Month: January 2017

Categories
News

Frayser White appears for motions hearing

Frayser White IV. Photo courtesy of the Albemarle County Police Department

The man involved in Albemarle County’s first fatal traffic crash of 2016 appeared in Albemarle County Circuit Court on January 30 where a judge denied two motions that would amend his house arrest and suppress evidence collected from his vehicle after the wreck.

On March 15, 2016, Frayser White IV crossed double solid yellow lines on Ivy Road and collided head-on with 81-year-old Carolyn Wayne, who died at the scene, according to the prosecution.

Though White was initially charged with driving under the influence for the second time in five years, the prosecution dropped that after finding no evidence he’d consumed alcohol. He is charged with two felony counts for possession of heroin and cocaine, and two misdemeanors for reckless driving and possession of alprazolam, the generic form of Xanax.

“This is a man who has a history of DUI and a history of reckless driving,” said Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Richard Farley when White moved to amend his bond to allow him to be dropped off at work and other appointments. He is currently on house arrest and only allowed to leave for medical appointments if he is driven by a family member. “We’re not prepared to give him the opportunity to hurt someone else,” said Farley.

The defense attorneys—John Zwerling and Rhonda Quagliana—said officers did not have probable cause to obtain a search warrant to inspect White’s vehicle after the crash.

“We have the defendant on the wrong side of the road. We have the defendant hitting someone head-on. We have the defendant killing somebody,” Farley argued, adding that those details should be enough to grant a search warrant. The judge ruled in his favor.

Several motions were continued until a March 13 court date, pending a test to see whether amphetamines were present in White’s blood at the time of the crash. In court, Farley said the defendant has a prescription for them, and if the test comes back positive, he’ll argue that the defendant took “a cocktail of prescription drugs” before driving, and charge him with manslaughter.

After the crash, Zwerling said White was taken to the hospital, where tests indicated that amphetamines were not present in his blood.

Categories
News

UPDATED: ‘Capital of the resistance’ rally draws hundreds

Khizr Khan speaks out against the "dark chapter that is being written" at Mayor Mike Signer's capital of the resistance rally. Staff photo

Mayor Mike Signer had a quorum of councilors today outside City Hall, but it wasn’t for a City Council meeting. A band played Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” as hundreds of Charlottesvillians assembled at noon below the statues of three presidents, along with a handful of vocal protesters, and Signer declared Charlottesville the “capital of the resistance.”

President Donald Trump’s January 27 executive order barring refuges from seven predominantly Muslim countries was the catalyst for this and other protests both here and throughout the country.

Signer assembled a dozen speakers, including Gold Star father Khizr Khan and Pam Northam, wife of Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam.

The mayor said he’d met with a dozen local refugees over the weekend and listened to “the fear, the confusion, the anxiety” caused by the president’s order. “They are hearing the message America doesn’t want them,” said Signer.

signer-amos
Mayor Mike Signer calls President Trump a “demagogue” and says the nation is being tested. Photo Eze Amos

He invoked poet Emma Lazarus and said, “We are a place that embraces your huddled masses yearning to be free.”

And he listed four actions he’d be taking, including working with senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine’s staffs to get specific help for local immigrants and refuges, providing volunteer legal assistance, discussing with the commonwealth’s attorney how to protect residents, particularly if federal enforcement “becomes more draconian” in the coming weeks, and asking the city’s Human Rights Office to address xenophobia and harassment on the streets.

The latter issue became an immediate clash of constitutional freedoms, with at least one protester talking loudly as Signer and other speakers addressed the crowd, and frequent council speaker Joe Draego spotted packing heat. When another attendee shouted, “He has a gun!” Draego noted it was his Second Amendment right.

Charlottesville police spokesman Steve Upman says no arrests were made from the crowd he estimates at 500.

bellamyKessler-amos
Vice-Mayor Wes Bellamy snaps a selfie while blogger Jason Kessler, right, points a finger. Photo Eze Amos

At the beginning of the rally, Signer urged, “If anyone tried to disrupt these proceedings with messages of hate, drown them out with messages of love.” He suggested protesters make use of the nearby Free Speech Wall.

That didn’t deter blogger Jason Kessler, whose commentary inflamed many of those standing near him, and who drew a shout of “Shut up, Jason!” when Khan began to talk.

khan3presidents-amos
Gold Star parent Khizr Khan addresses the crowd under the three presidents. Photo Eze Amos

Khan, whose UVA alum son, Captain Humayun Khan, was killed serving the U.S. Army in Iraq in 2004, said, “We will continue to speak against the darkness, the dark chapter that is being written in our country. We will not let that happen.”

karimGinena-amos
“The people united will not be defeated,” said Karim Ginena, who studies at Darden. Photo Eze Amos

Karim Ginena with the Islamic Society of Central Virginia, pointed out, “Steve Jobs was the son of a Syrian immigrant.” He drew a laugh when he said, “Two-thirds of President Trump’s wives are recent immigrants.”

harrietKuhr_amos
Harriet Kuhr. Photo Eze Amos

Harriet Kuhr, the director of the local branch of International Rescue Committee, said, “The refugees coming here are the victims of terrorism and are desperate to find safety.” A Syrian family arrived here two weeks ago, she said, and family members who were supposed to join them are blocked by the new restrictions.

“Is this the America we stand for?” she asked, and received a resounding “no” from the crowd.

pamNortham-amos
Pam Northam’s husband, Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam, is running for governor. Photo Eze Amos

Northam acknowledged the continuing drone of hecklers, and said, “I’m a teacher and I’m real used to talking over people.”

jeffreyLegros_amos
Jeff Legro remembers coming to UVA when it was much less diverse. Photo Eze Amos

UVA Vice Provost Jeff Legro lamented “the exceptional talent from around the world that cannot get here,” and Rabbi Tom Gutherz, the child of refugees, expressed his dismay with the “shameful” executive order.

“I am very tired of Christianity being hijacked by the voices of hate,” said the Reverend Elaine Ellis Thomas from St. Paul’s Memorial Episcopal Church.

earlPendleton2-amos
Pastor Hodari Hamilton, of First Baptist Church, speaks and prays at the January 31 rally. Photo Eze Amos

Following a final prayer, Signer returned to the mic: “This is not an end, this is a beginning.”

He said the event was not a partisan one. “This is an American thing. This is a Virginia thing.” And he ended the capital of the resistance rally with shouts of “USA! USA!”

Signer drew some criticism from the Charlottesville chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice, which in a statement questioned the timing of the rally as “politically expedient” for the mayor amid the wave of national protests, while taking place just hours before the first public meeting of Equity and Progress in Charlottesville, a new group political group that seeks to involve more marginalized members of the community.

SURJ also objected to Signer “co-opting the language of ‘resistance'” while not acknowledging the many other activists that have stood up against white supremacy and racial injustice.

Updated 5:05pm with SURJ statement.

Updated 2/1/17 with additional photos.

Correction 2/1/17: The Islamic Society of Central Virginia was misidentified in the original version.

Categories
News

Ex-teacher pleads guilty to sex with underage student

Amelia Tat

A former Jack Jouett Middle School teacher pleaded guilty to having sex with someone under the age of consent—a previous student that she admitted to having feelings for at that time, according to the prosecutor.

Amelia Tat, accompanied by local defense attorney Andre Hakes, entered a plea agreement, which said she was guilty on two felony counts of carnal knowledge and could face up to 20 years in prison with a $200,000 fine.

Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Darby Lowe disclosed that Tat first started making contact with the victim outside of the classroom on social media sites like Instagram and Snapchat, where she allegedly began asking him personal questions. She eventually asked him to “stay late and help her after class,” Lowe said, which led to having sex in the classroom.

In the second instance, Tat allegedly picked the victim up from a sporting event in Lynchburg, took him out to eat, and back to her apartment where they had sex again, according to Lowe.

The victim’s mother saw a concerning text from Tat on her son’s phone and “ultimately discovered that there was something going on,” said Lowe. On June 22, 2016, she called authorities to report the indecent liberties she believed to have happened in 2015, though the victim, who was between the ages of 13 and 15, allegedly told his mom that the messages didn’t bother him.

Albemarle Circuit Court Judge Cheryl Higgins ordered Tat to remain out of jail on bond pending her May 1 sentencing on the condition of cooperating with her probation officer.

Tat did not offer any additional comments after the hearing, nor did her attorney or family.

Tat is followed by her attorney, Andre Hakes, outside of Albemarle Circuit Court. They did not offer any additional comments after the hearing.
Amelia Tat is followed by her attorney, Andre Hakes, outside of Albemarle Circuit Court. They did not offer any additional comments after the hearing.

 

Categories
News

Boom town: Long-dormant county developments get second wind

The Villas at Belvedere. Photo by Matteus Frankovich/SKYCLAD Aerials

The Great Recession is officially over. The evidence? Building permits in 2016 were the highest since 2007 housing-bubble levels. Construction is going on all over the area, from 5th Street Station to West Main to U.S. 29 north. And a recent Weldon Cooper Center population study pegs the Charlottesville area as booming.

Categories
News

Fenwick says he’ll vote to remove statue

Councilor Bob Fenwick advises Vice-Mayor Wes Bellamy that he's about announce that he'll vote to remove the statue of General Robert E. Lee. staff photo

In his second press conference of the week, Councilor Bob Fenwick, who abstained during the heated City Council 2-2 vote to remove Confederate statues last week, said today he’ll vote to move the statue of General Robert E. Lee at the next meeting February 6.

“Immediately upon the vote being recorded, I will make a separate motion to request an advisory opinion from the Virginia attorney general as to any legal difficulties we should anticipate,” he said. Fenwick wants council to acknowledge this matter as a priority for City Manager Maurice Jones and city staff, and to “clear the decks” of any nonessential tasks, he said.

At the January 17 meeting, Fenwick linked budget considerations to his abstention on the statue vote, calling for an investment in citizens for projects such as opening community centers for longer hours and building a field house at Tonsler Park. He also took shots at the $1.5 million skate park that’s now out to bid, and the $1 million the city has spent on consultants for West Main Street, while slicing nonprofit support for organizations like Legal Aid Justice Center.

Last year, 13.5 percent was cut out of the budget for nonprofits that help the “people who could least afford it,” he said.

Fenwick called a press conference January 24 and stressed those same issues, encouraging a budget that put people first.

Apparently he got what he was looking for as far as support from fellow councilors at a budget work session that evening. He said, “A majority of the City Council supported several important initiatives” that in the past had not been funded.

“This support indicates a firm commitment to rebalancing the city budget in a way that acknowledges the importance of investing in community and individuals,” he said.

Vice-Mayor Wes Bellamy was unaware of Fenwick’s press conference until he walked by assembled reporters in City Space. “I want to know, too,” he says. After Fenwick’s surprise announcement of his change of heart, Bellamy, one of the two votes to move the statues, declined to comment.

Councilor Kristin Szakos had joined Bellamy last March in calling for the removal of the statues of generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson and renaming the parks where they resided.

Fenwick noted a change in public sentiment over the course of the past year. Early on, the majority of people, both black and white, wanted to keep the statues, he said.

City staff estimated it would cost $330,000 to remove the Lee statue and $370,000 for Jackson. When people found out that it would expensive to move them, he said, there was a shift toward putting the money to better use.

But over the past month, he said, he noticed another change and told a friend, “The days of the statue are numbered.”

The Blue Ribbon Commission on Race, Memorials and Public Spaces recommended leaving the statue of Jackson at Court Square because his is a less dominant figure than Lee’s, Szakos pointed out at the January 17 meeting before she made a motion to remove the Lee statue. She did not immediately return a call from C-VILLE.

Mayor Mike Signer and Councilor Kathy Galvin voted to keep the statues and contextualize them. Galvin said it was “morally wrong to scrub” history of symbols from the slave, Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras.

With Fenwick’s latest shift, says Galvin in an e-mail, “I’m left wondering what price councilors Bellamy and Szakos paid for Councilor Fenwick’s ‘yes’ vote.”

In an e-mail, Signer says, “I expect that much of Charlottesville is experiencing whiplash after Councilor Fenwick’s press event. In light of his remarks, it looks like we will again discuss the statues at an upcoming council meeting. I haven’t heard directly from Councilor Fenwick or my colleagues yet about upcoming agendas so can’t be more specific right now.”

Whether a 3-2 vote to remove the statues will be enough to actually relocate them remains to be seen. Virginia has statutes that prohibit the removal of war memorials, hence Fenwick’s request for an opinion from the attorney general.

And Confederate heritage groups have threatened to sue should Charlottesville try to remove the heroes of the Lost Cause. At the council meeting Szakos acknowledged the city was likely to face a lawsuit, but said councilors shouldn’t let that prevent a vote to move the statue.

Updated January 27 with Galvin’s comment.

Categories
Real Estate

Redfields Offers Convenience, Affordability, and an Amenity-Rich Lifestyle

Hello, hello, hello

The Redfields neighborhood is conveniently located off 5th Street south of Interstate 64, just minutes from the University, the Med Center and the Downtown Mall.  While it has always been a popular place to live, it became even more desirable with the recent opening of 5th Street Station and its anchor tenant, the upscale grocery store, Wegmans.  No longer do south side dwellers need to drive to Waynesboro or Zion Crossroads to avoid traffic and congestion when they shop.  Instead they can buy groceries, enjoy restaurants, a theatre, sporting goods stores and much, much more all in one location just minutes from home.

The quality of life at Redfields is also enhanced by a nice list of amenities like walking trails and a playground that make it attractive to a wide range of buyers from singles and families to downsizers and retirees.  In addition, residents enjoy ample green spaces and mountain views. For those who are ready to put away their rakes, their lawn mowers and their snow shovels, there are even areas within the subdivision where home owners can sit back and enjoy a lifestyle that is yard work free.

If you are in the market for a new home and love the sound of these many amenities, talk to your agent about Redfields where you will find affordable prices and a range of housing styles from townhomes, to attached homes, to single family residences in a range of price points that make it affordable for just about everyone.

However, be aware that the south side, including Redfields, is growing in popularity and especially so now that residents have access to 5th Street Station.  If you like the rustic beauty and easy accessibility to town that this community offers, don’t wait. The neighborhood has always been a favorite of UVA residents and when March rolls around and they receive confirmation of their upcoming postings, those coming to our area will  be out house hunting, increasing competition for the limited listings in this desirable spot.

Why Buyers Love Redfields
There are many reasons for Redfields’ popularity including the convenience of easy access to the interstate, downtown and UVA.  The community also has popular amenities and offers green spaces and scenic views.   Perhaps most important, it is a place where residents reach out to newcomers helping everyone in this neighborhood of 450 houses feel at home.

“It’s got a rural community feel to it, but it’s close to all the major amenities,” said Robert Russo, with Nest Realty Group, a top producer who has sold over 100 homes in Redfields since it first opened in 2006. He explained that its proximity to UVA and the Med Center is a big draw and he sees lots of professors as well as law and medical students moving there. Of course downtown is minutes away and those commuting elsewhere appreciate being able to quickly get onto the Interstate and head either east or west. 

Michael Guthrie, CEO and Managing Broker for Roy Wheeler Realty Co., emphasized the rural nature of the community stating that many of the lots back up to common ground and have nice “rural views.”  In addition he added that Redfields has a very strong community-based culture.  The neighborhood is big enough to offer a lot of options, but “small enough for community activities” for those who want to participate.  In other words, the neighborhood is a place where socially inclined residents can easily get to know each other adding to the fun of living there. 

Families with children like Redfields in part because of amenities like a playground and neighborhood pool.  For those who want to send their children to private schools, Guthrie explained, there are two that are especially close-by: Tandem Friends School serving children in Grades 5 through 12, and The Covenant School serving children from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12.

Jim McVay with Roy Wheeler Realty Co. agrees that Redfields’ proximity to UVA is definitely a plus saying  that there is a (sort of secret) back way out of the area that makes the commute even quicker and easier. 

He described what he called the community’s “really nice amenities,” such as the lake that is exclusive to the neighborhood and is surrounded by a walking trail.  There are also several trails that wind through the neighborhood and maps to help residents find their way are available at the Home Owners Association (HOA) website.   

On one visit to the neighborhood, McVay took the occasion to walk one of these trails through the woods and found that the round trip took 45 minutes, a goodly walk that residents can enjoy daily.  They can also enjoy the neighborhood’s other amenities such as the pool and large areas of green space.

In the last several years, the amount of green space at Redfields increased significantly when the HOA purchased 58 additional acres making a nice buffer around the community. Initially residents were alerted to this acreage when a developer sought permission to have it rezoned in order to build an additional 126 homes there according to Charlottesville Tomorrow.  Instead two-thirds of the Redfields owners voted to purchase the property, paying for it with a modest increase in HOA dues.  As a result the area will not be developed and Redfields residents can expect to receive long-term enjoyment from the additional green, an amenity that adds to the value of their property and to the quality of their lives.

5th Street Station
The proximity of the new 5th Street Station is definitely an asset for Redfields and the whole south end of town.  Karen Kehoe with RE/MAX Regency, who lives in Redfields, is pleased to take advantage of shopping at Wegmans, the flagship store, but she also lets her clients know they will find restaurants, a tap house, a pet store, a massage spa and very soon a Krispy Kreme store….and that’s just a few of the many stores and services available there. 

For example, a recent article at the Daily Progress described Martha Jefferson’s plans to open a new 4,000 square foot facility at 5th Street Station in April.  It will house a family practice with extended hours and accept walk-ins. Those that have an urgent need for an X-Ray, can stop there and save a trip to the emergency room.

Redfields residents are “absolutely loving life,” now that 5th Street Station is open, Russo said adding that Wegmans is very popular because it is so close.

Guthrie referenced Wegmans as well as Dick’s Sporting Goods and more restaurants.  He explained that the new center definitely makes the south side more desirable removing a big reason that some home buyers had for not wanting to live there.

McVay agreed stating that the center is a real plus for the area.  He said there has been a lot of interest ever since Wegmans announced they would open a store there and as long as three years ago, people started asking him about it and expressing excitement about the change.  Other agents have said the same indicating that people from out of town started inquiring about and buying homes in that area, in some cases a year or more ago, in anticipation of being able to shop at Wegmans.

The Real Estate Market
If you are now ready to move to Redfields, you will have to be patient.  Of the 450 homes there, none is for sale at the moment.  Never fear though.  Russo, who has sold more homes there than anyone else, described the market as cyclical and expects that by March there will definitely be some homes on the market.

One of the many benefits of Redfields is that it offers an array of housing prices and styles. There are townhomes available starting in the $200,000s McVay said having helped someone from UVA purchase one in the recent past. 

Redfields also features attached homes, which Kehoe says are “very popular because they are all on one level (or have first floor master bedrooms) and have garages.”  She added that lawn care is taken care of there and that is very popular for retirees and busy people. 

In addition, “the Courtyard section is the most popular area of the neighborhood and very sought after by young retirees or busy professionals,” Kehoe said, who owns a home there. “Everything is taken care of from mowing the yard to snow removal from the walk and the drive.”  HOA fees for that section also cover exterior maintenance except the roof and trim.

In 2016, 33 homes sold in Redfields ranging in price from $225,000 to a high of just $475,000, Russo said in a recent newsletter.  Twenty-six were single family homes, 5 were attached homes, and 2 were homes in the Courtyards section.  Underlining the popularity of the latter his newsletter stressed that “we have multiple Courtyard Buyers ready to purchase in 2017,” and urged people to call if they were thinking about selling. 

The current lack of homes for sale in Redfields says a lot about its popularity.  Another indication is the relatively short number of days a home stays on the market.  For example, Russo said that in 2016 the average days on the market was only 23, much less the 36 that was the average for our area towards the end of last year.

Where Redfields residents move when they need a larger house, or determine it is time to downsize, may be another clue about its popularity as are the choices of people moving in from out of town.  For example, one of McVay’s clients was a family that sold their house in Redfields and moved to a bigger one. Rather than leave the neighborhood they chose a home just four doors down because they loved the area so much.  In another instance a professor living in Redfields hired someone new for his department. The new hire worked with McVay and looked many places for the perfect place to live, but ended up buying a home in Redfields not far from his new boss.

In addition to quality of life, the affordability of Redfields is one of its strong points.  Guthrie explained that, in our marketplace, there are lots of choices if you are what he called a “third time buyer” looking in the over $500,000 range.  However, if that price point is too high,  there are many fewer options to choose from.  Redfields is one of them and that is just one of the reasons people move there and stay even when they are ready to move up or downsize.

Contact Your Agent Today
If Redfields sounds like a good bet for you and your family, contact your agent today and be prepared to make your move.  When homes start to come on the market it is likely they will not be available long, and the lucky buyers will have sold their previous home and have cash or a strong pre-qualification letter in hand.

Celeste Smucker is a writer, blogger and author who lives near Charlottesville.

Categories
Real Estate

Be Prepared!

Lightning Home Protection

All sorts of things can trigger power outages. Random broken lines are usually repaired quickly, but when a big storm hits, you might be without power for several days. It’s a good idea to make like a Scout and Be Prepared.

Basic equipment
• Have a good stash of batteries in the sizes you need for flashlights, radios, and other electronics. For convenience and thrift, order by the dozen (or more) on the Internet.

• Have a cell-phone charger that operates from your car battery.

• If you have a landline, keep one phone that connects directly to your wall plug. (Cordless phones require electricity. Nearby cell towers may also be without power.)

• Invest in at least one portable “juice-pack” (many have a built-in flashlight) and keep it fully charged to recharge electronic devices.

Basic strategies
• In bad weather, keep portable electronic devices from iPads to cell phones fully charged.

• If your power goes out, check to see if it’s out in your neighborhood, too. Have the power company’s phone number handy. You can often get an estimate of when your address’ power will be restored and knowing whether it will be 3 hours or 3 days will affect your planning.

• Secure refrigerator and freezer door handles so you don’t absentmindedly open them. If you keep them shut, food should stay safely cool for up to 48 hours.

• Know where you will go if you will be without heat for several days.

• To prevent damage from a power surge (or very low power) while lines are being repaired and restored, unplug all your appliances—refrigerators, computers, televisions—everything except one lamp or radio that can signal that you have your power back.

Lights
• If you are a camper you probably already have a propane camping lantern, but be sure it’s available, not at the back of the garage with your tent.

• Glowsticks are great! Just snap them for dim, but useable lighting that lasts up to 12 hours in hallways or bathrooms. Similar low-level lighting can be provided by a product called UVPaqlite, a vacuum-sealed reusable light source that recharges with light from any source.

• Have flashlights handy, with plenty of batteries.

• Candles can work, but can present a fire hazard if you have young children or active pets.

• Solar lights in your yard? Bring them in at night and recharge outside during the day.

• You can even make your own oil lamps from cooking oil, a piece of string, and an empty canning jar or tuna can. Print out directions from the Internet and have them ready as a practical, entertaining project with children.

• If you have a woodstove safely connected to a chimney, you can use the top for heating food. You can also use a camping stove, a gas- or charcoal-powered grille, or a hibachi for cooking, but only outdoors. There is immediate danger from carbon monoxide poisoning if used indoors.

Heat
Without electricity, a fireplace, or a woodstove, you’re in a tough spot. Even gas or oil furnaces require electricity to power the circulating fan. It may be you’ll choose to have a generator.

Power companies have a priority list for restoring power. If a single repair will light up a nursing home, 250 apartments, and 100 houses, it will be performed ahead of a fix that brings a couple homes back online. This means a generator may be a good option, especially in rural or remote areas or if a family member has an electrically-powered medical device.

It’s important to completely understand the operation of a portable generator and use it safely. The main hazards with a generator are carbon monoxide poisoning, fire, and electric shock or electrocution. Never operate inside a garage, carport, basement, or crawlspace, even with ventilation, because carbon monoxide, which can’t be seen or smelled, can quickly lead to incapacitation.

Keep the generator dry and operate it on a dry surface under an open canopy-like structure, such as under a tarp held up on poles. Do not touch the generator with wet hands.

Don’t connect the generator to your home’s wiring since this can create a safety hazard for utility workers mending the lines. Instead, use extension cords to connect appliances directly to the generator.

Some people opt for automatic back-up generators. Local contractors and businesses can install these to your specifications. Essential circuits such as those supporting medical devices, well pumps, heating, refrigerators and freezers are connected, while few people worry about the laundry room or the dishwasher.

These automatic back-up generators switch on when they detect a problem with power from the utility company. Depending on the system, generator-supplied electricity is available with only a few seconds’ interruption of service.  When the utility company’s service resumes at a safe and constant level, the system automatically switches back to the power line. Generators are often installed near AC units and near the service panel for the home.  Fuel sources are generally natural gas, propane or diesel.  

Glenn Pribus and his wife live in Albemarle County near Charlottesville. Their power was once out for three days, but they kept the fridge closed and heated coffee, tea, and canned soup on their freestanding woodstove.

Categories
Living

LIVING Picks: Week of January 25-31

FAMILY

Working woods walk at Montpelier

Sunday, January 29

Enjoy a two-hour hike in the Montpelier Demonstration Forest led by conservation experts. $5, 2pm. Meet at the David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center at James Madison’s Montpelier, 11350 Constitution Hwy., Montpelier Station. (540) 672-2728.

NONPROFIT

Concert for Alzheimer’s research

Thursday, January 26

All proceeds from this benefit concert will go the Alzheimer’s Association Central and Western Virginia chapter. Performers include Gary Hatter, John Kelly and David Tewksbury. $10 suggested donation; 8pm-midnight. The Ante Room, 219 W. Water St. the-ante.com

FOOD & DRINK

Know Good Beer Festival

Saturday, January 28

Close to 30 breweries and cideries will be pouring samples at this winter beer festival. The Judy Chops, The Moonbees and Erin & The Wildfire will perform. $15-42, 1-6pm. IX Art Park, 963 Second St.
knowgoodbeer.com

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Free yoga classes

Friday, January 27

Hot Yoga Charlottesville is offering free classes for one day, in honor of its 13th birthday. Hot Yoga Charlottesville, 216 W. Water St. 220-1415.

Categories
Arts

Jordanian film promotes hope

Nadim Sawalha stars in Captain Abu Raed, which was released in 2007 and is the first independent film made in Jordan in 50 years. The screening will be followed by a conversation with director Amin Matalqa. Courtesy Paper and Pen Films

Captain Abu Raed is a film of firsts. Released in 2007, it was the first independent film to emerge from Jordan in 50 years, becoming the country’s first official submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar category. It received accolades at Sundance, the Seattle International Film Festival and the Dubai International Film Festival, among others. And, to top it all off, it was the first full-length feature film by writer/director Amin Matalqa, who moved from Jordan to the United States when he was 13 years old.

Captain Abu Raed
Indies@Vinegar Hill film series
Light House Studio

Screening followed by a conversation with director Amin Matalqa
7pm Thursday, January 26

“This was 2007—there was no film industry in Jordan at the time, but people like Naji Abu Nowar (whose 2012 film, Theeb, would go on to be nominated for an Oscar) and many others, including myself, were making short films and sharing them,” Matalqa recalls. “There was a real excitement about a budding film community since 2004 when the Royal Film Commission of Jordan was taking us seriously and holding screenings for our short films. For me, I had moved from Ohio to L.A. and was attending the American Film Institute, but my producer, David Pritchard, suggested to go back to Jordan to make my first film.”

Matalqa shot on site in Jordan’s capital, Amman, and in the town of Salt, beginning just after he wrapped his AFI thesis in L.A.

“I was working on rewrites of Captain outside of [the AFI] and raising our funding with my mother through private investors any chance I had to travel to Jordan in 2006,” he says. “I missed my graduation ceremony to make sure we got production started before the summer heat wave kicked in. We had a lot of kids in the film, so I had to shoot before July came around.”

The movie’s plotline follows Abu Raed, a janitor at the Queen Alia International Airport in Amman. After Raed finds a captain’s hat in the trash, the children in his neighborhood mistake him for an airline pilot and ask for tales of his travels. Sensing how much the children need encouragement to believe in dreams, Raed obliges and tells fictional stories of his adventures. (The fact that Matalqa cast children from refugee centers to play the roles of the neighborhood kids makes these scenes all the more poignant.) Raed later befriends Nour—a female pilot whose wealthy family would rather see her married than have a successful career—and she becomes involved in his plan to help a neighborhood boy escape his troubled home life. The result is a breathtaking promotion of hope and courage amid the harsh realities of violence and poverty.

“My love for Charlie Chaplin and Italian films like Cinema Paradiso and Il Postino had a big influence on portraying Amman, Jordan, in a romantic way,” Matalqa says.

When coming up with the internal themes and characters for Captain Abu Raed, Matalqa looked to his family for inspiration. The aviation aspect is a nod to his dad and older brother, who are both pilots, but the heart of the film lies with his grandfather.

“My grandfather had passed away the year I started writing [Captain Abu Raed], and he had that combination of wisdom and humility with a wide view of the world,” Matalqa says. “He was a doctor who’d had a bigger-than-life experience growing up in pre-1948 Palestine, getting educated in Switzerland, escaping wars and finding refuge in Jordan, where he started his life from scratch. With all the losses in his life, he still looked at the world with this beautiful optimism, and if you saw him walking in the street, you would never know the wealth of experience he’d had. He spoke Arabic, French, English and German. He loved poetry, music, cinema and dogs. He was curious about technology until the end, when he was 93. That was the spirit of Abu Raed: the wise, humble man.”

Categories
Arts

ARTS Pick: Lauren Hoffman & The Secret Storm

Lauren Hoffman & the Secret Storm play The Southern Friday.

The new full-length album from Lauren Hoffman & The Secret Storm, Family Ghost, is described as “a collection of heart-bending narratives that double as emotional exorcism.” Hoffman’s career glints with impressive past successes, including a big deal Virgin Records contract at the age of 20 that positioned her as C’ville’s next musical export. A decision to leave the label and make music her way led to her biggest hit to date—2006’s “Broken.” In 2015, Hoffman emerged from her solo work and formed a rock band loaded with local talent, and issued two EPs infused with sultry alt-rock, haunting strings and harmonies. The Sally Rose band opens the album release celebration.

Friday, January 27. $7, 9pm. The Southern Café and Music Hall, 103 S. First St. 977-5590.