Tag: denver riggleman

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In brief: Censure-ship, walker-ship, sinking ACP ship, and more

A bus blocks the curb ramp on Water Street. Kevin Cox

Summertime and the sidewalks aren’t easy

Walkability is one of Charlottesville’s small-city charms, but sometimes it’s not so easy to get around, particularly if you’re disabled. On July 27 the city listed a dozen sidewalk projects that limit access. And then there are the blockages that aren’t official closings.

Pedestrian activist Kevin Cox spotted a charter bus July 25 blocking the curb ramp on Water Street, which many residents of Midway Manor, a low-income housing development, use regularly. He says CAT drivers have learned to leave the ramp open, but charter bus drivers are not so receptive to the need to keep the ramp and crosswalk clear. Assistant City Manager Mike Murphy, in an email to Cox, says he alerted Police Chief RaShall Brackney to be aware of these blockages.

A downed tree created a pedestrian detour for almost two months on Market Street. Kevin Cox

The tree that’s blocking the sidewalk on Market Street near Holly’s Deli has been down for six weeks. After multiple citizen requests to clear the sidewalk, city spokesman Brian Wheeler says CenturyLink and public works coordinated its removal Tuesday morning, as C-VILLE was going to press.

A pickup encroaches on a Water Street walkway. Erin O’Hare

Wheeler also reminds residents and trash pickup crews that trash cans should not block curb ramps when out on the street.

 

 

 

 

 

Quote of the week

“I want to make sure the voices of enslaved Africans are represented at all of the special 400-year commemorations this year. Our collective journeys in Virginia are of larger importance than any one person.” —Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax on his decision to attend Jamestown events other legislators are boycotting because
President Trump will be there

In brief

Censure thwarted

Anti-gay-marriage members of the 5th Congressional District Republican Committee tried to censure their own party member, Congressman Denver Riggleman, for marrying two men in Crozet July 14. The Washington Post first reported the nuptials of the conservative Republicans who were Riggleman volunteers and who asked him to officiate their wedding at King Family Vineyard. The reprimand failed after a closed session at a July 27 committee meeting.

Idea stations out

Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation is rebranding its Community Idea Stations, including WVPT and WHTJ, to VPM, as in Virginia Public Media, effective August 5. According to Commonwealth, national and local programming will be unchanged.

Mission fail

Rusty patched bumble bee. File photo

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out an Atlantic Coast Pipeline permit, and said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had apparently “lost sight of its mandate” when it approved the permit and failed to protect the rusty patched bumble bee, the clubshell mussel, the Indiana bat, and the crustacean Madison Cave isopod, the AP reports.

Tax-free holiday

Time to stock up on backpacks and batteries this weekend during Virginia’s sales tax holiday on school supplies and emergency-preparedness items. Or it might be a good time to buy a new Energy Star washer and dryer, which are also exempt. Tax-free shopping begins at 12:01am August 2 through 11:59pm August 4.

False report

UVA police say a July 20 call to 180 Copeley Road from an alleged victim of an attempted abduction and forcible fondling was false. The claim alleged a dark blue Honda Civic with multiple people fled toward Emmet Street. Police are discussing criminal charges with the Albemarle commonwealth’s attorney.

Charge it

City officials spend $480,000 on credit card purchases during the first half of 2019, according to the Progress’ Nolan Stout. Parks & Rec had the highest bill at $154K, including $27 to Regal Cinemas and a  premium version of Spotify. City Manager Tarron Richardson charged a new $136 phone case and the communications department picked up a $25.50 meal for Councilor Wes Bellamy before a budget work session in March.

Monacan voice

photo Jessica Elmendorf

Karenne Wood, a poet, member of the Monacan Indian Nation, and longtime director of Virginia Indian Programs at Virginia Humanities, died July 21 at age 59. She devoted her life to telling the stories of Native peoples and ensuring those stories are heard.

Wood, who was also a linguistic anthropologist, published two collections of poetry, Markings on Earth and Weaving the Boundary, and edited The Virginia Indian Heritage Trail guidebook.

The mother of two daughters, Wood was an integral voice in the city’s choice to observe Indigenous Peoples Day, and her decades of archival work led to government recognition of a number of Virginia Indian tribes, including her own.

A memorial service will be held at 1pm July 31 at UVA Chapel.

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One way: Wintergreen wants an emergency exit

The lack of an alternate entrance to Wintergreen could spell disaster during an emergency, say fire officials. Congressman Dennis Riggleman has met with the National Park Service about securing a route through the Blue Ridge Parkway. (File Photo)

There’s only one way in and one way out of Wintergreen, where residents and the local fire department have called for a second emergency exit for more than a decade, and where the topography is strikingly similar to that of Gatlinburg, Tennessee—the site of the November 2016 inferno that killed 14 people and injured nearly 200 more.

“Looking at the history of fires in other resort areas with one egress route, I found it striking that it wasn’t done yet,” says Congressman Denver Riggleman, who thought approving a 450-foot second route would be fairly simple. But because the emergency exit would lead to the federally protected Blue Ridge Parkway, approving it has been a challenge.

In March, Riggleman met with the National Park Service, which will need to sign off on an easement before anyone can enter or exit from the desired point.

“The national park is very heavily regulated, as it should be,” says Wintergreen Fire and Rescue Chief Curtis Sheets. “They’re trying to preserve it in its natural state for perpetuity. We get that.”

But, says Sheets, “We want to do this in a way that has the absolute least impact to the environment as possible,” and the best place to put it would be the relatively level corridor between the northwestern corner of the Wintergreen property and the parkway.

It’s crucial to have an emergency way out of the community, which can host as many as 10,000 people on a holiday weekend, because “if something were to happen, then we could get people out of harm’s way. We just want to do all we can,” the chief says.

The best time to have dealt with it would have been in the ’70s, when Wintergreen was built, he adds.

“We admit that it was a mistake,” says Sheets. “Nobody should have ever built a community as large as Wintergreen with only one entry and exit point, but now we’re trying to fix that.”

While some folks who live at the resort worry that a second exit would be abused as a shortcut, Sheets says the fire department could drive two steel beams into the ground with a cable stretched across them, “and we could just cut the cable if we have a catastrophe.”

Another thing worrying some Wintergreen residents is the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which is drafted to cross the sole entrance to the community.

“If the pipeline crosses that entrance and explodes, it could be a catastrophe with up to 10,000 people trapped on the mountain and no way to get out,” says resident David Schwiesow, who notes that the 42-inch high pressure natural gas pipe would be difficult to control if it blows, because the cut-off valves will be between 12 and 15 miles apart.

If the emergency route is approved, the issue then becomes figuring out what to do with the folks who are ushered to the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is closed by the park service during big storms, instances of downed trees, and ice or snow, says Schwiesow.

There’s been some discussion of having Nelson County school buses come to the rescue, he says.

“But they don’t have to, and there aren’t enough of them to transport 10,000 people,” Schwiesow says. “Not to be negative, but there are a whole lot of practical issues to be resolved.”

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In brief: Millionaire Hoos, honest haikus, candidate news, and more

Malcolm Brogdon, UVA class of '16, is currently making $1.5 million with the Milwaukee Bucks. What will the university's newest NBA recruits make? Photo by Matt Riley

Hoos blues

You know that feeling you get when you support UVA men’s basketball through the years, and then the team finally wins the NCAA championship for the first time ever, and several players decide a college degree isn’t as valuable as playing in the NBA?

While we predict they won’t be in the same paycheck league as Duke’s Zion Williamson, we can’t blame De’Andre Hunter, Ty Jerome, Kyle Guy, and Mamadi Diakite for cashing in on what could be some of the biggest paydays Virginia players have ever seen.

Here’s what other UVA players are earning since they graduated from—or jettisoned—their alma mater.

Malcolm Brogdon, Class of ‘16

  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • $1.5 million

Joe Harris, Class of ‘14

  • Brooklyn Nets
  • $8.3 million

Mike Scott, Class of ‘12

  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • $4.3 million

Justin Anderson

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • $2.5 million

And here’s how three previous NCAA hot shots cashed in.

DeAndre Ayton

  • Former Arizona Wildcat who was drafted by the Phoenix Suns
  • $8.2 million

Marvin Bagley III

  • Former Duke Blue Devil who was drafted by the Sacramento Kings
  • $7.3 million

Wendell Carter, Jr.

  • Former Duke Blue Devil who was drafted by the Chicago Bulls
  • $4.4 million

Hingeley windfall

Jim Hingeley. Staff photo

Candidate for Albemarle commonwealth’s attorney Jim Hingeley received a $50,000 donation from Sonjia Smith, the philanthropist known for writing big checks to Democrats who are running for office. As far as we can tell, this is the largest donation for a local prosecutor race, and former public defender Hingeley has raked in more than $100,000 so far. Incumbent Robert Tracci reports $21,000 as of March 31.

“Supersteve” declares

Supervisor Ann Mallek has a challenger in her White Hall District. Retired Army aviator Steve Harvey, whose email address is “supersteve,” says he wants to put his foot down on property tax increases.

Quote of the week: “This is exciting. Y’all came out for this! …You must have really had nothing else to do tonight.” —Reddit co-founder and UVA alum Alexis Ohanian at an April 17 New York Times-sponsored event on Grounds

Tuition bump booted

UVA’s Board of Visitors voted to roll back a previously announced 2.9 percent in-state tuition bump, thanks to additional General Assembly funding to public universities that opt not to up their tuition. The Charlottesville school will now receive an additional $5.52 million from the state, and the College at Wise can expect $235,000.

Riggleman stops by

Denver Riggleman. Submitted photo

Representative Denver Riggleman made a quiet visit to Charlottesville Monday for a meet-and-greet with SNP Global employees, at the invitation of the company’s political action committee. As far as we can tell, the Republican distillery owner did not take the opportunity for a more public meeting with constituents in Charlottesville, which went 85 percent for his opponent, Leslie Cockburn, in last fall’s election.

Well, that backfired

We’re not exactly sure what officials thought they’d get from an April 17 tweet posted on the city’s official Twitter account, which noted it was National Haiku Poetry Day, and called for Charlottesville-related submissions in the 5-7-5 syllable format. But we bet it wasn’t this.

 

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In brief: Adjournment day, Short stay, Fashion Square buzz and more

Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax presides over the state's senate in Richmond, Virginia, U.S., February 11, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Drake (Newscom TagID: rtrlten858176.jpg) [Photo via Newscom]

Scandal marred

It was the most eventful—and scandal-plagued— session of the General Assembly in recent memory. Over in the executive branch, Governor Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring’s past blackface antics were revealed and drew calls for Northam to resign. Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax faced accusations of sexual assault, which he denied and called a “political lynching.” Both the Northam and Fairfax scandals were initially publicized by a right-wing website owned by Reilly O’Neal, a North Carolina political operative whose clients have included Roy Moore and Corey Stewart.

Local Delegate Rob Bell plans to hold a hearing on the Fairfax allegations in the Courts of Justice Committee, which he chairs, although it’s unclear if Vivian Tyson, who says Fairfax forced her to perform oral sex in 2004, will attend, amid her concerns of being “embroiled in a highly charged political environment,” according to her lawyers.

And Delegate David Toscano, 68, who served as House minority leader for seven years, announced on the last day of the session he will not seek reelection to an eighth term representing the 57th District.

Amid the scandals, legislators, all of whose seats are up for grabs in November, also passed some new laws.

Laying down the laws

  • Gerrymandering: Long an issue for legislators like state Senator Creigh Deeds, a redistricting bill finally got the nod from both houses. The constitutional amendment, which would establish an independent commission to draw state and congressional lines, still has to pass the General Assembly next year and then go to voters before it’s official.
  • Felony DUI: Drunk driving that results in serious injury, as was the case with an 8-year-old Palmyra girl who was almost killed in a 2017 crash, will now be a felony with passage of a Rob Bell bill.
  • Jamycheal Mitchell’s law: Another Bell bill requires the Board of Corrections to establish standards for mental health care after Mitchell, 24, stole $5 worth of snacks and languished in a Hampton Roads jail for months before dying of heart failure and severe weight loss.
  • Tommie’s law: Penalty for animal torture is upped from misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony. The bill passed both houses unanimously after Tommie, the Richmond dog tied to a pole, doused with accelerant and set on fire, died.
  • No-excuses voting: Citizens can cast absentee ballots in person one week before an election, starting in 2020.
  • Wage discrimination: A Jim Crow-era law that allowed employers to pay less for jobs once frequently held by African Americans—such as newsboys, shoe-shine boys, and doormen—passed both houses, with Delegate Matt Fariss one of the 14 “no” votes.
  • Keep talking: The General Assembly was poised to ban driving while using a hand-held cellphone, but at the last minute voted to allow talking, but no texting or web surfing.
  • No spoofing: Displaying Virginia area codes if not in the commonwealth is prohibited, but whether the toothless Class 3 misdemeanor will deter robo-callers remains to be seen.
  • Public notice: Before state universities hike tuition, they must hold public hearings—if Northam signs the bill into law.

Quote of the week

“This was their chance to actually take a vote on ratifying the ERA, and they blew it.”—Delegate David Toscano on House Republican leadership redirecting a vote on the Equal Rights Amendment back to committee

In brief

More to C

A revised tourism campaign, which features a “more to C” theme, wins points with the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau after an earlier campaign touting “C’villeization” bombed.

Rumor mill

Several people have contacted us to ask if Fashion Square Mall is for sale—and one said UVA had purchased it. Not true, says UVA spokesman Anthony de Bruyn, who adds the university has no interest in doing so. And Washington Prime Group, the parent company of Fashion Square, “has no plans to close or sell the mall at this time,” says spokeswoman Kimberly Green.

Can’t get a date

Charlottesville for Reasonable Health Insurance, which called out Sentara-owned Optima’s 2018 tripling of health insurance premiums here, says it wasn’t invited to Congressman Denver Riggleman’s February 19 meeting with Sentara Martha Jefferson to find ways to make health care affordable, nor, says the group, can it get on Riggleman’s calendar.

Back where he came from

Former Trump staffer Marc Short, who drew controversy—and two resignations—when he joined UVA’s Miller Center of Public Affairs as a senior fellow in August, is stepping down and headed back to the White House, where he’ll serve as chief of staff to Mike Pence. Tweeted UVA professor of religious studies Jalane Schmidt, “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!”

wikimedia

Bare-breasted Virtus

ERA activist Michelle Renay Sutherland was arrested February 18 for enacting the Virginia state seal, which features Virtus with an exposed left breast. A judge initially ordered her held without bond for the misdemeanor charge, but she was finally released three days later.

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In brief: Robo designated driver, Thanksgiving casualties, Bigfoot erotica and more

Tony will soon be cruising the streets of Crozet. Courtesy Albemarle County

Tony the self-driving shuttle

Perrone Robotics cranked up the driverless vehicle heat last week with the awkwardly acronymed Tony—TO Navigate You—which will soon be autonomously tooling around Crozet.

In a partnership with Albemarle County and JAUNT—Jefferson Area UNited Transportation, another awkward acronym—Perrone will test drive the shuttle near its facility in Crozet before it begins an official route in March, and JAUNT will lend its transit expertise.

Albemarle is ponying up $238,000 for the vehicle, Perrone $271,000 and JAUNT $108,000 for insurance and a trained operator, who will be onboard as an “ambassador,” but be prepared to step in if the six-seater needs a real driver.

The fixed route in Crozet has not yet been determined. May we suggest a pub crawl route from Starr Hill Brewery to Crozet Pizza to Pro Re Nata?

Quote of the week

“Quite honestly, if people don’t want a successful governor and a good representative of his constituents to come to speak at the University of Virginia, I don’t give a damn.”—Robert Andrews, chair of UVA’s College Republicans, on hosting George Allen, whose past racial insensitivity—including the infamous 2006 “macaca” moment—drew concern from minority student leadership, the Cav Daily reports

In brief

Councilors want raise

Mayor Nikuyah Walker wants to ask the General Assembly to allow City Council to change its charter and determine its own salaries. Currently councilors make $18,000, and the mayor gets $20,000, which limits who can afford to serve. Council will hold a public hearing at its December 3 meeting.

Toscano not Pelosi-ing

Delegate David Toscano, the Virginia House minority leader, says he’ll resign the leadership position after the 2019 session because it takes too much time. Toscano, 68, has led the Dems since 2011, and says he’ll still seek reelection to the 57th District.

Uninviting Johnny Reb

After a petition to remove another local Confederate monument from Court Square—one that this time falls on county property and is dubbed Johnny Reb—the Albemarle Board of Supervisors has asked for legislation that would allow it to move the statue.

Uninviting Mike Signer

Members of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission want City Councilor Mike Signer off its board after they say he missed their past four meetings. In an email to the Daily Progress, Signer said his 4-year-old twins and other family members have kept him busy, and that councilors frequently miss their engagements. Wrote Signer, “Mayor Walker, for instance, has missed several council meetings this year.”

More Bigfoot jokes

“Saturday Night Live” actor Mikey Day threw on a taupe jacket and colored his hair gray November 17 as he took on the persona of 5th District Representative Denver Riggleman, who’s gotten plenty of national attention for being an alleged “devotee to Bigfoot erotica.” Said Day as Riggleman, “As I’ve said 500 times before, that picture was a joke between buds, and I’m not into that stuff.”

Caregiver con

Former caretaker Tia Daniels will serve three years in jail for stealing over $12,000 worth of heirloom jewelry and money from 98-year-old Albemarle woman Evelyn Goodman. Daniels also duped the elderly woman’s daughter into giving her money for a Habitat for Humanity house by creating fake correspondence with the charity, according to Albemarle Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Tracci.

Deadly Thanksgiving

The Charlottesville Fire Department is hoping to keep holiday cooks across the city from burning their houses down while preparing their turkey and pumpkin pies.

“Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires,” when nearly four times as many occur than on any other day, according to a press release sent by Battalion Chief Joe Phillips.

Fire crews across the nation respond to an estimated 172,100 cooking-related fires per year, for an average of 471 per day. These easily avoided incinerations have caused an average number of 530 deaths, 5,270 injuries, and $1 billion in property damage each year, according to Phillips.

City firefighters encouraging holiday cooks to keep flammable items like oven mitts and towels away from the stovetop, wear short sleeves or roll up their sleeves while in the kitchen, always have a properly fitting lid nearby to smother flames coming from a pot or pan, and, in the case of an oven fire, turn the heat off and keep the oven door closed so flames don’t spread.

And deep-fried turkeys can be deadly as well. The National Fire Protection Safety Association discourages the use of the hot-oil devices, which it says kills five people, injures 60, and destroys 900 homes a year.

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What next? 5th District flippers move on to the next race

Actress Olivia Wilde introduces her mom, Leslie Cockburn on election night. Eze Amos

Three Democratic women in Virginia upset Republicans in House of Representatives races Tuesday–but Leslie Cockburn wasn’t one of them. The investigative journalist and Rappahannock County resident fell short against Republican Denver Riggleman in the 5th district race, despite raising more money and an army of 1,500 volunteers.

The district, which includes Charlottesville and Albemarle County, is drawn even redder than when the last Democrat, Tom Perriello, won it 10 years ago, but Cockburn’s grassroots support had raised hopes of a flip, and several pundits had called the race a toss-up. 

At Cockburn’s watch party November 6, exuberance over other Dem wins in Virginia and around the country was tempered by the numbers coming from the state elections website that showed Cockburn down by a 10-point margin.

State Senator Creigh Deeds says he knocked on doors for Cockburn and marveled over her campaign’s organization, but when asked to predict the outcome, he offered, “It’s a tough district.”

Delegate David Toscano made the same observation, but pointed out that Dems had won control of the House of Representatives and would be able to check the “dangerous” tendencies of President Donald Trump.

Around 8:30pm, MSNBC called the race for Denver Riggleman, and shortly before 9pm he spoke to supporters at Blue Mountain Brewery in Nelson County, where he lives and owns a distillery.

He said the fight against government overreach was part of the “liberty movement” and there were three positions one could take: “You can either be in the fetal position and accept what’s happening. You can run away, or you can fight. And right now in the 5th District, this is the fighting 5th and liberty lives here.”

It took another hour for Cockburn to concede. She was introduced by her daughter, actress Olivia Wilde.

“We have really changed the 5th District,” said Cockburn. She acknowledged the gerrymandered nature of the district. “We have moved the goalposts. We built something wonderful and we’re going to build on this thing and keep on going.”

Leslie Cockburn concedes the 5th District race, but says her campaign “moved the goalposts” in the gerrymandered district. Eze Amos

She urged her supporters not to mourn the loss, but to start thinking about the next race. “I’m going to be canvassing” for Ben Cullop, she said, referring to one of her challengers in the primary who apparently is running for Congress again, according to Cockburn.

Kyle Kondik with Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball reiterated what he’d said all along: “We knew going in it was a tough district for any Democrat because it’s drawn to elect Republicans.”

In 2016, former Albemarle supervisor Jane Dittmar lost the 5th to Republican Tom Garrett by 16 points. This race was more competitive, says Kondik–Cockburn cut that margin to 6.5 points. And the district was “more Republican than the other three House races,” which were won by Jennifer Wexton in the 10th, Abigail Spanberger in the 7th and Elaine Luria in the 2nd.

Indivisible Charlottesville, a grassroots organization formed after Trump’s election, was dedicated to flipping the 5th, and members have been protesting regularly outside the Albemarle County Office building on Tuesdays since January, including on the stormy morning of Election Day. The morning after the race, organizer David Singerman was remarkably upbeat.

Citing Cockburn’s hundreds of volunteers, he says, “A lot of people who’d never been involved in politics before learned lessons and skills for 2019 and beyond.”

“When we do flip the 5th,” he says, “we’ll look back on this campaign as laying the foundation for that.”

Says Singerman, “We’re not stopping. We’re taking an enormous amount of pride in what we’ve accomplished the past two years. We’re looking forward to flipping the state House and Senate in 2019.”

 

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In brief: Fried chicken, flinging the mud, Long on Nike, and more

A Trump-coifed inflatable chicken caused Albemarle County to say a state of emergency is still in effect for the city. Staff photo

County boots Trump chicken

Albemarle County said the state of emergency declared for the August 11-12 weekend was still in effect after Indivisible Charlottesville brought an inflatable chicken with a Trump-like coif to its August 28 Flip the 5th demonstration in front of the County Office Building. Police declared the lawn off limits and parking restricted. No word on when the supes plan to lift the emergency orders used against protesters.

Pro bono council defense

National law firm Jones Day will represent city councilors Wes Bellamy, Kathy Galvin, Mike Signer, and former councilor Kristin Szakos after Judge Rick Moore ruled they did not have immunity for their votes to remove two Confederate statues. Jones Day has assigned 15 attorneys to represent the councilors pro bono, according to a release from plaintiff Buddy Weber.

Rent-a-cop

Confederate monument-loving Virginia Flaggers posted an appeal for donations to hire off-duty cops from a private security firm to patrol Market Street and Court Square parks to keep an eye on the Lee and Jackson statues over the Labor Day weekend after protesters in Chapel Hill toppled Silent Sam.

Golf cart sentence

Peter Parrish and Tyler Sewell on the beach at Bald Head Island. Photo Pete Clay

Ivy resident Tyler Sewell, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of felony death by motor vehicle August 27 for the August 3, 2017, golf cart accident on Bald Head Island that killed his friend Peter Parrish six days later. Sewell was given a 51- to 74-month suspended sentence and placed on supervised probation, according to Brunswick County, North Carolina, Assistant District Attorney Jason Minnicozzi.

Labor Day issue

Albemarle’s Chris Greene Lake was closed on the September 3 holiday because of an “unforeseen staffing shortage,” the county announced after C-VILLE tweeted the closing. 

UVA settles

Former assistant vice provost Betsy Ackerman’s gender and pay discrimination lawsuit against the university was dismissed August 24 and UVA declined to disclose the settlement, according to the Cav Daily.

 

Quote of the week

“There is no way to describe this, except to call it what it is—a legislative impasse.”—House Democratic Leader David Toscano on the futile August 30 General Assembly special session to redraw 11 district lines a federal court has deemed unconstitutional.

5th District mudslinging

Clergy members and Congregation Beth Israel’s Rabbi Daniel Alexander have refuted claims that 5th District congressional candidate Leslie Cockburn has spread anti-Semitic propaganda.

A month after 5th District congressional candidate Leslie Cockburn accused opponent Denver Riggleman of being a “devotee of Bigfoot erotica,” the Republican Party of Virginia has fired back at her with an image much more sensitive to the folks in the district it’s vying to represent.

A mailer sent out last week superimposed an image of Cockburn above one of the angry white men who marched with lit torches across the University of Virginia on August 11, 2017, chanting “Jews will not replace us” along the way.

The mailer accuses Cockburn of spreading anti-Semitic propaganda in her 1991 book Dangerous Liaison: The Inside Story of the U.S.-Israeli Covert Relationship, and says it has been “praised by white supremacist groups.”

Her supporters, including many clergy members and Rabbi Daniel Alexander of Congregation Beth Israel, quickly rushed to combat the claims against Cockburn.

“It is deeply dismaying to see Virginia’s Republican party follow the debased example of the current occupant of the White House by engaging in ad hominem attacks and appeals to fear,” Alexander said in an August 26 statement posted to Democratic news site Blue Virginia. “Leslie Cockburn stands against all of that and that is why I enthusiastically stand with her.”

On Twitter, Cockburn called the attack “disgusting and ludicrous,” and says, “I am deeply grateful to members of the clergy who stand with me against the abhorrent use of the Unite the Right Rally to fling mud. Virginia Democrats are not fooled by dirty tricks.”

However, Democrats used similar images in last year’s gubernatorial race, affixing Republican candidate Ed Gillespie’s photo to those of the torch-carrying mob.

And Cockburn’s campaign continues to call former Jason Kessler associate Isaac Smith, who attended a Riggleman event, a white supremacist, despite Smith’s disavowal of Kessler and the alt-right.

Chris Long defends Nike campaign

Charlottesville native and now Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long weighs in on the campaign Nike launched over the weekend, which stars football free agent Colin Kaepernick.

If you don’t watch football—or read the news—Kaepernick has been in the spotlight since 2016 for kneeling during the national anthem on NFL sidelines for games in which he played for the San Francisco 49ers. He took a knee to protest police brutality, and now some people who criticized Kaepernick are protesting the mega sportswear brand.

“Nike is a huge business,” said Long on Twitter on September 3. “They’ve calculated risk. They may even have reason to believe this will make the brand more popular which means the guy burning his white Air Monarchs is in the minority. Bitter pill to swallow, I’m sure. Good luck with the protest. Bet they anticipated it.”

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In brief: Bigfoot erotica, council infighting (again), white supremacist infighting and more

Leslie Cockburn captured this screenshot of opponent Denver Riggleman.

Bigfoot erotica

Fifth District Democratic candidate Leslie Cockburn called opponent Denver Riggleman a devotee of “Bigfoot erotica” because of images of Bigfoot with a black bar over its genitals on Riggleman’s Instagram account. Riggleman, who co-authored a book on the legendary ape-like creature, said the images are a joke from his friends, and returned fire at Cockburn’s 1991 book on U.S. relations with Israel, which Republicans have called “anti-Semitic.”

Quote of the week

“This is an attempt to put me in my place.”—Mayor Nikuyah Walker on Facebook after fellow councilors ask if she should recuse herself from the selection of a new city manager because she’s a temporary parks & rec employee

Zemp’s response

Sidney Zemp, the man who was offered the interim city manager position, which sparked a major outcry from Mayor Nikuyah Walker, who denounced the selection process and read his resumé aloud on Facebook Live, cited “the controversy contrived by the mayor and her questionable motivations” as a reason for turning down the offer. Assistant City Manager Mike Murphy was named interim city manager hours before Maurice Jones left the position July 31.

Profs resign

Two UVA history professors—William Hitchcock and Melvyn Leffler—resigned from the Miller Center in protest of its offering a senior fellowship to former Trump legislative affairs director Marc Short. Both Hitchcock and Leffler are tenured and retain positions in the history department.

Creepy teacher sentenced

Richard Wellbeloved-Stone

When former Charlottesville High School science teacher Richard Wellbeloved-Stone was sentenced in federal court July 30 to 23 years in prison for one count of production of child pornography, it was revealed that he had also taken more than 100 photos up students’ skirts and down students’ shirts from 2012 to 2014, which could warrant more charges.

 

Teacher killer sentenced

The man charged in the involuntary manslaughter death of Western Albemarle music teacher Eric Bretthauser in 2016 was sentenced to three years in prison. Aaron Johnson of Richmond initially was charged with manslaughter while driving under the influence.

No prison time

Stephen Dalton Baril

In a case that has been picked up across the country, Stephen Dalton Baril—an ex-UVA student and grandson of John Dalton, the former Republican governor who served Virginia from 1978 to 1982—had his felony rape and sodomy charge reduced to misdemeanor sexual battery and felony unlawful wounding in exchange for an Alford plea. “You raped me whether you want to hear it or not,” the victim said. He’ll serve five years of supervised probation.

 

It’s an alt-right infight

While it’s become clear over the past year that Jason Kessler isn’t the most popular guy in town, he’s also not the most popular among white nationalist internet trolls. And his decision to allow people of color to volunteer at the Unite the Right reunion planned for D.C. and his apparent ban on neo-Nazis at the event aren’t helping. A quick perusal of snippets from social media site Gab—where many white supremacists flee when Twitter gives them the boot—gives insight into what they’re arguing about these days.

 

 

Doggy duty

courtesy draftsman hotel

There’s a new employee at the Draftsman Hotel and this one has fur.

Meet Bulleit Rye Whiskey, the resident Wheaton terrier who was born 21 miles from the hotel at Shady Lane Family Farm in Free Union, and who clocks his hours by greeting guests and their pets.

The Draftsman, the 11-story, 150-room upscale boutique hotel that opened on West Main Street in May, will celebrate its official grand opening this summer—and Bulleit will be there making sure everything goes according to plan.

“Bulleit absolutely loves being around people,” says Draftsman manager and doggy daddy JP Roberts. “He’s thrilled to greet new guests and wander around the library and lobby, but we are most excited about having him interact with the incredibly tough kids next door at UVA Children’s Hospital once he completes his therapy dog certification.”

Bulleit, who bribed us by mailing us a couple beef bourguignon dog treats, has his own message: “I don’t want to brag, but most people say I am a very good boy,” the pooch said in a press release. And his shameless plug?  “I wanted to let everyone know that the Draftsman is open for business and we are having our grand opening on September 20.”

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In brief: GOP scrambles, council contretemps, stormy waters and more

Distiller Denver Riggleman secures the 5th District GOP nomination by one vote. Submitted photo

Riggleman snatches 5th District Republican nomination

Five days after Congressman Tom Garrett announced he would not seek re-election to deal with alcoholism, distiller and former gubernatorial candidate Denver Riggleman fended off 10 other candidates in a five-hour marathon meeting June 2 at Nelson County High in Lovingston and secured the nomination by one vote.

Because Garrett’s announcement came so late in the election cycle, the 5th District GOP committee’s 37 members decided who the party’s pick would be to face off against Dem nominee Leslie Cockburn in November.

The committee had four rounds of voting, and until the last round, Riggleman trailed Cynthia Dunbar, who lost the 6th District nomination two weeks earlier and whose far-right positions would have made the red-leaning 5th District a toss-up, according to pundits at UVA’s Center for Politics.

Riggleman and his wife, Christine, own Silverback Distillery, which uses the nickname the couple’s daughters bestowed upon Riggleman, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer and Department of Defense contractor.

Last year, Riggleman briefly was a candidate for governor before withdrawing. The libertarian-leaning Republican says he’ll join the House Freedom Caucus if elected to Congress.

Riggleman has publicly groused about Virginia’s Prohibition-era laws governing alcohol sales, and he told the Washington Post if he’d known about the state’s arcane regs, he and his wife would never have set up shop here. Riggleman also has fought Dominion Energy, which planned to run its controversial pipeline through his Afton property.

“I need you to have an understanding of what it really means to be black.”—Activist Rosia Parker to City Council June 4 after she was not named to the city police citizen panel

Civilian review board controversy

City Council named seven people to an independent police review panel in a 3-2 vote Monday, and consternation ensued. Mayor Nikuyah Walker and Councilor Wes Bellamy voted against the appointments, which did not include some police critics like civil rights lawyer Jeff Fogel. Activist Don Gathers, who was appointed to the board, said the fact the council vote was made on racial lines “should be problematic to people.”

“The Silly Clowncil Song”

Charlottesville City Council meetings have become must-see TV over the past year as they spiraled out of control. Now council has its own parody song and video, courtesy of former tea partier Carole Thorpe and former councilor Rob Schilling. Thorpe sings and penned new lyrics to “Goodbye Cruel World,” a 1961 James Darren hit, and Schilling produced the video.

New confederate real estate

staff photo

A billboard courtesy of the Virginia Flaggers has been catching eyes on East High Street since May 1. A bronze Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson is depicted riding his trusty steed next to a quote that’s attributed to him: “All I am and all I have is at the service of my country.” Says proud flagger Grayson Jennings, “Looks good, doesn’t it?”

Slow down, Nikuyah

When Mayor Nikuyah Walker was pulled over for allegedly driving 43mph in a 25mph zone in September, she was given a ticket and convicted in November. She appealed the driving infraction June 1 in Charlottesville Circuit Court, where a second judge also found her guilty of driving too fast, but reduced her fine by $200, to $90, according to attorney Jeff Fogel.

Television tactics

UVA Health System professionals are testing whether focused sound waves can treat hypothalamic hamartoma, a rare brain mass that causes a “giggling” form of epilepsy, after the experimental approach was used on a recent episode of “Grey’s Anatomy.” Neurologist Nathan Fountain, the principal investigator of this clinical trial, says, “It was a very clever and surprising use of our research.” UVA is recruiting test participants from ages 18 to 80.

The water’s (mostly) fine

photo Tom Daly

Just in time for swimming season, new bacteria monitoring results from the James River Association show that the river is generally safe for recreation about 80 percent of the time. The other 20 percent? Eh.

Seventeen percent of collected samples showed levels of pollution that are unsafe for swimming, but those were mostly taken after significant rainfall, when bacteria washes into the James from surrounding land and sewage systems.

“This data demonstrates that our local waterways are safe for recreation most of the time, but extra caution is necessary after rainstorms,” says Jamie Brunkow, a James River riverkeeper. In other words, the throngs of people who will undoubtedly flock to the river in the summer heat might want to check its conditions before they grab their beach towels and beer coolers.

And the association makes that easy with its website called James River Watch, which shows what’s up with the waterway at all times.

The health of the river is determined by location, with highest health scores of 100 percent given to Chickahominy Riverfront Park in James City and the James River Fishing Pier in Newport News, and the worst score of 63 percent given to Rocketts Landing in Richmond. Both Charlottesville public access points on the Rivanna River, a tributary of the James, at Riverview and Darden Towe parks, pass with percentages in the mid-80s.

JUST THE FACTS

• 4 million annual visitors to the James River

• 6.5 million pounds of commercial seafood caught annually

• 200 public access sites on the James and its tributaries

• 236,217 hunting and fishing licenses purchased within the watershed in 2016

• $18.9 billion annual economic benefits provided by the river

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In brief: Library shocker, UVA’s $9 million plane and more

The Northside Library on Rio Road, which opened in 2015, houses 30,000 square feet and the most checked out books. Stephen Barling

Busy as a bookworm

Here in the digital age, one relic from our printing-press past is defying obsolescence: the library. The Jefferson-Madison Regional Library saw its busiest year ever in 2016, with its newest Crozet and Northside libraries contributing to the boom, according to director John Halliday. It’s not just books that account for the heavy traffic. People go to the libraries for programs, to rent space in the McIntire Room in the Central Library and to use computers or Wi-Fi. E-books are the fastest-growing segment, now making up 5 percent of the volume. The biggest problem at Northside right now is parking. “That’s a good problem to have,” says Halliday.

2016: spine-tingling year

  • 1.7 million Number of books checked out from JMRL
  • 1.2 million Users who came through library doors
  • 103,000 People with library cards
  • 10 Branches including the book mobile
  • 110 employees
  • $7.6 million budget
  • Most used branch: Central Library
  • Branch with most books checked out: Northside

In brief

Keep fighting

A judge ruled March 13 that federal court does not have jurisdiction in the Legal Aid Justice Center lawsuit against the Department of Motor Vehicles that challenged Virginia’s automatic suspension of driver’s licenses for unpaid fines, regardless of ability to pay. Charlottesville resident Damian Stinnie was one of the plaintiffs, and Legal Aid says it will continue to fight.

“Virginia law leads state judges to automatically suspend a defendant’s driver’s license for nonpayment of court fees and fines, regardless of his ability to pay. That unflinching command may very well violate Plaintiffs’ constitutional rights to due process and equal protection.”

—Judge Norman Moon in dismissing a lawsuit against the DMV

Whiskey rebellion sours

Silverback Distillery owner Denver Riggleman ended his campaign for governor, citing “business considerations, resource shortages and family health issues.” Pundits say the effect of his withdrawal on the now-three-man race for the GOP nomination will be minimal.

Chilling death

On a day where the low temperature was 21 degrees, a man, 58, was found dead on the porch of a business around 7:35am March 15 in the 1000 block of East Jefferson Street. Police said the circumstances did not appear suspicious, but it was under investigation, and the man’s remains were sent for review by a medical examiner at UVA.

Shooting and a chaser

A 17-year-old boy was shot in the 700 block of Sixth Street SE on March 16, according to city police, who said he was arrested the following day on charges of attempted malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Tyrek Wells, Cy-Lamarr Rojas and Quintus Brooks were also charged in the shooting and the subsequent high-speed chase that followed.

What’s with all the chases?

Around 4am on March 21, county police say officers deployed spike strips on Route 250 to stop a vehicle pursuit that originated in Nelson County. Charges are pending for the driver, who was attempting to turn onto I-64 and crashed his car after hitting the spikes. At press time, a police spokesperson did not yet have the driver’s name.

In plane sight

Cessna560XLCitationXLS_PeterBakema_edit
This Cessna Citation XLS is similar to the one recently purchased by UVA. Photo Peter Bakema

In December, C-VILLE reported on a $4 million jet owned by the University of Virginia Foundation since the early 2000s after a rumor that Thomas Jefferson’s university had purchased a new plane, which a
school spokesperson denied. The Federal Aviation Administration’s website documented that a new tail number, N560VA, was reserved by the foundation on December 30—just two days after our report was published—and we found that the original Cessna Citation Bravo was up for sale.

University spokesperson Anthony de Bruyn now says the foundation recently purchased an $8.8 million 2015 Cessna Citation XLS, an eight-seat, multi-engine jet flown by pilots-in-command John Farmer and Stephen Power. The old Citation Bravo sold for $950,000, he adds.

“The foundation’s previous aircraft, which was also purchased used, had been in service since 2004 and was due for a significant scheduled maintenance overhaul,” de Bruyn says. “Instead of investing in a costly overhaul, the decision was made to purchase a used aircraft and to sell the previous aircraft. The foundation, which owns the aircraft, conducted the sale and acquisition. No tuition dollars or public monies were used.”

Corrected March 22 at 9am to reflect the correct number of seats on the University of Virginia Foundation’s 2015 Cessna Citation XLS.