The police K-9 involved in the June attack of a 13-year-old girl on Prospect Avenue returned to duty two weeks ago, along with his handler, according to the Charlottesville Police Department.
In August, police identified the K-9 as a Dutch shepherd named Ringo, and said while his handler was on administrative leave and doing unrelated training, the dog was being evaluated in the areas of aggression control and obedience by its original trainer, who found no issues.
At the time of the attack, Ringo did not respond to his handler’s commands when he was accidentally released from the back of the patrol car.
Police did not release the name of Ringo’s handler and, even now that this officer has returned to duty, police continue to withhold his name. Charlottesville Police spokesman Steve Upman did not respond to an inquiry about why the officer’s name is not being released.
“The police don’t mind giving out the names and other identifying information about people who have been arrested—people who are presumed innocent,” Jeff Fogel, a Charlottesville attorney who recently sued the city for not releasing police records under the Freedom of Information Act, says. He lost the suit.
“With our recent FOIA request, it looks like the police are not willing to be scrutinized, and no one from the city is going to challenge that,” Fogel says. “Transparency and accountability are just words to them, to be pulled out when useful.”
After the handler accidentally released the K-9 from his patrol vehicle in June, police say he has relocated the door release remote to somewhere on his body, minimizing the chance of another accidental activation.
Ringo was purchased in fall 2013 for $12,000, according to a Charlottesville Police Foundation newsletter.
The Juice Laundry goes beyond the cleanse to offer vegan-friendly fare at its new location in the Coca-Cola building on Preston Avenue. Photo: Ron Paris
Mike Keenan has a message for all the carnivores out there: Being a vegan doesn’t mean gnawing on carrots all day. In fact, it turns out vegan grub is actually pretty tasty when done right.
Keenan introduced The Juice Laundry’s cold-pressed fruit-and-vegetable juices to Charlottesville in 2013. He started out making small batches of nutrient-dense juices in a corner of Carpe Donut’s kitchen in McIntire Plaza to distribute around town, and his goal from the beginning was to open a juice bar with an extensive menu of smoothies, salads, soups and other vegan-friendly goodies.
Two weeks ago, Keenan welcomed his first customer into the new Juice Laundry storefront next door to Blue Ridge Cyclery in the Coca-Cola building on Preston Avenue. Just as he envisioned, the space feels a lot like a coffee shop—long communal table, couch with throw pillows, free Wi-Fi—but with completely different offerings. The menu doesn’t contain a single animal product, because Keenan says he wanted to create a place where vegetarians and vegans could walk in and not have to wonder, “What can I eat?”
The shop’s hours are 7am-8pm Monday through Saturday and 8am-3pm Sunday, and Keenan says he’s excited to offer healthier first-thing-in-the-morning options.
“Breakfast is oddly deficient in terms of healthy, easy options,” Keenan says. “And that’s crazy, because if you’re thinking about whether you want to start your day out right, it should be the opposite. Breakfast should be the meal when you really fuel your body so you don’t have that 2pm hangover from the butter-soaked biscuit or bagel.”
A large display board upfront features more than a dozen colorful tiles, each one with a description of a juice, nut milk or cold-brew coffee. Keenan’s original concoctions such as the Gentle Green (kale, spinach, cucumber, grapefruit and apple) are still on the menu, but so are several new juices like the Guava Green (spinach, pineapple and Caribe Juice’s guava fruit) and Coco Gold (coconut water, coconut meat, coconut sugar, turmeric, cinnamon and cardamom).
The cooler is stocked with a rainbow of hefty glass bottles, many with distinct horizontal lines where the juices separate, plus other treats like avocado-based chocolate mousse and chocolate chia pudding—and when they say “chia pudding,” they don’t mean just a few seeds sprinkled on top. You get a mouthful of the gummy, fiber-rich seeds with every bite of the pudding, which contains filtered water, almonds, cacao, dates, chia seeds, maple syrup and pink salt.
For something a little more substantial than juice (for breakfast or otherwise), Keenan says the smoothie bowls have been the most popular menu items so far. All the smoothies, like the Superman (banana, dates, blueberries, dragon fruit, goji berries and almond milk) and his favorite, the Blaze (mango, ginger, cayenne pepper, banana, strawberries, dates and cashew milk), can be served as a “bowl,” which is exactly what it sounds like: a freshly-blended smoothie poured into a bowl with toppings such as granola, fruit and chia seeds.
Salads and soups haven’t made their way onto the menu yet, but Keenan promises they’re coming. Not only that, but he boldly promises that even the most die-hard meat eaters will appreciate his vegan chili.
A drone used in Darren Goodbar’s introduction to drone technology course took this photo of Piedmont Virginia Community College while class members controlled it from the parking lot. Photo courtesy of Darren Goodbar
In March 2013, Charlottesville was the first city in the United States to pass an anti-drone resolution, which declared Charlottesville a No Drone Zone. This moratorium ended July 1 and—you guessed it—the drones are here.
Darren Goodbar, an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, pilot in the Air National Guard, served overseas in Afghanistan as an operations manager for several aircraft. On September 14, he began working for Draper Aden Associates, a consulting engineering firm in Charlottesville, as the director of aerial services. His big idea: aerial surveying and mapping by drone technology.
“As surveyors and engineers, we’re just super excited to be able to see our entire site from a planning perspective,” says Kris Caister, the Western region survey manager at Draper Aden, “but also to work toward creating that survey-grade data so that we can do the good work to help out the community and our clients.”
Aside from using aerial technology for surveying, Goodbar says he’s also interested in providing area mapping and imagery after a natural disaster. For instance, if the city is hit by a derecho, and if communications are down and roads are flooded, he says, “I can be up in the air and survey Charlottesville and the county really quickly.” He says he would then be able to feed that data back to an emergency management department instantly, rather than trying to send an employee out in the dangerous environment. Drones must fly within the pilot’s visual line of sight, which is usually about half a mile from the launchpad.
Other local emergency services are considering the implementation of drone technology, including the Charlottesville Fire Department and Albemarle search and rescue teams.
Former Charlottesville Fire Chief Charles Werner, who has a longtime interest in drone technology, says they can be used for pre-fire planning by providing images of buildings and roofs, which could later be used for reference during a fire.
“It also allows a photo capture of unit locations and fire conditions at separate times that can be used for comparison and for later incident critique and training,” he says.
Werner recalls that a drone from Virginia Tech was used in the search for Hannah Graham. Albemarle County Sheriff Chip Harding says his search and rescue teams are interested in the technology, as well.
“We’ve had several searches where even the mapping didn’t indicate small bodies of water that I’d like to have known about sooner than I did,” says Harding. He is concerned with the privacy regulations that come with flying a drone, and the department is working to learn more about the rules of flying unmanned aerial vehicles.
“There’s not much privacy left,” says the Rutherford Institute’s John Whitehead, who was involved with passing Charlottesville’s initial anti-drone resolution. He believes it would be beneficial for emergency services to have access to drone technology, but says it would be unconstitutional for police to use the gadgets, without a search warrant, to gather information that could be used against someone in the court of law.
Werner, a drone hobbyist, uses a DJI Phantom 3, which is capable of taking 1080p high-definition photos and 2K resolution videos.
“It was my research and my personal experience with my own drone which validated to me the extreme value that these devices will add to public safety,” he says.
Goodbar says the reason more people aren’t flying drones in more places is the regulatory environment currently in place by the Federal Aviation Administration. Currently, the FAA requires commercial entities to have a special exemption, a certificate of authorization, a registered aircraft and a licensed private pilot.
“That’s one of the big hurdles right now,” he says. “A lot of companies are waiting until that requirement goes away.” Goodbar believes this may no longer be a requirement in the near future.
According to Goodbar, drone technology is already being successfully implemented in Europe by DHL Express—the international express-mail service is experimenting with delivering medicine by drone and eventually hopes to be able to collect mail such as bills, greeting cards and small packages in a payload and deliver it to a remote island, making the sending and receiving of snail mail more effective and more cost-efficient than sending it by a manned aircraft, he says.
“So if you’re living on an island and you want to send a card to grandma or you need to pay your electric bill,” he says, “you give them that and, just like any other post office, they deliver it [by drone].”
In Wise County, officials are also testing the use of medicine delivery by drone. During a test a few weeks ago, Goodbar says a plane landed at an airport and dropped off a box, then a drone picked up the box and took it to a clinic. The next step would be flying the box from the clinic to a person’s household. Though this method isn’t immediately necessary, Goodbar says they’re planning for a potential snowstorm or natural disaster.
On September 12, Goodbar taught a class about drone technology at Piedmont Virginia Community College, and its attendees included people with commercial and recreational interests and drone advocates, as well. He taught about federal regulations, types of drones, flight safety and lesser-known industries that could benefit, such as agriculture and real estate.
Recreationally, Goodbar says there’s local interest in drone racing, called FPV, or first person view racing, where pilots wear goggles that allow them to see from their drone’s eyes and fly through a predetermined course. Red Bull is significantly invested in creating a national racing program in which drones could race at speeds of 75 miles per hour.
“It’s going to be nuts in the next three years,” Caister says about local drone use in general. “And in five years, it’s almost going to be commonplace.”
Michael Coleman joins a diverse lineup of musicians and performance artists for the Tom Tom Fall Block Party at the Ix Art Park. Photo: Publicity photo
Looming sculptures and creative spaces serve as the landscape for the annual Tom Tom Fall Block Party featuring music, food trucks, crafts, performances and a beer garden. Music by Michael Coleman, Moonlight Circus, Disco Risque and Galaxy Dynamite will keep the event lively. Amid the groovy backdrop there will be a tech mixer where some of C’ville’s corporate types can meet to network and recruit. And, to top it off, Tom Tom Founders Festival is handing out Founding Cville awards to honor those who’ve made a local and/or global impact in a profound way.
Friday 9/25 & Saturday 9/26. Free, 5-11pm. Ix Art Park, 963 Second St. SE. www.tomtomfest.com.
What does it take to be a true local? We think a commenter on Facebook said it best: “The truly quintessential Charlottesville experience isn’t actually available to tourists. It’s having lived here long enough that you can’t go anywhere without running into someone you know, yet still feeling like you live in a decently sized city.” Of course, if you’ve just moved here and want to fit in, that ain’t gonna help ya much. So, in addition to a few (real, tangible) classic Charlottesville experiences, we’ve compiled the quickest ways to earn your Charlottesville cred, some Charlottesville life hacks and, if you’ve been here long enough, ways to gauge your localness. You know what they say: Wherever you go, there you are. Might as well try to fit in.
Earn your Charlottesville cred
Let’s say you’ve just moved to town.
What do you need to know? Where do you need to eat? What should you experience to make like a true local? We’ve got some ideas.
Take your kid to peewee soccer
If you’re the parent of a 4- or 5-year-old, odds are good that you—along with hundreds of your friends and neighbors—will find yourself at Darden Towe Park or Crozet Elementary School on fall and spring Saturday mornings. Yep, we’re talking Hot Shots, the program that introduces wee ones, in their oversized yellow, green, red, purple or teal SOCA jerseys, to the sport of soccer. There are no tryouts, nobody keeps score, and the teams are formed around schools and neighborhoods so friends can play together. Enjoy it while it lasts!
Take in a polo match
Photo: Molly Angevine
Forget what you think you know about polo matches—wide-brimmed hats, sundresses and bow ties belong in Pretty Woman, not at King Family Vineyards, where every Sunday from Memorial Day through mid-October you can watch the Roseland Polo Club duke it out on the 300-yard field while wearing your weekend casuals.
Don’t show up in the afternoon though, newbie. Gather your friends early and park the car tailgate style around the field (pop-up tents encouraged). Thirsty? Flag down the golf cart for a glass of King Family wine to knock off the morning chill. Just don’t get too sloshed. You’ll have to stomp the divots at half-time, à la Ms. Roberts.
Eat at the hot spots
The best way to sink your teeth into a new place? Dine at the oldest, most popular, most talked about and highest praised haunts. Here are four you should know about immediately.
Bodo’s Bagels
It seems counterintuitive to order a Caesar salad at a bagel joint, but what can we say? It’s a universal favorite. Start there, then experiment with bagel sandwiches until you find your personal favorite combination.
Bamboo House
Though somewhat David Lynchian in its décor (think taxidermied foxes and geese in a windowless room), this 29N mainstay produces a perfectly decent Chinese meal—delivered on a rolling cart, even if you only ordered one plate of food—and plenty of fodder for your out-of-town relatives.
The Spudnut Shop
Made from potato flour (get it?), these sticky sweet treats are an early-morning staple. And we do mean early—the Avon Street shop opens at 6am and you’d better believe there’s often a line out the door.
Timberlake’s Drug Store
Make your way through the old-school drugstore up front and take a seat at the back counter. Order a ham salad sandwich and an egg cream and don’t forget to tip the nice ladies behind the counter.
Tube down the James
Photo: Tom Daly
Sure, the scenery on the James River, which meanders through the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is something to behold. But views take a backseat to the party once you’ve rented your tube (consider getting one for your cooler too!) at Scottsville’s James River Reeling & Rafting or James River Runners. After you’ve been shuttled to the river, it’s time to, ahem, go with the flow—and enjoy a long, lazy float down the barely moving river with your nearest and dearest (and funnest). Forget your troubles, come on get happy. Just don’t forget the sunscreen.
Attend Foxfield
Photo: Aaron Farrington
You can’t properly claim your Charlottesville cred without having experienced the festive splendor of the Foxfield Races. Every fall and spring, Foxfield patrons—all dressed in their best Southern prep attire—are regaled with equine entertainment with the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop. Dozens of plots are awash in a multitude of bow ties, floppy hats, Lilly Pulitzer dresses, cold beverages, corn hole and infectious laughter (usually brought on by said cold beverages). Heck, if you’re lucky you might even glimpse a horse race or two.
Go to a UVA football game
Nothing generates quite the same euphoric feeling of camaraderie as being a drop in a sea of orange on game day at Scott Stadium. Every ’Hoo down in Hooville gathers after a morning of tailgating in the best of spirits, greeted by the Cavalier Marching Band, and eager to watch Virginia take on whatever team dares step foot on Wahoo soil. Whether you come decked out in blue and orange spirit gear or don “pearls for girls and ties for guys,” the feverish energy will have you singing “The Good Old Song” loud and proud…after every single touchdown scored.
Know your Brad Savage facts
Photo: Brianna LaRocco
Brad Savage was standing in the control room when 106.1 The Corner launched its initial signal in 2006. Nine years later, he’s helped shape the station’s vision and become the most recognizable voice in local radio (earning high marks in C-VILLE’s annual Best of C-VILLE readers poll as “Best local radio personality”).
Now he’s headed for a bigger market, taking the reins as program director at 91.3 The Summit in Akron, Ohio, but the impression he’s leaving on Charlottesville will be felt long after he’s gone. You’d do well to know a few more things about him.
What will you miss the most about Charlottesville?
Charlottesville greatly outperforms its size and population. The music and touring bands the city receives—amazing! Plus all the arts and festivals and the foodie scene. This is a great town.
What is your least favorite thing about Charlottesville?
Traffic! In the afternoons especially. We’ve outgrown our land area and road system. The city has gotten a lot bigger than its days decades ago.
What are some of your favorite local bands?
So many great local acts around here. This is another space where Charlottesville has more than you would think. Shout-out to Erin & The Wildfire, Sally Rose Band, Lord Nelson, Born Crooked, Astronomers and so many others!
If you could pick any musical genre to describe yourself, what would it be?
I like to think I am “pre-1991 UK indie pop”—the pre-Nirvana/grunge modern rock sound.
What song will remind you of Charlottesville?
I have two. One is the new Dawes song, “All Your Favorite Bands,” because the lyrics mention Charlottesville in the first verse. Second is Michael Franti & Spearhead’s “Say Hey (I Love You),” which is basically the biggest hit song in the history of 106.1 The Corner.
Attend the naturalization ceremony
Photo: Jack Looney
Tracey Ullman might have said it best during her speech at the 2010 Monticello naturalization ceremony. She told the crowd gathered on Thomas Jefferson’s hilltop estate that steamy Independence Day that she became an American citizen in 2006 because “I realized how much I loved this country.” And she wanted to vote. Turns out she’s not the only one.
Since 1963, thousands of people from all over the world have taken the oath of citizenship at Mr. Jefferson’s house—and, like Ullman, they each have a story to tell about how they got here. “I wish every American could hear and listen to these new citizens, what it means to them to be a citizen of the United States of America,” Governor Terry McAuliffe said last July.
Do yourself a favor and listen to the guv: Get out of bed early next July 4 and head up the mountain to plant yourself on one of the folding chairs set up on Monticello’s west lawn, where past keynote speakers have included architect I.M. Pei, former President George W. Bush and homegrown musician Dave Matthews. You won’t regret showing up for this unique, moving reminder of what it means to be an American. We swear.
Hike Old Rag
In Bossypants, Tina Fey’s 2011 memoir, the award-winning actress-comedienne sums up her time as an undergraduate at the University of Virginia in a chapter titled “Climbing Old Rag Mountain.” Things didn’t go well for Fey when she attempted to scale the mountain, probably because she made the trek at night, with an asshat of a bro she called Handsome Robert Wuhl: “The first leg of our journey was the walk from the parking lot to the beginning of the actual trail,” she writes. “By the time we got to the foot of the mountain, I was already nauseous from overexertion and trying to hide it.” Come back, Tina! You’re older, wiser and fitter, which means you will have no trouble doing the entire nine-mile loop—during the day (arrive early to beat the crowds). And when you’ve finally made it up Old Rag’s granite staircase, we’re certain you’ll have only good things to say after taking in the idyllic view from the summit.
Download the C-VILLE app
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Charlottesville life hacks
No matter how long you’ve been here, there are a few tricks of the trade every local should know.
How to: Make a quick trip to Whole Foods
The quickest way to get in and out of Whole Foods in under 10 minutes? Stay focused, don’t get distracted by anything you don’t need (asparagus water, we’re talkin’ to you) and, above all, go early. At 7am, when the store opens, it’s a desert oasis of eco-minded foodstuffs. More of a night owl? The hour before it closes (9-10pm) is a good second choice.
How to: Get the cheapest gas
Running on empty where both your wallet and tank are concerned? You’ll find the cheapest gas at the WilcoHess stations (there’s one on Richmond Road and two on Seminole Trail), but the Kangaroo Express (at 1099 Rio Rd.) and Kroger, Costco and Sam’s Club (if you’re a member) all boast budget fuel, too.
How to: Find parking downtown
With dozens of top-notch and varying eateries, live music on any given evening and a wealth of unadulterated local culture, there are no lack of reasons to head downtown for business or pleasure. But there does remain one big reason not to: the dreaded (and seemingly impossible) task of finding a spot to leave the car. The most obvious options are the two parking garages: one on Water Street and one on Market Street. This is the best choice for ventures that take less than two hours, as more than 100 businesses downtown validate parking. After 6pm, the lesser-known free locations are street parking on Water Street, Garrett Street and a few spaces off East Jefferson and High streets, if you don’t mind walking a few blocks.
How to: Get in to a sold-out show
Photo: Jack Looney
For those lucky souls working or volunteering at (or cohabitating with someone who works for) one of the area’s entertainment biz outposts, getting a ticket to the hottest show may seem like an inborn right. The common concertgoer, however, still needs a miracle, unless she has the diligence to try these tactics recommended by unnamed industry insiders.
1. Presale/onsale: Tickets are held for both of these sales to the public. Camping out for tickets now means sitting at your desk and clicking repeatedly, while dialing on the phone and getting all your relatives to do the same.
2. Radio station: While you are clicking and refreshing and dialing, you should also be keeping an ear on radio giveaways and checking station websites. There are rules about how many times people can win—and only so many people who like your band. Do the math.
3. Sad face: If, even as a superfan, you find yourself ticketless on show night and are hanging around the venue, giving the sad face to every person in your vicinity will sometimes pay dividends. Be sure to wear a concert tee and have cash in hand.
4. Scalper: Scalpers suck, and are part of the reason you don’t have a ticket, so don’t use them.
You know you’re a local if…
Remember Krishna’s Kitchen? The Mineshaft? The Ridge Drive-in? If you answered yes, you’re a true local. Here are some other ways to measure whether you’re a townie.
…you correct bad pronunciations
When you first move to the area, you learn quickly that Charlottesville has its own language for a lot of things (or you don’t and people constantly correct you). First years not freshmen, Grounds not campus, final exercises not graduation at UVA—those only scratch the surface of our city’s unique lingo. See if you’ve been saying it wrong all along.
Rivanna River (Rye-vanna): The river, a tributary to the James River, was originally named after Queen Anne of England.
Monticello (Mon-ti-CHELLO): Thomas Jefferson first referred to his home as Monticello in his garden book in 1767. The word means “hillock” or “little mountain” in Italian.
Rio Road (Rye-oh): Some historians say the name comes from the fact that railroad stop No. 10 was near the road (written R.10).
Other names to know: Staunton (Stanten), Crozet (Kroh-ZAY), JPA (Jefferson Park Avenue), CHO (Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport).
…you rode the Holly Trolley
Photo: File photo
Beehive hairdos, Mac PowerBooks—some things are better left in the past. But the Holly Trolley is not one of them. A charming addition to Charlottesville’s holiday scene, the trolley took passengers through some of the most fantastically decorated neighborhoods in Charlottesville. Come late December, you’d get your tickets early and if you couldn’t hop aboard, you’d drive your car behind it.
When the city stopped running the trolley in 2009, Gingerbread Express bus rides took its place. Staff at the Downtown Business Association of Charlottesville say the Gingerbread Express is in the works for this winter, but we know one thing, regardless of the next iteration: It’ll never be the same.
…you’ve taken a selfie with Dave
Photo: Courtesy subjects
So you’ve spotted Dave Matthews downtown. What do you do? If you’re a true local, you ask him for a pic. After all, he puts his pants on one leg at a time, too. These 14 folks were gutsy enough to nab a snap with our local star.
…you went to the original Albemarle County Fair
Once upon a time there was an Albemarle County Fair that was not billed as a three-day agricultural celebration that “emphasizes the deep human, natural and agricultural resources of Central Virginia.” It was held on Plank Road in North Garden, and every August white tents went up, and I took a ride on a big ol’ Ferris wheel with a view of, well, everything. If I was feeling especially brave, I’d go for a spin on the Hounddog, which tossed me all over the place while sitting face-to-face with my husband inside a cylinder mounted to a spinning carousel that whipped ’round and ’round. Then I’d head for the Cannonball, where a dude with homemade tats strapped me in for a ride 100 feet up a pole, only to drop me a few seconds later. It was a years-long love affair with fear (and deep-fried batter) that ended when the owners of Bundoran Farm canceled the fair’s $1-a-year lease and it—sans Hounddog—moved to the sedate grounds of Ash Lawn-Highland.
…you’re still asking the Film Fest theme
Ask locals about their favorite arts festival and many tell you that it’s the Virginia Film Festival—they may even add a personal story about running into Jimmy Stewart, Jean Stapleton, Oliver Stone or Will Forte on the Downtown Mall.
And at least once during the lead-up to the annual fall event, a longtime resident will ask, “What’s the theme of the festival this year?”
Rewind to the inaugural days of the fest when the coordinators chose a different programming theme ranging from “Music & the Movies” to “Wild Spaces, Endangered Places” to “Aliens,” and ending in 2009 with the theme of “Funny Business” after the hiring of festival director Jody Kielbasa (now also the UVA vice provost for the arts). Kielbasa came to town with extensive Hollywood connections, raising the international profile and cachet of the fest, along with increasing attendance each year since his arrival and putting C’ville on a map for the stars.
This year’s lineup, sans theme, will be announced on September 29.
…you can point out John Grisham
Photo: Jack Looney
Dave Matthews may be our most recognizable local star, but relative anonymity is what makes a sighting of John Grisham—the bestselling author who keeps an office on the Downtown Mall—earn you even more cachet.
“Have you ever read The Firm?” you’ll ask of out-of-towners over a plate of grilled banana bread at Bizou. “That’s the guy who wrote it.” Or maybe you’ll see him overtipping a busker (he’s rumored to have once dropped $100 into a performer’s bucket) and you can say, “Oh, he does that all the time.”
…you reject the name “Midtown”
Not long ago a friend suggested I meet her for lunch in Midtown. “Don’t be ridiculous,” I said. “I can’t go to New York on Wednesday.” Long pause, followed by, “Blue Moon Diner isn’t in Manhattan.” And that’s how I learned the stretch of Main Street that runs from downtown to UVA—a section of Charlottes-ville I’ve called West Main for more than two decades—is now referred to as Midtown. Turns out this Midtown has a Facebook page, a business association and an annual street fair. Whatevs—it’s all West Main to me.
…you remember movies before Stonefield
Photo: Ed Roseberry
I enjoy watching Daniel Craig on an IMAX screen as much as the next girl. And stadium seating? Bring it. But I also really enjoyed living in a city that had more than one place to take in a movie. Okay, maybe the 29 North Regal and Carmike had both seen better days (shortly before the Regal closed, a chunk of ceiling came crashing down on the seats next to me and they didn’t even stop the film), but my daughters and I saw many a Pixar movie at those two theaters. Then there was the University Theatre, Greenbrier and the Jefferson, where, for a couple bucks, I caught some terrific second-run features. But I think I miss Vinegar Hill and the downtown Regal most of all. Instead of staring at my iPhone while waiting in line to buy popcorn, I’d discuss Beasts of the Southern Wild, A Separation or The September Issue with complete strangers who were as passionate about movies as I. Remember when Charlottesville was flush with independent movies, foreign films and documentaries? Hurry up and open already, Violet Crown!
…you have a ticket stub from Satellite Ballroom
R&B act Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings miss it. Promoter Danny Shea misses it.
And if you’re over a certain age and have a special place where you keep concert mementos known as ticket stubs, you probably miss the Satellite Ballroom, too.
If you are a true fan, you possess a handmade, screenprinted ticket stub. “As a passionate upstart trying to make a splash, tickets for most shows over the first year or so were screenprinted in my garage,” says Shea, who ran the venue since its inception.
The Ballroom, as it came to be known, kicked off in a space renovated by Plan 9 records on the UVA Corner in April 2004 with a live scoring of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and operated through May 2008 when the lease was lost to the CVS drugstore chain. The venue held numerous first appearances, as well as memorable sets by indie favorites.
“There were many real fun nights there,” says Shea. “Peaches with Quintron & Miss Pussycat, Caribou, !!!, Mogwai, Silver Jews, Yo La Tengo (storyteller show) with Kurt Wagner, Girl Talk, Boris, Acid Mothers Temple, Battles and, of course, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. There were many more.“
Shea (now a booker for Starr Hill Presents) was known for multitasking at the venue, from booking the bands to running the door and even providing distractions between sets, as depicted in one of his favorite memories.
“Arm wrestling David Yow [legendary Jesus Lizard frontman, artist, actor and personal hero] on the floor of the dressing room/storage closet and winning,” says Shea. “That was a truly magical moment for me and would have been (probably more) magical had I lost.” And to Shea, we say, “Touché!”
–Samantha Baars, Sherry Brown, Tami Keaveny, Jessica Luck, Susan Sorensen and Caite White
Lieutenant Mike Wagner is evaluating body cams for Albemarle police and getting stakeholders on board.
Staff photo
In January, C-VILLE reported that body cams were “imminent” for Charlottesville police. Nine months later, city cops still are not sporting the cameras and the University Police Department became the first local law enforcement agency to outfit its officers. The Albemarle County Police Department is moving toward the cameras as well, and approximately 50 people attended a citizen forum September 15.
“I think the community was a bit startled at how complex this issue is,” says Albemarle’s chief, Colonel Steve Sellers. His department piloted the cameras last winter, and is working to get the policy right. “Some departments rushed into it,” he says. “They’re regretting it now.”
A key consideration is when the cameras get activated. Privacy of victims is a big concern, as is footage shot in a home that is not a part of a criminal investigation or that includes a child.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Denise Lunsford stressed the importance of policy so “we all know what the policy is and when an officer is supposed to activate them and when they’re supposed to turn them off.”
Some wondered about privacy under the Freedom of Information Act and whether their neighbors can request video from the night the police showed up at their door.
“These videos are a public record,” says John Blair with the county attorney’s office. But the average citizen’s ability to access them could be limited under the criminal investigative files exemption, he says.
Some attending wanted to know if they could have a private conversation with an officer without being recorded. Richard Lloyd, Republican candidate for the Albemarle Board of Supervisors, said, “If you want to have a private conversation with an officer, you should be able to do that.”
Albemarle resident Fred Scott wanted to know if there was a problem in the community with police use of force or was Albemarle doing it “because everyone is doing it?”
Other police departments have discovered that everyone behaves better when they know they’re being recorded, and citizen complaints about officer misconduct and incidents of police use of force both dropped dramatically, said Lieutenant Mike Wagner.
For example, the Rialto Police Department in California conducted a one-year study after its cops started wearing the cameras, and found that citizen complaints of officer misconduct fell by 87.5 percent, while uses of force by officers fell by 59 percent.
In the current draft policy, an officer would have to account for why the camera was turned off, said Sellers. He also said that for every dollar spent on body cameras, “we can save the county $4 in litigation.”
Sellers sought buy-in from his officers. “Overwhelmingly the vast majority wants them,” he said. He compares the cameras to equipment like protective vests that no one relishes wearing on a 90-degree day. “Officers really do want to do the right thing,” he said. “And these provide them some protection” from unwarranted complaints.
The cameras themselves are not the big ticket expenditure, it’s the storage, said Sellers. He’s anticipating spending around $45,000 for the body cams, while the storage of the video will be about $66,000 a year. He said he’ll also need a person to be in charge of the data and will include that in his budget request to the Board of Supervisors this fall.
As beneficial as the technology can be, Sellers warned about what it couldn’t do: “Body cams don’t measure the hair on the back of a police officer’s neck when he hears someone coming up behind him. It doesn’t tell the whole story. It helps tell the story, but it doesn’t tell the whole thing.”
Todd Rath plans to open the Blue Toad Hard Cider tasting room on Route 151 in time for The Festy in October. Photo: Rammelkamp Foto
Rockfish Valley Inn owner prepares for new cidery on 151
For those of you determined to hit every boozy spot on Route 151 in one day (one weekend might be more realistic, though still ambitious), that goal is about to be even more challenging. Todd Rath, who may be familiar to anyone who frequents the area, recently announced his plan to open a new cidery on the old Wintergreen Winery property that he purchased this summer, the day before it was supposed to go to auction. Rath is no stranger to the Afton area, and no stranger to the cider industry—this will be the third business he’s launched on Route 151 and his second iteration of Blue Toad Hard Cider.
The original Blue Toad Hard Cider opened in January in his hometown of Rochester, New York. The New York location has expanded to include tasting rooms around the state, and Rath plans to start producing and distributing cider down here under the same name.
One of his New York ciders was on tap at Blue Mountain Brewery for about a month, and it’s been making appearances at Oceanwide Seafood and Rockfish 151 Pub. So if you can’t wait until the October opening (his goal is to be up and running in time for The Festy), you can sample some of what he’s been making up north. The New York cider may be similar to what he’ll produce here, but it won’t be exactly the same.
Unlike some of the bigger guys in the cider industry, Rath promises that every bottle will contain 100 percent local cider; he won’t use concentrate or ship apples in from anywhere outside the commonwealth. The New York cider is made with New York apples, and the Virginia cider is made with Virginia apples, specifically from Silver Creek Orchard in Tyro, about 12 miles southwest of the property.
“I can look people straight in the face and say that our apples are naturally grown and fermented,” Rath says, adding that Central Virginia has a long history of apple orchards and hard cider. “I want to take advantage of what we have and make great products.”
Speaking of the products, Rath says he’s planning on rolling out four different flavors of six-pack apple-based ciders: Blue Ridge Blonde, Roc (for both Rochester and Rockfish Valley) Hard Amber, Hard Cherry and Hard Pineapple.
Rath also plans to plant his own orchard —he says to expect about 20 trees on the property once it opens next month—of “higher-end cider apples,” which will end up in dryer, wine-bottle ciders.
Farm winery regulations don’t allow the cidery to feature a restaurant with a full kitchen, but meats, cheeses and breads will be available. So you won’t be able to stop in for a full-on meal in the middle of your booze cruise down Route 151, but you can at least order a charcuterie platter to soak up some of that cider (and wine and beer and gin…).
From the horse’s mouth
Horse & Hound Gastropub quietly closed its doors last week after eight years in business. On September 16 a for-rent sign went up outside the restaurant, and owners Brooke and Luther Fedora posted a press release on Facebook announcing the restaurant has closed permanently due to major flood damage in August. According to the press release, repairs would have cost “tens of thousands of dollars,” and reopening would have resulted in a “serious loss of income.”
“We were committed to reopening our doors as quickly as possible after the severe water damage that the building sustained,” the press release reads. “Unfortunately, circumstances have prevented us from doing so.”
The owners say they have no plans to relocate the restaurant “or start any new projects in Charlottesville,” but they do promise to honor any catering commitments that are already on the calendar.
“Luther and I are looking forward to spending some more family time with our amazing son and taking some much-needed time off,” reads the final line of the owners’ farewell.
Eat your veggies
For the 19th year in a row, local veg-heads will gather for a day to celebrate all things vegetable. The annual C’ville Vegetarian Festival begins at 11am in Lee Park on September 26 and runs to 5pm—just in time to get home and try out one of the recipes you learned for dinner.
The festival will feature live music and local vendors showcasing their vegetarian/vegan dishes and animal-friendly products, plus a lineup of presentations and cooking demos. Topics on the docket include genetically modified food (“the good, the bad and the ugly”), impacts of the poultry industry and “Why fish don’t belong on your dish.” For those of you (vegetarians, vegans or otherwise) wanting to expand your meatless cooking repertoire, the demonstrations include cooking with quinoa, Italian family recipes and DIY granola.
For more information, visit www.cville vegfest.org.
With a fearless, exploratory zeal, Greensky Bluegrass brings its aural duality to the Jefferson on Wednesday. Photo: Publicity photo
From their home base of Kalamazoo, Michigan, the five members of Greensky Bluegrasshave forged a defiant, powerful sound composed of seemingly irreconcilable elements. While rooted in classic string-band Americana, the tension and release between tradition and innovation, prearranged songs and improvisation, and acoustic tones and electric volume is what makes this act so thrillingly dynamic—on stage and in the studio.
Wednesday 9/23. $18, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. 245-4948.
Lord Nelson will host an album release for The County on September 26 at The Southern Café & Music Hall. Opening acts include Downbeat Project and a solo set by Erin Lunsford (of Erin and The Wildfire). Photo: Tom Daly
Growing up in Nelson County, Kai and Bram Crowe-Getty picked up instruments at a young age. Since then, they’ve each played on a variety of stages and in a handful of different bands—but they both agree that their current band, Lord Nelson, is different than the rest. And with this week’s release of the band’s debut album, The County, it’s difficult to argue with that.
The Crowe-Getty brothers formed Lord Nelson in 2012, with trombonist Henry Jones, bass player Trevor Pietsch and lead guitarist Robert Word joining the ranks along the way. “Henry brought this funky horn element that we’d been missing and breathed life into the music,” says Bram. The resulting sound is an amalgamation of Southern rock and Bayou funk, with a touch of bluegrass twang and jam band riffing.
“Getting a little weird or improvising is really at the core of what we do,” Bram says. Each song’s foot-stomping rhythms are catchy as hell, without being derivative or simplistic. It’s party music in the best sense of the phrase, conjuring the very jam sessions that helped Kai and Bram develop as young musicians.
“We came out of the Nelson County music scene, and it was really supportive and inclusive,” Bram says. “At a young age, when we had no right to be there, we got to play with musicians who were way better than us.” Through this support from fellow Nelson County musicians as well as other local venue managers and bookers, the brothers honed their chops and gained vital experience in the music business. “You go from playing barns out in Covesville and orchard parties to not knowing what’s professionally expected of you,” says Kai. With communal tutelage, however, Kai and Bram learned, and Lord Nelson grew as a band. Playing open mic nights progressed to gigs as the opening act, which, in turn, led to headlining shows.
With the milestone release of The County, the brothers pay tribute to the Nelson County community. The guys started working on the album in December. “We’ve been doing it in pieces, as the band can afford to do it,” Kai says. “It’s frustrating sometimes that you’re not on a label, but it’s been good motivation. You’ve just got to do it yourself.” And that’s what they’ve done.
The band has invested almost every cent of performance pay in the past year to record and master the final tracks. They also recently concluded a successful crowd- funding campaign to help cover the cost of packaging. In keeping with their DIY approach, the campaign’s perks ranged from the expected digital downloads and in-house performances to a handmade cutting board by Rob.
Henry takes care of most of the group’s graphic design work, including Lord Nelson’s website and the packaging for the new album, while Kai handles the booking and business side of things. As a video editor and producer by day, Kai also helps coordinate the band’s multimedia content, including a music video for the single off the new album. “It definitely keeps the overhead down and allows us to maximize our talents and put out good-quality stuff,” he says.
This week, Lord Nelson celebrates its album release with a Saturday night concert at the Southern, hot on the heels of another memorable gig at the 2015 Lockn’ Music Festival. After winning the Charlottesville Rockn’ to Lockn’ event in July, Lord Nelson was given the chance to take the stage at the annual music festival in their very own Nelson County. Joining a lineup of their musical heroes, the band members were understandably thrilled. “I think the exciting part is that you’re at this musical event where there are all these idols that we grew up on,” says Bram. “We’ll just try to play it cool and hope that they offer us a beer.”
When the festival’s Thursday rainout led the band to set up an impromptu show at Rapture with nationally touring group Deer Tick, Lord Nelson’s set at Lockn’ on Saturday morning confirmed their ability to rally fans. “Playing Lockn’ was a surreal experience,” says Kai. “Getting to watch some of the greats alongside other musicians really underlined the sense of community and shared respect throughout the festival. Listening to such talent inspired me to go home and play guitar and put the work in so that we can continue to improve.”
After this week’s album release, Kai and the rest of the band will hit the road to take The County on tour. And as they continue to grow, the members of Lord Nelson retain a deep investment in their community and strive to support young musicians in ways similar to those who helped them along the way. “It’s really important for us to try to pass that on and to share the stage that we have,” Bram says. “What I hope to bring to the local music scene is more of the inclusive and community-minded approach to music. That’s how Kai and I grew up playing music.”
Jane Dittmar greets supporters before announcing her run for the 5th Congressional District.
Staff photo
Albemarle Board of Supervisors Chair Jane Dittmar chose the front of the County Office Building to announce her run for Congress September 17 because “this was where I began my public service and where I was sworn in,” she said. That was not quite two years ago after she won a special election, and now she’s setting her sights on a larger legislative body.
“Public service is the last part of the work of my career,” said Dittmar, 59, a business owner, former CEO and president of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, a certified mediator and now a 5th District Democratic candidate.
“There are a lot of people angry about Washington,” she said in front of an enthusiastic crowd of approximately 100 supporters. “I decided to run because this summer I realized we’re sending the wrong people to Washington.”
Republican Robert Hurt, the three-term incumbent, easily fended off his most recent challengers in a district that Democrats haven’t held since Tom Perriello’s one-term victory in 2008. The 5th stretches from northern Virginia and to the state’s economically hard-hit southern border, where Hurt, who served nine years in the General Assembly, has a well-established base.
Hurt declined to comment on the Democratic candidates—Halifax County native Ericke Cage also wants the Dem nomination—but said, “I appreciate the fact that the seat to which I was elected belongs to the people of the 5th District, and we welcome any candidate offering himself or herself for that position.”
The district covers more than 10,000 square miles, 21 counties, two cities and 31 towns, Dittmar noted, and she drove most of it announcement day, hitting Danville and Warrenton before finishing in Charlottesville.
She stressed job creation and Internet access. “I intend to light up this district,” she said.
She also emphasized her business credentials. “I really get business,” she said. “I have started businesses. I grew them. That meant I met payroll. I borrowed capital and paid it back, because my businesses did well.”
“Jane is a problem solver who puts people first and is not a partisan warrior,” says Richard Brewer, chair of the Albemarle Democratic Committee, in an e-mail. “She is just the type of person we need in Washington to help clean up the dysfunctional mess we call Congress. While Republican gerrymandering makes this a difficult district, I am confident that her message and proven track record will appeal to voters across party lines and that she has a clear path to victory.”
Democrats in the 5th District have not announced how they’ll nominate a candidate for the 2016 election.
