C-VILLE Weekly

In its first weekend of wide release, Fahrenheit 9/11 took in $21.8 million on just 868 screens, making it the highest-grossing documentary opening in history. The movie did equally well in red and blue states where a not-so-silent civil war is raging over America’s representation under the Bushies. While U.S. citizens fret over a terrorist attack before the election and tamper-easy Diebold voting machines, arguments rage about Donald Rumsfeld’s refusal to step down after Abu Grahib and Vice President Dick Cheney loses his mind in Congress.

 Now that it’s clear that Fox News will not keep audiences away from Fahrenheit 9/11, the question is, Will conservative media recognize its defeat in trying to impugn director Michael Moore and shift the dialogue back to the issues he raises?

 A populist filmmaker, Moore engages in a kind of independent journalism that raises crucial questions with an air of simplicity and honest curiosity. But the damning answers to some of his direct queries demand action. When Moore declares that no member of Congress had even read The PATRIOT Act before voting on it, you’ve got to wonder when the American public will serve our negligent Congress with pink slips.

 However, the blind passing of the PATRIOT Act is but one in a laundry list of offenses that Moore exposes. His movie keys into the lies that we’ve been fed since Bush and his cronies illegally seized power. The best part is that Moore is a sincere and articulate Everyman to whom people around the world listen and respond enthusiastically. That’s more than can be said of George W. Bush.

 The following interview was conducted at the recent Cannes Film Festival where Fahrenheit 9/11 won the Palme d’Or.

Cole Smithey: What in this movie do you think will be shocking to the public, and what of that would be threatening to the U.S. government?

Michael Moore: Well, what’s going to be shocking to most Americans who see this film is Bush’s military records that were blacked out by someone at the White House. I don’t think people have heard American soldiers in the field talk the way they talk in this film of their disillusionment, of their despair, of their questioning what’s going on. Those were brave words to say to a camera. We have not seen that on the evening news. We’ve not seen the suffering that the war has caused—from those who’ve been maimed and paralyzed to the families back home who’ve lost loved ones. How often have we heard their voices? Every step along the way in this movie will be a revelation in terms of how this lie was perpetrated upon them.

 The good thing about Americans is once they’re given the information, they act accordingly, and they act from a good place. The hard part is getting through with the information. If the freelancers I was using were able to find what they found in Iraq, with our limited resources, you have to question why haven’t we seen this? You see in the movie the first footage of abuse and humiliation of Iraqi detainees. And this occurred in the field, outside the prison walls. That is disgraceful, that it would take as long as it’s taken, and for me to come along with stringers and freelancers to be able to bring this to the American people. The American people do not like things being kept from them, and I think what this film is going to do is be like a mystery unraveling.

Do you think the coalition should pull out of Iraq?

Of course the [chuckling] “Coalition of the Willing” needs to de-will themselves, and the United States must remove itself from the situation. We need to find a better solution with people who the Iraqis want there, and who will help the Iraqis rebuild their country—that is not the United States of America.

George Bush accused the U.S. troops who abused the Iraqi detainees of a “failure of character.” What do you think are the failures of George Bush’s character?

Bush’s comment about the failure of the U.S. troops is another example of how George W. Bush does not support our troops. George W. Bush and his ilk actually despise our troops. Only someone who despises our young people, who have offered to serve and protect our country and give up their lives if necessary—to send them to war based on a lie is the worst violation of trust you can have, and the worst way to treat our troops. He is against our troops. He has put them in harm’s way for no good reason other than to line the pockets of his friends and benefactors.

 The lack of character begins with him and Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld, and the fish rots from the head down. Whatever’s going on in Iraq, in terms of this prison abuse and the things you see in the film, starts with sending them over there based on a lie. Immoral behavior begets immoral behavior. This is not some noble mission to free the country, to free people, to prevent a holocaust. This was a disgusting effort on their part, and all we can say is thank God that they got caught as early as they did. If you remember with Vietnam, it took years before the lie was revealed. This has just taken months. So, I’m somewhat optimistic that we can find a way out of this.

In your movie, you criticize the way the American public is manipulated with fear by the media. How do you manipulate your images?

We do a de-manipulation of the images. The media in America provides a manipulation. During the Bush years they put on a filter and they only allow the American people to see what they think will keep the waters calm. So night after night on the evening news you’ll get maybe five seconds of George W. Bush where it sounds like he makes sense. In my film, I show the 20 seconds on either side of the five seconds where he clearly is totally discombobulated. In my film, I take the filter off, and you see it raw and uncensored and the way it really is. It’s both hilarious and frightening.

Are you afraid of being manipulated?

When you come from the working class, you’ve got a pretty good bullshit detector. I come from a factory town, my dad worked in a factory, and there’s a total lack of pretension—everything is the way that it is. Anybody who tries to pretend to be something else is immediately seen for who and what they are. That’s a good thing about growing up that way, and I haven’t lost that. And I hope I always maintain that sense of always having a healthy disrespect for authority and always believing, as a great American journalist once said, “All governments are run by liars and nothing they say should be believed.” If we had more journalists who started with that premise, that governments must prove everything that they’re saying, then maybe we’d get to more of the truth.

How do you get the clips of these uncensored moments that belong to networks?

We spend a lot of time digging in their archives. Another way we do it is there are people who work in media who don’t like the way the media is censored. So there’ll be a cameraman over here or a sound guy over there who knows that I would like to see something and will send it to me. We have a network of people who believe that the public should be given all the truth. I can’t reveal everything in terms of how we do this, but we’re able to get it out there to the people. I shouldn’t really have to do this in a free country where there should be open information and you should hear all the different voices. It shouldn’t take a guy like me to provide the people with the things that you’re not seeing. But as long as that’s the case, I’m going to take you to a place that you haven’t been before during the four years of the Bush Administration.

How were you able to get the war footage from Iraq?

I had a number of freelancers that I was working with, both people that I was able to have go to Iraq and others we discovered once they were in Iraq—some were embedded, some weren’t. The footage of the Iraqi detainees was from a journalist who was embedded with the troops.

How do you think the White House has tried to prevent your film from being made and released?

I only know what I was told by my agent. We had a signed deal with Icon. We were just starting the movie and I got a call from my agent saying that he just got a call from a person at Icon asking for a way to get out of the deal, even though there was no way they could renege on it. They asked if there was any way we could get someone else to take over the deal because they received a call from “top Republicans,” people connected to the White House, who essentially wanted to convey the message to Mr. Gibson [Mel Gibson, who runs Icon Films—Ed.], “Don’t expect anymore invitations to the White House if they’re going to be behind this film.” That’s all I know. I don’t know who made the calls, but we had this deal—there was a big thing in Variety about the deal—then suddenly, weeks later the deal didn’t exist. Fortunately, Miramax immediately took over the deal and said they would make the film.

Since the agenda of your film seems to be to influence the outcome of the election in November, to what extent do you think a movie can accomplish that goal?

When I make any movie, it’s to make something that I would want to go see on a Friday night if I were going to a movie. That’s always the foremost thought in my mind: How can we make something that will be enjoyable and entertaining, that people will want to take their date or their spouse to the theater and eat popcorn, have a great time, laugh, cry, think, and leave the theater to talk about it later? Those are always my primary motivations, and that is the motivation behind making this film.

 I wanted to say something about the times in which we live, in post 9/11 America—how we got to where we’re at, what’s happened to us as a people—and have a good time doing it. I also think it’s important to laugh during times like these and that’s why this film, like my other films, has a good amount of humor in it. This time I was the straight man—Bush wrote the funniest lines, so what am I going to do when George Bush files a grievance with the Writer’s Guild wanting some sort of screen credit? In terms of “Will it influence the election?” I hope it influences people just to leave the theater and become good citizens—whatever that means. I’ll leave it to other people to decide what impact it will have on the election.

 

Heat index
Fahrenheit 9/11 pulls no punches in burning Bush
By Kent Williams

Let’s start by getting the name-calling out of the way: Michael Moore is a political gadfly, a provocateur, a firebrand, a rabble-rouser, a muckraker, a satirist, a populist, an entertainer and a Big Fat Stupid White Man, that last epithet courtesy of a book about Moore that’s just been published. As for Fahrenheit 9/11, Moore’s headline-grabbing documentary about the Bush Administration’s foreign policy, it’s a screed, a diatribe, a polemic, a comedic hatchet job that, according to London’s Guardian newspaper, got a thumb’s-up from Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based militant group. Except for the fact that he never quite gets around to asking George Bush whether it’s true that he beats his wife, Moore doesn’t even pretend to play fair. On the contrary, he’s out to behead a king with every sharp tool at his disposal. And if you have a problem with that…well, then get in line, because lots of people, from both sides of the political aisle, have a problem with it. Right-leaning leftie Christopher Hitchens, in a recent Slate article, all but challenged Moore to a duel. Live by the word, die by the word.

As a filmmaker, Moore lives by the word and, increasingly, by the image. Culling footage from various nooks and crannies of the mediasphere, he’s fashioned a montage barrage that, often as not, uses Bush’s own words and images against him. There’s a shot of Bush addressing a banquet of wealthy types, which he refers to as the haves and the have-mores. “Some call you the elite,” he tells the crowd. “I call you my base.” There’s a shot of Bush making an urgent appeal for the fight against terrorism, then turning around and driving a golf ball into the wild blue yonder. But perhaps the most memorable shot is of Bush, having just been told that a second plane has hit the World Trade Center, sitting there for nearly seven minutes while an elementary-school class completes its reading of “My Pet Goat.” Moore slows the videotape down so that the expression on Bush’s face morphs from anxious to afraid to confused to vacant, then back to anxious. Some might call this a cheap shot, and maybe it is, but the effect is of a little boy waiting to be told what to do.

“Was it all just a dream?” Moore asks about the last four years, and maybe the best way to view Fahrenheit 9/11 is as an alternative history of the United States during one of its darkly comic nightmares. The movie opens with CBS and CNN declaring Al Gore the winner in Florida, only to have Fox News, spear-carrier for the red states, hand the whole country over to Bush. The Supreme Court seconds that emotion, and Bush proceeds to spend 42 percent of his first eight months in office on vacation, a cinematic longeur that’s enlivened by the sight of Paul Wolfowitz prepping for a TV appearance by running a comb first through his mouth, then through his hair. (Another cheap shot: What does his personal grooming have to do with Wolfowitz’s politics?) Then the screen goes black for Moore’s dramatic sound-only reenactment of 9/11, and what had been a comedy has suddenly turned into a tragedy, the Hillbilly banjo music giving way to the wailing violins of Arvo Pärt’s Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten. Manipulative? Damn straight, but effective, too.

 Now that he has us in the palm of his hand, Moore lays out his next argument—that Bush’s connections with Saudi Arabia’s royal family, which go back 30 years, clouded his judgment and influenced his policies as he scrambled to come up with a response to 9/11. Craig Unger covers the same territory in his recent book, House of Bush, House of Saud, and Moore doesn’t add to what Unger wrote so much as supply pictures.

 Then he moves on to his final argument—that the upper class always gets the lower class to fight its wars for it. Meet Lila Lipscomb, a self-proclaimed “conservative Democrat” from Moore’s hometown of Flint, Michigan, who lost both her son and her faith in our country’s ideals to the war in Iraq. Distraught, Lipscomb pours out her emotions, and our heart goes out to her, but I couldn’t help wondering about the mothers who’ve lost sons or daughters but still believe in the war. Do they not grieve? What makes Fahrenheit 9/11 so effective is that it combines emotional appeals with both comic relief and—last but not always least—debate-society argumentation.

 Some find Moore’s approach engaging. Some find it enraging. And how you find it doesn’t necessarily depend on whether you voted for Bush or Gore the last time around. Imagine a movie much like this one, only about Bill Clinton and directed by Rush Limbaugh. Engaging or enraging? Personally, I think Moore’s funnier than Limbaugh, and I think he’s at his best when he plays the court jester who entertains us paupers by jabbing the king and his court in the ribs. But if he’s determined to dethrone the king and send him packing to the great state of Texas…well, there’s nothing in the U.S. Constitution to prevent it. Not yet, anyway.

Fahrenheit 9/11 is rated R with a running time of 112 minutes and is now playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre. For times see page 71 or call 817-FILM.

 

Right or wrong
What are local conservatives saying about the movie?

The recent debut of Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11—an aggressive indictment of President Bush and the war in Iraq—generated much hot air and spilled ink amongst the punditry, many of whom fretted over the documentary’s impact on the November election. Not to be outdone,C-VILLE Weekly tracked down two prominent local Republicans to discover what they think of the movie and its influence on the electorate.

 But both Bob Hodous, a local lawyer and chairman of the Charlottesville Republican Party, and Randolph Byrd, a publisher and staunch Republican, plan to skip Moore’s latest work, bolstering the widespread belief that the movie is preaching to the choir.

 “I don’t know of a single soul who’s gone to see this movie,” Byrd says.

 Both Hodous and Byrd say they follow a broad variety of media, including those which many charge lean to the Left, such as The New York Times. But Michael Moore’s perspective is one that neither of the two Republicans are compelled to heed.

 “It would probably piss me off,” Byrd says of Fahrenheit 9/11. “I don’t want to feed this guy’s profits.”

 Hodous says he decided to ignore the movie mostly because of having read many news articles and opinion pieces that describe bias and inaccuracies in the film. For example, Houdous says a recent piece by liberal columnist William Raspberry in The Washington Post, which called the movie “an overwrought piece of propaganda” and a “hatchet job that doesn’t even bother to pretend to be fair,” helped him decide to save the $8 for a seat at the Vinegar Hill Theatre.

 “I think that [Moore’s] bias is so great that I’m not sure I’d be able to wade through it,” Hodous says.

 But though Hodous believes Fahrenheit 9/11 is a cynical effort to tap into knee-jerk leftie hatred of the Bush Administration, he acknowledges that this sort of media pandering occurs among conservatives as well.

 “That happens on both sides. It’s sad, because I think we miss a lot that way,” Hodous says.

 Byrd strongly echoed this belief, saying that Fahrenheit 9/11 is “meant to enrage the Right as much as [The Passion of The Christ] was meant to appeal to it.” (Byrd saw and liked The Passion.)

 But despite the fact that Moore is trying to help oust Bush with a documentary film many conservatives call grossly inaccurate and unfair, Byrd says the Right wing shouldn’t be outraged by the movie.

 “Like Rush Limbaugh never goes over the top,” Byrd says with a chuckle.—Paul Fain

Q: Ace: I heard that the Keswick Hall golf course, bastion of the bourgeoisie (and better), was recently lauded for being environmentally sustainable. “Environmental” and “sustainable” are not the first two words that spring to mind when it comes to golf, so Ace me this: How can a golf course be “green” in more ways than one?—Rich Baffy

A: It’s true, Rich, that more often than not, golf courses suck water like vampires suck blood, and green their grass with quantities of pesticides that could de-bug small South American countries. Moreover, you’d think that those fortunate enough to pay their way through the golden gates of Keswick Hall would be thinking about more important things—like how foie gras compares to caviar—than the impact of their golf course on our natural landscape and wildlife.

 But think again and move over Laura Ashley, ‘cause Peter McDonough, golf course superintendent at Keswick (and of no relation to internationally renowned green architect and Charlottesville resident, William McDonough), has gone above par when it comes to the greening of his green, Keswick Hall’s Arnold Palmer golf course. It took two years of work, but the course recently attained the status of “certified Audubon Cooperative sanctuary status”—one of only nine golf courses in the State and 411 golf courses internationally at that time to meet the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System’s stringent guidelines, according to Keswick Hall Public Relations Director Anne Hooff.

 One of the ways McDonough meets these needs is through “airification,” or “punching holes in the grass,” since as McDonough says, “grass is no different from people, trees or animals: You need air to breathe.”

 Another key component to his program is the limited use of pesticides based on an integrated pest management program that identifies the actual need for pesticides instead of “applying the products just because it’s the ‘time’ to apply them,” McDonough says. Moreover, for a different kind of (larger) pest control, he has kept 25 acres of “buffer zones” in which no fertilizers or pesticides are used around the perimeter of the golf course, or the natural streams that run through it.

 But McDonough’s proactive approach to water management is what has garnered him the most recognition. He uses a computerized weather station attached to his computer irrigation system to compute heat and humidity. Combining those measurements with the average temperature tells you, as McDonough says, “whether you need five, 10, or no minutes of water.”

 So whether you choose to take tea or tee off at Keswick Hall, your social conscience can rest assured: The gophers are dancing out there on the green with no Bill Murray in sight.

Bankers, experimentalists, runners, bike cops, tortilla experts and many other avowed individuals who choose this place above all others to ply their trades, promote their ideas and otherwise stir up the creative brew that we call home and that others lately are calling No. 1. We don’t really need Frommer’s, Outside or anyone else to tell us what we have here—especially when those folks only get as much of the story as a single day’s research allows. But if they were to ask for a more in-depth view of the people and institutions making Charlottesville what it is right now—for better or worse—we’d present them with this, the third annual C-VILLE 20, the cast of characters featured in our town’s present-day tale.

THE MISSIONARY
Pastor Bruce A. Beard

After a week in which his department was battered for a DNA dragnet of black men, Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy J. Longo specifically thanked Pastor Bruce A. Beard for helping foster a dialogue with the local African-American community that had been so deeply offended. Beard’s calming role in the controversy probably doesn’t surprise members of his congregation at the First Baptist Church on W. Main Street—bridging divides is Beard’s specialty.

 A Pittsburgh transplant who quit his job as a corporate executive for Pepsi-Cola to become a pastor, Beard has worked hard to make First Baptist a church that appeals to a broad swath of Charlottesville.

 When Beard took the helm of First Baptist, a historically black church with a storied past, he says church attendance was “hovering around 50 to 60.” Now, Beard sees 500 or more faces from his Sunday perch in the pulpit.

 “It’s become much more diverse,” Beard says of First Baptist. “We have quite a few white members.”

 Beard and his wife, Rev. Gardenia Beard, focus on the divide between church and community, which he says has been growing in recent decades. Their ministry, which they call Transformational Ministries, is “a radical rethinking of what is church” that includes an emphasis on getting out into the community.

 “Most churches tend to be 30 to 40 years behind the times,” Beard says.

 Beard thinks Charlottesville could eventually be a national example for cooperating across ethnic lines. In fact, he thinks Charlottesville has so much potential, “I’m not sure people realize it.”—P.F.

 

THE PICKER
Fred Boyce

At The Prism Coffeehouse on Rugby Road, you can hear some of the finest acoustic musicians in the world perform in a space no bigger than a living room. So far this year the schedule has included such diverse acts as New Grass revivalist John Cowan, classical guitarist Beppe Gambetta, and Appalachian balladeers Ginny Hawker and Tracy Schwartz performing in the 80-seat venue. It’s one of those places you really can’t find anywhere else but Charlottesville, and Fred Boyce is the guy who makes it happen.

 A virtuoso banjo picker from North Carolina, Boyce and his partner Kenyon Hunter have run The Prism since 1990. In that time Boyce has used his connections in the musical world, picking acts that have elevated The Prism into a hallowed haunt for fans and artists alike. For Boyce, The Prism is built for education, not just entertainment.

 “The Prism has been built by the people and the musicians who trust in Fred’s vision,” says Mike Seeger, a longtime Prism performer and legendary scholar and interpreter of Appalachian folk music.

 Aided by a small, loyal band of volunteers, Boyce and Hunter do almost everything to keep the smoke- and alcohol-free Prism running smoothly—booking shows, hanging flyers, ordering coffee and snacks, orchestrating The Prism’s live broadcasts on WTJU and cleaning up afterwards.

 Recently, Boyce has come under fire with some former Prism volunteers who, offended by his notoriously fiery temper, have hung their dirty laundry on the line, going public with an injudiciously uncensored voice mail message that Boyce left one of them. With the talent for improvisation that is characteristic of a bluegrass banjo player, Boyce has rolled with it and has not commented publicly on whether he’ll drop The Prism reins—or rein in his management technique. In any case, if or when others take charge at the 38-year-old venue, they’ll inherit one of the East Coast’s coolest folk venues with Boyce to thank for it.—J.B.

 

THE MAESTRO
John Conover

Having dominated City government for decades, the Democrats’ resounding sweep in this year’s City Council election hardly qualifies as a Cinderella story. Yet the Dems’ victory party on May 4 had the air of a team celebrating a come-from-behind win, with John Conover as the victorious coach.

 For two years, ever since Rob Schilling beat Alexandria Searls to become the first Republican in 12 years to win a Council seat, Democrats have been gnashing their teeth over the loss. This year, the party vowed to play hardball, and they tapped former Councilor Conover to manage the campaign.

 Conover’s role seemed to be keeping his candidates—Kendra Hamilton, David Brown and Kevin Lynch—focused on defeating the Republicans instead of each other. It gave him plenty of opportunities to talk a little partisan smack, which the Legal Aid attorney seemed to especially relish. “I think John enjoys the sparring,” says former Mayor David Toscano, who ran the Dems’ fundraising efforts this year.

 With Conover at the helm, the party did a lot of things right. First, they raised more than $32,000. Then, they identified their target voters by looking at voter rolls from State elections and cross-referencing those with rolls from local elections. In so doing, the Dems discovered they had lots of party faithfuls who weren’t turning out for City elections, so they made an extra effort to get those voters to the polls.

 “John’s philosophy is to put a lot of people in the mix, give them responsibilities and get things done,” says Toscano. “That’s the essence of a good organization.”—J.B.

 

THE MENTOR
Carol Pedersen

If you’ve been to the theater in the past year, you’ve probably seen Carol Pedersen’s influence. True, she’s only directed one local production and has never acted in front of Charlottesville audiences. But as a leading force behind Live Arts’ drama education program, not to mention her work as a dramaturge and as a teacher at UVA and, starting this fall, at Piedmont Virginia Community College, she’s shaping a whole lot of local talent that makes it before the footlights.

 “I love teaching, I really do,” she says. And her students return the affection, citing the calm and trust that she imparts to a classroom setting. She works as well with absolute beginners as she does with more experienced actors, prepping part-time thespians in a way that enables them to expertly make the switch from their daytime vocations to their evening and weekend avocations as community theater performers. And her audition workshops have been known to give the necessary booster shot of confidence to otherwise retiring wannabe actors.

 Pedersen may be working with nonprofessional players, but she has a heavy dose of credentials backing her up: graduate degrees in theater and directing from the City University of New York and Columbia University. Indeed, to a great extent she embodies Charlottesville’s unique approach to culture, in which professional tools are made available to amateur performers.

 A lunch at the now-defunct Liquid with Live Arts Artistic Director John Gibson led to the start of those audition workshops and eventually, the Saturday morning actor’s lab, which commenced in February, 2003. Since then, all but one Live Arts production have this season featured at least one of her students in the cast. “There are people who had never acted before getting terrific parts. That’s really fun,” she says.—E.R.

 

THE ACTIVIST
Holly Hatcher

The rest of Virginia looks to Charlottesville —not always fondly—as a stronghold of liberal values in an otherwise conservative Commonwealth. The contrast is especially pronounced when it comes to women’s rights, as an increasingly Christianist House of Delegates moves to limit access to abortion and—in the newest development—federally approved contraceptives.

 Charlottesville activist Holly Hatcher won’t let legislators turn back the clock without a fight. Last year, Planned Parenthood hired the 29-year-old Hatcher to direct its organizing efforts in Virginia, at a time when the Commonwealth is one of hottest battlegrounds for reproductive rights.

 “She’s a fireplug,” says David Nova, director of Planned Parenthood of the Blue Ridge. “Holly’s got an innate talent for empowering others to express themselves.”

 Hatcher honed her activism at the Public Housing Association of Residents (PHAR), a local nationally recognized nonprofit, where she taught low-income housing residents how to navigate through City Hall. At Planned Parenthood, her job is to help concerned Virginians defend their rights to privacy and health care.

 In May, Hatcher filled 12 buses with Richmond pro-choice activists, and helped statewide Planned Parenthood chapters fill a total of 32 buses (including eight from Charlottesville), all bound for the March for Women’s Lives. That event drew close to 1 million people to Washington, D.C., on April 25.

 Lately Hatcher’s been commuting to Richmond for her job, but later this summer she’ll start working in her hometown when Planned Parenthood opens a new office and clinic in Charlottesville. That state-of-the-art facility will likely further encourage Charlottesville’s radical reputation, since a growing contingent in the General Assembly supports TRAP, or Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers, legislation that could close down other clinics around the State. If that happens and Charlottesville becomes a refuge for women seeking safe, legal abortions, Hatcher will undoubtedly cement her own hard-won reputation as a committed force in the struggle for progressive health care.—J.B.

 

THE HEALER
Jim Haden

When Jim Haden moved to Charlottesville in 1993 to take the helm of Martha Jefferson Hospital, the community hospital had 140 medical staff. That number has grown to 360 during Haden’s time as president and CEO. The hospital, which recently built a 94,000 square foot Outpatient Care Center at Peter Jefferson Place, now has more than 100 primary care physicians.

 “There has been an awful lot of growth,” Haden says of his time at Martha Jefferson. “It’s not just being bigger, it’s being better.”

 Haden says the hospital, in addition to expanding its role as the Charlottesville region’s biggest primary care provider, has bulked up its cardiology and cancer treatment capacities as well as women’s health services.

 By expanding its specialty care, Martha Jefferson, which this July will celebrate the 100th anniversary of opening its doors at 919 E. High St., has increased the areas of overlap with its research-focused crosstown competitor, the UVA Medical Center, which can only be good news to the thousands of newcomers—including young families and retirees—who relocate here each year.

 Haden says there can be “creative tension” when his hospital’s services are in competition with the UVA Medical Center, but that the two hospitals often work together “very cooperatively.”

 Before coming to Charlottesville, Haden says he knew nothing about the town. After more than a decade at Martha Jefferson, he says he hopes to stay here if “the community wants me around.”

 The big challenge for Haden and Martha Jefferson, much like for the rest of Charlottesville, is how to keep growing without harming the hospital’s core values.

 “I don’t want to lose who we are,” Haden says.—P.F.

 

MR. WAHOO
Rick Jones

Charlottesville may be No. 1, but it isn’t perfect—especially when the topic turns to racial harmony and social justice. If Charlottesville ever becomes a place where more people of different classes and races live side by side, Rick Jones will deserve some of the credit.

 Jones runs Management Services Corporation, one of the largest student housing providers in Charlottesville with nearly 800 rental units. While many developers take a standoffish view of municipal bureaucracy, Jones in 2000 joined a committee that helped rewrite Charlottesville’s entire zoning code, a job the City finally finished last year.

 “I always thought it was my job to offer a balanced perspective,” says Jones, who’s never shy about offering his ideas. His influence helped ensure that the new zoning would actually work for real developers and not remain just an academic exercise for government planners.

 Three years of swimming in public policy is enough for most people. Jones, however, came back for more. He is currently serving on the City’s Housing Task Force, a group studying ways to take the edge off the local housing market for low- and middle-income residents.

 But of all his involvement, Jones may make his biggest contribution to the City through his position on the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board. For years the CHRA has focused on managing the City’s eight public housing sites. Jones wants the CHRA to become developers, building sites where subsidized housing sits adjacent to market-rate housing. The idea has worked well in bigger cities like Chicago.

 Departing Mayor Maurice Cox says Jones gives the CHRA the business credibility it needs to work with the private sector. “We’re inviting the kind of know-how that allows us to sit at the table as an equal,” says Cox. “That’s a fairly new direction. Rick Jones is going to move the CHRA forward.”—J.B.

 

THE KING
Rudy Padilla

Rudy Padilla sits at a table in the “club” area of his recently expanded Greenbrier Drive restaurant, El Rey Del Taco, like a royal surveying his kingdom.

 In just five years, Padilla has opened four successful restaurants around Charlottesville. More than just places to spill salsa on your shirt, Padilla’s restaurants comprise a community of their own.

 Padilla moved to Virginia in 1995 to join his brother’s Richmond eatery, El Paso Mexican Restaurant. Three years later he decided it was time to open one of his own, and started Amigos in the Woodbrook Shopping Center on Route 29N. Two years later Amigos got a friend on Fifth Street Extended, followed by a third Amigos on the Corner in 2001. Those three restaurants feature more mainstream Mexican dishes and cater equally to both the American and Mexican tastes.

 In 2003 he opened El Rey, with a focus on more traditional Mexican food. The Spanish-language CDs and movies for sale at the restaurant also demonstrate that he’s trying to better serve Charlottesville’s 3 percent-and-growing Hispanic population.

 Last fall he gave them an even bigger space to call their own when he expanded El Rey, more than doubling the restaurant’s space. Hit it on any Saturday night and find its booths, pool tables and spacious dance floor hosting more than 300 people shaking it to tasty Latin rhythms.

 Most of Padilla’s dance crowd is Hispanic, but white folks come out too, especially
for Friday night Latin dance lessons. “Americans like that,” Padilla says.—E.R.

 

MR. FRIDAY NIGHT
Ted Norris

The weekend has kicked off at Zocalo, and Ted Norris is a busy man. The well-dressed, scrubbed-clean crowd of 20-, 30- and 40somethings stands three or four deep around the gleaming counter of the Downtown Mall’s of-the-moment restaurant, and everybody wants Norris’ attention. In between making up mojitos and assorted other potent potables, he hands out the drinks, each with a complimentary smile.

 Norris has been bartending for nearly a decade, first in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio, and then here, where he moved with his wife in 1999. Locally he’s kept the good times rolling at the former Boudreau’s (now Wolfie’s), Michael’s Bistro and Zocalo, where he’s worked since it opened late
last year.

 “I love bartending. I’m a night person. I love meeting people, and if I go to a party I’m always the one behind the bar. I like the action,” he explains of his success. Bar patrons apparently love him back: He took home the title of Best Bartender at this year’s Bartender’s Ball in February.

 His secret is simple: “You have to be a friendly person; personality has a lot to do with it…. And you have to be able to move,” he says on a recent, much slower Wednesday night, checking around the bar to make sure everyone’s happy. “Anyone can make drinks. Making drinks isn’t enough.”—E.R.

 

THE INSIDER
Bob Gibson

Even highly educated people like those of us who live in Charlottesville need a capable interpreter to decipher the political squabbling and legislative gibberish occurring in Richmond’s halls of power. Fortunately for us, we’ve got Bob Gibson to tell us what it all means.

 Gibson, who has reported and edited for The Daily Progress since 1976, is a scribe of the old-school variety, asking tough questions and putting in the hours to get the scoop. His political reporting easily trumps formulaic stories by less seasoned reporters, and has enabled the Progress to hold its own against the Richmond Times-Dispatch and The Washington Post in covering this year’s 115-day budget standoff in the General Assembly.

 

 Gibson’s savvy was on display during Gov. Mark Warner’s recent huddle with reporters at the Mudhouse. When Warner was unsure about a bill’s fine print or a funding number, he turned to Gibson for the skinny.

 So why hasn’t Gibson, like many former local reporters, left town for a bigger media market?

 “We just decided this would be a good place to raise our daughters,” Gibson says of the choice he made with his wife of 22 years, Sarah McConnell. Gibson and McConnell, the host of the WMRA radio show, “With Good Reason,” have three daughters.

 Of his body of work for the DP, Gibson says he’s most proud of a weeklong investigative series on the “racial variations in sentencing” by local courts. Gibson says the series, which ran in ’92, was influential in the creation of the Charlottesville/Albemarle Public Defenders Office, which represents lower-income people in criminal cases.—P.F.

 

MR. BULLDOZER
Wendell Wood

Plenty of people love to hate Wendell Wood, but the developer needn’t worry—most of his detractors probably shop at the stores he builds, anyway.

 It’s the unique places in Charlottesville and Albemarle that earned the region its recent ranking as America’s best place to live—the Downtown Mall, the UVA campus, Albemarle’s rolling hills—but what good are locally-owned boutiques and a bunch of grass and trees when you want to buy a car battery, light bulbs and tennis shoes all in one stop?

 Wood is happy to oblige. He’s one of Albemarle’s largest landowners, and his company, United Land Corporation, built the Wal-Mart, Lowe’s and Sam’s Club stores on Route 29N, where, it should be noted, the titanic parking lots are never empty. But even those giant “big boxes” will seem small compared to Wood’s current project, the 165-acre Hollymead Town Center under construction north of the Rivanna River that will house—hallelujah!—a Target.

 Wood’s detractors claim his projects are rapidly turning Albemarle into Anytown, U.S.A. Wood correctly responds that, hey, people want to shop in big stores. And some, like Tim Hulbert, who directs the regional Chamber of Commerce, reckon that the furor will die down once the backhoes get off the site and the Michael Graves teakettles move in. Wood and the other investors in Hollymead Town Center “have responded to specific requests from the community regarding town center and neighborhood model concepts in the County’s growth areas,” Hulbert says. “It’s certainly a natural evolution for the County. It’s tough to look at now, but there will be a time when the omelet will be made and the eggs won’t look so scrambled.”—J.B.

 

THE OLD GUARD
The McGuffey Artists

Spotlighting BozArt Gallery and the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, American Style magazine placed our city on its list of “10 Places to Watch” for up-and-coming art scenes on the national stage. But before Kluge or Ruhe or Boz, there was, and still is, the McGuffey Art Center, undisputed godfather of Charlottesville’s visual arts and cultural life.

 Established in 1975 as the result of a citizens’ committee set up by the City to remake the former McGuffey Elementary School, the Art Center stands as the City’s first concerted effort to promote the arts as a civic enterprise. With 23 studios, three galleries and 40-odd artist members specializing in everything from book arts to painting to industrial design to dance to glass blowing, McGuffey rightly declares itself the “largest displaying space in Charlottesville” (until recently it housed Second Street Gallery, too). And on the first Friday of every month, it plays host to hundreds of curiosity-seekers there to eye the new exhibits, drink warm wine from tiny cups and do what all communities do best: dish.

 There’s an important educational component, too: McGuffey’ s studios are open to public tours and more informal drop-ins some 17 hours per week, putting the artists front and center in this growing City’s struggle to understand how the artistic life and the public life can intersect. As Rosamond Casey, president of the cooperative McGuffey Art Association puts it, “McGuffey is a lot of different things but I think it is primarily an educational institution…we do a tremendous amount to bring people into the building and to extend ourselves outside of the building and into the community.”

 McGuffey found itself caught in the hail of political posturing during the months leading up to passage of the latest municipal budget and the Council campaign that followed. Some criticized the artists for stepping outside the box to make a pointed political statement about their value to Charlottesville at large, but what else would you expect from a group of artists who for decades have been encouraged to balance on the edge between culture and community?—N.B

 

.THE ENFORCER
Nancy Eismann

Remember the time unruly teenagers knocked over your Caesar salad while you dined on the Mall one spring evening? No? You probably have Officer Nancy Eismann of the Charlottesville Police Department to thank for avoiding that experience.

 Eismann, the ubiquitous bike patrol cop who works the Downtown Mall and City Council meetings, is an exceptionally graceful keeper of the peace. If Mall urchins get out of line, Eismann calms them in a manner that makes everyone happy. Never disrespectful or overly authoritarian, Eismann manages problems by doing a great deal of listening.

 “I think all officers have to have a touch of psychology in their background,” Eismann says. “I just like to treat people the way I want to be treated.”

 August will mark Eismann’s 23rd anniversary with the Charlottesville Police Department. Eismann, a native of Massachusetts, moved to Charlottesville after a visit in which she says she “fell in love with the area.”

 Eismann hasn’t always been on the Mall, having driven squad cars and police vans during her years on the force. She was assigned to the Mall patrol in February 2003, and now works afternoons and evenings, Monday through Friday, enjoying, she says, the highly visible beat.

 After mingling with Charlottesville’s Mall strollers for so many hours, Eismann knows quite a few locals. Many of them carry one of Eismann’s business cards, the backs of which are adorned with a photo of her posing by a squad car with Homer, a hefty potbelly pig who is one of her many pets.—P.F.

 

THE BRAND NAME
Patricia Kluge

Here in Charlottesville, we’ve grown accustomed to conspicuously consuming at gas stations that serve latté and Brie instead of coffee and beef jerky sticks. But Patricia Kluge, the master of national publicity and self-promotion, has taken this concept a step further. There is no other way to say it: With Fuel, the enterprising former Mrs. John Kluge (now Mrs. Bob Moses) has made her mark as a gourmet gas station extremist. The futuristic purple fueling station/take-out sandwich joint/upscale bistro at the corner of Market and Ninth streets combines cutting-edge design by Madison Spencer Architects with you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me prices. Somehow the whole thing repels and attracts our curiosity at the same time.

 Naturally, Fuel is amply stocked with Kluge Estate wines, her earlier foray into the culinary marketplace from her Albemarle home and vineyards south of Ash Lawn-Highland. And amazingly, considering Virginia’s relatively low ranking among wine-growing regions, Kluge has managed to snag plenty of national press for her product, blessing Charlottesville along the way.

 But her dogged pursuit of logo-level recognition is no embarrassment to Kluge, as it might be to others of a certain class. On the contrary, it’s part of her grand scheme to join the pantheon of brand superstars (even if her claim to the Kluge surname is—how to put this?—dated). “When you are building a business and expect to have certain standards and certain style, you have to focus not only on the product but on the brand,” she told C-VILLE. “Quality, style, heritage, place—this is what the Kluge brand represents. The customer will recognize the brand. You think of great brands—Coke, Louis Vuitton—people don’t think of just drinks or luggage.”

 Maybe it sounds grandiose, but Kluge has plans to pepper the national landscape with Fuels—which, of course, will convey Kluge Estate products, too. Given her knack for getting her name in society rags like W and gossip columns like The Washington Post’s “Reliable Source,” it might not be so far-fetched to think that one day people will say, “Charlottesville? Isn’t that where Patricia Kluge got her start?”—N.B.

 

THE HEALTH NUTS
Mark and Cynthia Lorenzoni

In 1982, Mark and Cynthia Lorenzoni decided to open a small fitness store on Elliewood Avenue. Only a few blocks from UVA’s fraternity row (a symbol of ’80s-era decadence if ever one was) the Lorenzonis, barely out of college themselves, must have looked like missionaries of the mile, preachers of pronation, heartily advocating health to an audience of heathens.

 On the other hand, the speed with which the Lorenzonis Ragged Mountain Running Shop grew up suggests the interest was there from the start. Would the streets of Charlottesville still be filled with as many runners on a warm spring day if the Lorenzonis had set up shop elsewhere? Maybe so. But would the City’s running community be what it is, and would Charlottesville be USA Today’s “most energetic” American city? Most certainly not.

 Like any good business people, the Lorenzonis want to make customers for life. What they’re selling isn’t just shoes, but an appreciation for fitness. Indeed, they host running/walking clinics and are almost permanent fixtures at every one of the dozens of events sponsored by the Charlottesville Track Club. Not only that, their second-floor sneaker shop is like a clubhouse for local athletes—be they super-intense ultramarathoners or 9-miles-a-week joggers. (And that’s not even taking Mark’s regular newspaper and radio spots into account). Fitness is like buying a car, says Mark Lorenzoni—if you know to keep the oil changed and to maintain it properly, it will run for a long time.

 “In running,” he says, “we think, with more education…people go longer.” Judging from the fact that a great many
of the 1,643 participants in the recent Charlottesville Ten-Miler were over 40, it’s obviously working.—B.S.

 

THE DREAMERS
Bushman Dreyfus Architects

There are a lot of bricks in Charlottesville. Let’s just call it the “Jeffersonian tradition” of Charlottesville’s cityscape. But what would Thomas Jefferson, the great experimenter, think if his hometown kept designing the same building over and over, for 200 years?

 Bushman Dreyfus Architects are dragging Charlottesville—sometimes kicking and screaming—into the realms of modern architecture. As head architects for the City Center for Contemporary Arts building on Water Street (which just picked up a City award for best new construction) and associate architects for the Paramount Theatre, they’re helping remake the Mall into a vibrant, modern urban center that proves tradition can co-exist with contemporary design—and attract the tourist wallet, to boot.

 It has been Bushman Dreyfus’s design for the C3A building, as it’s known, with its inventive use of materials like concrete and steel, that has really gotten local tongues a-wagging. In the words of Jeff Bushman, the building “is forward thinking …and it’s led people to question the standard kit of parts that we build with Downtown.” We concur with his assessment that such inventiveness “can only be a good thing.” After all, who wants to always be glancing backward to find out where we’re located?—N.B.

 

THE LOCAL HEROES
Dave Matthews Band

If philanthropy were merely a promotional strategy for the Dave Matthews Band, it would be easy for them to simply throw some money at the Yanomami tribes in the South American rain forests, issue a press release and be done with it. But that’s never been the band’s style. DMB has given millions to local charities that are as valuable as they are unglamorous, and much of the band’s generosity happens behind the scenes.

 Through its Bama Works Foundation, the band has given 172 grants to organizations in Central Virginia since 1998—and the list is growing. In March, the rockers appeared as honored guests at the opening of the Music Resource Center space in the former Mt. Zion Baptist Church on Ridge Street, one of two organizations for which they staged a September concert fundraiser in New York’s Central Park.

 High-profile causes like the MRC are only the tip of DMB’s charity iceberg. According to John Redick, who manages the band’s local charity through the Charlottesville-Albemarle Community Foundation, they’ve donated $2,170,286 since establishing the tie. It’s gone to causes like disadvantaged youth, the environment, the arts and more.

 The band might be too huge to liven local stages anymore, but that clearly doesn’t mean they’ve lost their interest in fixing some of Charlottesville’s busted stuff.—B.S.

 

THE EDGE
John Lancaster and Laurel Hausler

Critics may call it tasteless, kitschy, or just plain bad, but the art world no longer questions the validity of Self-Taught, Outsider and Southern Folk art as belonging to a greater movement. And to John Lancaster and Laurel Hausler, founders of Nature Visionary Art, there’s a perfectly good reason for that.

 “John says it’s because it’s the most exciting art there is,” says Hausler.

 In the six years Lancaster has been operating Nature, first behind the Jefferson Theater as a shared venture with artists/musicians David Sickmen and Eli Simon, and more recently with Hausler in a new nearby gallery, Charlottesville’s folk art scene has become synonymous with excitement. Nature is built on the premise that art training is less important than soul, an idea that appeals to younger artists as well as fans seeking work outside art’s conventional boundaries.

 “Nature is good because it provides a venue for artists that might have been shut out of other galleries,” says Hausler.

 The couple, planning to be married in September, may no longer be the misfits they once were. With the launch last year of Nature Visionary Art at 110 Fourth St. NE, they’ve fulfilled their vision. The Downtown gallery’s exhibitions of well known Southern Folk artists Howard Finster, Jimmy Lee Sudduth and Mose Tolliver rival not only established local venues, but also major museums and galleries in Washington, D.C., and beyond.—B.S.

 

THE THINKER
Philip Zelikow

UVA employs many professors who are world famous in their fields. But these intellectual heavy hitters often remain anonymous to many City residents.

 One such UVA luminary is history professor Philip Zelikow. If his name doesn’t ring a bell, the institutions he heads probably do. In addition to directing the Miller Center of Public Affairs, Zelikow is the executive director of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States—the so-called 9/11 Commission.

 Ten bipartisan commissioners, including Thomas H. Kean and Bob Kerrey, control the 9/11 Commission. But Zelikow’s team of 80 staff members is doing the heavy lifting of the investigation, and has produced reports cataloging intelligence failures, and, as The New York Times reported, drafted the questions for President Bush and Vice-President Cheney’s closed session interview.

 Zelikow’s work hasn’t gone unnoticed, however. His chummy relationship with the Bush Administration—he co-authored a book with National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and worked on Bush’s 2000 transition team—has led critics to call for his resignation. But the Commission’s aggressive reports have softened these complaints.

 When Zelikow isn’t analyzing terrorism, he and his staff at the Miller Center are busy educating Charlottesville about what’s going on in the world. The Center, which Zelikow has headed for five years, regularly brings a bonanza of notable speakers to town—including recent visits by legendary investigative reporter Seymour Hersh and former WMD hunter David Kay—that would make any Washington think tank jealous.—P.F.

 

THE MONEY
Mark Giles

The new restaurants, office buildings, hotels and homes that continue to bloom around Charlottesville and Albemarle County often start with loans. And though big national banks are required by law to invest in the community, many entrepreneurs seek out the hands-on service of independent, locally owned banks, and chief among them is Virginia National Bank.

 Mark Giles is one of a group of entrepreneurs who launched VNB in 1998. The bank immediately stepped into the role of primary community bank, which had recently been vacated by Jefferson National Bank, which sold to Wachovia that year.

 Under Giles’ leadership as president and CEO, VNB has grown into a major player on the local banking scene. The bank’s assets increased by more than 25 percent in 2003, standing at $214 million at the end of the year. Also during 2003, VNB increased its loan volume to small consumers by 79 percent and bankrolled $20 million in local real estate construction.

 Before helping to start VNB in 1998, Giles headed two banks in Houston and also worked as a lawyer for a Houston firm. Though he’s a Texas transplant, Giles also has local roots, having graduated from UVA in 1977. He earned a J.D. from the UVA School of Law a few years later.

 Though VNB had a strong 12 months, the recent sale of Guaranty Bank to a large banking company leaves VNB as one of only two remaining small fish in the Charlottesville pond. The question for Giles is whether he can keep earnings headed up while competing with Wachovia, SunTrust and other swelling bank behemoths.—P.F.

Q: Ace: When I go to Wal-Mart I try to park as close as possible, as would any good American. But I am kept from doing so due to the number of reserved spaces. For the handicapped and pregnant women, I understand. Wal-Mart, however, also reserves parking spaces for the police. Oh, Ace of all Aces, tell me: When did the cops become a demographic in need of special privileges?—Lay Z. Boyd

A: Poor Boyd, Ace understands how frustrating it can be to carry that new wide screen TV or oversized box of Froot Loops an extra 20 feet to the car. The wilds of our national parking lots have become the Outback of America and you don’t want to get caught out there on your own for too long without some soda and chips for sustenance.

 But sarcasm aside, our local Wal-Mart and the police that protect it do have a special relationship mapped out. It doesn’t identify with any popular varieties such as “You Scratch My Back and I’ll Scratch Yours,” “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” or “A Family Affair.” In fact, according to the Albemarle County Police (under whose jurisdiction Wal-Mart falls), this case of cahoots is so special that the County cops did not even know it existed. A befuddled County officer, Corporal Jim Larkin, explained the relationship this way: “We don’t have any mandate [over] what people do with their parking spots.”

 However, when pressed on the subject, Larkin exercised his powers of logic saying, “If I remember history, we’ve had a number of officers park in the fire lane when addressing shoplifting calls,” extrapolating that the reserved spaces are so designated for those times when criminals get caught after deciding that everyday low prices aren’t low enough.

 To confirm Larkin’s logic, Ace phoned Wal-Mart and spoke with manager Shannon Moon. His first response to the question of the reserved parking spaces was similar to Larkin’s: “Yeah…um…there’s probably not anybody in the store who could tell you. I don’t know how long it’s been like that.”

 Ever persistent, Ace called back the following day to find that Moon had done some investigation on his own and had spoken to a former manager. Both men agreed that, as Moon said, “It’s because of convenience for [the police] when they come—so they don’t have to block any fire lanes. [It] gets them as close to the front [of the store] as possible. I don’t think there’s a reason other than courtesy.”

 So Boyd, as you can see, the reason for your long trek to the fourth parking space in from the storefront is simple. It may not be a case of “special privileges” so much as a simple case of courtesy. With smiley faces bouncing across their advertisements, and greeting committees on hand for every arrival and departure through store doors, “courtesy” is something Wal-Mart likes to think it knows a little something about.

Recent studies suggest that, in accordance with customary local belief, the world does indeed revolve around Charlottesville. We’re not too big, not too small; not too wholesome, not too seedy; not too hot, not too cold. In the words of Outside magazine, Charlottesville is one of those “dream towns that have it all.” Only one problem: You haven’t received your cut. While all the fat cats on Main Street bling it up in their limousines and cement ponds, you prepare for another summer in the gutter using discarded napkins to write your Great American Novel.

 Unless your sweater has “DMB” monogrammed on it, you could stand to save a little dough—especially considering all the great cost-cutting opportunities available in the area during the June-to-August lull. That’s why C-VILLE came up with its complimentary list of places to go, people to meet and things to do with your summer that won’t burn your bank account. Many great ones didn’t make the list: breathing, sleeping, looting…you can do those anywhere. C-VILLE’s list is made up of 25 no-cost alternatives—from groping produce at the City Market to scoping out the local meat market—that contribute to making Charlottesville what it is. In it you’ll find ways to be entertained that the scalpers don’t want you to know about, how to get your education without the hassle of college loans, not to mention the hidden secret behind that oft-dismissed “free lunch” (if you’re willing to take on the challenge).

Some free things require long hours of work or negotiation. Others will leave you with a little free time left over. Some may seem obvious. Others will shock and surprise you. The one thing they all have in common is that, if you play your cards right, they won’t cost you a dime.

Catch some air at the skateboard park

Playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is great and all. You get to practice wicked tricks and, when you’re done, still have the ripped thumbs to prove it. But if the rest of you needs a chance to catch up, head to the McIntire Skate Park, which extends its daily hours starting June 14 as schools let out. Hit the park’s Skatelite ramps, jumps and boxes or go kick some ass in a pick-up game of hockey. By the summer’s end you’ll be tanner, fitter and maybe even have a couple cool battle scars so that people will believe your lies about the time you nailed a 540-varial-double-backflip and landed with a manual/nosegrind combo.

 

THE   ESSENTIALS

  Send a message to terrorists

Putting aside horns, red lights, pollution, parking, the little nervous tic you get every time you sit in traffic and the fact that C-VILLE’s Rant line is on speed dial in your mobile phone, there’s one very good reason not to use your car this summer: gas prices. The extra money you’ve been feeding your tank recently must be taking its toll on your paycheck. Instead, catch Charlottesville Transit Service’s free trolley, which theoretically makes its rounds every 15 minutes, Mondays through Saturdays, 6:38am to 11:53pm. You may think the trolley can’t get you to where you need to be in time. But its simple route up and down Main Street—circling UVA on one end and the Downtown Mall on the other—means you’ll never get lost, laid over or side tracked. Pretty soon, you’ll forget 29N ever existed.

 

Get your grub on

If you’re one of the scores of local residents suffering from acute penuriousness, the problem may seem all too familiar: You’ve blown your budget on drinks and, with the few bucks left in your pocket, find yourself forced to choose between dinner and that one last shot of Old Crow. You know what you have to do. Take the Crow and head to the third floor of Miller’s where you can gorge yourself on free popcorn until a stocky bartender cuts you off.

 While Miller’s true place in the summertime hall-of-fame belongs to its patio, which is one of the fastest-filling retreats for weekend strollers on the Downtown Mall (and a great place for people-watching), the Miller’s upstairs, with $1 pool and a typically rowdier crowd than its downstairs counterpart, is a retreat from the retreat. When you’re ready to reemerge, the barred-up pool-hall window provides a great vantage point for scoping out open outdoor tables below.

 

Play doctoral student

The folks at UVA didn’t invent the library, but they sure did perfect it. And since erstwhile Heisman Trophy contender Matt Schaub caught the midnight train to Georgia, the best way for townies to appreciate the massive public learning institution in their backyard is through its wealth of academic—or in some cases, just plain frivolous—resources. Check out the 1940 Henry Fonda classic The Grapes of Wrath at the Robertson Media Center on the third floor of Clemons Library. Then stroll over to Alderman Library’s Special Collections and ask to see the original manuscript of Steinbeck’s novel. (Good luck with that.) Once you’re thoroughly inspired, head to one of the school’s many computer labs, rarely crowded during the summer, to begin work on your own masterpiece. In other words, write a couple sentences, check your e-mail and give up.

 

Pitch your crackpot idea

Your teachers said you needed to get your feet on the ground. Your colleagues told you it would never fly. But that theory of yours on how distributing yellow hover-boards to all City residents would ultimately put an end to world hunger—well, thinking like that is what helps grease the wheels of the American governmental system.

 “The crackpot idea is the fundamental right of all Americans to propose,” says UVA Politics professor Larry Sabato (who took time away from his frequent cable news appearances and Associated Press punditry to comment on hometown government). Every first and third Monday of the month, City Council gets paid to settle into their chambers and hear your zany pitches for how to make Charlottesville a better place. And if you’re not there to exercise your rights, you can bet another loony will be there to do it for you.

 

 

JUST FOR KICKS

Go crazy with people-watching

No use trying to hide it. Everybody does it. And that small percentage of the population that denies doing it are probably the ones doing it the most. After all, how could a city like Charlottesville be the great cultural bastion that it is if it wasn’t for its colorful characters and the people who watch them? On a busy night at the Downtown Mall, you can see hundreds of stories pass before your eyes: That group of yuppies there just sealed the biggest business deal of their lives; those gutter punks came through on a boxcar six months ago and never left; the woman with the tambourine will one day be the next Bob Dylan. Once you’ve gotten your feet wet with a little people-watching, try navel-gazing or star-searching for an interesting twist. The best places to practice are the patios and terraces of local restaurants/coffeehouses. Public benches will also suffice, but beware—someone else may be watching you.

 

Sugar Hollow’s sweet relief

No summer would be complete without a visit to the County’s favorite free swimmin’ hole, Sugar Hollow Reservoir. It’s an adventure just getting to the reservoir, located deep in the northwestern part of Albemarle, not far from the Appalachian Trail. The 30-minute drive takes you beyond Garth Road and past the one-store community of White Hall, over sharp curves and perilous single-lane bridges. Risk getting lost and finding yourself in the none-too-friendly company of Virginia Tech fans.

 But the sublime beauty of the dam and peaceful surroundings make it all worthwhile. Nearby trails are perfect for mountain biking. Or wade through the river to an old fire road, which leads you to the popular Blue Hole. There, if you’re daring, you can swing from a rope off the 15-foot ledge and into the frigid water below.

 

See a work in progress

Think of Charlottesville as your personal art school but without the tuition. Those who want to learn about the creative process behind great art works can head to the McGuffey Art Center, a nonprofit artistic cooperative off Second Street NW in the former McGuffey Elementary School. The center opens the doors of its 23 studios to the public for 17.5 hours a week, to see projects like Miki Liszt’s modern dance explorations, Rosamond Casey’s book-making and Rose Csorba’s rather…interesting…puppets. If you seek a more hands-on artistic experience, head to Cilli Original Designs Gallery’s newly established lounge nights, Thursdays, 8pm-midnight, when artist Monty Montgomery opens the studio below the Downtown Mall’s Jefferson Theater for participants to share ideas and to get feedback or guidance on their own projects.

 

See a bigger work in progress

When the weather gets warm, it’s time for building projects to move out of their “under development” phases and into the nitty-gritty of construction. Sure, there may be hassles associated with having the lot across the street turned into a work site: noisy crews, messy runoff and that heinous orange mesh wire. But when all is said and done, what remains is a monument to progress, a fixture to assume its permanent place in the architectural history of Charlottesville. This summer, grab your lawn chair and sunglasses, and head out to see these many projects insinuate themselves plank-by-plank into your world: the Walker Square apartments, which promise to revitalize and gentrify life south of Main Street; Hollymead Town Center, which offers economic growth at the expense of culture; UVA’s arena project, bringing better basketball and more traffic; and Court Square renovations, due to make the Downtown area more tourist friendly and spike property taxes.

 

 

HOT DATES

Look to the stars

Penniless romantics throughout the ages have discovered that gazing at the stars can turn the tide of even the lamest dates. No need to make it look cheap, though. UVA’s McCormick Observatory, located atop the aptly nicknamed Observatory Hill, off McCormick Road, hosts free public nights the first and third Fridays of every month, running through the summer from 9 to 11pm. A glimpse into the observatory’s 26-inch telescope will make dinner and a movie seem colder than the Boomerang Nebula’s minus 272 degrees Celsius. When the moment is right, say something about how your darling is more beautiful than the Transit of Venus and her heavenly body will be yours.

 

Douse yourself in cool music

You can sense the gentle rushing of James River, just over the levee and across the tracks from Scottsville’s Dorrier Park, as you spread your blanket and watch night fall to the music of Rhythm on the River. Compared with the bustling scene at Charlottesville’s Fridays After 5, Scottsville’s monthly summer concert series, starting Sunday, June 6, with Los Angeles’ EastMountainSouth, offers just the right mood for a relaxing evening, “like Golden Gate Park in the ’60s, but probably with less ganja going around,” says Rhythm on the River President Jan Glennie-Smith. The Scottsville festival doesn’t sell beer, thus avoiding a boozy ruckus—but picnics are encouraged and a sixer of Bartles & Jaymes in your basket isn’t going to set off any alarms.

 

Get touched by an Angel

You’ll be moved. You’ll be provoked. You may get a little depressed. But if you do, just remember what a great bargain you received on your catharsis at Live Arts’ production of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches. The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, about two men coming to terms with having AIDS in the 1980s—and a lot more—runs for 17 shows during June. But if you want to see it for free, you have only four chances. As always, free tickets are available at the C-VILLE Weekly office (106 E. Main St.) on a first-come, first-served basis for the show’s preview night, Thursday, June 3. Each of the following Wednesdays through June 23 is pay-what-you-can, which is sort of like getting in for free, if you can endure the mighty glare of Box Office Manager Darryl Smith.

 

Streak The Lawn

From a strictly legal standpoint, it would be irresponsible to engage in the UVA tradition of streaking The Lawn. The fear of getting busted by campus police for indecent exposure and having your name added to the State’s list of sex offenders, alongside unwed couples guilty of “lewd and lascivious cohabitation,” may deter some. But hypothetically speaking, if you were to streak The Lawn, summer would be a good time to do it. With all the students gone, you can enjoy maximum privacy…unless you count the web cam mounted on Old Cabell Hall (www.virginia.edu/cgi-local/rcamcgi). Or professor Larry Sabato, who says he sees sprinters au natural practically every night during the school year from the window of his Pavilion IV apartment.

 

LEARN SOMETHING NEW

Bone up on the irrelevant

You may have seen them before inC-VILLE’s Get Out Now calendar. Each week, free lectures pass through on dozens of scintillating topics like “Contemporary Indigenous Photography in Australia” or “Extreme Star Formation in the Local Universe: From Ultracompact HII Regions To Proto Globular Clusters.” And who could forget “Roles for Glial ERK and p38 MAP Kinases in Reactions to Brain Surgery”? Someone has to go to them and it may as well be you. Learn to turn any casual parlour conversation dead silent in deference to your vast amounts of random knowledge. Better yet, bring a cohort so you can insist that “The Speaker of the House: Past and Present” is something everybody ought to have an opinion on. As an added bonus, most museums and lecture halls offer top-of-the-line air conditioning.

 

Train to be a Hogwaller Rambler

It’s not about the glory when it comes to The Hogwaller Ramblers. The Hogs have looked fame and fortune in the face, stared them down and gone back to the bar for another round—where you’re likely to find them several nights of the week, playing free regular gigs at the Blue Moon Diner (Tuesdays), The Shebeen (Thursdays) and Escafé (Sundays). Though the Hogs’ roots-driven music is some of the best around for what it’s worth, it’s difficult to call them a band. The words “conglomeration,” “tradition” or “jam session” might fit better. During its 13-year run, the group has hosted around 30 members with connections to many well-known “side projects.” Spend some time hitting the shows and learning the songs and, chances are, they’ll let you become a member, too.

Look up your buddy’s record

You’ve been trying all spring, but just can’t seem to persuade your friends that their summer days would best be spent serving you ice-cold lemonade as you relax in your hammock. What you need is some leverage. The State general district court system’s Virginia Courts Case Information webpage (http://208.210.219.132/vadistrict) gives you instant blackmail at your fingertips. All you have to do is click on the city or county in which a transgression occurred, select the nature of the violation (hint: the juiciest stuff is in criminal) and type the person’s name. Your old lady gets on your case about driving too fast. But did she mention the five speeding tickets she has under her belt? And it turns out that night your boyfriend refuses to talk about wasn’t spent cheating on you, but rather in the local drunk tank. Thank goodness for open government!

 

Free French help

Il y a une année puisque les Américains ont célébré leur “mission accomplie” en Irak. Qui peut douter que la prochaine étape en la guerre contre le terrorisme sera d’envahir la France, et probablement le Canada aussi? Quand tout est fini, une connaissance de base des expressions françaises, comme “Apportez-moi une autre bouteille de vin, cochon!” et “Où est ta Jean d’Arc maintenant?” aidera considérablement à soulager les tensions d’initiale entre les deux cultures …

 Alors, peut-être la dominance imminente mondiale n’est q’une possibilité, en attendant l’élection en Novembre. Néanmoins, on ne peut pas nier l’importance d’être un bon diplomate à ces périodes incertaines. On ne sait jamais quand il pourrait être utile pouvoir parler une autre langue: après avoir perdu vos bagages à Paris, en voyageant à la Somalie pour une mission humanitaire, ou demander à quelqu’une de vous montrer ses doudounes, à la Nouvelle-Orléans.

 Need help with French? Call Jason at 293-3190 to schedule a free meeting.

 

 

SOCIAL MOBILITY

See how the other 3% lives

Just as the über-wealthy get the urge to go slumming every once in a while, your lower-income status doesn’t prevent you from acting like a Brazilian playboy or Hollywood diva on occasion. First, slap on your monocle and stroll into a ritzy boutique to try on some new duds. When you’re done admiring your fine self in the mirror, on your way out, grab a copy of that other free newspaper, The Real Estate Weekly, to skim the “Open Houses” section and arrange for a tour of your pretend mansion. (A good place to start might be Real Estate III, which advertises homes for a mere $500,000-plus in Foxchase subdivision, with open houses every weekend.) As a final coup de grace, try a Porsche on for size. You need only be a legal adult and have a valid driver’s license to experience the finest in German engineering, says Greg Stratos, sales manager at BMW of Charlottesville/Crown Porsche: “We don’t discriminate.”

 

Tennis, anyone?

Perhaps it was the Boar’s Heads, Glenmores and Farmingtons that prompted Tennis magazine to name Charlottesville its No. 1 tennis town in 1999. But with 63 public courts in Charlottesville and Albemarle, it’s easy to make sport like the idle classes without shelling out the hefty membership fees. Each of the area’s four high schools offers lighted courts, as do Piedmont Virginia Community College, UVA’s Snyder Tennis Center and Tonsler Park at the corner of Fifth Street and Cherry Avenue. Drag the kids out to practice with you until they’re ready for the City Youth Tennis Team’s summer league, which meets at Pen Park starting June 14 for advanced players, ages 10-18 (970-3271). The sooner they become the next Venus and Serena, the sooner you can open your own country club.

 

Sample the world

Never mind milk and bread. The real reason you keep going back to the grocery store week after week is obvious. The supermarket sample is the ultimate freebie—you can’t resist that smiling face doling out miniature portions of guilt one toothpick at a time, enticing you to cave in and just put the sausage patties in your cart. At local gourmet stores, you can find samples from each of the four basic food groups and then some, allowing you to turn the simplest toilet-paper run into a truly cultural experience. Enjoy a little sushi here and some extra-ripe Brie on a Triscuit there. Wash it all down with a trip to a local winery for even more sampling extravagance. And if shopping in style is your specialty, make sure to head to the City Market on Water Street, the place to see and be seen buying locally grown goods, produce and crafts, Saturday mornings through October.

 

Give something back

You’ve gleaned every available free resource, so the next step is to give back to the community. The volunteer opportunities abundant in the area are, in many cases, what sustain those small, cost-free pleasures you take for granted, like the Rivanna Trail (which has workdays every second Saturday of the month). If you enjoy watching construction, call the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity to find out how you can help build houses for those in need. If karaoke’s your bag, contact the Music Resource Center about ways to volunteer working with teens in the community. And if you simply enjoy life, giving blood is a quick, simple and painless…O.K., so it hurts like the Dickens… way to pass it on to someone else. All will leave you bubbling with a feeling of magnanimity, which may be one of the best free things of all—next to looting. For more ideas on how to volunteer, see Get Out Now, starting on page 26.

 

Get serenaded with Top 40 hits

There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who are for Maroon 5 and those who are against them. Before you start getting serious with your soul-mate-apparent, wouldn’t it be wise to know what you’ll be singing along to on the radio during those long trips to your mother-in-law’s? Will your beau be there with you when you’re cranking the Chumbawamba, or will he try yet again to slip in that infernal C.W. McCall CD? Karaoke night will test your date’s mettle when it comes to the issues that matter. And if you’re looking for someone, head to the free sing-a-longs at Baja Bean on The Corner (Tuesdays) and Buffalo Wild Wings in Barracks Road Shopping Center (Thursdays) to see whose heart melts when you take the mic.

 

Try 100 different kinds of yoga

If Charlottesville were to come under nuclear attack, leaving nothing but cockroaches, it would only be a matter of time before the little buggers set up their own yoga center. Perhaps more than any other pastime, yoga exemplifies the fitness-driven, extra-crunchy lifestyle that pervasively steers local residents. From specialty techniques (Inward Bound Yoga), to the exotic (Union Yoga’s viniyoga) to Alex McGee’s ever-intriguing “Yoga for Stiff Guys” at Studio 206, there is a veritable smorgasbord of styles available for you to mix and match in the area. Best of all, most places offer the first class free to newcomers so you can see just what it is you’re missing out on. C’mon, one little taste won’t hurt you. Just try it—you’ll like it.

 

Declare your independence from admission fees

Maybe you should go to Monticello, but you can’t afford to part with your hard-earned dead presidents for yet another lesson about why you’ll never be as good as Thomas Jefferson. And anyway, if you had that kind of money it wouldn’t matter because you could look at the estate on the back of a nickel and be satisfied. Fortunately, if you live in Charlottesville or Albemarle County, you can get to Monticello for free just by accompanying a paying guest. Your guests may beg and plead for you to split the cost, but hold your ground—remind them that if Jefferson had wanted them to have free admission to Monticello, he would have written it into the Constitution or something.

 

THE LONGEST DAYS

Monday, May 31

Oakencroft Winery holds its Spring Fiesta to release their 2002 Merlot Reserve and 2002 Petite Verdot, along with tastings, tours, picnic time and live music. $10, 11am-5pm.

The Outdoor Adventure Social Club takes you horseback riding in the mountains. $28 plus membership, 3pm.

 

Wednesday, June 2

The Wintergreen Nature Foundation’s Jay Shaner leads a hike up Reddish Knob. Bring lunch and water. $10-15, 8:30am.

 

Thursday, June 3

Bulk up your library at the Barnes & Noble Book Fair to raise money for The Virginia Museum of Natural History. Free, 9am-11pm.

 

Friday, June 4

The Barnes & Noble Book Fair continues. Free, 9am-11pm.

Sculptor James Welty visits the UVA Art Museum for a gallery talk. Free, 5pm.

The Jimmy O Band plays Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

The Outdoor Adventure Social Club offers a backpacking trip to Three Ridges Wilderness returning Sunday evening. $18 plus membership, 6pm.

 

Saturday, June 5

The Strawberry Festival and Mountain Heritage Day heads to Stanardsville’s United Methodist Church with strawberry-themed food and activities, music and more. Breakfast (8am), parade (11am) and festival (10am-dusk).

The Outdoor Adventure Social Club offers a backpacking trip to Three Ridges Wilderness returning Sunday evening. $18 plus membership, 8:30am.

The Barnes & Noble Book Fair continues. Free, 9am-11pm.

The Rivanna Trail Foundation celebrates National Trails Day with a morning of trail-building. Registration required. Free, 9am-noon.

Monticello holds “Saturdays in the Garden” at Tufton Farm with Laura Krom teaching you how to make garden baskets. Registration required. $30, 9:30am-2pm.

Stamp collectors stick with the Charlottesville Stamp Fair. Free, 10am-5pm.

Go on a rock climbing excursion with the Outdoor Adventure Social Club. $24, 10am-7pm.

Take a workshop on “Buddhist Practice: Development of Inner Peace and Compassion” with the Jefferson Tibetan Society at the Wesley Foundation Building. $40, 10am-4:30pm.

Go canoeing on the Maury River from Lexington to Buena Vista with the Virginia Canals and Navigation Society. Must have your own canoe. Reservations required. Free, 10:30am.

The Covesville Ice Cream Festival features music from Jonoah, Michael Cvetanovich, Tom Proutt & Emily McCormick and Heather Berry & Virginia Carolina at the Cove Presbyterian Church. 2-5pm.

 

Sunday, June 6

Join the Wintergreen Nature Foundation’s Bill and Nancy Corwin for a morning bird walk. Register by Thursday at noon. Meet at the Monocan Building. Free, 8am.

The Strawberry Festival and Mountain Heritage Day continues in Stanardsville with a concert from Nashville’s Todd Sanson (5pm), games and strawberry-themed activities.

See the Butterfly Celebration with a butterfly release in the Montpelier Butterfly Garden at Montpelier. $25/butterfly, 3pm. Registration required. 540-825-4840.

EastMountainSouth does mellow music for Scottsville’s Rhythm on the River with Red Beet. Dorrier Park. 6pm.

 

Monday, June 7-

Sunday, June 13

Wintergreen welcomes the pros at Stoney Creek Golf Course for the Lewis Chitengwa Memorial Golf Championship. Free, 7:30am.

 

Wednesday, June, 9

Sandy Rakowitz comes to the Animal Connection to teach inspirational training methods to your pup. $70, 9:30am-5pm.

Canoe the James River with the Wintergreen Nature Foundation. Bring lunch and water. $25-30, 1pm.

The Animal Connection hosts Yappy Hour at Darden Towe Park, where you can bring your pooch and meet others to walk him with. Free, 6-8pm.

 

Friday, June 11

Get down with Wanda and the White Boys at Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

 

Saturday, June 12

As part of the Great Eastern Trail Run Series the 15K Hardrock Carter Mountain Challenge comes to Charlottesville. Registration required. $30-35, 8am. Carter Mountain Orchard off Thomas Jefferson Parkway (Route 53).

The Rivanna Trail Foundation holds a “Second Saturday” workday. Free, 8:45am.

Join Blue Ridge Mountain Sports for an overnight backpacking trip to High Mountain Meadows. $40, 9am.

The Piedmont Center for Horticulture opens up the garden gates of the Woltz Garden. $5, 9am-noon.

First Colony Winery hosts its third annual Pig Roast with hayrides, music, wine tastings and tours. $10-18, noon-4pm. Reservations required.

The Wintergreen Nature Foundation invites young naturalists to learn about litter at Wintergreen. $3-5, 1pm.

Barboursville Winery presents Opera in the Vineyard with the Virginia Opera at the Barboursville Ruins. $35-200, 3-8pm.

NASA’s Jeff Halverson visits Wintergreen as part of the Field Studies Institute to present “An Evening with the Stars,” a guided tour of the night skies. Free, 7:30pm.

Celebrate the UVA Art Museum’s 30th birthday at “Exquisite Collage” with food, drink, art and fun. $75, 8:30pm.

 

Saturday, June 12 – Sunday, June 13

Raise money for the National Sclerosis Society with the MS 150 Bike Tour that starts and ends at Walnut Creek Park. $45 and minimum $200 pledge to ride, 6:30am.

 

Sunday, June 13

Congregation Beth Israel celebrates its 100th anniversary with a walking tour of Jewish Charlottesville led by anthropology professor Dr. Jeff Hantman. $8-12, 2pm.

 

Tuesday, June 15

Light House Youth Media presents “Beyond Borders: Personal Stories from a Small Planet,” with films by youth from all over the world. $10, 6-8pm.

 

Wednesday, June 16

Take a trip to Blandy Experimental Farm, Virginia’s State Arboretum, with the Wintergreen Nature Foundation and learn about how to restore a meadow from director David Carr. $10-15, 8am.

 

Friday, June 18

Don’t get stoned, but check out the Stoned Wheat Things at Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

 

Saturday, June 19

The Sierra Club leads a six-mile hike around Jump Rock to Maury River. Bring food, water and appropriate clothing. Meet at the old Howard Johnson on Afton Mountain, Route 250. Free, 8:30am.

Lynn Richmond gives a lecture at Monticello on “The Natural History of Eastern Forests: A Botanist’s Perspective.” $5, 9:30am.

Shenandoah Shakespeare presents Shakespeare Saturdays for Families: “Foolish Rhyming Mortals (A Mid Summer Night’s Dream).” Registration required. $15, 10am.

The Nature Conservancy holds a special trail construction day at Fortune’s Cove Preserve Trail. Registration required. Free, 10am-4pm.

Congregation Beth Israel celebrates its 100th anniversary with a walking tour of Jewish Charlottesville led by UVA history professor Dr. Phyllis Leffler. $8-12, 2pm.

Taste wines, nibble on cheese and listen to the tunes of Blue Ridge jazz on the top of Wintergreen Mountain at the Wintergreen Wine Festival. Reservations required. $10-$12, 2-4pm.

The Cardinal Point Concert Series brings in the King Bees for some rhythm and blues. $7, 3-7pm.

 

Wednesday, June 23

Go on a tour of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and then move on to the Hollywood Cemetery, both with the Wintergreen Nature Foundation. Bring lunch. $25-30, 8am.

 

Thursday, June 24

Adopt-a-Highway with the Wintergreen Nature Foundation. Free, 10am.

 

Friday, June 25

Don’t skip the Skip Castro Band at Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

The Outdoor Adventure Social Club holds an information session and photo show for potential members. RSVP. Free, 8-10pm.

 

Saturday, June 26

All ages are invited to canoe the James River with the Wintergreen Nature Foundation. $55-60/pair, 9am.

Peggy Cornett hosts Monticello’s Saturdays in the Garden, discussing a “Lewis and Clark Garden.” $10, 9:30am.

Get wet with the Outdoor Adventure Social Club when they offer a white water rafting trip to West Virginia. Returning Sunday evening. $88, 10am.

The Nelson County Summer Festival kicks off with Tiger Lily, Terri Allard Band and a reunion of world beat band Baaba Seth fun and games, food, and representatives from local wineries. $10-15, 11am-6pm.

Jefferson Vineyards celebrates independence with “Red, White and Bluegrass,” including bluegrass tunes, food, drink and more. Reservations required. $14-28, noon-5pm

 

Sunday, June 27

The Nelson County Summer Festival continues with a bluegrass and more by the Jan Smith Band, Hackensaw Boys and Seldom Scene. $10-15, 11am-6pm.

David Adamski of the Wintergreen Nature Foundation gives a workshop on moths entitled “How to Get Moths to Land on Your Bedsheet” at the Monecan Building at StoneyCreek. $3-4, 6pm.

 

Wednesday, June 30

Jack Hillard and the Wintergreen Nature Foundation lead a hike to the Jones Falls in the Shenandoah National Park. Bring lunch and water. $10-15, 9am.

 

Friday, July 2

Catch some cool bluegrass with King Wilkie at Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

Kick off the July 4th weekend with a trip to Staunton and a Vespers Service with gospel singing at Gypsy Hill Park. Free, 6pm. 540-885-9583.

 

Saturday, July 3

Staunton celebrates July 4th a day early with a parade, talent program and music from Rumors and 1960s hit makers The Coasters at Gypsy Hill Park. Free, 10am-11:30pm. 540-885-9583.

It’s a “Red White and Listen to the Blues” weekend at Oakencroft Winery. $10, 11am-5pm.

Go hike and spend the night at Dolly Sods in West Virginia with Blue Ridge Mountain Sports leading the way. $40, 11am.

Celebrate the Dalai Lama’s birthday with a potluck with the Jefferson Tibetan Society at Mint Springs. Free, 4pm.

Dixie Power Trio mixes Dixieland music with rock ‘n’ roll at Scottsville’s Rhythm on the River with The Rogan Brothers. Fireworks to follow. Dorrier Park. 6pm.

Guest chef John Marshall from Al Di Restaurant in Charleston comes to Palladio Restaurant at Barboursville Winery to cook a special four-course meal. Reservations required. $85, 7pm.

 

Sunday, July 4

Monticello celebrates Independence Day with a Naturalization Ceremony, featuring the remarks of W. Richard West, Jr., the director of the National Museum of the American Indian and music from the Charlottesville Municipal Band. Free, 10am.

It’s a “Red White and Listen to the Blues” weekend at Oakencroft Winery. $10, 11am-5pm.

Staunton wraps up its three-day July 4th celebration at Gypsy Hill Park with a gospel service and music from Grammy-nominated gospel singers, The Crabb Family. Free, 11am. 540-885-9583.

 

Wednesday, July 7

Kids can play games from Colonial times like Capture the Flag at Montpelier. $8, 9am-noon.

 

Friday, July 9

The Nighthawks aren’t at the diner, they’re at Fridays After 5 on the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

 

Saturday, July 10

The Rivanna Trail Foundation holds a “Second Saturday” workday. Free, 8:45am.

The Piedmont Center for Horticulture welcomes visitors to the Reed Garden to see the 10,000 day lilies. $5, 9am-noon.

Monticello’s Saturdays in the Garden welcomes Laura Sullivan at Tufton Farm speaking on “Perennial Plant Propagation.” Registration required. $10, 9:30am.

 

Wednesday, July 14

Take a trip to Montpelier with the wee ones to learn about “Yolk Folk.” $8, 9am-noon.

The Animal Connection hosts Yappy Hour at Darden Towe Park, where you can bring your pooch and meet others to walk him with. Free, 6-8pm.

 

Friday, July 16

The Casuals play Fridays After 5 on the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

 

Saturday, July 17

Star gaze, swim and go caving in West Virginia with the Outdoor Adventure Social Club. Return Sunday evening. Cost TBA, 9am.

As part of Monticello’s Saturdays in the Garden, Peter Warren holds a “Garden Insects Workshop.” Registration required. $10, 9:30am.

Go to Staunton for food, seminars and wine as part of the Daylily Festival at Andre Viette’s Nursery. $15, 10am-6pm.

The Cardinal Point Concert Series brings in the King Bees for some rhythm and blues. $7, 3-7pm.

Bring in Bastille Day with a “Fete de la Bastille Dinner” at Jefferson Vineyards, including a five-course meal and lots of wine. Reservations required. $85, 6:30pm.

 

Saturday, July 17- Sunday, July 18

Monticello holds a “Plantation Community Weekend,” bringing the look and feel of the 19th century to Mulberry Row with artisans dressed in the costumes of the day. General admission, 10am-5pm.

 

Sunday, July 18

The Animal Connection offers a holistic dog care class with trainer Wendy Volhard. $75, 9am-4pm.

Have a summer evening at Montpelier with “period lively arts” of music, dance and theater presented by the Rappahannock Colonial Heritage Society. $5, 6:30pm.

 

Wednesday, July 21

Bring your kids to Montpelier to make masks and learn about myths. $8, 9am-noon.

 

Friday, July 23

Get wet with the Outdoor Adventure Social Club when they offer a white water rafting trip to West Virginia. Returning Sunday evening. $88, 10am.

Celebrate the country life at the Orange County Fair at Montpelier. $2, 3-10pm.

CC & Co. rock on at Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

The Outdoor Adventure Social Club holds an information session and photo show for potential members. RSVP. Free, 8-10pm.

 

Saturday, July 24

The Orange County Fair continues at Montpelier. $2, 9am-11pm.

Arrange flowers at Monticello with Janet Miller as part of their Saturdays in the Garden program. Registration required. $10, 9:30am.

Jump in with the Outdoor Adventure Social Club when they offer a white water rafting trip to West Virginia. Returning Sunday evening. $88, 10am.

 

Sunday, July 25

The Orange County Fair continues at Montpelier. $2, 9am-4pm.

 

Wednesday, July 28

It’s “Bats in the Belfry” at Montpelier. $8, 9am-noon.

 

Friday, July 30

Don’t change the channel on the English Channel when they play Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

 

Saturday, July 31

Taste tomatoes with Maggie Stemann Thompson through Monticello’s Saturdays in the Garden series. Registration required. $10, 9:30am.

Oakencroft Winery holds a Tomato/Salsa Fest with wines, tours and live music. $10, 11am-5pm.

Palladio Restaurant at Barboursville Winery welcomes guest chef Dave Everett of Blue Talon Grill in Williamsburg as he cooks a four-course meal. Reservations required. $78, 1pm.

Sunday, August 1

Oakencroft Winery holds a Tomato/Salsa Fest with wines, tours and live music. $10, 11am-5pm.

Day Break heads to Scottsville’s Rhythm on the River with Ryegrass Rollers. Dorrier Park. Free, 6pm.

 

Wednesday, August 4

Kids can learn about all the wonders of “Water Walkers” out there in the great big world at Montpelier. $8, 9am-noon.

Friday, August 6

Alligator does Grateful Dead covers at Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

 

Saturday, August 7

Learn about “Durable Native Plants” with Matt Sensabaugh at Monticello’s Saturdays in the Garden. Registration required. $10, 9:30am.

 

Wednesday, August 11

The Animal Connection hosts Yappy Hour at Darden Towe Park, where you can bring your pooch and meet others to walk him with. Free, 6-8pm.

 

Friday, August 13

Corey Harris & 5×5 sing the blues at Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

 

Saturday, August 14

The Rivanna Trail Foundation holds a “Second Saturday” workday. Free, 8:45am.

Monticello’s Saturdays in the Garden series welcomes Tom Buford, Peter Hatch, Gabriele Rausse and Kerry Gilmer for a “Summer Fruit Tasting.” Registration required. $10, 9:30am.

 

Friday, August 20

Terri Allard sings at Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

The Outdoor Adventure Social Club holds an information session and photo show for potential members. RSVP. Free, 8-10pm.

 

Saturday, August 21

Monticello’s Saturdays in the Garden features “The Ornamental Kitchen Garden” with Maggie Stemann Thompson. Registration required. $10, 9:30am.

Get wet with the Outdoor Adventure Social Club when they offer a white water rafting trip to West Virginia. Returning Sunday evening. $88, 10am.

Palladio Restaurant at Barboursville Winery welcomes guest chef John Brand of Keswick Hall to cook a four course meal. Reservations required. $85, 7pm.

 

Friday, August 27

Monticello Road rocks and rolls at Fridays After 5 on the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

 

Tuesday, August 31- Sunday, September 5

Ride the rides, eat the cotton candy and see the livestock at the Albemarle County Fair.

 

Friday, September 3

Celebrate Labor Day with The Houserockers at Fridays After 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater. Free, 5pm.

 

Saturday, September 4

As part of the Great Eastern Trail Run Series, run the 100K or 50K Great Eastern Endurance Run through the Blue Ridge Mountains. Registration is required. 100K $85-100, 50K $55-70, 6am. Meet at Rockfish Gap, on 64W at exit 99 at Rockfish Gap.

Saturdays in the Garden at Monticello holds a “Seed Saving Workshop” with Allie Skaer and Stephen Bromm. Registration required. $10, 9:30am.

Oakencroft holds its Harvest Music Festival with live music, tours and tastings. $10, 11am-5pm.

Mountain Cove Vineyards and Winegarden hosts its second annual Labor Day Old Time Music Festival with live music, tours, tastings and food. $10, noon-5pm.

 

Sunday, September 5

Oakencroft holds its Harvest Music Festival with live music, tours and tastings. $10, 11am-5pm.

Mountain Cove Vineyards and Winegarden hosts its second annual Labor Day Old Time Music Festival with live music, tours, tastings and food. $10, noon-5pm.

Renowned bluegrass fiddler Vassar Clements saws away at Scottsville’s Rhythm on the River with Uncle Henry’s Favorites. Dorrier Park. 5:30pm.

 

CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS

The McGuffey Art Center presents “Planet Art,” “a festival of creativity for children,” from June 15-June 30 featuring free workshop in everything from ceramics and stained glass mosaics painting and dance. Times vary.

The Old Michie Theatre offers a series of summer programs for children. June 14-18, “Pre-Theatre” for ages 5-7 from 1-4pm; July 5-16, “Shake Hands with Shakespeare” for ages 9-14 from 9am-3pm; July 19-30, “Theatre Camp,” for ages 8-13 from 9am-3pm; August 2-13, “In Love with Shakespeare,” for ages 11-16 from 2-5pm; August 16-20, beginners “Puppeteer’s Paradise,” for ages 5-7 from 9am-noon; August 16-20, “Incredible Improvisation,” for ages 13-17 from 2-5pm. $165-340.

The UVA Art Museum gives 4th- through 12th-graders the chance to explore their creativity with programs led by professional artists in mediums ranging from photography to mixed media to poetry to improvisation. Session 1: July 5-16; Session 2: July 19-30; Session 3: August 2-13. $405-485, 9am-4pm.

Studio 206 in Belmont holds two sections of “Masks, Movement and Music, a Creative Dance Summer Camp,” August 9-12. One section for ages 3 1/2 to 5 years old and another for ages 5 to 7 years old. $75, 9-10:30am and 11am-12:30pm.

Yogaville hosts a series of summer workshops and retreats to help you get in touch with yourself and Mother Earth. June 4-6: “Alive and Raw Foods Workshop”; June 18-27: “Ten Day Silent Retreat,” with daily meditation and yoga; July 9-11: “Mastering Stress and Enhancing Well-Being”; July 16-18: “Workshop of Cosmic Comedy,” to laugh at learn wisdom simultaneously; July 23-25: “Osteoporosis, Yoga and Bone Building.” $265-795.

Montpelier lets kids go to “Mud Camp,” a.k.a. Natural History Day Camp. June 21-25 for rising 3rd- and 4th-graders; June 28-July 2 for rising 5th- and 6th-graders. $90, 9am-3pm.

The Jefferson Tibetan Society has summer classes and workshops. Sundays, through June 13: Class series on “Bodhisattva Way of Life” with Geshe Thupten Kunkhen at the Wesley Foundation Building. $12/class, 11am-12:30pm; August 1-15: “Tibetan Healing Puja Ceremony.” Time and cost TBA.

The Virginia Museum of Natural History offers summer programs for children. June 28-July 2: “Creatures that Leap, Prowl, Slither and Swim”; July 5-9: “Be ‘Shore’ to Have a Great Summer”; July 12-16: “Our Earth and the Great Beyond”; July 19-23 and August 2-6: “Entomologists in Action!” to learn about insects. $115, 9am-noon.

 

SUMMER TIMES INDEX

Andre Viette’s Nursery Off Route 608 in Fishersville. 540-324-1133.

The Animal Connection 1701 E. Allied St. 296-7048.

Barboursville Vineyards 17655 Winery Rd. 540-832-7572. www.barboursvillewine.com.

Barnes and Noble 1035A Emmett St. 984-0461.

Blue Ridge Mountain Sports Barracks Road Shopping Center, 1121 Emmet St. 977-4400. www.brms.com.

Cardinal Vineyards and Winery 9423 Batesville Rd. 540-456-8400. www.virginiawines.org.

Charlottesville Stamp Fair Holiday Inn, 1901 Emmet St. 703-273-5908. www.reddogstamps.com.

Congregation Beth Israel 301 E. Jefferson St. 295-6382.

Cove Presbyterian Church 5531 Covesville Ln., Covesville. 295-4457.

First Colony Winery 1650 Harris Creek Rd. 979-7105. www.firstcolonywinery.com.

Fortune’s Cove Preserve Trail Off Route 651 near Lovingston. 951-0585 or e-mail sboven@tnc.org.

The Great Eastern Trail Run Series Meeting places vary. 293-7115. www.badtothebone.biz.

The Jefferson Tibetan Society 980-1752 or e-mail jts108va@aol.com.

Jefferson Vineyards 1353 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy. 800-272-3042. www.jeffersonvineyards.com.

Light House, A Youth Media Center 121 Water St. 293-6992. www.lighthousestudio.org.

Live Arts 123 E. Water St. 977-4177. www.livearts.org.

McGuffey Art Center 201 Second St. NW. 295-7973. www.mcguffeyartcenter.com.

Monticello 931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy (Rt. 53). 984-9822. www.monticello.org.

Mountain Cove Vineyards and Winegarden 1362 Fortune’s Cove Ln., Lovingston. 263-5392. www.mountaincovevineyards.com.

Nelson County Summer Festival Oak Ridge Estate Route 653, south of Lovingston. 263-8676. www.oakridgeestate.com.

Oakencroft Winery 1486 Oakencroft Ln. 296-4188. www.oakencroft.com.

Old Michie Theatre 221 E. Water St. 977-3690. www.oldmichie.com.

Omni Hotel 235 W. Main St. 971-5500. www.omnihotels.com.

Outdoor Adventure Social Club 420 E. Main St. 760-4453. www.outdoorsocial.com.

Piedmont Center for Horticulture Garden locations vary. 286-2679. http://avenue.org/pch.

Rapunzel’s 2924 Front St. in Lovingston.263-6660.

Rivanna Trail Foundation Rivanna Trail trailhead on Melbourne Road. 923-9022 or e-mail info@rivannatrails.org. www.rivannatrails.org.

Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville Off Route 604 in Buckingham. 969-3121. www.yogaville.org.

Shenandoah Shakespeare 10 S. Market St., Staunton. 540-885-5588. www.shenandoahshakespeare.org.

The Sierra Club, Blue Ridge Group Meeting places vary. Call 263-6199. www.sierraclub-blueridge.org.

Stanardsville United Methodist Church Court Square, Stanardsville. 985-3888.

Stoney Creek Golf Course Wintergreen Resort off Route 664, Nellysford. 325-8255. www.wintergreenresort.com.

Studio 206 206 W. Market St. 296-6520. www.studio206downtown.com.

UVA Art Museum 155 Rugby Rd. 924-3592. www.virginia.edu/artmuseum.

Virginia Canals and Navigations Society Call for all details 977-3733 or e-mail prunge@ntelos.net.

Virginia Museum of Natural History 104 Emmett St. 800-858-9642. www.virginia.edu/vmnh-uva/.

Walnut Creek Park Off Old Lynchburg Road. 540-776-0985.

The Wesley Foundation Building 1908 Lewis Mountain Rd. 980-1752.

Wintergreen Winery Off Route 664, Nellysford. 325-8292 or 800-594-8499. www.wintergreenresort.com.

—Compiled by Nell Boeschenstein and Ben Sellers

Q: Ace: With a serial rapist still on the prowl and some recent intrusions into homes where women were sleeping, our sense of safety is shaken. Can you tell me, did any of these women have dogs, or if dogs even make a difference in situations when it’s Man against Woman and her Beast?—Germanna Shepherd

A: With six unsolved rape cases genetically linked to one man, as well as “hundreds” of breaking and entering cases in the past six months (accordingto Lieutenant J.W. Gibson of the Charlottesville Police Department), your fears are unfortunately well founded, Germanna. And no doubt about it, when it comes to crime, dogs sreally can be a woman’s best friend: A faithful pooch by your side could leave your would-be attacker barking up the wrong tree.

 Gibson says it’s almost impossible to get statistics on what percentage of the recent break-in victims owned dogs, without doing extensive research. But in regards to “the serial assaults, there have been no dogs in any of those homes,” he says.

 Both Gibson and his colleague at the police department, Officer Joe Brown, agree with the common consensus that dogs act as a crime deterrent. There is, however, some discrepancy as to whether the type and size of dog matters. Popular lore has it that if you’re looking for a best friend who doubles as your body guard, your best bets are canines with bad-ass reputations like German Shepherds, Rottweilers and Doberman Pinschers.

 Brown backs up this theory, explaining, “A criminal would be thinking, ‘I don’t want to get bit,’ and [if you] compare a big dog and a small dog…a thief with big boots on would probably be more afraid of the big dog who could jump up and get around his throat.”

 That might be the logical assumption, but Gibson says size doesn’t matter and that the “bad-ass” factor is irrelevant when it comes to your dog’s ability to protect you. What’s important, says Gibson, is not the dog’s impulse to attack your assailant, but his ability to alert you to impending danger.

 In fact, says Gibson, “A Chihuahua, if he wakes you up, has done a great service. He doesn’t have to be a killer dog to improve your security.” The website petrix.com supports Gibson’s theory by listing, along with Rottweilers and German Shepherds, Scottish Terriers, West Highland White Terriers, Miniature Schnauzers and Chihuahuas (all averaging under 20 pounds) among the Top 12 “Dogs Most Likely to Succeed at Watchdog Barking.” Those least likely to make a scene: gentle giantssuch as Bloodhounds, Newfoundlands and Saint Bernards.

 Whatever your theory, new Pit Bull owner Ace knows that a li’l bow wow can be scary. A word of advice to would-be criminals: Don’t push your luck—the bite is worse than the bark.