The results are in! In November, C-VILLE readers submitted the best photo they captured in 2023, each illustrating the theme “What a day!” Our judges—Ézé Amos and Stacey Evans—reviewed more than 80 submissions, and what follows are the best of the bunch. The final list features gorgeous landscapes, bustling wildlife, and captivating shots in and around Charlottesville. Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to everyone who participated.
1. “Varied Interests” by Raman Pfaff
May 7, 2023. iPhone 14 Pro. Mona Lisa draws daily crowds at the Louvre, but in this photo some seemed more interested in other art. One seems to want the day at the museum to end.
2. “Rainy Day at Fourth and Market” by Steve Ashby
January 28, 2023. Canon-P. The intersection at Fourth and Market streets was glossy from a light rain as I waited for a shopper to exit the Market Street Market. Exposed at 1/8th of a second with a Canon-P equipped with a 53mm/2.8 Soviet-era lens and loaded with long-expired Kodak Plus-X film. Processed for 10 minutes in Kodak HC-110, dilution “H” (1:63).
3. “Alone Time” by Max Hoecker
October 1, 2023. Canon G7X. I was in Baltimore to see the Orioles. Meanwhile, there was an anime convention going on at the time. My family was at the food truck when I noticed this participant sitting by herself.
4. “White Pelicans Fish Buffet” by Stuart Scott
July 27, 2023. Olympus E-M1 MarkII with Leica DG 100-400/F4.0-6.3. While visiting Yellowstone National Park, I was surprised to see a group of white pelicans working as a team to herd small fish for their meal. I have a series of pictures as they stay in a line formation then curl around to trap their next meal. You can see the ripples in the water as they move in for a feast. I watched for over an hour as they repeated the fish herding.
5. “Labyrinth” by Carlton Carroll
May 20, 2023. Autel EVO 2 Drone. This new labyrinth was created at the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont by a local scout for her Eagle Scout project. The scout designed the labyrinth layout, and with the help of her troop, cleared, tilled, and placed the logs. This photo was taken as the project was completed.
6. “Fall Beauty in Aspen” by Laura Mark
October 1, 2023. iPhone 13 Plus. This picture was taken at the John Denver Sanctuary in Aspen, Colorado.
7. “Seaside Splendor” by Chloë-Ester K. Cook
May 28, 2023. Nikon L35 AF, Ektar 100 Film. This was taken at the Calanque d’En Vau in the Calanques National Park outside of Cassis, France, with my partner on my first-ever European trip. Calanques are beautiful steep-walled inlets of the Mediterranean Sea—and they’re worth every step of the slick, sharp, sweaty hike it takes to get there.
8. “A Few of My Favorite Things!” by Bill Shaw
January 7, 2023. Canon EOS 6D, EF50mm lens. Depicting my wife with a few of her favorite things. Raindrops on roses, bright copper kettles, and warm woolen mittens!
9. “Bonfire at Bagatelle” by Mike Powers
October 28, 2023. iPhone 13 Pro. The full moon rises over a majestic bonfire marking the end of a perfect fall day in Albemarle County, as teens relax while keeping an eye on social media feeds.
10. “Ferry to Vinalhaven” by Forest Veerhoff
August 21, 2023. Canon Rebel 2000, Portra 160 Film. I took this photo on a backpacking trip in Maine this summer. We began our journey here on a ferry to the island of Vinalhaven. I captured this moment because I was drawn to how each subject is in their own world, some of them even ignoring the beauty around them. We see here a sense of wanderlust and adventure and a question of who these people are and where they are going.
Our judges:
Ézé Amos is a documentary photographer and photojournalist who immigrated to Charlottesville from Nigeria in 2008, and now captures the unique spirit and energy of our city. His many photo projects include Cville People Everyday, Cville Porch Portraits, Witnessing Resistance, and his most recent and ongoing project, The Story of Us “Reclaiming The Narrative of #Charlottesville Through Storytelling and Portraits of Community Resilience.” Amos is also an affiliate photographer with numerous national and international media organizations, and his work has been featured by The New York Times, Getty Images, NPR, AP, CNN, BuzzFeed, The Washington Post, and The New Yorker, among others. Amos’ photo of the melting of Charlottesville’s Robert E. Lee statue made Time magazine’s Top 100 Photos of 2023.
Stacey Evans is the imaging specialist and project coordinator at the University of Virginia Library Digital Production Group. She has over 25 years of experience as an artist, educator, and professional photographer, and her work has been published, exhibited, and collected nationally. Her art practice focuses on the intersection of the built environment and nature through topographic photography from moving vehicles. She previously taught workshops on digital photography through the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and Piedmont Virginia Community College, and now privately. Evans graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design with a bachelor of fine arts in photography.
Chris D. Evans plays King Hedley II, a former prisoner who’s selling refrigerators to raise enough money to open a video store in his neighborhood. Photo by Eze Amos.
When the final showing of King Hedley II wraps at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, the Charlottesville Players Guild will have strode through the entire 20th century on one stage. Dozens of actors will have stepped into the lives of characters generations apart, some even reprising their roles across multiple plays. And audiences will have been swept up in a rich world of Black history, music, folklore, and drama from the pen of legendary playwright August Wilson.
King Hedley II runs Thursdays through Sundays until October 22, and is directed by Darnell Lamont Walker and Jessica Harris. Hedley, the story of a once-imprisoned man who will do anything to gather enough money to start a video store, is a difficult show which, like any Wilson play, demands a great deal from its cast as the story’s tension ratchets tighter and tighter until the end. Hedley marks not just the end of a season full of Wilson plays, including Seven Guitars and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, but seven years of productions that cover the entirety of Wilson’s 10-play American Century Cycle. The completion of the Cycle is an enormous achievement, not only for a Charlottesville cultural organization, but for any arts or theater institution—as Leslie Scott-Jones puts it, “as far as we know, no other Black history and culture organization, and only 12 professional institutions,” have finished Wilson’s famous cycle of plays.
“We need to celebrate this achievement,” says Scott-Jones, who is the Charlottesville Players Guild’s artistic director and the Jefferson School’s curator of public programs, learning and engagement. “We should recognize that as Black artists, what we do in theatrical practice has very real and important ties to Wilson. We need to talk about it.”
Following King Hedley II, the CPG will host a weeklong event, Wilsonian Soldiers: An August Wilson Symposium, from October 23 to 28, which will feature panel discussions and master classes by professionals with an intimate understanding of Wilson’s work. They’ll lead conversations about the men and women of his oeuvre, the cadence and lyricism of his dialogue, and his plays’ music and spirituality. The symposium will also include a performance of the playwright’s memoir, How I Learned What I Learned.
Leslie Scott-Jones. Photo by Sanjay Suchak.
Wilson’s Century Cycle, also known as the Pittsburgh Cycle in reference to the plays’ frequent setting in the city’s Hill District, explores and examines Black history and culture, spirituality, love, pain, and so much more through the lives of blues singers, cab drivers, former Negro League players, husbands, mothers, brothers and sisters, neighbors, and matriarchs. Wilson’s stories are as grounded as siblings arguing over a family heirloom, yet they can also entertain the fantastic, such as with the recurring character of Aunt Ester, who King Hedley II says is over 300 years old.
Scott-Jones has performed in three of the Cycle’s productions—as Rose in Fences, Louise in Seven Guitars, and Ma Rainey in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom—and says Wilson intended in every way for his plays to be exhausting, emotionally and physically, for the actors.
“In order to do Wilson, you have to have a strong constitution,” she says. “He was writing the Black lived experience, and through the 20th century, the times and the things he was writing about were not easy. Every single play has some sort of migration story. … Every single play has somebody that’s in trouble with the law. Every single play has a death. Every single play has some sort of relationship that is in turmoil. And all of those things are compounded by, you know, [being] Black and living in America.”
“It’s very real, it’s very nuanced,” says Aiyana Marcus, a Cycle actor and playwright. “He does not shy away from the complexity that is Black culture. There’s so many nuances and layers of spiritual meanings, economic and political, cultural layers, things that seem like dichotomies. … The secrets that we keep and the secrets that we want to tell.”
“Through August Wilson’s plays, he inadvertently established his community through other individuals,” says Nicholas Berkley, who plays Stool Pigeon in King Hedley II. “When you see these other people participate in plays, we grow close as a cast, and we become family.”
Berkley began performing with the CPG as Hedley (King’s father) in Seven Guitars, and considers Wilson a storyteller whose writing is a form of archiving. “Wilson’s work is an excellent chronicle that should remind those of African American descent to remember where they came from, look at where they are, and appreciate that space.”
One of the most distinctive elements of a Wilson play is his dialogue, crafted to roll off the tongue in an effortless, almost musical pattern. Wilson was as much a playwright as he was a social historian. The two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Tony winner, and posthumous Oscar contender spent his life listening to the people around him—on the streets, in bars, in cigar shops—recording their unique phrasings and the patterns of their speech, and using that language to weave his distinctive scripts.
“It is an honor to do Wilson’s work—it is not easy,” says Marcus. “Just the complexity of the work, and the cadence of language. … There is something about getting my mouth around the rhythms of Wilson that is a whole other process in and of itself.”
From left to right: Jordan Sykes as Mister, King Hedley II’s friend, Cadessa Davis as Tonya, King’s wife, and Denise Folley as Ruby, King’s mother.
Marcus, who wrote She Echoes on the Vine, which was also performed at Jefferson School by the CPG, studied theater as an undergrad, and first met Scott-Jones while auditioning for a play that she was directing at Live Arts. That led to Marcus being cast as Bernice in the fall 2019 production of The Piano Lesson, and later as Black Mary in Gem of the Ocean.
“You can feel the weight of the historical context,” says Marcus about Wilson’s women. “Women did have a certain place that you can feel. A certain level of subservience, but also there is a magnetic presence that they have. They are still very highly valued and respected by the men and other folks in their community. But the way that they can use wisdom in the way that they want to get their point across, it’s not always in the loudest way or the most obvious way.”
King Hedley II, written in 1999 and set in the Reagan ’80s, speaks directly to the weight of history, the value of learning the past, and changing one’s circumstances for the better. Each character seeks something new in their lives, but are struck in painful ways by the legacies of people they love or the city they live in.
“[Tonya] is a woman who is looking for the confidence in her relationship, and trying to, a lot of times, reel her husband back in from making certain—probably not the best—choices in life,” says Cadessa Davis, who plays the title character’s wife in King Hedley II.
In her second play with the Jefferson School, Davis performs her role with range. Tonya’s restraint gives way to incredulity and eventually an explosive monologue that exposes both a vulnerability and fear as well as a frustration and determination to be heard.
“She can say what she wants to say to [King],” says Davis, “but that doesn’t mean he’s going to follow through with listening to her.”
Davis didn’t start acting until 2018; before performing in the Century Cycle, she had stuck to musicals. For King Hedley II, she specifically auditioned for Tonya, in whom she saw a certain defiance and an effort by the character to put her foot down.
“She is truly fighting for her marriage and for her husband to love her. She’s a total 180 from the other character that I played, Risa in Two Trains [Running],” she says. “Two different characters, but totally a lot of fun to play both, and explore my range.”
August Wilson. Photo by Rich Sugg/TNS/zumapress.org
A safe, predominantly Black rehearsal space to explore that range, via the work of a celebrated Black playwright, has been a powerful gift for the actors who have performed the Cycle at the Jefferson School.
“When you, as a person, feel fully seen, feel completely able to be who you are … absolutely, you’re going to be more willing to be vulnerable in front of people,” says Scott-Jones. “And that’s what acting is all about: being vulnerable.”
“There is a freedom there,” says Marcus. “Especially for a number of us, our experience in theater has been in predominantly white spaces, not even necessarily in predominantly diverse spaces. And understanding the context of what it’s like to live in Charlottesville, it was very, very freeing.”
As Scott-Jones and Andrea Douglas, executive director of the Jefferson School, shepherd their joint project to its conclusion, they hope the public will attend the accompanying symposium to learn more about the power of Wilson’s work.
“The classes and the conversations that we’re having apply to not just theater, they apply to literature, they apply to music, they apply to history and social studies,” says Scott-Jones. “Anybody who is involved in the arts at all should absolutely be present for some of these conversations. It’s not just talking about what we’ve done, it’s talking about the work of being a theatrical artist, being an artist, on a global level.”
“Just like Shakespeare,” she says, Wilson’s “work is absolutely transferable to anybody who watches it.”
When the leaves begin to turn in Charlottesville, that’s your signal to jot down dates in your calendar. There’s a lot to do in and around town once autumn hits, from wandering through apple orchards and corn mazes to taking in a movie at the Virginia Film Festival and tailgating at UVA football games. To get you started, we’ve compiled a list of activities you’ll want to get to before the last leaves hit the ground.
Get lost
Make your way through one of the Blue Ridge Mountain Maze’s corn mazes (now located at Blue Toad Hard Cider, near Wintergreen). Equipped with just a crayon and a blank survival guide, you’ll scout an escape path through five acres while taking in a panoramic view of the mountains. Tickets include access to plenty of family-friendly attractions, like the country store, farm animals, movies in the meadow, and the Farmy Fun Zone. Up for a more chilling experience? Come back at night to navigate the maze by moonlight.
Blue Ridge Mountain Maze. Supplied photo.
Spy on the hawks
Visitors are welcome at the annual hawk watch at Rockfish Gap. While volunteers man the watch from August to November to monitor the raptors’ fall migration, you can drop by to see hundreds and even thousands of the 14 different species take to the skies. Make sure to get there in the next week or so for peak migration, and bring binoculars, sunscreen, snacks and water, and something to lounge on.
Bond with the Bard
Thirsty for theater? The American Shakespeare Center in Staunton is running Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, and Coriolanus through November to conclude the center’s 35th anniversary. Be sure to come back in December for a production of Charles Dickens’ classic holiday tale, A Christmas Carol.
American Shakespeare Center’s Coriolanus. Photo by Alaina Smith.
Take a hike
Breathe in the crisp autumn air and peep the changing leaves on a brisk walk around Charlottesville, a hearty hike in the mountains, or from behind the wheel of your car. You can trek through Ragged Mountain Natural Area or climb Humpback Rocks, take a ride along Shenandoah National Park’s Skyline Drive, or stroll around the gorgeous University of Virginia Grounds.
Humpback Rocks. Photo by Jack Looney.
Register for a run
Lace up your sneakers and join the Fall Classic half-marathon and 10K on October 15, which starts and finishes on the Downtown Mall in front of the Ting Pavilion and takes runners through scenic locales in Charlottesville. Looking for more races? Check out the annual Ramblin Rabbit Run, which this year benefits Bennett’s Village; the Crozet Trails Crew’s 5K starting at Crozet Park; and the Brooks Family YMCA’s Halloween Hustle 10K and two-mile trick-or-treat walk.
Don your hats
Pony up some cash for tickets to the bougie Montpelier Hunt Races on November 4. Catch the horses and their jockeys as they leap and sprint through seven consecutive races over a full day of activities, including Jack Russell terrier and stick horse races, a raffle drawing, and tailgating. And don’t forget to wear your fanciest, haughtiest headwear to enter the day’s hat contest.
Be a good sport
Fall sports are in full swing, and there’s no better time to take a seat in the stands at UVA’s fields and courts. And no matter what your team is ranked, nothing says autumn like college football (the Cavs are on a winning streak after beating William & Mary on October 7!). Plus: Tailgating. But there’s a lot more to watch than football this season: Consider volleyball, wrestling, soccer, and the November 12 Rivanna Romp, which pits the Hoos against rowers from Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, Navy, and Minnesota.
UVA Rowing. Photo by Matt Riley/UVA Athletics.
Look up
Cold, dark nights make the perfect setting for an evening of stargazing: The changing season means the fall skies have new constellations, planets, and galaxies on display. Learn about celestial bodies with a short lecture and telescope-assisted gazing at Ivy Creek Natural Area’s Third Friday under the Stars, or get a closer look with the 26-inch McCormick Refractor at the UVA Leander McCormick Observatory, open on the first and third Friday nights of the month.
Go to the movies
The Virginia Film Festival runs from October 25 to 29, and the five-day event is your opportunity to get up close with some great films. Watch groundbreaking work by the industry’s leading directors, up-and-coming filmmakers, and actors from around the world. This year, see Bradley Cooper’s highly-anticipated festival opener Maestro, meet director Ava DuVernay, actor and director Riley Keough, and acclaimed poet Nikki Giovanni, and catch a performance from musician Jon Batiste, following the closing documentary American Symphony.
Fest it up
Virginia’s fall is packed with big community events, from music festivals to harvest fairs. Some fests are a bit of a trek, but there’s plenty you can do within an hour’s drive. Buy up bags of ripe fruit at Edible Landscaping’s Persimmon Festival, take your pup for a day out at Stable Craft Brewing’s Barktoberfest, or enjoy the heirloom chrysanthemums at Harmony Harvest Farm’s Mum Showcase. There’s plenty more to do if you’re willing to get out of town, so check out the full list at virginia.org/events/festivals-and-fairs/fall-festivals
There’s more to marching bands than half-time shows, as you’ll see for yourself when you watch the Cavalier Marching Band prepare for performances at their open rehearsals at Carr’s Hill Field. In addition to playing during football games, the band also puts on themed shows, from celebrating the CMB’s 20th anniversary to military salutes. Check the UVA Department of Music’s online calendar for the full list of free events.
The Cavalier Marching Band. Photo by Eze Amos.
Pick apples
It’s not really fall without a trip to an apple orchard. At Carter Mountain, apple picking started in mid-August, with Fuji, Granny Smith, and Winesap varieties, available for visitors to grab themselves from the branches or get pre-picked at the barn. Carter Mountain is popular, especially this time of year, so you’ll have to buy tickets in advance and pre-pay for your apples by container size. If you want to avoid the crowds, head over to family-owned Henley’s Orchard, where, in addition to apples, cider, donuts, pumpkins, and fresh meat and eggs, you can enjoy live music and tractor and pony rides every October weekend during HenleyFest.
File photo.
Drink up
There’s never a bad season to visit our many wineries, breweries, cideries, and distilleries, but something about the chill of fall makes taking in gorgeous views with delicious bevvies a must. Check out the area’s more than 40 winemakers, such as Keswick or Pippin Hill, grab a cider while you enjoy live music at Potter’s, visit the new Högwaller Brewing spot, or go for a tasting at Vitae Spirits. Don’t be shy—try something new!
File photo.
Get spooked
Take a walk on the other side with a Charlottesville ghost tour. Nearly every night throughout the fall, US Ghost Adventures offers one-hour, one-mile walking tours of supposedly haunted locales and grim destinations throughout the city, starting at The Paramount Theater. Looking for something a little less creepy? Friends of Charlottesville Downtown and the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society offer a new “door to door” local history tour focusing on local businesses that shaped the community.
Trick-or-treat on the Lawn
A tradition since the 1980s, this classic Halloween event is open to families and kids who are eager to attend a huge holiday bash. Lawn residents and student organizations post up in the 54 Lawn rooms and hand out treats, all donated by around 70 student groups. (And don’t even get us started on the creative array of student costumes, an annual must-see, for sure!) Co-sponsored by Housing & Residence Life, this event is fun for students and community members alike.
Dog bless
Held every Thanksgiving at 10am, Grace Episcopal Church’s annual Blessing of the Hounds has been an area favorite since 1929. Dog-lovers are welcome to come watch hunting hounds and horses receive a special blessing at the Keswick church, and enjoy cider and hot chocolate before and after the event. (Please note that this event is different from the Blessing of the Animals; leave your furry friends at home or keep them on a leash!)
Supplied photo.
Editor’s note:The original version of this article inaccurately implied that the Grace Episcopal Church’s Blessing of the Hounds ceremony was offering blessings to visiting dogs. The event is only for hunting hounds and horses.
Michael Craddock, principal at Lakeside Middle School, offered to drive a school bus last year because a route was delayed by more than an hour. In August, Craddock and language arts teacher Jeff Matriccino began driving again, possibly for the entire year. Photo by Jeremiel Waweru.
School bus drivers continue to be scarce in Albemarle County, leaving hundreds of students without public transportation. And while ACPS has been working to fix the problem, the principal and a language arts teacher at Lakeside Middle School have taken matters into their own hands.
Principal Michael Craddock and seventh-grade teacher Jeff Matriccino became substitute bus drivers last year. Craddock offered to help when a route was consistently delayed by an hour or more, and Matriccino filled in on an afternoon route that needed a driver. Luckily, both already had their commercial driver’s licenses, necessary for operating a school bus. Craddock got his CDL during the pandemic while he was the director of Center I, initially to assist getting kids to internships, while Matriccino has had his license for more than 10 years, which has allowed him to take his students on field trips.
“When I was first asked to do it after the second week of school, I was like, ‘Yeah, sure I’ll do it,’” says Matriccino. “I was thinking it’d probably be just two or three weeks, maybe a month.” He ended up driving from September until April.
When the 2023-24 school year was gearing up and a bus route had yet to be assigned a driver, Craddock and Matriccino again stepped up to help—this time for the whole year, if needed. For students living in the Burnley Station Road area, parents can take their kids to Preddy Creek Park and Matriccino will pick them up. That agreement (along with approval from county Parks & Recreation) cuts down on the drive time significantly.
Craddock’s afternoon route has also “been running pretty well,” he says. “I leave here about 4 o’clock, and I’m back by a little bit before 5 every day. So it’s not a huge thing in my day, but I think it makes a pretty big impact. I had a lot of parents on this route that were telling me … they didn’t have a way to get their kid to school, they didn’t have a solution that could work for them. I was glad to be able to reach out to those families and let them know we had them covered.”
Both drivers say they enjoy getting to interact with students outside of the typical school day.
“It’s nice to separate and wear a different hat … where I’m just the driver instead of the teacher,” says Matriccino.
While Lakeside has benefited from assistance offered by its staff, plenty of other schools remain without bus drivers. But Phil Giaramita, public affairs and strategic communications officer for ACPS, says the situation is improving quickly.
At the beginning of the school year, Giaramita was hopeful that the gap in service would be temporary. On August 23, nearly 1,000 students were on the waiting list for bus rides because 12 routes were left without an assigned driver. As of September 7, that wait list had come down to under 400 students, says Giaramita, with that number expected to drop further by the time this story goes to press. More than 94 percent of students who have requested bus service—about 9,500 students—are now able to ride the bus. Giaramita also says that the hour-long delays common last year have been eliminated.
“We regret the disruptions brought about by bus driver shortages that have closed schools in some locations around the nation and certainly have had an impact here,” says Giaramita. “Our parents and students deserve a great deal of credit for the adjustments they have had to make to support students. The same is true for our transportation staff and our principals and teachers, who have reached out to families. We are hearing from bus driver applicants that their interest is being generated by a desire to help students with their education. That is, after all, the bottom line for all of us.”
Craddock and Matriccino say they’ll keep driving as long as they’re needed.
“While we are committed to doing this for the entire year, it sounds like we’re getting to that point where they may have somebody in the pipeline sooner rather than later to take this over,” says Craddock.
Matriccino says he would “absolutely” keep driving if the route remains open, but that he “doesn’t want to try to hold a job from anyone” if the county hires enough drivers.
“I could retire in three years,” he says. “It’s a pretty good retirement gig.”
It’s the most wonderful time of the year—and with the first day of school comes a fleet of teachers starting new jobs in city and county schools. We talked with some of the educators who are preparing for their first year, and learned why they’re excited about stepping into a new classroom. These interviews have been edited for space and clarity.
Tim Hamlette
Career specialist Albemarle High School
Supplied photo.
Talk about your process in becoming a new teacher.
I started off doing a work-based learning retreat with the other career specialists in the county. We got together, we had a retreat, we talked over what our strategies will be, we talked over what worked last year, which I couldn’t contribute a lot to, since this is my first year, but we talked about what we want to do going into this year. And that was exciting. And now, starting new-teacher orientation, I’m just excited to see what we’re going through, see how the vision and mission work out, so I’m excited to see how that goes.
Tell me about your excitement, and, if you’ve talked to other teachers, what they’ve been saying as well.
Yeah, I’m excited. We’re all going to be working with students in some type of capacity, some different type of capacity, being able to learn from them, being able to teach somebody else something. So being able to come together, work as a team, whether you’re in Lakeside, whether you’re in Albemarle, whether you’re in Monticello, we can all learn and grow from each other. So being able to be here, connect and have this community of ACPS, I think it’ll be beneficial for the students that will be coming in this year, and also for us to grow as new teachers and specialists as well.
How important were teachers and specialists for you when you were growing up?
So being able to have that relationship was something that was very beneficial for me, being able to go to somebody at school to talk to when maybe you were feeling lonely, maybe you didn’t have anybody to talk to, you had that teacher there. And for me, personally, I didn’t have many male or Black male teachers or specialists in school. So, me being able to come into the school and be a Black male, able to be a face, or be somebody that can relate to somebody that they may not be able to see, is something that I’m super excited about. Being able to help point somebody in their career wherever they want to go is something I’m excited for, being able to build those relationships, being able to connect with different students. Because everybody’s going through something, you don’t know what they’re going through, but when you just show them that you really care, when you show him you’re there and build those relationships with them, I think is key for success.
Why did you take this new position?
I love working with the youth. I was in Richmond working with the youth, I was in Lynchburg working with the youth, and then being here in Charlottesville, I wasn’t in the students’ buildings, I wasn’t with them. So I felt like I needed to get back in there. And Albemarle High School is the biggest school, most diverse, being able to reach different types of people, different ethnicities, different types of students. That’s what really drew me there and being able to build up relationships, like I was saying, and being able to connect with different students. You get to see all aspects of Charlottesville in Albemarle High School, I feel, and that’s what led me there.
Ryan Robinson
Culinary arts Charlottesville-Albemarle Technical Education Center (CATEC)
Photo by Tristan Williams.
Tell me about the subjects and grades you’re teaching this year, and what makes you excited about it.
We offer a culinary arts class in part one and then we have a part two. So, I’ll be teaching students 10th through 12th grade. What makes me most excited about teaching? The opportunity to make a positive impact, really. In my case, food is the hook that gets the students interested in coming in and being a part of what we do. From there, that’s where I have the opportunity to make that impact. I leverage food, but it’s about making an impact on each kid as individuals. So that’s what I’m most excited about. It’s a challenge. That’s what we [the teachers] have been talking about the last week, all the challenges that teachers want to be ready for throughout the school year. You always have challenges, but to me that’s when it gets fun. Making that connection with each student.
When did you begin teaching, and what inspired you to teach?
I started with Virginia Beach City Public Schools in 2022. I got just under two years under my belt of teaching in a formal classroom setting. And what originally drew me to the classroom was, I did recruiting for about three years for the Culinary Institute of Virginia. When I was recruiting, I was in the classroom every day throughout the week. I saw the opportunity to make an impact. I hate to be redundant but I really did. In that short engagement where you have one class session with those kids and then you gotta leave, then it’s the next group of kids that come in. It’s a short form engagement, but I really saw the opportunity there. And teachers inspired me just as much as the students. Seeing teachers educate at a high level and make an impact in a student’s life, I wanted to be a part of that.
What is your cooking background? You said that you were in recruiting, but how did you get into the culinary arts?
I graduated from the Culinary Institute of Virginia in 2013, and I went right into the industry. My foundation really was in hotels and country clubs, private country clubs. So I spent about six or seven years doing that before I got into recruiting. But I’ve done a little bit of everything, man. One of my passions for food is healthy cooking. I actually started gardening for that country club that I was working at, Cavalier Golf & Yacht Club in Virginia Beach. We started a small garden, the members loved it, we were able to use that produce in the kitchens. For me, it was my first leadership role, which is significant, because I was able to actually hire for the garden staff. And I would also recruit people who worked in front of the house or back of the house who wanted to come out and help us. And so that was my first leadership role. That’s where I kind of got the bug for where I am now—leading people and making a positive impact.
Having gone into culinary arts as a student yourself, how do you inspire kids who are making the choice to go the technical education path, which maybe they’re not seeing a lot of their peers do?
It’s all about meeting the kid where they are, and that’s why I’m talking about making that connection with the kid. So if every day, you come to class, and I see you doodling a little bit, then I’m gonna ask, “Hey, Amanda, what are you drawing? That looks cool. What is it? Really, you draw? Did you take art at your school?” And it’s just making that connection. And we might not get everything that I need from you in that one day, right? Because I got 18 other students, I’m probably going to spend about a good minute and a half with you. But also I want to meet you where you are. Week one or week two, you might not be ready to tell me your life story yet. But I’ve made that connection. I know that you started when you were 11, I know that your older brother taught you—alright, boom, we got something. So that’s something for me to build on. I believe that students have within them who they want to be or what they want to be. Once you know the person, you can help them with all sorts of stuff. You know, that’s the goal. And that’s why I say, food is the hook to guiding the student where they’re gonna be a productive citizen of society. It’s not just about creating chefs. It’s not just about a job title. It’s about the fulfillment, and pursuit of happiness. You want to be happy. That’s success.
What do you love about teaching? And what would you like to see grow or improve in education?
Well, I think CATEC is doing it. I think about helping students get jobs, and things of that nature. I think that’s important with education, not just giving them the diploma, but helping them with their next step. Every student is at a different level. You might have a student that just barely graduated high school, right? We all know those kids. He just made it. Counselor was on him like the last two weeks of school. He passed that last SOL he needed to pass and then got his attendance together, didn’t come half the school year. So we all kind of know where this kid is gonna go, right? There’s a reason why he missed so much school, and there’s a reason why his test scores were down. He has a chance to get into trouble … or he’s probably gonna go into one of those entry-level jobs like fast food or something. How can the education system get better? In my opinion, I think it’s about helping kids with that next step. Maybe every school should have a career services department or something like that, something to help kids for that next couple years.
Alison Mutarelli
Fourth grade Venable Elementary
Photo by Tristan Williams.
What makes you excited about teaching fourth grade?
I am so excited to teach fourth grade. I taught it for my student-teaching placement and it was such an awesome opportunity. They’re at an age where they have that personality, they have a spunk, and they’re really ready to learn and grow. They’re starting to get some intrinsic motivation and take accountability for their learning and accountability for others. I’m also super lucky, my cohort is really, really small. They’re a cohort of 40. They have been together since first grade, they know each other really well. So I’m excited to have a classroom family that has been together. I’m also excited because in Venable, or in Charlottesville City Schools, fourth grade is the top of our elementary school. So I’m preparing my little babies to go off to upper elementary, which then trickles into the middle school. So this fourth-grade year is going to be a lot of preparation for taking accountability for your own actions, your own learning, your behaviors. That way, they are prepared to go on to the upper levels. But there’s still a little elementary school where I get to baby them, and I get to love on them. But getting them ready for that next step is really exciting for me.
So they’re going to be graduating?
Yes, they’re going to be graduating out of elementary school. They go off to Walker, which is the upper elementary, and then that trickles into Buford, which is middle school, seventh and eighth grade. And then obviously, move on to high schools. So this fourth grade is like, they’ve been here, some since pre-K. So it’s been a long journey, and then once they move out, it’ll be, I’m sure, emotional for many. I definitely have some fun activities planned for the end of the year. I would definitely want to do a field trip for the graduation ceremony where all the parents can come, just to celebrate not only fourth grade, but your entire Venerable journey, including all the teachers that they’ve had in the past. I’m a big part of their fourth-grade year, but I wasn’t here the other years to see how much they’ve grown. But you know, if there was a first-grade teacher that’s still here, I would love them to get to see how much they’ve grown.
You’re gonna leave such a big impression on them.
I’m just so grateful to have the opportunity to make a lasting impression on our young students. I have a really big sign that says “The future of our world is in this classroom,” because that’s what it really is. These are our future leaders, our future doctors, our future teachers, our future nurses—everyone is in here. They will be fostered to grow in that way. So I’m really excited to have that impact on them. I want nothing but positivity. I love all of them unconditionally and I don’t even know them. I didn’t have the best elementary school experience. So I’m gonna change the narrative. I’m really excited to do that.
When did you begin teaching, and what inspired you to teach?
This is my first year teaching. I am so excited. I just graduated from the University of Delaware. When I was at Delaware, it was obviously during COVID. So I had to take some other paths in order to get the experience. I taught in a preschool. And that was such an amazing experience, those little babies just loved you. It was COVID, so times are really tough. And they were just so happy to see you. So their little faces just made my days. I tutored and I student taught, I’ve had a first-, a third-, and a fourth-grade class during my student teaching. This will be my first class of little babies—I cannot wait, we’re going to learn together, that’s what my big message to them is. As an adult, I don’t have all the answers. I don’t even consider myself an adult sometimes. I’m only 22. So my students are learning, but I’m learning with them. They’re gonna know that it’s okay to say, “Hey, Ms. M, this lesson didn’t really work for me. How can we go about doing this in a different way?” They’re going to advocate for themselves. That’s something that’s really important. I didn’t learn that until I was 20. And even then, it’s still really, really hard for me. I want my students to be able to advocate for themselves, tell someone their needs.
What do you love about teaching? And what would you like to see grow or improve in education?
So what I absolutely love is seeing my students grow. And I’ve only seen it in a limited time, because I’ve only had my little babies for short increments. But the students that I had, in the beginning of my six months, were not the students that I had at the end. Seeing them grow, and in some aspects, just learning to trust me. For some students gaining that trust is really, really hard. And I acknowledge that, I don’t expect them to trust me on day one. But seeing them grow and develop—that light bulb when you’re teaching a lesson and it clicks. That is the most exciting feeling. Having a student who really really struggles and seeing them like, “I get it, I get it now,” is the most awesome feeling. I love my relationships with my students.
Going to be very sad that they’re going up to Walker and I won’t be going with them to see them in the hallways. But I know myself and I know I’ll go up and visit. I also am definitely gonna be putting an emphasis on building those relationships with my parents. I’m asking all my parents for any sports schedules or instrumental schedules. I only live 15 minutes away from here, so I really want to go to the sports game so my students can see I’m a real person and I don’t just care about their math skills. I care about them as a person.
“Everybody has a story to tell.” That’s the core belief of WriterHouse, according to its Executive Director Sibley Johns. And while anybody can be a writer, not everyone has the tools to tell their stories and share them with the world. WriterHouse bridges that gap with writing classes and seminars aimed at storytellers of any level of experience or professional know-how.
The idea for a communal writer’s space was born in a local coffee shop (naturally). Once a week for more than three years, a group of writers would gather to workshop ideas, share drafts, and talk shop. In 2008, they founded a space devoted to that process, one that could foster an entire community of writers. Today, WriterHouse offers courses and seminars on writing fiction and memoirs, how to find an agent, and navigating the world of publishing—in addition to co-sponsoring author events, readings, and workshops throughout the year.
And their instructors speak from experience. Emily Thiede took her first courses at WriterHouse in 2015—now she’s its vice president. Her debut novel, This Vicious Grace, was one of Oprah’s top 25 fantasy novels of 2022. But her first manuscript didn’t immediately get picked up; she had to regroup at WriterHouse and work on new ideas before finding success. “The writers who tend to succeed are those who refuse to quit trying while continuously seeking out and accepting critical feedback along the way,” Thiede says. “It takes a bit of arrogance to believe that your words deserve to be in front of readers, but this field is too challenging to pursue without that belief, so embrace it—you are your first and greatest champion.”
Manager Kevin Armstrong says His Barber Shop is “truly a last-of-its-kind." Photo: Eze Amos
To commemorate a century in business, His Barber Shop cut it up in April with a barbershop quartet, snacks, and visits from veteran barbers of 50 years. Founded in 1923 by Albert Staples as Staples’ Barbershop, the Barracks Road mainstay is now owned by Chris Bryant, who was also the shop’s first woman barber.
Gotta keep your fingers (and toes?) crossed at Bad Luck Ramen's fortune machine. Photo: Tristan Williams
Imagine you get your fortune told and it predicts you’ll get wet shoes. Or your flight will get delayed. Or you’ll step on a LEGO. Sounds like some bad luck, huh? Well, at Bad Luck Ramen, that’s all you’ll get at its fortune telling machine. Inspired by owner and head brewer Andrew Centofante’s trip to a Buddhist shrine in Japan, in which he received the worst fortune imaginable (“bad health, bad career, do not buy a house, do not travel, no romance, a black cloud will follow you … bad,” he says), the black cat machine only deals out dismal predictions.
Boot, scoot, and boogy to Holly's for honky-tonk karaoke. Photo: Drew Stawin Photography
Holly’s Diner on East Market Street offers up affordable eats and a cozy bar, but stick around late enough and you’ll see what keeps patrons coming back for more night after night. Holly’s has a packed calendar when it comes to live entertainment—from open mics to game nights, rockin’ blues bands, and even a goth night. And returning this August on the third Friday of every month is Honky-Tonk Karaoke.
The three-hour event combines live music with karaoke and a two-step dance lesson. A one-hour jam session kicks things off, and by the second hour eager singers donning cowboy hats and boots will be lining up to belt out country tunes with the band. As long as diners know the words and the key, they’ll be good to get on stage. And once the tables and chairs have been pushed to the side to clear the dance floor, you know it’s a party.
But savvy music fans don’t just have to wait for the third Friday of the month for their slice of Americana. Gritty singer-songwriter Eli Cook regularly brings his brand of bluesy rock to Holly’s (with a full band), as do local staples like the Chickenhead Blues Band and Ian Gilliam & The FireKings.
Our local lady arm wrestlers performed their way to a record-breaking $14,000 (awarded to the Blue Ridge Abortion Fund) at CLAW's first match following a three-year hiatus. Photo: Justin Ide Photography
The Charlottesville Lady Arm Wrestlers returned in style after a three-year hiatus. Just before Halloween 2022, the collective that combines cosplay, competition, and charity into a raucous show of bulging biceps clashed at Champion Brewing Company. Each event raises money for a women-led organization or business, and this one honored the Blue Ridge Abortion Fund.
“I came to win tonight, but the real winner is BRAF,” said wrestler Zsa Zsa Gabortion. That night’s CLAWing It Back event raked in nearly $14,000—the most ever for a CLAW show. “All funds raised will support people from or traveling to Virginia for their abortion care,” says Deborah Arenstein, BRAF director of development.
Zsa Zsa Gabortion was the champion of the night, but she was just one member of a colorful cast of outrageous characters locking arms for a chance at glory. Like Sally Williamson, who plays her own mashup of Zsa Zsa Gabor and an abortion rights activist, many women in CLAW don familiar personas or create whole new characters for each performance. And they come from all walks of life, from a wide age range, to take on roles like the dolled-up flapper ChiCLAWgo—portrayed by Amy Hill, a graphic designer and marketing professional, and Fist of Furiosa, a Mad Max-style warrior played by Lucy Fitzgerald, a Ph.D. candidate at UVA.
“We’re just regular people,” says ref Tightship McLeod. “But we do it all—we know how to have fun, and we help the community. That’s what happens when women run the show.”
