Tag: albemarle

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Living News

Where is Gladys the emu? The beloved pet of an Albemarle couple is still missing

A photo posted on Facebook shows an emu—likely Gladys' sister Mabel—taking a stroll in Scottsville after the bird escaped their pen about 10 miles north in Albemarle County. Photo: Courtesy Millie Cathcart

Today, the day after Thanksgiving, I am praying for Gladys the emu.

A lapsed Catholic, I haven’t been a churchgoer for years. But praying to St. Francis for the safe return of Gladys, for her reunion with her brother Floyd and sister Mabel at their home 10 miles south of Charlottesville, and for the peace of mind of their owners, just feels right.

On Sunday, November 10, Gladys and Mabel pulled a Thelma and Louise and bolted from their pen for a big adventure. It would have been nice if the protagonists stuck together like they did in the movie (though I would never wish such an ending for the birds). But after leaving Floyd, who elected to stay behind, each of the six-year-old females followed her own beak. Mabel trotted south toward Scottsville, Gladys east toward Walnut Creek Park. 

Photos of the birds appeared on social media for days after their November 10 escape. Photo: Courtesy Millie Cathcart

We know this because the birds are large, about 100 pounds and six feet tall (only ostriches are taller), and they have very long legs that can carry them to speeds of 30mph or more. It’s not every day, meaning never, that you see such an animal hotfooting it in the bicycle lane or even right down the middle of a busy road. Emus on the run. Perfect online fodder. Snap a pic and post it. And a lot of people did.

Millie Cathcart, 55, a retired nurse who owns the emus with her husband, Rip, 62, a residential real estate developer, was the first person to turn to social media. She posted about the escapees on her personal Facebook page, and then, upon advice from friends and members of the social hive, she also placed notices on NextDoor and Charlottesville/Albemarle Lost & Found Pets, and contacted animal control and 911. The support from the official channels was uniformly sympathetic and professional. Millie felt encouraged by that, and also by most of the people who reached out on Facebook, NextDoor, and the lost pets site.

“The variety of responses has been really interesting to me,” Millie says. “Some people have been wonderful—keeping track, checking in, spreading the word. Then, there are others who are just plain mean, like, ‘Just kill them,’ ‘Hit them with a car,’ and ‘The meat tastes good.’ Some people are just horrible.”

Rip Cathcart with one of his beloved emus. He and his wife are hoping for the safe return of Gladys, who bolted from the Cathcart’s pen on November 10. Photo: Courtesy Millie Cathcart

Around Thanksgiving, when many large birds go in the oven, the comment about the flavor of emu meat struck Millie as particularly grotesque. These were her and Rip’s pets, not dinner in waiting. But emus—why emus?

 “My husband has a menagerie of birds, turkeys, peacocks, pheasants, guineas, chickens, doves, etc.,” Millie says. “Several years ago we had an increase in predators coming over the fence into our bird yard, and we heard that emus could help. If there is something going on, they run over to see what it is. They have greatly reduced predators coming by for lunch or dinner.”

This all started six years ago, when Millie and Rip picked up the birds—they were just fuzzy babies then—from a farm in northern Virginia, and ferried them in the back of Millie’s van to their new home. “Floyd, Mabel and Gladys have been with us ever since, and have a sweet love affair with my husband,” Millie wrote.

But emus are also curious. The Cathcarts noticed not long ago that the birds were attracted to the latch and lock on the gate to their pen. They pecked at the lock, flicked it with their beaks. “It made a clunking sound that probably made them happy,” Millie says.

But then November 10 arrived. It was a blustery day. “I’m sure they were flicking at the lock—plink, plink—and the latch opened, and the wind blew, the gate opened, and they were gone,” she says.

They, a part of the family, were gone.

Floyd and Gladys hang out in their pen while Red stands, er, sits by. Photo: Courtesy Millie Cathcart

The Cathcarts have three kids. The eldest daughter lives in Los Angeles and hopes to get into the music business. Their other daughter is a third-year student at Auburn University, and their son, a recent graduate from the University of Alabama, Auburn’s rival. On Saturday, the Cathcarts will attend the big game, known as The Iron Bowl. It’ll be exciting, for sure, but the family joy will be mixed with a sense of dread: Where’s Gladys?

It was funny a few years ago when the kids were younger and would toss the football around with friends. The emus joined in, following the ball as it flew through the air and charging with their lanky legs and long neck directly at the intended receiver. Emus are amusingly odd-looking standing still. But when they run, they are hilarious. When they change direction, they first point their head where they want to go, and then their body follows. The Cathcart kids would laugh, because they knew that the charging birds would turn away at the last second. But their friends were frightened. One hundred pounds of flesh and feathers hurtling toward you at great speed? Some of the kids ran to hide behind trees.

Finding Mabel

Millie and Rip came close to catching Mabel one day in Scottsville. They had been driving around after learning of a sighting, and they were ready to nab her.

Andy, shown here with Mabel immediately after he’d captured her, was hunting with his father, Wayne, when they saw the wayward bird—in Schuyler, about 15 miles from her home. Photo: Courtesy Millie Cathcart

“We had our buckets of sunflower seeds to lure her,” Millie says. “And we had a tarp, duct tape, rope, and a pillowcase to put over her head. If you were going to kidnap somebody, this is what you would have in your car.”

They drove down by the railroad tracks near the boat landing in Scottsville, and two women out walking said they had seen the bird and pointed Millie and Rip in the right direction. Mabel was standing in the woods on the other side of the railroad tracks. The couple got out of the car with their kidnapping supplies. They heard a train coming. A minute later it trundled by. After the train was gone, Mabel was, too.

So close. Their hearts sank.

Finally, on November 22, a call came in from a family in Schuyler. A father and son, Wayne and Andy, had been hunting not far from their home when they saw Mabel. They could not identify her as an emu, and you can’t blame them. Emus are as prevalent in Schuyler as flying monkeys. The Cathcarts raced down and were greeted by Wayne, his wife, Robin, and their son, Andy. His sister, Jasmine, was at work in Charlottesville at the time. When her family called to bring her into the loop, she instantly knew what was going on—she had seen the social media posts. She connected with Millie and Rip via cell, and kept them updated while they motored to Schuyler.

Millie, sounding a bit emotional now: “When those wonderful people down in Schuyler called, and we knew Mabel was in their backyard…. Wayne and Andy were hunting. They said, ‘This is not what we expected to see!’”

Wayne snapped and texted Andy a photo of the animal.

“Andy was in his tree stand about 100 yards away from Mabel, but he had just had eye surgery and couldn’t see the image on his phone very well, and he didn’t have his glasses, so he thought it was a bear.”

Bear, emu, deer, donkey—who cares? The important thing is that they didn’t shoot it. Jasmine went online. She and her mom remembered something about an emu on the loose, and the animal in the texted photograph was the one they were looking at online.

When Millie and Rip arrived, they switched into rescue mode. “Wayne and Andy totally bought into helping us with the situation, which we really appreciated, because it would have been really difficult to catch her without them,” Millie says.

Counter to what one would expect, emus can be very calm in a situation like this. Mable stood still while Andy slipped a rope around her neck. “An emu’s attitude is very confident,” Millie says. “Wayne and Andy were amazed that they could just secure Mabel in this way. There’s a picture of Andy in the woods, with a rope around Mabel’s neck, and he’s just beaming.”

After some wrangling and duct-taping and tying up, Mabel was spirited into the back of Millie and Rip’s vehicle. “It could have been just horrible but she was very cooperative,” Mille says. “I think she was just happy to be saved.”

Apparently, she was also happy when she got home. “We cut everything off of her and then stood back, and she just popped up,” Millie says.

Floyd strutted over to his sister. If they were humans you might expect them to hug or something. But Mabel just walked past Floyd and eventually found a place to lie down. “She was hungry and she was tired and she was a little beat up from being dragged through the woods,” Millie says. “She hunkered down and laid low for a couple of days. We were a little worried about her, but she’s fine now.”

Tomorrow, Millie and Rip will go to the football game down in Auburn. If Gladys isn’t discovered by then, she will have been on the loose for 20 days. “There’s really nothing more that we can do than really just hope someone comes across her and notifies us,” Millie says.

Rip told Millie that with winter coming in, his hope was fading. But there’s still a flicker. “If she would come walking home, that would make us really happy,” Millie says. “If she never showed up that would be—well, I’m just trying not to think about that.”

Instead, Millie thinks about how fortunate it is to have Mabel back together with Floyd. “Who knows?” she muses. “Maybe she’ll lay some eggs and they’ll have babies.”

So now, in addition to my imploring St. Francis for Gladys’ safe return, I’ll also humbly ask for Mabel and Floyd to give the Cathcarts another big bird or two. 

If you see Gladys, the Cathcarts ask that you post on the Charlottesville/Albemarle Lost & Found Pets Facebook page: bit.ly/finding-gladys

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News

Staying downtown: Albemarle and Charlottesville finally resolve court’s future

The Levy Opera House Building, pictured here on the corner of Park and High streets, will be renovated, and a new $30 million courthouse complex will be built beside it. staff photo

After a couple of years of contention over Albemarle County’s threat to move its courts from downtown Charlottesville, elected officials in the two jurisdictions have finally decided to jointly locate their lower courts in a downtown building both localities purchased together in 2005.

“We have reached agreement on the expansion and renovation of the Albemarle County District Court and the Charlottesville General District Court to meet our future needs right here in Court Square,” said Ann Mallek, chair of the Albemarle Board of Supervisors.

“Today’s agreement is the result of years of work by the City of Charlottesville and the County of Albemarle to co-locate their general district courts in the same facilities, and for the county courts to remain downtown,” said Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker.

The joint decision ends a nearly five-year period during which Albemarle supervisors explored the possibility of moving the county’s courts to a location outside of Court Square, which is technically the county seat. That would have required approval by voters in a referendum.

Mallek said county supervisors explored different possibilities to make certain the more than 100,000 residents of Albemarle were best served by a downtown location.

“We have studied as many as five different court locations and options over the last two years,” she said. “At the public hearing last December and in countless emails, we’ve heard strong support for the continued adjacency of city and county courts.”

The legal community fought hard against the proposal to move the courts out of downtown, with some arguing that splitting the courts would make it harder for poorer residents to access the justice system.

Palma Pustilnik with Central Virginia Legal Aid Society says, “I think it’s wonderful that we have finally managed to have an agreed upon situation that best serves all the members of the public.” She adds that the deal has the support of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Bar Association, both commonwealth’s attorney’s offices, and the legal community.

All five city councilors and six Albemarle County supervisors gathered at the corner of Park and East High streets on Monday in an impromptu joint session to announce the deal.

After the announcement, both elected bodies met to ratify the deal in public session. Supervisor Rick Randolph cast the only vote against the deal at a meeting at the county office building.

“The county had an opportunity with this court location decision to steer its own independent path towards its own strategic objectives,” Randolph said at that meeting.

Randolph said he believes the Board of Supervisors will one day vote to move the court. He also said there was a missed opportunity to use the negotiations over the courts to help change the revenue-sharing deal that has been in place for more than three decades.

One complaint from county residents advocating for courts outside of town has been the perceived difficulty of parking downtown. Part of the deal involves the creation of a new parking garage to be built by the city of Charlottesville at 701 E. Market St. That property has also been co-owned by the city and county since 2005, but the county will sell its portion to allow the city to build its third municipal parking garage.

“The city will then purchase the county’s interest in the parcel for one half of the appraised value,” Walker said.

As part of the deal, Charlottesville will provide 90 spaces in the new structure to Albemarle, as well as 15 on-street parking spaces reserved for county court patrons “in the area immediately surrounding the county court facilities,” according to Walker.

The need to update the court facilities stems from University of Virginia projections which forecast Albemarle will grow to a population of over 148,000 people in 2045, up from a 2017 population estimate of 108,000.

“Population growth has brought increased caseloads, and the existing court facilities do not meet contemporary standards for safety and security,” Mallek said.

These trends have long been anticipated. The city and county spent nearly $5.4 million in 2005 for the Levy Opera House property in Court Square, and that same transaction also included the surface lot that will become part of the future parking garage.

Charlottesville spent $2.85 million in November 2016 for the half-acre lot that now houses Lucky 7 and Guadalajara, and soon entered into a long-term lease with the businesses. At the time, the idea of housing the businesses in the retail portion of a new garage was floated, but that did not come up at the press conference.

The new $30-million general district courts will be built next to a renovated structure that dates back to 1852.

“The facility will be approximately 60,000 square feet, and the county will maintain three courts at the facility and the city will maintain one court,” Walker said. “The Levy Opera House building will also be renovated for the relocation of the Albemarle County commonwealth’s attorney office.”

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News

In brief: Shifting precincts, hefty raise, murky water and more

Know your polling place

It’s been an eventful couple years, and if you want to speak up when it matters (by voting in the midterms on November 6) your deadline to register is October 15. With that in mind, we also want to remind 15,000 voters in Albemarle County that their polling places have changed.

The county has added three new precincts and folded the Belfield precinct into Jack Jouett, says Albemarle registrar Jake Washburne.

Split are Cale, which begat the new Biscuit Run precinct; Crozet and Brownsville, which gave birth to Mechums River; and Free Bridge, which adds Pantops precinct.

And voters in the University precinct who had cast ballots at the soon-to-be demolished U Hall will now do so at Slaughter Rec Center.

The splits will make Election Day lines more manageable, says Washburne, and there’s another deadline he’s considering: “After February 1, 2019, we can’t change any precincts until after the 2020 presidential election.”

Some are predicting massive turnout in November. Compared to last September, Albemarle has added 2,000 voters. And Washburne mailed over 700 ballots on the first day of absentee voting, compared to 94 on the first day of the last midterm election in 2014. 

In the city, registrar Rosanna Bencoach says there’s always a surge of registrations in September and October from the student population. But according to the state elections website, Charlottesville has 922 more active voters as of October 1 than it did a year ago.

Bencoach issues a caveat to would-be voters: Don’t wait until the last minute to register or to request an absentee ballot, which must be applied for by 5pm the Tuesday before the election.

“With the current postal delivery practices, that’s way too late,” she says.

Quote of the week

“The Court is not typically in the muck and the mire of partisan politics. But this throws it right into the swamp.”—Barbara Perry, Miller Center director of presidential studies, on the Kavanaugh hearing

Lucrative gig

staff photo

City Council appointed Brian Wheeler interim clerk of council at its October 1 meeting. The current city spokesperson and former editor of Charlottesville Tomorrow temporarily replaces Paige Rice, who resigned last month. Since starting with the city in February at $98,000, raises have upped Wheeler’s pay to $116,438, an 8 percent increase in less than a year.

A12 anniversary costs add up

Charlottesville spent $921,334 over the August 12 anniversary weekend putting downtown on lockdown, and the University of Virginia reports its costs were $422,981. Adding the Virginia State Police’s expenses of $3.1 million, that puts the police-heavy weekend at around $4.4 million—and that’s not including Albemarle County’s costs.

Mayor tops duchess

Mayor Nikuyah Walker is No. 51 on the Root’s list of 100 most influential African Americans ages 25 to 45, coming in ahead of No. 52, Meghan Markle.

Chris Greene closed again

After a dog swam in the lake over the weekend and then died suddenly, Albemarle County officials have closed it for water recreation until results from new water quality tests are available.

Pot arrests surge

Despite decriminalization and legalization around the country, Virginia’s marijuana arrests hit their highest levels in a decade last year. Arrests statewide spiked 20 percent and convictions still carry the possibility of a six-month driver’s license suspension and up to $800 in fines, according to the Virginia Mercury.

Indigenous Peoples Day

Karenne Wood. Publicity photo

“We have been categorized as people of the past,” Karenne Wood, an enrolled member of the Monacan Indian Nation, told C-VILLE in March. She pointed out that in school textbooks, American Indians are often written about in the past tense: They lived in this type of house; they ate squash and corn; they wore feathers.

But she also hopes those textbooks will tell the story of Virginia Indians present and future. For Wood, director of Virginia Indian Programs at Virginia Humanities, that means working with textbook writers to tell a fuller—not just colonist—history of Native Americans. “We have adapted to live in this century along with everybody else,” she says.

To acknowledge their history on Indigenous Peoples Day, and to give a native perspective on how the story of Virginia’s first people can be expanded, Wood will give a talk called “Stone, Bone, and Clay: Virginia Indians’ History of 18,000 Years” on Monday, October 8, from 6:30-8pm at Lane Auditorium in the Albemarle County Office Building.

Monacan tribal dancers will perform immediately following her presentation.

Categories
News

Immune system: Weiner sues Lunsford for prosecutorial misconduct

Then-Commonwealth’s Attorney Denise Lunsford talks with reporters outside of the Albemarle Circuit Court after Mark Weiner’s sentencing was delayed in July 2014. Mark Weiner exits the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail in July 2015 after he spent more than two years in jail for a crime he says never took place. Staff photo

The man who was convicted of abduction with intent to defile and who spent two-and-a-half years in jail before the alleged victim’s story fell apart filed suit July 14 against the former commonwealth’s attorney who prosecuted him.

Mark Weiner, now living in Maryland, filed a civil lawsuit in federal court July 14—exactly two years after the day he was released from jail—against Albemarle County, the commonwealth’s attorney office and Denise Lunsford.

In December 2012, former Food Lion manager Weiner offered a ride to then-20-year-old Chelsea Steiniger, whose boyfriend had refused to let her spend the night. Steiniger claimed that Weiner put a cloth over her face with a mysterious agent that rendered her unconscious, used her phone to send taunting texts to her beau, and that she awakened in an abandoned house on Richmond Road, where she grabbed her phone, leaped off a second floor deck and escaped.

After Weiner was convicted in May 2013, his lawyer complained that Lunsford prevented him from entering exculpatory cell tower records that showed Steiniger was likely at her mother’s house.

The case became a national story and was a major factor in Lunsford’s unsuccessful bid for a third term in the November 2015 election, when Republican Robert Tracci unseated her.

Weiner’s civil attorney, Barton Keyes, is a member of a wrongful conviction practice in Columbus, Ohio.

Despite the formidable immunity Lunsford had as prosecutor, Keyes says, “We think in this case, the circumstances will let us hold her accountable.”

The complaint did not specify monetary damages but Keyes says, “Mark spent over two years in prison. We’re talking substantial damages.”

Lunsford sent a statement through her Richmond McGuireWoods attorney and says she conducted her duties as commonwealth’s attorney “diligently, ethically, and to the best of my abilities.” She says she’s proud of her service in protecting the interests of justice and safety in the community. “As a private citizen now, I intend to defend my personal and professional reputation in court, and not in the press,” says Lunsford.

Tracci issued his own statement: “Because the office I serve is named in this suit, I will reply to its merits when appropriate and in due course. Without speaking to the merits of this suit, my personal views concerning the handling of the Mark Weiner case are widely known and a matter of crystal clear record.”

Experts say prosecutorial immunity will be a tough hurdle for Weiner to overcome.

“The main legal obstacle to holding prosecutors accountable for misconduct that leads to wrongful convictions is that they have absolute immunity for civil damages for their lawyering in the courtroom,” says UVA Law’s Brandon Garrett. It’s even harder to know if prosecutors concealed evidence of innocence “because in states like Virginia, they need turn over so little of what is in their files,” he adds.

Steve Rosenfield was an attorney in one of the few successful civil suits waged in a wrongful conviction, in which his client, Earl Washington Jr., came within nine days of execution. Rosenfield says Weiner “is on solid footing morally. Legally, he’s likely to run into serious barriers.”

Deirdre Enright heads UVA’s Innocence Project Clinic, and three years ago she said Weiner’s case “had all the earmarks of a bad case because it didn’t make sense.”

Immunity makes prosecutors and police “Teflon to meaningful consequences,” even though their misconduct is a leading cause of wrongful convictions, she says. “The average citizen will pay a fine for a broken taillight, but most prosecutors won’t pay a dime for their role in wrongfully convicting someone, however nefarious their conduct.”

Keyes says Lunsford proceeded to prosecute “despite clear evidence that contradicted [Steiniger’s] story. Most egregious, he says, was that it appears “the prosecutor was thinking her sole role was to secure a conviction when in reality a prosecutor’s job is to secure justice.”

Categories
Living

In the market: Fresh options abound from area vendors

Downtown Charlottesville’s City Market, located at the corner of Water and South streets, is packed with more than 100 vendors every Saturday from 7am to noon. Photo by Skycladaerial.com

From shumei-raised produce at Stonefield, to Piedmont Master Gardeners’ advice in Crozet, this round-up of farmers market finds includes insider tips for everyone.

Green Market at Stonefield

2100 Hydraulic Rd.
531-9646

With about a dozen local vendors per week, the Green Market at Stonefield has high-end, healthy produce, meats, bath products and more to suit a variety of tastes.

The details: Open Thursdays from 4-7pm and Saturdays from 8:30am to 12:30pm, May through October.

Pro tip: Looking for hyperlocal? Family Ties & Pies bakes its goodies about a quarter mile from the market.

Don’t miss: Anything from Legacy Farm; the owners farm their crops using shumei, a spiritual-based Japanese technique of growing and eating food.

Charlottesville City Market

100 Water St. E.
970-3371

The go-to market downtown has been around almost 45 years, and is packed with more than 100 vendors every Saturday. Want to compost, but have nowhere to put a pile? The market also has a compost and recycling program to keep C’ville green.

The details: Open Saturdays from 7am-noon, April through November.

Pro tip: The market’s downtown location draws a crowd, so get there early and stay awhile.

Don’t miss: Homemade, authentic Korean kimchi from new vendor Sussex Farms.

Farmers in the Park

300 Meade Ave.
970-3371

As a smaller cousin of the Charlottesville City Market, Farmers in Meade Park doesn’t skimp on its selection of homegrown eats.

The details: Open Wednesdays from 3-7pm, May through September.

Pro tip: The market has a niche selection of only food and produce, so if you’re looking for your next salad mix or local, ethically raised meats, this is the place.

Don’t miss: Bear Bottom Farm’s pork products, such as breakfast sausage or in-house smoked bacon.

Forest Lakes Farmers Market

1706-1710 Ashwood Blvd.
531-2733

Vendors new and old come out to the market to sell everything from fruits and veggies to wine and freshly squeezed lemonade. There’s a bi-weekly $10 coupon giveaway drawing, so you have a chance to save at the next market.

The details: Open Tuesdays from 4-7pm., April through October.

Pro tip: It’s located in the Forest Lakes South neighborhood and features typical farmers market fare.

Don’t miss: Mexican tacos; try the spicy chorizo, with both the corn tortilla and spicy meat made from scratch.

Albemarle Farmers Market

340 Towncenter Ln.
531-2733

This new market featuring 16 to 20 vendors each Saturday opened in May at Hollymead Town Center. Its diverse mix of artisans, farmers and freshly prepared foods will keep the summer bountiful.

The details: Open Saturdays from 8:30am-1pm, May through September.

Pro tip: There’s plenty of free parking, so no need to get there extra early to nab a spot.

Don’t miss: Liberty Mills Farm; not only is its produce noteworthy, but the farm is also home to the largest corn maze in Virginia.

Crozet Farmers Market

1156 Crozet Ave., Crozet
823-1092

Held in the parking lot of the Crozet United Methodist Church, this market also gives back to the community by donating vendor fees to the church’s food pantry.

The details: Open Saturdays from 8am-noon, May through mid-October.

Pro tip: Piedmont Master Gardeners volunteer every other Saturday, and answer questions about raising produce and dealing with pests.

Don’t miss: Everything needed for a backyard barbecue can be found at the market, from sweet corn to tomatoes and summer squash.

Earlysville Farmers Market

4133 Earlysville Rd.
942-8034

Get out of town at the Earlysville Farmers Market and peruse its selection of dedicated, diverse vendors. Look for eggs, honey and peaches this summer.

The details: Open Thursdays 4-7pm, April through November. Winter Market is open Saturdays 10am-2pm, November through March.

Pro tip: Cell service is spotty, so make sure you have plenty of cash on-hand because vendors can’t swipe your plastic.

Don’t miss: There are new vendors almost every week, so stop by brand-new stands for sweet and savory surprises.

Fluvanna Farmers Market at Pleasant Grove

1730 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy., Palmyra
591-1950

With a bright array of freshly cut flowers and picked produce, the Fluvanna Farmers Market does not skimp on pleasant offerings. Pleasant Grove is also on the National Historic Registry, so bring along a local history buff.

The details: Open Tuesdays 2-6pm; Saturdays 9am-1pm

Pro tip: Be sure that products are farm fresh; there’s no resale allowed at the market.

Don’t miss: Blueberry-infused honey from Mountain Dream Farm. Enough said.

Madison Farmers Market

1110 Fairground Rd., Madison, Virginia
948-6881

This community-oriented marketplace has the usual market fare, but also offers gardening classes, occasional live folk music and a special sampling of vendors’ products once a month. Stop by in August for a taste-test of local roasted sweet corn.

The details: Open Saturdays from 8am to noon May through October.

Pro tip: Beat the heat under the venue’s large oak trees and bring a blanket to join the conversation at this weekly community hangout.

Don’t miss: Homemade scones from Radiant Springs Farm, but get there early—they often sell out by 10 am.

Mineral Farmers Market

81 Louisa Ave., Mineral, Virginia
854-7626

Head to downtown Mineral to pick up your weekly veggies and then check out a selection of crafts. The market doesn’t skimp on fun—it occasionally holds pizza parties and cookouts. The Curbside Mini Market hosts vendors at the same location, selling produce, pies, jams, eggs and honey.

The details: Mini Market open Tuesdays from 5 to 7 pm June through August; regular market open Saturdays 8am to 1pm. 

Pro tip: You can bring your fur baby to the market; the entire space is dog-friendly with water bowls and room for plenty of playtime.

Don’t miss: Janey Gioiosa’s sweet and fresh fruit pies are fan favorites.

Nelson Farmers Market Cooperative

3079 Rockfish Valley Hwy., Nellysford
465-8004

It’s been 20 years since the Nelson Farmers Market was officially founded, but its core values remain the same in the hands of local farmers. The for-profit organization provides a safe, legal place to sell high-quality produce.  

The details: Open Saturdays 8am to noon, May through October, 

Pro tip: The market is under tents in Nellysford, so it’s open rain or shine (live music included).

Don’t miss: Check out Renaissance woman Katherine Herman at Gathered Threads. She sells everything from produce, teas and spice mixes, to natural skincare and fermented products such as kimchi and kraut.

Community Market at Rockfish Valley Community Center

190 Rockfish School Ln., Afton
361-1725

This market in Afton is non-traditional in that there are no hours during the summer months. But, beginning in November, stop in for live music, local produce, meats and plenty of crafts from local painters, potters and more.

The details: Open the first Saturdays of February, March, April, November and December, from 9am to noon.

Pro tip: Look forward to cozy pancake breakfasts during the market’s season.

Don’t miss: Internationally-acclaimed cheese from Caromont Farms, such as the Farmstead Chevre.

Categories
Real Estate

Buyers Love Albemarle’s Lifestyle and Abundant Natural Beauty

By Celeste M. Smucker –

Albemarle County is a popular place to live offering many attractive amenities.  Home sales are brisk with interested buyers actively keeping an eye out for new listings. It’s not just the resale home market that is hot.  Builders are also busy as inventory shortages and demand for green features and more functional floor plans send many buyers in search of a brand new home.

The county’s comprehensive plan requires that growth and development be restricted to 5 percent of its area, which means subdivisions and essential services are concentrated in places such as Pantops on the east of town, Crozet to the west and Hollymead to the north.  Another active spot is south of Charlottesville, where neighborhoods have new life thanks to the opening of 5th Street Station.

Buyers will find a range of housing options to choose from, everything from condos and townhomes to gated communities, horse farms and estates.  Albemarle also features walkable neighborhoods  where residents  who want more community interaction can enjoy shops, gyms, restaurants, coffeehouses, salons and other gathering places without ever leaving their community.  On the other hand, those preferring the privacy of country life will find many rural areas are protected from future development by a growing number of conservation easements. 

Exceptional scenery featuring mountain views is a big part of  Albemarle’s appeal as are the many outdoor activities available there.  Whether you enjoy hiking and fishing, running, walking, biking or horseback riding and tennis you will find it nearby when you live in Albemarle.   

The Charlottesville-Albemarle area consistently receives high marks for being a great place to live,  thanks to its natural beauty, the four-seasons climate, availability of recreational activities and low health care costs, plus a healthy economy that features low unemployment and a growing high tech sector.

Albemarle’s Real Estate Market
Thanks to its lifestyle offerings and close-in location, Albemarle has an active real estate market, where the biggest challenge is a lack of inventory.

Barbara McMurry with  Montague, Miller & Co. said that the 2017 market in Albemarle is “off to a good start.”  She added that there is plenty of mortgage money available and interest rates are still low.  Of course it is a real plus that the weather has decided to cooperate this year with a very mild winter.  She joked that agents used to say “the bugs and the buyers come out at the same time,”  which historically has been at least March.  However this year, she said, the spring market really got started in January.

Unfortunately, McMurry continued,  the  early spring market has not meant an easing of the inventory shortage.  Describing buyers’ eagerness to find the right house she said that many are “camped out” just waiting for a house with the right price, style and location.  Her advice to buyers is that they need to be ready to act quickly, with a pre-approval letter in hand. 

Judy Savage with Keller Williams Realty also expressed concern about the lack of inventory.  “The market in Albemarle County is pretty tight right now because of the lack of inventory in price ranges under $450,000,” she said stating “there are fewer houses on the market and it is driving prices up.”  She went on to say that she recently listed a 50-year-old single family home for $289,900 and in less than 24 hours had six competing offers that pushed the price over $300,000.  That was after 10 showings.  And yet another of her listings, priced at $430,000, sold the same day she put it on the market.

Jim Duncan with Nest Realty described the market in what he called “the City and urban county,” as “significantly active,”  with buyers coming from “all demographics.”   He looks forward to more homes coming on the market as it is not uncommon for them to go under contract quickly, sometimes in as short a time as a few days making it challenging for buyers.  The new construction market is also doing “very well overall,” he added.

“The real estate market in Albemarle County is brisk,” reports Marina Ringstrom with Long and Foster Real Estate. “The continued influx of new construction has been a strong factor,” she continued adding “to compete, existing homes must be priced well, in good condition, and where necessary, upgraded.”

Rural Properties Popular in Albemarle
While all of our region can boast scenic beauty as a benefit, Albemarle has the additional advantage of being the county closest in to the many advantages of Charlottesville such as quality hospitals, restaurants,  the Downtown Mall, the University, jobs and other social and cultural amenities. Even for buyers who love the privacy of a rural home or estate, the push is to live as close in as possible.

For example, John Ince with Nest Realty Associates has found that compared to years past, rural buyers are more focused on being close to town.  A veteran of 30 years in the Charlottesville real estate market, Ince says “I’ve seen a change in attitude in this current generation of near-retirees.  They enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside but really appreciate all that Charlottesville has to offer as well.  That makes any country property inside 20 minutes from town, golden.” 

Ringstrom cited the growth of services at both Pantops and 5th Street Station as being important for those who “prefer  rural destinations, but not more than 10-15 minutes away from shopping and health care.”

First Time Buyers
Inventory shortages are especially challenging for first time buyers who want to live in Albemarle County or the City of Charlottesville.  However, some options continue to be available.  “They are not a huge part of the market,” McMurry said but they are available in town and in Albemarle County. 

Savage agrees stating that “of the six offers I received in the last twenty-four hours, they were all first time home buyers utilizing low down payment type financing.”  She added that since new construction, single-family homes are more in the $500,000 range, they are out of reach for most first timers unless they opt for a town house. 

Many buyers are apparently opting for attached homes such as a town house.  CAAR’s recent Year End Market Report stated that year-over-year closed sales of detached homes in Albemarle County increased 5.6 percent compared to the end of 2015.  Attached home sales during that same period increased 41.7 percent. 

Albemarle’s Buyers
“Buyers continue to move here from all over the country,” Ringstrom said adding that “Charlottesville is still being hailed as one of the very best places in the country to retire, raise a family and do business.”  She moved to Charlottesville in 1996 and is currently a resident of Glenmore in the Keswick area of Albemarle County with no plans to move. She is one of many people who feel this way about Albemarle starting with Thomas Jefferson who called  his part of the county the “Eden of the United States.”

For people who move here from up north, part of the draw is the climate, which is relatively mild but still has four seasons. And it’s not uncommon for people to move someplace like Florida, and then relocate to Charlottesville after a couple of years of no autumn or spring.  Agents jokingly call them “half-backs” for moving all the way south, then half way back. Of course they also appreciate the much lower prices, property tax rates, and heating costs compared to the Northeast, or Northern Virginia.

Albemarle is also very popular amongst those who love the outdoors.  The county offers everything from fly fishing and canoeing to walking, hiking, biking, running and horseback riding. McMurry, a runner, says it is wonderful to have “so many great places to run,”  including the county’s parks available for year around outdoor activities. 

For those who prefer to ride horses,  two of Albemarle’s parks, Preddy Creek and Patricia Ann Byrom Forest Preserve Park offer 70 miles of riding trails, and in some areas such as Keswick in east Albemarle County, they can also ride on private property.  Pam Dent with Gayle Harvey Real Estate said that Keswick is known as an area that allows horse lovers to ride on large unbroken sections of farmland.  “The landowners are passionate about this tradition,” she said.     

Other popular activities in the county that draw both residents and visitors are its wineries and orchards.  Many of these rural businesses also participate in what is now called agri-tourism offering wine tastings and pick your own fruit, such as apples and pumpkins, in season.

These agri-businesses are part of  what  McMurry calls the “rural flavor” of Albemarle, representing the 95 percent of the county that is not developed.  And it’s not unusual for visitors to come to enjoy these many outdoor activities, and decide, after a few trips, to become permanent Albemarle residents.

Of course history buffs will find a lot to like about Albemarle.  Founded in 1744, it was named for its governor, Willem Anne van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle, an American colonist and British diplomat.  The  original county seat was Scottsville located on the James River, the quickest way to transfer goods from east to west prior to railroads.  Charlottesville became the county seat in 1761, and Albemarle’s current boundaries were formalized in 1777 after several surrounding counties split off and became their own entities. 

Two  of our founding fathers and former Presidents, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe, are native to Albemarle, and today their respective estates, particularly Jefferson’s Monticello, bring thousands of visitors to Albemarle County from all over the world. Monticello, a designated National Historic Landmark, is also a United Nations World Heritage site and attracts over 450,000 people a year.

Why Home Buyers Like Albemarle
People move to Albemarle for many reasons.  They come for jobs at the University and the growing high-tech sector. And, of course, many  University grads who fell in love with the region when they were students, often return here when they are ready to retire, enjoying the outdoor activities and the enrichment available through their alma mater’s non-credit courses.

Access to quality medical care is a big factor, especially for retirees who want all of the area’s amenities plus the security of knowing they have the best possible care when needed. The US News and World Report recently ranked UVA Hospital as #1 in Virginia, and #3 nationally in 3 adult and 4 pediatric specialties, while Martha Jefferson was ranked #12 in Virginia and high performing in 5 procedures/conditions.

Families appreciate Albemarle’s top ranked school system recently ranked #5 in the state by Niche.com using such indicators as test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, and teacher quality.

From very early on, Albemarle has been known for its horse farms and incomparable natural beauty.  Today it offers a host of modern amenities that make it a popular choice for a wide range of buyers. Call your agent today to help you find the best Albemarle County home for you.

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

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Racial profiling: Case against Albemarle cop moves forward

Albemarle police officer Andrew Holmes, photographed in 2011, received qualified immunity on two of the claims against him, but the racial profiling part of the lawsuit will move forward. Photo Hawes Spencer

A federal judge issued an opinion last week that allows a lawsuit against Albemarle County and police officer Andrew Holmes to proceed on its racial profiling claim, while giving Holmes qualified immunity on claims he violated the plaintiffs’ Fourth Amendment rights when he showed up at their home around midnight to look for a DMV license suspension notice.

Holmes pulled over Delmar Canada April 26, 2014, and ticketed him for driving on a suspended license. The next day Holmes obtained a search warrant and asserted that from his training and nine years of law enforcement experience, he was aware that people kept driver’s license suspension documents in their homes, according to a brief.

Five days later, on a Friday night, Holmes and three other officers showed up at the Turtle Creek condo Canada shared with Bianca Johnson, and detained the couple for two hours while they searched the residence.

Judge Glen Conrad ruled that Holmes had qualified immunity in the unlawful search and seizure claims because “the doctrine gives ample room for mistaken judgments ‘by protecting all but the plainly incompetent or those who knowingly violate the law.’” Conrad said the plaintiffs’ argument that the officer should have known there was no probable cause for the search warrant was “unpersuasive.”

Canada and Johnson gained more traction on their equal protection claim that Holmes’ application for the warrant and the search itself were motivated by their race. Wrote Conrad, “The plaintiffs allege that Holmes has ‘a history and practice of targeting African-American males for vehicle stops and intrusive searches.’”

He also denied Albemarle’s motion to dismiss the suit against the county on the grounds that “numerous complaints by African-Americans” had been lodged with the police department before this incident, and the county, by not taking corrective or disciplinary action, condoned his actions.

“We can hold the county liable because they were aware of the complaints,” says Jeff Fogel, who represents Canada and Johnson. “I know a number of complaints were filed because I have the names of people who did.”

Through discovery, says Fogel, he will scrutinize all summons Holmes issued over the past five years for race.

“In a sense, it’s an important hurdle but we still have a lot of work to prove what we’ve alleged,” he says. The case was really about racial profiling, he says, and he’s “quite content” with the judge’s ruling.

Jim Guynn, who represents Holmes and the county, says he’s pleased about “two-thirds” of the judge’s ruling. “It’s very early in the case and the fact the judge thought any of it could be dismissed is a good thing for the defendants,” he says.

As the case proceeds, he says he’ll give the judge another opportunity to dismiss the suit.

Holmes still faces two other racial profiling lawsuits, and Conrad said he would rule on the motions to dismiss those separately. In both those cases, the plaintiffs contend Holmes pulled them over, claimed he smelled marijuana and held them for two hours without turning up any drugs.

Johnson is happy the racial profiling part of the suit can proceed. “We can bring attention to how the police are abusing their power and stopping African-Americans,” she says. “[Holmes] is well-known in the community for targeting African-American men.”

holmes opinion9-7-16

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Albemarle High, Western Albemarle boys varsity soccer teams claim state titles, and other sports news

Albemarle High School Patriots' field

Albemarle High School boys varsity soccer
With a strong senior class and a promising batch of underclassmen, Albemarle had its sights on the state title all season.
The Patriots’ near-perfect regular season was ruined by their inter-county rivals, Western Albemarle High School. After an 8-0 start to the season, Albemarle traveled to Crozet on April 23. The two teams played 72 minutes of gridlock soccer until Western’s Jake Paulson converted a penalty, handing Albemarle its first and only loss of the season.
Throughout Albemarle’s historic 20-1-0 season they outscored their opponents by 75 goals. At the end of the season they defeated Falls Church High School 1-0 to claim the 5A state title for the second time in four years.

St. Anne’s Belfield boys varsity lacrosse
After a tough start to the season, St. Anne’s rallied behind the leadership of the Robertson brothers: Phillip, a senior midfielder and Joe, a junior attacker.
Tough losses to Loyola Blakefield and the St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School at home threatened to dim the Saints’ spirits. But the team rallied to win the remaining nine games of the regular season, advancing to the VISAA Division I state title game. The team’s foe was familiar: St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School, which beat St. Anne’s 14-5 in the regular season.
St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes blew past STAB in the VISAA Division I final, defeating the Saints 12-7. Despite the loss, the Saints’ unprecedented playoff run placed three players on the Division I All-State first team: the Robertson brothers and Kareem Johnson.

Western Albemarle boys varsity soccer
The Western Albemarle boys soccer team was 5-0-2 going into its game against Albemarle on April 23. After the momentous victory, the Warriors finished out the season with a 19-2-3 record as well as a berth in the 3A state title game against a challenging Blacksburg opponent. Blacksburg defeated Western in the Region 3A West tournament 1-0 just five days before their state title game rematch.
The Warriors opened the scoring 20 minutes into the match off of Carrington Murphy’s foot, putting Western on top 1-0. Nearly 40 minutes later the Warriors surrendered a penalty to Blacksburg, leveling the score 1-1. Western found the game-winning goal with 14 minutes remaining off of a corner kick. Jed Strickland careened the ball into the back of the net to secure Western Albemarle’s second state title in three years.

William Monroe varsity baseball
William Monroe’s baseball program has always been successful but had never reached the state tournament until this season. The Dragons took their 20-3 season into the playoffs where they met Poquoson in the Region 3A East tournament finals. The two teams battled it out through nine innings, but the Dragons came up short and lost 4-3. Despite the shortfall, William Monroe advanced to the 3A state tournament where they defeated Turner Ashby 3-0. With their victory they met Rustburg in the 3A state final. In a game similar to the Region 3A East final, the Dragons fell just short of Rustburg, losing 3-2, and capping off a historic season for William Monroe baseball.

St. Anne’s Belfield girls varsity lacrosse
After a successful regular season, the STAB girls lacrosse team positioned itself at the top of the League of Independent School (LIS) standings, earning a bye in the quarterfinals. After blowing past St. Catherine’s School 16-7 in the LIS semifinals, the Saints met up with rival Collegiate in the finals. The rivals battled it out, with the STAB girls claiming the LIS crown after a 9-8 victory on May 12.
After the LIS tournament, the Saints sought to keep the ball rolling into the VISAA Division I tournament as the third seed. STAB faced Collegiate once again in the quarterfinals. The result remained the same as STAB snuck past the Cougars 12-11 into the semifinals. There the Saints met the second-seeded Bishop Ireton. The Saints weren’t so lucky as they fell to Bishop Ireton 16-7, ending their season.