Vinegar Hill Cafe Manager Joel Schectman struggled to put a definition on September’s Chill’n & Grill’n band. “They’re definitely not your average band,” he said, referring to the collaboration of veteran Charlottesville musicians.
The band agrees that they defy naming, though for now they’re calling themselves The C-Ville Reggae Funk Band. The five-member group shares vocals and includes Scottie B on drums, Willits Bowditch on lead guitar, Blake Campbell on guitar, Jason McLeod on guitar, and Greta von Kirchmann on bass and guitar.
As the sun dipped behind the Jefferson School City Center and reggae-funk jams grooved through the air, diners trickled onto the Jefferson School front patio and by 6:00 pm every table was full. Vinegar Hill Cafe chef Sean Connelly led his team of Garry Wallis and Herbert Hawkins in making sure the crowd was well fed.
Chill’n & Grill’n occurs on the first Thursday of the month at the cafe. For ten dollars, guests can enjoy food fresh from the grill, including homemade barbeque ribs, chicken, or hamburgers, complete with sides, such as coleslaw and cornbread, and dessert. A kid’s menu with reduced pricing is also available.
African American Heritage Center Host New Exhibition and Author Reading Next Week
The African American Heritage Center will hold a preview and walking tour of its new exhibition “This is the neighborhood you live in” next Thursday, September 12, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.
On Friday, September 13, at 6 pm the Center will host An Evening with Deborah Willis, co-author of Envisioning Emancipation. The event will take place in the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center Auditorium and feature a talk by Willis, followed by a book-signing and reception.
Willis, a renowned photographic historian, partnered with historian Barbara Krauthamer to collect photographs from the 1850s through the 1930s to explore the profound influence of the Emancipation Proclamation, which turns 150 years old this year. Their collaboration provides necessary context to the photographs, in order to understand them as historical documents, and the struggles and aspirations the nation faced during this era.
JABA to Host Freedom Day Event Next Thursday
JABA will be one of countless organizations across the country hosting Freedom Day USA events on Thursday, September 12 at the Jefferson School City Center. Kelly Carpenter, the Mary Williams Community Center Manager, said they’re planning to have a “Wall of Thanks” on which the public can express their gratitude to men and women serving in the military. “We will be also be inviting any current military, immediate family members, or veterans to join us for the day,” said Carpenter, “and we will have free refreshments in the afternoon.”
One Week Left Until New Tutor Training at Literacy Volunteers
There’s only a week left to register for Literacy Volunteers New Tutor Training, scheduled for Saturday, September 14, 2013 from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm–and spots are filling up fast! Literacy tutors work one-on-one with adult students seeking to improve their basic literacy skills or hoping to learn English as a second language. While tutoring offers clear benefits to students–from better job opportunities to being able to communicate with their children’s teachers–it also enriches the lives of tutors themselves.
“Many tutors feel they learn as much from their students as their students learn from them,” said Amie Whittemore, Tutor Recruitment and Communications Coordinator. Most tutors are drawn to volunteer by their desire to help others, and many continue because of the strong friendships they form with their students.
Those interested in volunteering can call Literacy Volunteers at 434-977-3838 to register for the September training. If registration fills, potential volunteers can also sign up for the November 9, 2013 training.
Jefferson School City Center is a voice of the nine nonprofits located at Charlottesville’s intergenerational community center, the restored Jefferson School. We are a legacy preserved . . . a soul reborn . . . in the heart of Cville!
