Author: c-ville-weekly

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News

Trump says he didn't fire Kluge, but she's out either way

Eric Trump stands with Patricia Kluge at a celebration marking the opening of Trump Winery on her own auctioned-off and rebranded estate in 2011. Kluge worked as vice president of operations at the vineyard for the last year, but her contract wasn’t renewed. (Photo by Nick Strocchia)

Patricia Kluge is no longer working at the vineyard estate she used to own, but the new owners of Trump Winery said she wasn’t fired—the year-long contract that made her vice president of operations has simply expired.

Billionaire Donald Trump, a close friend of Kluge and her husband Bill Moses, bought the couple’s 900-acre Kluge Estate Winery for $6.2 million at a foreclosure auction last year.

Trump’s son Eric became president of the winery, and Kluge was given a one-year contract to help with the transition. There was never any expectation that she would stick around long-term, Eric Trump said.

“It’s what we always agreed we would do,” said the younger Trump, speaking from his office in New York City. “A year ago, we said, you’re going to help us transition [the estate] from a bank-owned asset to an asset that’s up and running under our organization. She was able to do so really effectively.”

Kluge established Kluge Estate Winery in 1999 with settlement money from her 1990 divorce from billionaire John Kluge. At the time, she said she aspired to take Virginia wine-making to a new level and establish the state as one of the premier wine-making regions in the world. Within a decade, Kluge Estate was the largest winery in Virginia.

But things turned sour when Patricia Kluge and Moses, her third husband, defaulted on bank loans after their revenues did not reach projected levels. Facing foreclosure on the vineyard and other properties, they declared personal bankruptcy in 2011. A few months later, the elegant estate became the latest addition to the Trump empire.

Under Eric Trump, Kluge was largely in charge of wine-related matters.

“I think that’s the thing she’s best at,” Trump said. He added that he’s close to both Kluge and Moses, whom he said will stay on as general manager of the winery. And while Kluge is no longer a direct employee, she’ll still work with the winery as a consultant, Trump said.

Despite a New York Post article suggesting otherwise, he said there’s no bad blood between his family and Kluge. Other news reports back him up. In a recent interview with The Hook,

Bill Moses said the break was planned and friendly, and that his wife had other projects she wanted to focus on. Kluge herself told the Washington Post there was “no rift,” and said she was grateful to the Trumps for saving the vineyard she loved.

“She helped us make the transition, and she’s going to go on to different things in her own life,” Eric Trump said. At this point, there’s no need to fill her position, he said, “given that we’re up and running and doing amazingly well.”—Ryan McCrimmon

Categories
The Editor's Desk

Letter to the Editor: Political Science

Brendan Fitzgerald’s article “Does anyone trust science anymore?” January 24, melds half-truths, undefined terminology, and under-critical reporting. The initial quote of Michael Mann, “hopefully every scientist…is a skeptic,” was hopeful. The next sentence has Mann revealing his own muddled bias as he elevates consensus to scientific fact, and then re-labels skepticism as denial.

Later in the article, the reporter introduces the idea of an “inflated idea of how many people disbelieve global warming.” Whether promoting manmade global warming or not, there are no informed scientists who “disbelieve global warming.” The globe has been warming since the end of the Little Ice Age in the 1800s, and since the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago. This is a straw man set-up. As far as the general public is concerned, the Pew Research poll of January 11-16, 2012, finds public concern with global warming continuing to drop. It ranked last of 22 topics-of-concern. Consensus is not scientific proof; it takes only one negation to disprove the “truth.”

The quoted 2010 Stanford University survey of 1,300 climate scientists is a half-truth, as presented. The article notes that only 908 respondents of the 1,300 were used. This is a bit better than the 2009 University of Illinois survey of 10,000 scientists, winnowed down to 77, of which 75 agreed with two survey questions. Unmentioned is the reported “skepticism” of the British Royal Society, France’s National Academy of Sciences, India’s National Action plan, and others.

Unmentioned are the behind-the-scenes comments of Mann and others in Climategate 1 and 2, which indicate an organized effort to keep dissenting/skeptical climate papers from ever being published. Mann considered his methodology “proprietary,” thereby preventing others from verifying his work. Statisticians McShane and Wyner reported in Annals of Applied Statistics 2011 that such temperature proxies as tree rings and ice cores are no better than random numbers. Similar rebuttals were made by the 2006 Wegman Commission, and by McIntyre and McKitrick.

Unmentioned is the controversy behind Mann’s “divergence problem,” whereby he abandons tree-ring methodology when it showed cooling beginning in 1981, and then on used warming data from instruments for the “hockey stick.”

“Multiple investigations cleared Mann of wrong doing.” None, to my knowledge, ever investigated his science claims. He was cleared by Penn State only of procedural wrong doings. The attitude of UVA is interesting in terms of academic freedom. It has reported to have spent around $1 million in legal fees to protect Mann’s documents from FOIA requests. Uniformed police officers and plain-clothes detectives are the answer to dissent at UVA…Thomas Jefferson’s “Academical Village.”

Charles Battig, M.D.
VA-Scientists and Engineers for Energy
and Environment
Albemarle County

Categories
News

Retail

JEWELRY STORE
Angelo
Runner-up: Andrew Minton Jewelers
As much a modern art gallery as a jewelry store, Angelo, as readers know, combines owner Lee Marraccini’s original designs with work from other jewelry designers, local and further afield. In other words, it’s a true Downtown gem. Runner-up Andrew Minton’s been in business since 1978 and sells fine jewelry from his Seminole Square shop.

PLACE FOR USED BOOKS

Talk about lost in good books! Daedalus Bookshop wins again.

Daedalus Bookshop
Runner-up: Random Row Books
Clear a few hours from your schedule before you pop into Daedalus, again a winner this year. Browsing the labyrinthine store requires patience and curiosity. Owner Sandy McAdams fills the role of loveable curmudgeon, ready to tell you a story or point you in the direction of your new favorite book. In second place, Random Row Books—a veritable book mecca on West Main.

PLACE FOR FASHION ACCESSORIES
Anthropologie
Runner-up: Cha Cha’s
“Impulse buy” is not a term that’s lost on you readers. Anthro charms with its big, wooden tables filled to the brim with earrings, necklaces and bracelets with baubles as big as your fist. It’s just too easy to swoon over such lovelies and toss a few last-minute purchases at the cashier. Locals love Cha Cha’s, too, for its kitschy finds and sparkly jewels.

VINTAGE CLOTHING STORE
Glad Rags
Runner-up: Low Vintage (formerly Antics)
One of Charlottesville’s best kept secrets, Tamar Pozzi’s Commonwealth Drive shop —your winner this year—stocks a whole wall of vintage dresses, slips, coats and more. Plus, check out the huge vintage jewelry collection! In the runner-up spot, Low Vintage (the vintage store formerly known as Antics) packs an impressive selection in its below-ground space off the Downtown Mall.

BOUTIQUE CLOTHING STORE
Bittersweet
Runner-up: Eloise
You can say that again.

PLACE FOR A PARTY DRESS
Bittersweet
Runner-up: Eloise
Very funny! Bittersweet usurps the competition twice over this year with its extensive selection of TOMS shoes, Frye boots, jewelry, accessories and, yes, party dresses. Eloise follows close behind with beautiful choices from big names like Foley & Corinna, Milly, and Elizabeth & James.

PLACE TO BUY SHOES
Scarpa
Runner-up: Rack Room Shoes
If the shoe fits, buy it in every color. That’s the readers’ motto, anyway. Barracks Road shoe mecca Scarpa takes No. 1 again this year, offering a bevy of beautiful chaussures for every foot, whether you prefer sky-high heels or sensible flats. Folks who crave a bargain head to one of Rack Room’s two locations, rendering it runner-up again this year.

PLACE TO BUY ATHLETIC GEAR
Ragged Mountain Running Shop
Runner-up: Dick’s Sporting Goods
Runners stop by Mark and Cynthia Lorenzoni’s Elliewood Avenue shop for athletic gear, sure. But it’s more than that. The Lorenzonis take four months to train each employee to analyze gaits, evaluate running injuries and make sound recommendations on correct shoe type and fit. Readers agree, that extra attention to detail is why they continue to buy local, first and foremost.

PLACE FOR KIDS’ CLOTHES
Old Navy
Runner-up: Whimsies
Let’s be honest. Your little angel is likely to smear PB&J all over that outfit anyway. So, you head to Old Navy to grab something you can toss in the wash and not worry if it gets ruined. For parents wanting something a little snazzier than simple shorts and a tee, Whimsies fits the bill. The folks there stock clothes kids want, plus shoes and accessories.

PLACE FOR A MAN’S SUIT
JoS. A. Bank
Runner-up: Men and Boy’s Shop
With the right suit, any old schlub can look like a million bucks. Again this year, you say the best place to turn from Drew Carey to Cary Grant is JoS. A. Bank. Folks there take care of the suit, tie, shoes—you’ll even find cufflinks. Downtown, Men and Boy’s Shop follows suit with friendly service and unique choices.

THRIFT STORE

Readers who love the thrill of the hunt say Goodwill’s the place to shop for bargains.

Goodwill
Runner-up: SPCA Rummage Store
You know what they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. No one understands that better than you—with three Goodwill locations in the area (at Pantops, 29N and Ruckersville), you can get your bargain on from practically anywhere. Nabbing the runner-up spot is the SPCA Rummage Store, where you can find half-price books at the first of every month.

LOCAL HARDWARE STORE
Martin Hardware
Runner-up: Crozet Hardware
If you had a hammer, you wouldn’t need to stop by Martin Hardware. And, even once you get one, the Preston Avenue shop gives you plenty of reasons to return. Most recently, the folks at Martin took over the building next door and filled it with the extensive Weber Grill collection previously housed in the basement. It just keeps getting better. Ballot newcomer Crozet Hardware keeps handy folks in Albemarle properly outfitted.

PLACE TO BUY WINE
Market Street Wineshop
Runner-up: Wine Warehouse
Want a little cheese with that wine? Readers agree Market Street Wineshop is the best spot for sniffing, sipping and spending a few bucks on a new bottle. The Downtown and 29N shop both offer gulp-worthy choices, plus snacks for noshing. Wine Warehouse offers top bottles for the budget-conscious.

PLACE TO BUY BEER
Beer Run
Runner-up: Market Street Wineshop
It’s easy just to hop down to the nearest convenience store and grab a six-pack of cheap (in cost and taste) brew, but readers know this category is about more than the suds. The winner presents multiple coolers of lesser known and popular choices in addition to the smell of yummy food wafting from the kitchen. Market Street Wineshop offers two locations for all your boozing needs.

CITY MARKET STALL
Taco stand
Runner-up: The Baker’s Palette
Is 8am too early for a fresh tortilla with marinated pork, queso fresco, onions and cilantro? No way, José. At least, not if you ask readers. You voted for Al Pastor’s taco stand again this year, followed closely by fresh-from-the-fryer donuts from Downtown treat purveyor Baker’s Palette.

LOCAL GROCERY STORE

C’ville Market’s Lonnie Brice keeps your apples fresh and shiny.

C’ville Market
Runner-up: Market Street Market
The retail arm of wholesaler Cavalier Produce, C’ville Market on Carlton Road offers local alternatives to the kind of processed food you’ll find at major grocery chains, an entire room chilled to keep produce fresh, plus a 10 percent discount for seniors on Wednesdays. Market Street Market rounds out the category with its convenient Downtown location and unique selection.

PLACE FOR FURNITURE
Circa
Runner-up: Artful Lodger
They say the things you own end up owning you. Again this year, readers say shopping at Circa makes it totally worth it. The McIntire Plaza shop boasts 10,000 square feet and a high turnover. In other words, come back often—you never know what you’ll find. Downtown, you shop at Artful Lodger, where owners Caroline and Christopher Minsky curate each beautiful piece.

PLACE FOR ANTIQUES
Circa
Runner-up: The Covesville Store
Making a house a home requires a bit more than heading to a big-box store for mass-produced chotchkies. You like something with a bit more history and you say there’s no better place to go than Circa. Heck, you’re already there buying furniture. Might as well take home a few decorative items to sprinkle around your abode. Fifteen miles south of Charlottesville, Covesville feeds your need for a true treasure hunt.

PLACE FOR MUSIC GEAR
Charlottesville Music
Runner-up: Stacy’s Music Shop
Rentals, repairs and lessons are just three of the services offered at Charlottesville Music, your winner this year. The Seminole Trail spot’s been around since 1983, so it’s in tune with local music lovers (and their needs). Stacy’s Music, in the Rio Hill Shopping Center, offers a recording studio for businesses, bands and musicians.

NURSERY

Would a nursery by any other name smell as sweet? Ivy’s your pick this year.

Ivy Nursery
Runner-up: Eltzroth & Thompson Greenhouse
Not blessed with a green thumb? That’s O.K. Readers agree, Ivy Nursery can turn even novice gardeners into flora enthusiasts. Clare and George Carter’s seven acres of fresh herbs and flowers surround a gift shop filled to the brim with garden supplies and décor. Eltzroth & Thompson’s 11 warmed greenhouses have helped outfit your yard for more than 40 years.

FLORIST
Hedge Fine Blooms
Runner-up: University Florists
Now in its fourth year under the green thumb of owner Karen Walker, Hedge wins again. You turn to the Main Street Market and Second Street shops for artful arrangements. Over in Barracks Road, runner-up University Florists is tops for flower and gift delivery.

TOY STORE
Shenanigans
Runner-up: Alakazam
It’s a true testament to a toy store’s staying power that the things in stock appeal to both children and adults. Readers say Shenanigans keeps them entertained year after year. Downtown toy mecca Alakazam makes it easy to outfit your playroom from your playroom, with the recent addition of its online store.

RECORD STORE
Plan 9
Runner-up: Sidetracks
There’s a sort of stick-it-to-the-man mentality when shopping at places like Plan 9 or Sidetracks. No, sir—the digital music age won’t run these folks out of business. We like the smell of vinyl. We like ripping the plastic off a CD and fighting to peel back the sticker around the edge. We like talking to the music fiends who run the store. Hell no! We won’t go!

BIKE SHOP
Blue Wheel Bicycles
Runner-up: Performance Bicycle Shop
A true biker’s bike shop, Blue Wheel wins again this year. Owners Roger Friend and Scott Paisley have ridden nearly every road in Central Virginia for the last 40 years, so it’s no wonder you turn to them for advice on how to ride safely and comfortably in and around town. Over in Seminole Square, Performance takes the runner-up spot for its huge selection of bikes and riding gear.

PLACE FOR PET SUPPLIES
Pet Food Discounters
Runner-up: PetSmart
It doesn’t matter if you’re a cat person or a dog person (or both!). Pet Food Discounters doesn’t discriminate. In fact, the Woodbrook Drive store stocks supplies for bird, horse and livestock people, too. Look for brands like Natura and Blue Seal. Runner-up PetSmart rules the pet supply roost from two locations.

PLACE FOR GIFTS

You’ll find Socks the Fox on the shelves at O’Suzannah—your pick for best place for gifts.

O’Suzannah
Runner-up: Cha Cha’s
According to the Chinese zodiac, 2011 is the year of the rabbit. According to O’Suzannah, it’s the year of the fox and whale. The Downtown store has a knack for picking up on the latest trend in fauna. (Last year, it was all about the squirrel and owl.) What’s more, owner Suzannah Fischer has a keen eye for all things charming and delightful. Likewise, Cha Cha’s on the Downtown Mall packs a punch with its retro décor and inventory with a sense of humor.

PLACE FOR GREETING CARDS
Rock Paper Scissors
Runner-up: Hallmark
Back on the Downtown Mall for a little over a year now, Rock Paper Scissors takes the No. 1 spot again. Around this time last year, it was celebrating a six-month anniversary under new ownership and adding even more to the already extensive selection of greeting cards. We like this Happy Birthday card, from the Old Tom Foolery line:
It’s your birthday.*
*Wow, you were born. Whoopee.

PLACE TO BUY A CAR
Brown’s Automotive
Runner-up: Carmax
In this economy, it’s nice to know that when you’re about to plunk down your hard-earned bucks on something like a car, the person selling you that car isn’t just out to get your money. Readers agree, the honest folks at Brown aim to get you in a vehicle that’s not only safe, but affordable. Those who like a sneak peek of their options visit carmax.com, then head to the Pantops showroom for in-person negotiations.

ECO-FRIENDLY BUSINESS
Blue Ridge Eco Shop
Runner-up: Sustain
The Blue Ridge Eco family got a bit bigger this year, as owners Paige and Hakon Mattson welcomed a wee baby boy into the world in July. But the Downtown Mall store didn’t win on family values alone—its free classes in composting and keeping your house energy efficient landed it the No. 1 spot in this new category. Eco-conscious clothing, jewelry and home goods store Sustain takes runner-up.

LOCAL ETSY STORE
Just A Little Ditty
Runner-up: One Wild Oat
Never heard of Etsy? You’re outta the loop, man. The Web-based retail community boasts more than 60 local “stores,” including the winner of this new category, Just A Little Ditty. Owner Dickie Morris’ reclaimed hand bags have been charming shoppers since 2008. Runner-up One Wild Oat’s Leah Cochran produces hand-printed apparel with water-based ink in her virtual store.

RETURN TO CATEGORIES

Categories
Uncategorized

C-VILLE's ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST

C-VILLE is looking for submissions for our annual photo contest. We are seeking high quality prints featuring local people, places or things (no smaller than 4"x6"). Preference may be given to vertical compositions. Photographers may submit multiple entries.

Winners will be published in the July 26 issue of C-VILLE. Deadline: July 7. Entries must have photographer’s name, address, and phone number securely attached TO EACH PRINT. (Prints only.)

1st Prize: $500 gift certificate from Pro Camera; 2nd Prize: $250 gift certificate from Fast Frame; 3rd Prize: $100 gift certificate from Zocalo.

Send or hand-deliver to: C-VILLE PHOTO CONTEST 308 E. Main St., Charlottesville, VA 22902. Prints will not be returned.

To see past winners, click here (for 2008), here (for 2009) and here (for 2010). 

Categories
Arts

Checking in with Shelby Fischer

What are you working on right now?
My idea of fun is the more work the better. I was just invited to be in a show at Piedmont next February that’s going to be called “Sew What.” Recently I’ve moved my focus from paper collage to fabric. The inspiration for the fabric work comes from the quilters of Gee’s Bend, this Alabama-based quilter’s collective. I take their abstract, intuitive work and I use fabric cutouts the way I used to use paper cutouts to tell stories. Right now I’m finishing up a huge piece made out of corduroy, velvet and vintage kimono fabric.

Visual artist Shelby Fischer says that those who are familiar with her work are unlikely to recognize new projects that incorporate fabrics.

What were you doing when we called?
I was planning the Wetpaint auction for the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts’ 40th anniversary celebration, which [happened] in town May 7. Last year we asked artists to create something 24 hours before the auction and then bring it in, and it was really successful.

Tell us about your day job.
I work part-time for the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz and volunteer for the VCCA, but I don’t go to an office. I’ve been involved with the Thelonious Monk Institute for 23 years. Before I moved to my farm I was the executive producer there, but now rather than be involved in the day to day I write the scripts for our major gala events. I’m also a speechwriter for a jazz luminary who will have to remain unnamed.

What is your first artistic memory from childhood?
I was born into a very artistic and musical family, so I probably was given crayons before I could walk. I always saw my mother sewing and my father painting or doing calligraphy. Music was an essential ingredient in our lives. Actually, I was forced to listen to it. I remember being locked in my mother’s room with gospel music and show tunes and opera. My earliest creative memory would be from third grade, writing and illustrating a story called “The Loneliest Scarf.” I guess I was a lonely child, so I was getting that out through the scarf, left alone on the table.

How do you prepare to work on something?
My work is completely intuitive. If I prepare I might as well just write “fail.” I have to go into my studio and get into the zone, become the other Shelby Fischer, and see what materializes. All I know is I can feel down in the dumps or be having a bad day or things aren’t going my way and the minute I walk into my studio, joy overtakes me.

Locally, who would you like to collaborate with?
Well, I am very fortunate to be able to collaborate with my amazingly talented woodworking partner Jose Lopez. We did a piece for “Let There Be Light” at Piedmont together. We’re on the same wavelength spiritually and creatively. It would be very hard to top our partnership.

Who is your favorite artist outside your medium?
I would pick a musician, somebody I know, which would be Herbie Hancock. Aside from his impeccable piano credentials, he’s an extremely interesting man with great values, and he’s contributed so much to our cultural heritage. I love learning from him and am always inspired by him, either through music or conversation.

Do you have any superstitions about your art?
I’d say that there needs to be an element of fear when I go into the studio. I can’t start working and feel sure of things, I need to feel a little edgy when I start to create something. Definitely an impetus. I don’t like to walk in there feeling confident.  

Categories
Living

Found on Facebook

Tomas Rahal of Mas did not return calls for comment. Mike Lewis of Mono Loco denies that he wrote the entries and had no comment beyond a chuckle. […] represents excised quotes. Read the full exchange here: [PDF file]

Mono Loco @cvilletomorrow #cville Council adopts zoning changes to allow live amplified music at restaurants in more districts – but not Belmont http://bit.ly/eOeJBi

Tomas Rahal being loud and obnoxious doesn’t make you good or successful. live by the thugs die by the thugs. love seeing failing restaurants suddenly convert to music event programming, the toughest business in town, and expect everyone to understand that now their parking needs have quadrupled, trash and noise pollution are off the charts, crime climbs, property damage too,and regular customers given short shrift all for the quick buck. […] Jim Tolbert is right and wrong, it is about a few bad apples but it’s also about splitting a pie so many times nobody wins and taxpayers are left holding the bag for selfish assholes that pocketed the quick cash and screwed employees, vendors and neighbors – who’ll leave a big mess next?
April 19 at 12:00pm

Mono Loco ahhh it surely must be spring…birds are chirping…the rains are torrential and we have the ramblings of the soused petulant belmontian bacchus!…listen without over-simplifying…(mono loco, beer run, the tea bazaar all seem to seamlessly incorporate music and dining), in all other areas you so staunchly defend the democratic process..but now you sound strangely fascist…how ’bout we instead detail that market forces and poor management strongly dictated the fate of the aformentioned establishments..solely blaming music for their demise is akin to the hyper vigilant rationale john lithgow had for banning all dancing in Footloose…
April 19 at 1:44pm

Tomas Rahal seamless, sure, if you’re not the cop dealing with the mess, or neighbors woken up at 2 am by fights, doors slamming, yelling, or tequila-soaked drivers shooting off in the night. i love music and it plays a prominent role in Belmont and at MAS. we pay royalties to the artists we play, and spon-sor events in town, not just Belmont. No, music isn’t the culprit as you sophistically try to pawn that old chestnut off on the public again that Belmont is against live music. Please stop reading from the same old playbook and show up at city council or a neighborhood meeting sometime. […] i’m just saying when you are a restaurant be a restaurant, if you want to regularly program music, like The Southern, or the Jefferson or Pavillion, be a mu-sic hall that serves food. otherwise you get a permit for big events just like the big boys. […]
April 19 at 3:59pm

Tomas Rahal Even though between you and i this is all good fun, there are real consequences promoters don’t ever mention. and for the record, i never blamed music on its own, but people who act like strip-mining operators instead of responsible stewards, and guardians in the public interest. no restaurant has extended more help and resources to local community groups and neighbors than MAS. […] as for phrases like hyper-vigilant fascism, you’re way out of your depth. stick to what you know :pool-sitting, sorority girls, squeezie bottles,tequila, tacos and mesclun mix.
April 19 at 4:24pm

Tomas Rahal honeybadger don’t give a [expletive]!
April 19 at 4:35pm

Mono Loco not sure how this segued into charitable work…but knowing how your brain works I guess it all par for the course…but to suggest that only Mas can’t safely juggle the intricate complexities of dining and music and the rest of us mere peasants should thank you and praise hero worship for rescuing babies whilst putting out fires and app carrying your trash to who knows where is bordering on ludicrous…even for your larger than life ego…and I love you too bro!
April 19 at 5:20pm

Tomas Rahal Wow I know Im in sharky waters when you mention love! But I’m not surprised you miss the connections in all of this. We’ll keep on keepin on. I’m glad the peasants have you as a spokesperson. […] I would love to have your input in a public forum since your opinions are so representative of the mainstream. […]
April 19 at 6:18pm

Mono Loco Just for the record I was in attendance at city hall when the subject was broached on the sly by one Mr. Tolbert…word quickly spread…and the outpouring of support from local musicians and business operators (Maya, Beer Run, The Local, Blue Moon Diner, The Garage The Tea Baazar, Random Row Books and others is what lead to this decision…
April 20 at 9:47am

Tomas Rahal we’ll have to wait and see if this musical triage yields results.jim tolbert has consistently changed with the wind because he knows he’s not up for re-election, and the folks stomping in and screaming that music will die don’t vote. hell you don’t even vote in charlottesville. these concerned barkeeps will have to choose soon, increased revenues in food sales, or just booze? when they are taxed higher because their programming requires more resources from the city that regulates their licenses, what then? a discount for doofuses? […] right now, everyone is doubling down on pocket queens. good luck with that.
April 20 at 11:05am

Mono Loco at first i was going to counter by calling you Bill ‘O Baggins for you obvious rantings bereft of facts or fact checking!!…( i was at the city hall meetings, we also have supported varied charities, i have spoken on a UVA panel along with Rob Archer about minority run businesses, we also pay a large fee for trash removal and water..not even sure what the water/parking lot diatribe is about, we also pay ascap…and we pay plenty of taxes..so im not sure about how we’re in any way abusing or cajoling the system) …but these recent musings and harkening of gambling our restaurants away on short rift traveling musical […] is clearly more Beckian in its doom like scenarios and the false prophets of musical chicanery being being pulled over our “lack of depth” heads will most assuredly be our chariot to damnation… […] “live by the thugs die by the thugs…that was your quote and perhaps a telling vision of your communal view…one might venture to say that maybe YOUR charitable deeds aren’t yet accomplished…
April 20 at 12:47pm

Tomas Rahal […] We’re not anti- music just anti-dumbass which understandably u take offense with. […] U keep pretending to be down with local musicians but I can’t find your commitment anywhere. Your o’reilly tactics won’t work here. The local musicians eat @ Mas. We’re no threat to them so see but try it & where this gets you. Maybe you’ll sell more wings. You walk alone cholo
April 20 at 4:17pm

Mono Loco Um…many play and eat here as well..I’m not sure exactly what your dealio with the one upsmansship is…oops I forgot…you invented the internet as well…well others can play in the pool as well…and if the whale moves over a tad…(yes your wake is as large as your braggart ways are wide)…you will notice that there are laws in place to control noise…those controls are still in place… …instead of further toiling down the rabbit hole that is your lack of a cogent point…trash collection and parking?!!…your charitable acts…or is that community service?…and yes I will acknowledge Mas at the center of the universe for all things local and wonderful…but first I suggest you troll back to the top of this thread and see that I merely reposted a @cvilletommorrow tweet…somehow this brought the wrath of boozy Khan down upon me…read the first line you said… “being loud and obnoxious doesn’t make you good or successful”…and maybe read it again….slowly
April 20 at 4:53pm

Tomas Rahal Please Pepe Lopez u can never walk in my shoes accept your role as kaeto and move on. U continue to speak from a position of ignorance and arrogance. Stand on top of your trash heap and proclaim “ I’m king of the world”. […] Tonight I’m hurting by the death of a true friend, Terry seig so [expletive] off
April 20 at 6:12pm

Mono Loco …good grief is right…but wtf…is more like it…you need a effing proofreader…im arrogant??!!…you’re bloviated buffoonery seems to know no bounds….yet im arrogant?!!…well done Sir Mix it Up a Lot…you’ve somehow careened this convo into a ditch of your making…and now you wanna pull out the grief stricken card??…wow…well you’re right…i dont wanna walk in your plus size slip ons….that apparently have lost as most traction as this discussion…so i guess i’ll just retreat to my estate, lament my “king of the world ways” with some cheap beer and wait till they pass the tray of alms so that i may donate my piety to Mas and all that you’ve have done to/for us underlings…
April 21 at 11:34am 

Deborah Eisenberg wins a PEN/Faulkner award

Guest post by Sam Taggart.

The MFA program at UVA has had quite the couple of weeks. As announced last week, the poetry writing professor, Pulitzer Prize winner, and former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove was elected to the prestigious Academy of Arts and Letters.

Adding to the department’s winning streak, fiction writing professor and MacArthur “Genius” Fellow winner Deborah Eisenberg has been awarded the PEN/Faulkner award, which is the highest peer-reviewed writing honor in the U.S.

Rounding out the success stories is the announcement that former UVA MFA student Katherine Larson has been selected as winner of the Yale Series of Younger Poets for 2011. The judge, famed poet Louise Glück, chose Larson’s manuscript, Radial Symmetry to be published in April 2011.  The award, which has been earned by such names as Adrienne Rich and Robert Hass, helps to bring attention to the younger, less known American poets.

Can Deborah Eisenberg’s winning streak be stopped?

A conversation with Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s Albert Mazubiko

Ladysmith Black Mambazo may have achieved international recognition from singing with Paul Simon on Graceland, but its staying power as the world’s most prominent South African choral group is something its members earned from 41 years of unflagging dedication. Albert Mazibuko, one of the group’s original members, chose to keep us on our toes when asked about performing “Homeless” at the Paramount Wednesday night. But he had much to say about the group’s recent work.

What songs are you most excited about performing on this tour?

We are most looking forward to the songs from our most recent album, Songs from a Zulu Farm. This is the album that took us back to our childhood. There is a one that is talking about a donkey that has been chasing people, which is one of the songs that we used to sing as children. Some of the farm songs have been expanded, because traditionally they are chants, but most of them on the album are just as they were originally.

During the recording of these songs we were talking among ourselves and decided to ask our friends from here in America if they grew up with any farm songs, and every time they said “Old MacDonald.” So in our concerts we sing that but sing it in Zulu and it is wonderful. Every time we perform this song we invite the audience to join us. This is a very joyful album. We wanted to have joy this time, because for a while we have been singing songs about freedom.

When you mention freedom your 1993 album comes to mind.

Yes, Liph’ Iqiniso. Those are the songs that we were singing to celebrate the end of apartheid in South Africa. Every time we write music we want to send a message to the people and unite them, and at the time our message was that freedom has arrived. And then some of the people were confused, so they started to fight among themselves for power, so we were just trying to send that message to stop fighting and just get together. As the saying says, united we stand and divided we fall.

Vusi Mahlasela recently came to Charlottesville, and we are very good friends with him. Because Vusi grew up in the ’70s when there was uprising, he encouraged people to fight for freedom in his music, which is all very inspiring. We admire him very much.

Joseph has described your group as a kind of mobile academy. Do you see yourself as educating people about South Africa?

That is an important part of our mission, to encourage people—people in South Africa, especially—to speak to their culture and be proud of themselves and their traditional music. In our own country there is a Ladysmith Black Mambazo foundation that attempts to serve this and other needs. We are even trying to generate some scholarships for the kids but the money has been very tight lately. When we go around sometimes we collect things that have been used, like computers, or books, or whatever that can help in terms of education at home, because sometimes our schools don’t have enough money to provide this equipment they need to teach.

The group originated in Ladysmith, South Africa, where most of you were born and raised. Can you explain where the rest of the name comes from?

The word “mambazo” means the chopping axe, which is a very important tool. If you don’t have an axe, your life in Ladysmith won’t start, because you need to have an axe to chop your trees, to build your house, to make a yoke for your oxen, and to build the sled that transports your crops. So not only is it a great tool for the farm, but you need it when you are walking in the forest you so you can pave the way.

The “black” in our name we took from the ox, because when we were on the farm we were using oxen of different colors, but our leader Joseph Shabalala was the driver of a black oxen, and we found that they were more powerful than most. So when anything is stuck—it might be a plow or something—the black oxen can pull it out. So we said with our voice we will pave our way and build our future.

"Ladysmith Black Mambazo sings for YouTube."

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Arts

Checking in with Matthew Farrell

What were you doing when we called?
I was working on an essay for an artist book that Lydia Moyer, a local experimental video artist, is doing. It’s a collection of photographs of old houses. Mostly she does experimental video, and this is a side project.

Hypocrite Press founder Matthew Ferrell says that he is not an artist. "I do things that are like art because it amuses me and because I think it torments people, who are actually artists, into doing better work."

What are you working on right now?
I just released a guidebook or handbook for local homeless street persons, slackers and train-hobo kids called street to forest. It was a community writing collaborative, based around survival, amusement and public tips for anyone without fixed residence in Charlottesville. It involved about 30 local collaborators. I came out with one edition, handed out 100 free copies to people around Downtown and now I’m working on a second edition just to refine the first one a bit.

The process was mostly just pestering the living hell out of a bunch of local artists, academics and social justice advocates and so on. Trying to get them to submit something to that theme. Then, of course, talking to a lot of buskers and street kids and homeless people about the things that might be useful to know or to have in a reference book.

Tell us about your day job.
I know people who work. I guess the quote is, “Some of them absolutely swear by it.” Mostly, I drink coffee and smoke nonfiltered Camel cigarettes. Sometimes I drive around and look at stuff.

What is your first artistic memory from childhood?
My first artistic memory is from 1990, when I came to Charlottesville, where I first became an arts person, a fop and a dandy. I went to see a Christopher Durang play, Dentity Crisis. Sian Richards was in it, and she was a Tandem student at the time. There’s a scene at the end of it where she starts to clap to keep Tinkerbell alive, like in Peter Pan. Except in this play, she’s clapping furiously to keep Tinkerbell alive and someone in the play responds, “You didn’t clap loud enough! Tinkerbell’s dead!” It made me realize the poignancy and power of live theater, of the actor or the interplay between script and acting.

Tell us about a piece of art you wish was in your private collection.
I would say probably anything by Clay Witt, a local artist. He’s a tremendous local artist and I wish he were more of a national one. I’ve known him for 18 years, and admired him the whole time. This recent strain of work he’s doing is mind blowing. You see the stuff in person, it takes your breath away.

If you had to give up one sense, which would it be?
Oddly, I did just give up one of my five senses. I’ve got some sort of degenerative neurological disease that has robbed me of most of my hearing. I don’t enjoy it, but it amuses me. That bit about your other senses compensating when you lose one is complete hooey. Unless, of course, my sense of smell has increased, which wouldn’t help me one bit.

Which of your works are you most proud of?
The thing in Charlottesville I’ve done that I’m proudest of is the Hypocrite Press. It’s a small, local press that does only work by local writers who are writing about Charlottesville. I’m proud because I’ve got 25 terrific books by 35, 40 contributors and it’s still going after 18, 19 years now.

What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
I’d like very much to do a remake of the movie High Society, which has songs by Cole Porter and starred originally Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly. I’d like to play Bing Crosby and I’d like to have either Cristan Keighley or Ben Jones play the Frank Sinatra role and Bree Luck play Grace Kelly.

Categories
Arts

Checking in with Milo Farineau







Tell us about a piece of art that you wish was in your private collection.

I wish I had an original print from Ansel Adams. Back in the days of film, I started shooting a 35mm camera when I was 13, developing my pictures and I learned how to develop pictures reading a book about the zone system. Ansel Adams developed a way to expose the film and develop the prints called the zone system. In the darkroom as a kid, I operated by reading his book and following what he taught. He was dedicated to the entire process of the photograph. Nowadays it’s easy to be lazy being in the world of digital photography, where everyone has a camera in their hand. Ansel Adams was a testament to the entire process of photography.

What are you working on right now?


You might’ve seen Milo Farineau photographing small local music festivals like The Festy and Crozet Music Festival, where, with collaborators, he’s working on a book called The Festival Project. The book will chronicle the modern festival-going experience, "from vendors and organizers to bands and their fans."

Right now I’m working on a photobook with my friend Chester Simpson and my wife, Diane, about the rising popularity of festivals. Chester and I were camping and photographing festivals on our own, and he turned to me and said, “Let’s do a book!” And I said, “Are you serious?” He said, “Yeah, yeah! Let’s do a book.” My wife does some writing for NPR and she loves the whole idea and was immediately interested in doing the writing. 

I’m 46 years old and there weren’t three different music festivals every weekend throughout the spring and summer like there are now. There were a few, but you went to go see a band. I used to go see the Grateful Dead and we’d go camping all the time in the parking lots, but they hit a point around 1989 where they just stopped letting that happen. Before you used to pull into your spot, camp there, pop the top of your Volkswagen camper, put up your tent and be there till the next day. That ended. Now it’s very different.

Tell us about your day job.

I’m the Director of Information Technology for a company based in Charlottesville. I work at the corporate office— that’s what I do in the daytime.

What is your first artistic memory from childhood?

I went to preschool in Columbia, South Carolina,and  one year and I colored a picture of the Easter Bunny and the teacher told me it was terrible. She tore it up and threw it in the trash. I cried all the way home. I’m not kidding you. 

If you could have dinner with any person, living or dead, who and why?

Lewis and Clark after their expedition. That’s one of the great adventure stories in American history. How they did what they did back then, with what they had back then. Taking that core of people across the country and back through all that and not losing anyone to environmental causes. The word “adventure” is overused. That was a true adventure. 

Item you’d splurge on?

I’d splurge on a good lens any day. 

Do you have any superstitions about your art?

I don’t know if they’re superstitions, but there are some hard and fast rules. Don’t show your bad stuff, only show your good stuff. Be kind to all other photographers. When I’m at an event shooting I always love to talk to the other photographers. It’s not a competition, we all need to stick together. 

What is a concert, exhibit or show that has recently inspired you?

Chester’s mentor is a famous photographer he met in California named Jim Marshall who recently passed away. Going through his life work, looking at a lot of stuff he did in music at the time, that was just very, very inspiring. [Marshall’s most famous photographs are ones of Johnny Cash giving the middle finger at San Quentin, and Jimi Hendrix lighting his guitar on fire at the Monterey Pop Festival.]

What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?

I’d be a full-time photographer. It’s just very difficult nowadays.