-Ruhe as a chance to make an impression in a new place and “ill-like” ranks among his most challenging works, which have included surfboards painted with Yidindji shield designs and video documentaries chronicling racially motivated violence. “I advise people that their practice should be split into two areas. A critical practice and a commercial practice so they can make a living. The critical practice is where you make your art, where you make your name for yourself. When you have your solo exhibition, you shouldn’t be trying to make them commercial successes. You should already be having your commercial successes with your commercial work.”

Ah Kee’s “ill-like” is on display at the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection through May 10, and his text-based installations are on display in Brooks Hall at UVA through the end of May.

Vernon Ah Kee, Unwritten, 2011.  Photo: Tom Cogill

C-VILLE: Do you see commonalities between the struggles of Aboriginal people in Australia and Native American communities in the U.S. and Canada?
Vernon Ah Kee: “When I talk to native people in the U.S. and Canada, there are commonalities that we see eye to eye on—politically, socially, culturally, and historically. Even in a contemporary sense, the way we engage society as a minority. Those are the international themes that I know are incorporated in my work. As much as my family sees themselves in my work I know that most native people do as well.”

In “ill-like,” you describe the challenge native people face in being defined by the dominant society. What’s the message?
“We have to be these people who are always in touch with nature, always in touch with the spiritual, always in touch with the primitive, always in touch with the folklore, and the magic and the song and the dance and the ceremony and the paint and the ancient weapons and the ancient ways. And all that is true. But we shouldn’t have to declare that every time we describe ourselves, especially when white people aren’t encouraged to describe themselves that way.”

“The majority of Aboriginal people in Australia live in cities. But we are not encouraged to describe ourselves in a fully modern sense without attaching these kind of ideas of the noble savage, or the exotic, or the primitive to our identity. It’s kind of like we have to anchor ourselves in the past, in the stone age in fact, when we don’t live our lives like that. We live contemporary and technological and sophisticated lives.”

How did you get into using text and typography to communicate your message?
“I love design theory, so I like incorporating design into text works. I developed an immediate affinity for text and signage and slogans and the kind of design that informs that and I love it and I can’t move away from it. Not for long anyhow. They stack up in my head and then they stack up on my computer.”

When do you know a drawing is finished?
“You never do. This is what I’ve been talking to the drawing classes about. It’s O.K. to just say, ‘Well, I’m not going to finish this.’ It’s O.K. to say that it’s not finished but you’re not going to do any more to it. Anyone who draws a lot will tell you that they’ve never finished any drawings. They’ve only just said I’m not drawing anymore. Because there’s always more you can do to a drawing.”

What advice do you have for young artists?
“My message is the same to any young person wanting to make art, regardless of their background: You should make art to please yourself. Always. You can stretch yourself out of what you know, and what you know is true, but that should always be your fall back position. If you’re really stretching yourself to acquire something new, then at the end of every day you should be making something to please yourself.”

* An earlier version of this story said Vernon Ah Kee had completed a three-month residency at the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection. Ah Kee’s work "ill-like" runs January 24 to May 10. He was in residence for 10 days in April.

Green Scene Blog: Biking is all about infrastructure

When I was in Amsterdam in 2008 I found the traffic infrastructure completely befuddling–until, that is, I got on a bike. Car lanes, mass transit, pedestrian sidewalks all seemed to have a certain slight orientation towards getting the bikes through as quickly as possible. In most cities I went to in Europe, even small towns, there was an obvious, concerted effort to support all modes of transportation. What a far cry from what we have in the U.S.!

I’ve biked in a lot of cities, and I find Charlottesville to be reasonably bike friendly, but mostly by accident. The fact that most roads wind around so much and have speed limits of 25 to 35 means that cars are moving slower and paying more attention. There are enough bikers and bike lanes to keep it in people’s consciousness as well. And, I have to say, I love the bike-and-arrow icons now painted on many streets.

But in other ways Charlottesville is very bike inaccessible. There are a number of large dysfunction junctions that are seriously hazardous to those not surrounded by a ton of metal and plastic (the intersection of Preston and McIntire is one I try avoid as much as possible). 29N is virtually impenetrable by bike, and to get up there by bus can take more than an hour one way! Also, a personal pet peeve: the traffic light sensors (for times when they’re not on a set timed rotation) are scales in the road, and they’re set high enough that most bicycles can’t set them off. This means waiting for a car to come, hopping up onto the curb to hit the pedestrian signal, or going through a red light.

A city’s level of bike accessibility has so much to do with the infrastructure. A very common technique in European cities is to create physical separation between the lanes of different modes of traffic. Often there is a sidewalk, a 6" drop to a bike lane, another 6" drop to a car lane, and then light rail lines in the middle of the street.

Good practices extended off street as well. Every train and light rail station that I saw had an extensive bike storage system (not to mention the fact that every town of any significant size has a train station with service running at least every hour). My favorite was the three-story bike parking garage outside Amsterdam’s Central Station.

Studies have shown again and again that increasing infrastructure for cars does not decrease traffic, but only increases the number of cars on the road. Studies have also shown that lots more people would bike if they felt safe. And when people talk about what makes Charlottesville a “livable” city, they don’t talk about being able to drive up 29N to Sam’s Club; they talk about the downtown mall and the flourishing culture that that kind of development supports.

In 2008, a few months before I went to Europe, I was at the Car Free Conference in the bike mecca of Portland, Oregon, and had a chance to hear Gil Penelosa speak. Gil Penelosa worked with Mayor Enrique Penelosa to revolutionize the bicycle, mass transit, and public space infrastructure of Bogota, Columbia. It’s not about money, Gil said. Politicans will always talk about how there isn’t the money to do this or that project. It’s about political will. If a politician is willing to stick their neck out and the community is willing to rise up to support them, the money will be there.

Sky Blue helps run C’ville Foodscapes and Alexander House and gets around mostly by bike.

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Permaculture Primer

Permaculture is a contraction of “permanent” and “agriculture.” Instead of using artificial fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides, instead of watering and irrigation, instead of planting in straight lines and single species, permaculture uses natural techniques to grow food and conserve resources like soil and water. It is organic gardening taken to the next level.

In the 1970s, Bill Mollison and David Holmgren studied ecosystems in Australia to create sustainable farms and gardens. Their research resulted in the encyclopedic Permaculture: A Designer’s Manual (Tagari, 1988) followed by shorter introductory books.
 
Mollison and Holmgren’s idea caught on and expanded. Permaculture is now practiced all over the world. Books and magazines have proliferated, too, with related movements in urban agriculture and local food. Here in the United States, a popular book is Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, by Toby Hemenway (Chelsea Green, 2009).
 
 Although grounded in scientific observation, much of permaculture consists of common sense, simple how-to directions, and the idea that gardening should be a rewarding activity, not a chore. The natural approach also means less expense and use of chemicals. Take pest control as an example. In his first chapter, Hemenway says: “In a balanced landscape, diseases and insect problems rarely get out of control. That’s because in the diverse, many-specied garden each insect, fungus, bacterium, or potentially invasive plant is surrounded by a natural web of checks and balances. If one species becomes too abundant, its sheer availability makes it a tasty, irresistible food source for something else.”
 
Hemenway describes his experience with voracious deer in Oregon, and how he created a “deer-deflecting food hedge.” He returns to the topic later, after he has moved to Oakland, CA, and describes how he planted a hedge of Maximilian sunflowers as a barrier. The spiky stems repel deer, while the plants yield edible seeds and shoots. What’s more, they grow in red clay and resist drought.
 
The sunflowers are typical of the permaculture approach. The plants perform several functions: they are pretty to look at; they are adapted to their environment; and they require little work. Right after this passage, Hemenway describes another multipurpose species, goumi, a relative of Russian olive. This shrub yields cream colored flowers and nutritious red berries, is drought-resistant, and is one of the rare shrubs to have nitrogen-fixing nodules on its roots. And these are only two of the many plant species he extols, from bamboo to stinging nettles.
 
One chapter deals with soil—what is in it, how to cultivate it, and how to build soil over time. Healthy soil is alive with humus, organisms, roots, fungi, insect larvae, microscopic worms called nematodes, and the more familiar earthworms.  Mulch is a gardening standby, but permaculture has an interesting take on it. A layer of mulch inhibits the growth of weeds, as it decays and adds organic matter to soil. But the process of decay uses energy and water. In some cases, planting a ground cover provides more benefits than mulch. Even tilling comes into question in a section called “To Till or Not to Till.” Hemenway shuns mechanical methods of turning soil in favor of natural processes.
 
Another chapter deals with water—how to capture it, divert it, save it, and use it both to grow plants and to create ponds. Much of this discussion applies to a dry climate like Australia or California.  Permaculture encourages swales to slow down and direct rainwater. Collect runoff from roofs and paved surfaces, and use graywater from the home to water garden plants. Storage tanks are described, and construction details for pools and ponds. These water features can be functional as well as ornamental. Ponds can be used to store water, biofilter it, and provide a habitat for fish, birds, and aquatic plants.
 
Of the innovative methods used in permaculture, companion planting or “garden guilds” deserve mention. Based on the observation that certain plant species often occur together in the wild, this method mixes things up in a way that benefits each species. A guild is a way to boost the productivity of a small plot, increase diversity, provide a habitat for birds, and raise more food. An example is the Native American “three sisters” of corn, pole beans and squash.
 
Locally, a group called Blue Ridge Permaculture Network gives classes and workshops. Their website includes a blog which acts as an information exchange for anyone interested in the practices of permaculture. BRPN is headed by Christine Gyovai and Terry “Tiger” Lilley.
Pierre Constans experiments on his farm in Nelson County. When he lived in Santa Barbara, CA, Constans educated the public in the virtues of compost, worms, and straw bale construction. Today, he grafts and grows fruit trees, berry bushes and vines, and he cultivates a “wheel” of salad greens and vegetables, with compost at the hub. 
 
Robert Boucheron is a Charlottesville-based architect.

Around the bend: Thrilling moments

I am an emotionalist/sentimentalist, thrill of victory/agony of defeat kind of person.

Here are some special thrills that readily come to mind, ever satisfying to recall.

Joan Benoit wins the marathon at the 1980 Olympics. I turned on the tv and there she was, way in the lead going into the stadium!!  That tough little runner from Maine. Far behind her was the much esteemed, now deceased, Grete Waitz who seemed to graciously accept that it was Joan’s day.

David Jansen wins the 1,500 Olympic speed skating. In the previous Olympics, David Jansen feel twice in races.  His sister had died just days before.  It was a heartbreaker on the world stage.  He came back four years later after all that training and focus and he fell again.  Just too much. He had one more chance, the 1500 meters. We held our breaths. He won and set a world’s record. As a writer put it, "His tortuous journey was over."

Jennifer Capriati wins three Opens in one year. Jennifer was a cute phenom who as a young teen made the semis of the U.S. Open. She, the student of yet another driven tennis father, had trouble with this status. She plummeted, but, in one of the great comeback stories, she came back several years later to win the French Open twice and the Australian. Each win was a thrill and triumph.

Hayden Barns runs to her parents at summer camp. Hayden, 9, went to summer camp. While we stood waiting for her on an open field, she came sprinting to embrace us. Such a PDA was not the norm for her. It was surprising and thrilling.

Fred Rudolph waves my post card. On our way home, we passed through my college town. I had sent a post card (one of scores over the years) to a college professor friend now in his late 80’s saying that we would be coming through.  It was a salute to him and his wife, Dottie, but we did expect hospitality of which they had offered so much over the years. The Rudolphs had a daily ritual of going to the post office and, then, picking up the NY Times.  Rebecca, my wife, spotted Dottie sitting in her car. We went down to her. I asked if Fred had got my card. "Well, you can ask him. Here he comes." From afar, he did not recognize us at first, but then he smiled and waved my card. A sweet moment. We then had a relaxed visit and there had been no pressure on them to entertain. Less was much more. Not a rush thrill like the above, but a gentle thrill that I can always draw upon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Arts

Soul’s Renaissance Man: Mayer Hawthorne and the County Live Review

Mayer Hawthorne is all about his roots – all of his roots.

The soul-revivalist is best known for a sound steeped in the Detroit-born traditions of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s–and with good reason. At first listen, the Michigan native sounds like close kin to Smokey Robinson, soaring through long, above-the-staff phrases and easing into groovy refrains. Hawthorne (actually a pseudonym–more on that later) traces that influence to a childhood in radio’s reach of the Motor City, but there’s more to his music–and much, much more to his show–than nostalgia. Monday night at The Jefferson, Mayer Hawthorne made it clear that he deals not just in songs, nor just in soul-revival – but in sound, and a sound all his own at that.

Mayer Hawthorne and the Country showed off some soul-revival skills at The Jefferson Theater on Monday.

When Andrew Cohen, an Los Angeles-based DJ and vinyl junkie, started singing, it was to tailor-make his sample collection. Assuming the stage name Mayer Hawthorne, the crooner has crafted a show that absolutely looks and feels like a DJ, a collector, is behind all its quirks and nuances. 

The stage was set with impeccable fashion. Sultry red velvet, bright spotlighting and a giant, flashing MH brought the stage to life. Hawthorne himself sported a black tuxedo jacket (until the encore, when he whipped out a red one, a la Mark Ronson) and red patent dunks, and his band wore three-piece suits. Not a thing–amp, person, or accessory– was out of place. Even the mysterious yet attractive leather lounge chair, positioned stage right, came into play when Hawthorne posed on it for an Instagram with the audience. Soon after that photograph, he offered the crowd “their last chance to watch the show through a tiny, little screen,” imploring that all photos be taken and put out of the way, and that people simply experience the music and have a good time. With everything non-musical about Hawthorne’s performance so calculated, expectations were high. 

Mayer Hawthorne and the County were on point. He led the band through perfectly executed, thrilling, danceable numbers, most of which were on 2011’s How Do You Do.  Further proof that he chases not just songs, but a sound, an experience came when they played a horn track along, showcasing some of Hawthorne’s best instrumental work. Covers included both New Orleans soul duo Allen Toussaint and Lee Dorsey’s “Get Out of My Life Woman,” a record fan’s delight and the soundtrack-revived Hall & Oates “You Make My Dreams Come True,” a real crowd-pleaser. The band reached its most somber in an older selection, “It Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out,” before breaking out in a happy-go-lucky, dance-around-the-stage performance of “Dreaming,” a favorite from the most recent album. Hawthorne controlled the crowd like a good DJ – leading dances, stopping dances in their tracks on stunning held notes, dropping the crowd’s preferred cover like a well-kept secret. 

In Mayer Hawthorne, you can see the Detroit-bred "record-phile", the guy just singing the music he knows and loves and the J Dilla-admiring producer. His performance Monday night accessed all the fun and passion of good soul music, with all the precision and experience of a seasoned producer. All carefully blended with remarkable attention to detail– into a perfectly good time. It’s easy to see where Mayer Hawthorne’s been – and not hard to guess where he’s going. –Tyler Wood

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Uncategorized

Central Virginia is Horse Country

With the semi-annual Foxfield Races scheduled for Saturday, April 28th, what better time to focus on the tradition of Central Virginia steeplechase races along with the steady demand for equestrian property in our scenic multi-county area?

“I love watching the beautiful horses at Foxfield,” declares Pam Dent of Montague, Miller and Company Realtors. Foxfield fan Dent moved to Charlottesville in the second grade, explored the area on horseback and came to deeply appreciate this part of the world as a lovely center for horse properties. Except for her college years in Ohio, she has lived here ever since and raised two daughters at her Albemarle County country home complete with dogs and ponies.
 
“People go to Foxfield for different things,” she says. “There are students who go to party and maybe never see a horse running. There are horse lovers who love the social aspect of bringing friends and lots of food and watching each of the races. Some people are very knowledgeable and go very seriously.” She explains that there are 5-7 races a day, some on the flat and some with hurdles. Horses come not just from Virginia, but from surrounding states as well. 
 
The Foxfield Racing Association has provided this well-regarded steeplechase course for more than 30 years. On the last Saturday in April, thoroughbred owners, trainers and jockeys will face the challenging course over spring-green turf.  Reserved parking places provide the perfect venue for a traditional tailgate picnic with delicacies from home or purchased from the select on-site caterers. This year the purveyors of edibles will include: BBQ Connection, BBQ Exchange, Chef Ted, Everyday Gourmet, From Scratch Catering, Harvest Moon Catering, Hot Cakes, Sandy Motley Catering, Simply Delicious Catering, The Catering Outfit, The Event Company and 20 South Catering.
 
Foxfield’s venue was once Charlottesville’s local airport and the hangar is still there. Since 1978, however, this has been home to steeplechase and has been recognized by the National Steeplechase Association (NSA) for maintaining an excellent equine course. The term “steeplechase” dates back about 200 years to the days when cross-country horse races stayed on course by sighting on church steeples.
 
The Foxfield races, held both spring and fall, are fully sanctioned by the NSA. The Spring Race is always the last Saturday in April and often attracts as many as 25,000 guests.  Family Day, held on the last Sunday in September, is usually smaller and includes a variety of activities for families and children.
 
Local charities receive a part of the proceeds from both race days. For more information, visit www.Foxfield Races.com  
 
Long-time horseman John Ince, founder of Charlottesville Country Properties Ltd, points out that the Montpelier Races each November are just as prestigious.  “Both are major steeplechase tour races with top riders and races.”  The Races are adjacent to Montpelier, James Madison’s handsome Orange County estate.  “It’s transformed into a social event, but you’ll really enjoy the paddocks,” Ince says. “The Races attract a full crowd in a magnificent setting.” For more information, visit www.MontpelierRaces.org.    
 
“This is fox-hunting country, too,” adds Pam Dent. “In Albemarle there is the Keswick Hunt that goes into the Rapidan area of Orange County. The Farmington Hunt is west of Charlottesville with kennels in Free Union and there are hunts in Madison and Nelson Counties, too.” She says the hunts are very careful to keep good relations with their neighbors and always have landowners’ permission to be on their properties.
 
Horse Properties Popular
“Central Virginia is probably one of the top five horse areas in the country,” says Montpelier Races-supporter Ince who has worked in real estate for nearly 30 years following ten years of training, breeding and showing Arabian horses. “There are Olympic quality trainers and breeders, excellent farriers who shoe Olympic horses and a great number of equine vets,” he says. “You really couldn’t ask for better. They make house calls at 4 a.m. like old country doctors and cover for each other if they’re away.” 
 
There are many purveyors of feed and tack as well. “One interesting place is Crawford Saddlery in Ruckersville,” he says. “It’s a great tack shop—half Western with silver conchos all over them and the other half is traditional English tack. They have everything for show riders, trail riders and pleasure riders.”  In addition, the new Dover Saddlery in Seminole Square will be holding a grand opening tent sale from Friday through Sunday, April 27th to 29th.
 
“There are many reasons this area is great for horses,” chimes in accomplished equestrian Bridget Archer of Gayle Harvey Real Estate, who loves life in this part of the world.  Archer was not loving life in Los Angeles back in 1983 when she undertook a nine-month cross-country reconnaissance mission to find a better quality of life. Torn between Santa Fe and Charlottesville, she ultimately settled here because “it offers more for families.” 
 
And more for horse lovers, too. “There are beautiful trails, the hunts, the steeplechase and lots of competitions and trainers,” Archer enumerates. For example, she says, in 2010 alone there were nearly 1200 horse shows across Virginia with a favorable contribution to the commonwealth’s economy.  In fact, a 2011 study by UVa’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service showed that Virginia’s horse industry has an economic impact of well over one billion dollars annually. 
 
“The Virginia Horse Center in Lexington is a facility for horse shows for all sorts of breeds,” Archer continues. She also cites our summers which are mild compared to other places, explaining that some Florida horse owners will bring their animals north during the heat of the season.  “A lot of buyers are escaping taxes in New York, North Carolina and Florida,” she notes, “and some people go back and forth.” She adds that some out-of-town buyers are seeking a second property to pasture their horses during hunts since there are quite a few hunts in the area.
 
“There are some really great trails,” Archer continues enthusiastically. “Many large farms will permit you to ride if you ask permission.” She lists Fulfillment Farms in the Esmont Area, the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway Trail in Amherst and Nelson Counties, as well as the Fork Mountain and Rapidan River Trail in Madison County.  Preddy Creek Trail Park has plenty of parking for trailers. Oak Grove in Fluvanna offers access to the Rivanna River and there are many miles of mountain trails in both Shenandoah National Park and George Washington National Forest. The Internet has ample information about trails. One particularly useful website is www.virginiaequstrian.com 
 
“It’s funny,” she continues. “A lot of people want horse properties even if they don’t have horses.  Or they just want something big enough for a couple horses or ponies.”  She explains that two acres would an absolute minimum for a horse and it’s preferable to have enough acreage to rotate pasture usage to maintain the grass. Other requirements are decent fencing and protection for animals from the weather such as a barn or at least a run-in shed.
 
Interestingly, it’s not just horse people seeking small farms, says Ince.  “I’ve sold a couple places to people with llamas and alpacas.  People love them and it’s a good land use.” He says there can be a business aspect to raising these creatures, but for most it’s a hobby.  “Alpacas are an entertaining livestock and they can be a labor of love. People like the idea of shearing, making yarn and knitting in all these wonderful colors.”   
 
Is It Hard To Find The “Perfect” Property?
“It’s not hard to match people to properties,” continues Ince, who himself lives on a small horse farm in Barboursville. “I could show probably ten properties in a specific class in Albemarle and the six surrounding counties today. Turn-key. Ready to go.” The closer to Charlottesville a property is, he notes, the more expensive it is likely to be.
 
“When I am working with people looking for horse property, we are talking the same language,” he points out. “The most important thing is how comfortable and healthy a buyer’s horses will be on a certain property.”
 
He recommends purchasing an established property or something well suited to turning into a horse farm. “Value-wise,” he says, “it’s better to find something that already has fences and shelter for your horses because improvements depreciate more rapidly than homes do.” In addition, when moving into an established property, you don’t have to worry about boarding your horses while improvements are made with the almost inevitable delays.
 
“Buying a horse property is a different process from buying a home,” Dent emphasizes. “People want to see the land and horse facilities first and if all of that suits, then they’ll see the house.” She says that if the dwelling isn’t quite what they want, most people will just make the best of it to get what they need for their horses.  
 
There are a number of things that make finding a horse property more complicated than simply buying a house, Dent cautions. For one thing, different counties may have varying requirements for keeping horses or there may be restrictions on the land itself. In addition, she points out, requirements can change and it can be hard to determine the acreage.
 
Some people want a state-of-the-art riding ring, tack rooms and hay storage. Others picture a certain style of fencing or natural water or level land or want to be in a specific school district.
 
“It’s important to consider how will your horses live,” she continues. “Do you want show horses in stalls who are just turned out briefly or animals who will be out all the time?” Other things to consider: the quality of nourishment from grass or feed, how many horses the property can ultimately hold. Do you ride in a ring or cross-country? In some cases, she says, you could have a smaller farm if you have permission from neighbors where everyone knows everyone. In other cases you’d be limited to trails or your own property. 
 
There are some developments specifically designed as equine properties. South Keswick, for example, has miles of community riding trails and lots between 10 to 12 acres so owners can keep their horses on their own land. Another horse-friendly development is Glenmore, once a famed horse farm, which features an on-site equestrian center with a boarding barn, training arena and professional show ring.
 
Whether searching for a small farm to keep a single horse or a large professional operation with stables,  rings and generous pastures, Central Virginia is prime horse country.
 
Marilyn Pribus lives with her husband in Albemarle County near Charlottesville.  She is still waiting for Santa to deliver her pony.
 

 

Emily Couric Leadership Forum honors local student leaders

 Ten local young women were recognized yesterday at the Emily Couric Leadership Forum. At a luncheon held at the Omni Hotel, the Forum provided a record $71,000 in scholarships to these student leaders.

Jessie Press-Williams was honored with the 12th Annual Emily Couric Leadership Scholarship for $30,000, the highest amount ever given for this award. She is the president of Charlottesville High School’s debate team and the winner of a State Department summer scholarship.

Nine other local students received $4,000 each in scholarship funds.

The Emily Couric Women’s Leadership Award was given to journalist Maureen Orth, who writes for Newsweek and Vanity Fair. Her website can be found here. 

"I’m humbled in front of these young women," Orth told NBC29. "I mean, my God, I was a cheerleader in high school. I could never have competed with them."

Click here for more information on the Forum.

C-VILLE Arts Beat: Top Picks for Apr 24-Apr 30

Thursday 4/26

la guitarra del rockin

You wouldn’t know by their latest studio album, Area 52, but ATO artists Rodrigo y Gabriela met in Mexico City playing in a thrash metal band.  The release is a collection of tracks that have been arranged for a 13-piece Cuban orchestra and accompanying them on this tour stop are some of Havana’s finest young players, known as C.U.B.A.  From Metallica covers to flamenco, Rod y Gab play viscerally powerful fist-pumping music.  $29-39, 7pm. nTelos Wireless Pavilion, Downtown Mall. (877)-C-PAV-TIX.

Rodrigo y Gabriela bring their high-energy, duelling acoustic virtuosity to the Pavilion stage.

 

Friday 4/27

Last call for the art train

The UVA Art Museum has its most popular social event on the last Friday of each month with multiple exhibits on display. From paintings by contemporary artist Tom Burckhardt to “100 years of Photography” to “The Italian Renaissance and Its Modern Legacy,” April’s Final Friday connects significant works to contemporary eyes. WNRN broadcasts live from the museum and all three floors of Ruffin Hall gallery will be accessorized with student work in the “Fourth and Fifth Year Studio Art Major Exhibitions.” Add in the music and refreshments and walk away satiated.  $3, free for members and students, 5:30pm.  UVA Art Museum, 155 Rugby Rd., 924-3592. 

Wednesday-Sunday 4/25-4/29

Mississippi queen

Listen up all y’all lovebirds. The UVA Drama Department is putting a fresh spin on the classic love story Romeo and Juliet. Set in the Mississippi Delta in the early 20th century, director Brantley M. Dunaway (from Kentucky Shakespeare) has adapted the tale with accessibility in mind. He takes on a question typically left out of the play: Why are the Montagues and Capulets fighting in the first place? Combined with elements from the controversial Garrick edition, this isn’t the Queen Mum’s Romeo and Juliet.  $8-14, 8pm. Culbreth Theatre, 109 Culbreth Rd., 924-3376.

 

Monday 4/30

Living the DIY dream

Just ask Drake or Nicki Minaj—if you want to get into the hip-hop game start by making your own mixtapes. A$AP Rocky’s debut LiveLoveA$AP was released in 2011 as a free “mixtape” download and served as a springboard for the young rapper’s career. Born Rakim Mayers, the self-proclaimed hood outcast broke out early and traded a life of drug slinging for rhymes. He is currently working double-time on the A$AP Mob album and his studio debut, LongLiveA$AP (both scheduled for summer releases), so make sure to catch him while he is still playing clubs—ASAP. $22.50-28, 8:30pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. (800)594-TIXX.

Rakim Mayers fought his way off the streets, using the power of music to become hip-hop’s next contender, A$AP Rocky.

Foxfield Spring Races 2012 preview

It’s nearly impossible to live here and not be aware that the time for the Foxfield Races has arrived. The biannual steeplechase event has drawn local residents, UVA students and out-of-state visitors to Charlottesville since 1978. The spring races will be held this Saturday.

Fashion is arguably the most notable aspect of the Foxfield Races, defined as "country-casual" or "Sunday best" on the races’ Facebook page. Similar posts by the blogs Carlson Chronicles and Arlington Nightlife can give you more ideas on the unwritten dress code.

Alcohol is another staple of the event. Each year, between 50 and 100 students are taken into custody at the races for alcohol-related offenses. Click here to see what UVA’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team is doing to prevent safety issues this year.

At the end of the day, however, the Foxfield Races would cease to exist without two things: the horses and the stewards. Click here for C-VILLE’s interview with Woodberry Payne, steward of the Foxfield Races for the past four years.

"I’ve seen how the meet’s grown over the years," Payne said. "It keeps getting bigger and bigger."

Tickets for the event can be purchased at Mincer’s, Pink Palm and Greenberry’s at Barracks Road and Timberlakes Drugstore on the Downtown Mall. Additional locations can be found in Harrisonburg, McLean, Richmond and Bethesda, Maryland. Click here for a full list.