Tag: Jim Ryan

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Giving back

Journalist Katie Couric sitting in a chair next to UVA president Jim Ryan
Award-winning journalist and UVA alumna Katie Couric returned to her alma mater to discuss her life, career, and new scholarship on November 4. PC: Tom Daly

Award-winning journalist and UVA alumna Katie Couric returned to her old stomping grounds for a conversation with President Jim Ryan at Alumni Hall on November 4. During the hour-long interview, the pair discussed Couric’s life and career, including her decades in TV news, cancer research advocacy, and her media company, Katie Couric Media.

Ryan kicked off the conversation by congratulating Couric on her many achievements since graduating in 1979 from UVA, where she served in several positions at The Cavalier Daily. From 1991 to 2006, Couric was a co-anchor of NBC’s “Today” show, before becoming the first solo female anchor on a nightly news broadcast on a major network with “CBS Evening News.” Couric has also worked for “60 Minutes,” ABC News, and Yahoo! News, among several other organizations; hosted her own daytime talk show, “Katie”; and authored two books.

Ryan praised Couric’s recent $1 million donation to UVA, which is being matched by the university to fund a scholarship in her name. “I wanted to return all the blessings I’ve gotten here,” Couric said.

The media mogul opened up about her battle with breast cancer, and that of her first husband, Jay Monahan, with colon cancer—one that he ultimately lost in 1998 at age 42. She emphasized the importance of quality health care.“We have a caste system in terms of medical care,” she said. 

Couric encouraged female audience members to get in-depth screenings for breast cancer, explaining that almost 50 percent of women over 40 have dense breast tissue, making it harder to find tumors. She is currently working with policymakers on legislation to require health insurers to pay for breast ultrasounds for all women with dense breasts. 

In addition to donating and raising money for cancer research, Couric had a colonoscopy on-air in 2000. She asserted that she wanted to destigmatize colonoscopies and raise awareness of the importance of detecting the early stages of colon cancer. 

“It would be criminal to have the kind of platform I have and not educate people,” she said. 

Couric also discussed what it’s like to be a journalist today and the challenges reporters face in an era of widespread misinformation and distrust of mainstream media. “People are gravitating toward affirmation rather than information,” she said.

Though Couric lamented the fractured landscape of TV and print news, she also voiced feelings of hope at the ways in which technological innovation has provided young people with ever-increasing opportunities to become creators. She expressed joy at the expanding number of minority communities that are now represented in the media industry.

During the short question-and-answer portion of the evening, Couric conveyed strong opinions on the current state of American politics and issues with mainstream media. 

When asked whether she would ever consider interviewing an ultra-conservative TV news host, like Sean Hannity of Fox News, Couric expressed doubt that he and his colleagues truly believe what they are saying, making an interview futile. She deplored Fox News’ role in widening the political divide in the United States, but acknowledged left-leaning news sources’ role in fueling political polarization too. Calling Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch “Satan,” Couric accused him of “helping to destroy American democracy.” 

The acclaimed journalist also reflected on some of her most iconic interviews. She recounted her experience interviewing Craig Scott and Michael Shoels—family members of the victims of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting—and the ways in which their display of raw human emotion set her on a path to make a difference. 

Looking to the future, Couric envisioned herself developing a television series that takes a hard look at U.S. history. The country must learn from its mistakes before it can move forward, she said.

Closing out the interview, Couric encouraged young journalists to find things they are passionate about, and be bold in their ambition.

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In brief: Turkey time, planner peace out, and more

Volunteers hand out birds at the We Code, Too turkey drive on Saturday. PC: Zack Wajsgras

Turkey time

Community is hard to come by these days, especially as we’re all hunkering down for a long winter indoors. But at the Jefferson School on Saturday, the community put on an impressive show. During the annual We Code, Too turkey drive, 200 birds were handed out to those in need ahead of the holiday. Some of the turkeys were contributed by retailers, and many more were purchased using money from individual donations. Cars snaked through the parking lot, as recipients remained socially distant during distribution. It’s the seventh year in a row that the drive has taken place, proving that even in difficult times, some things remain constant.

Planner says peace out 

Charlottesville city government’s staffing woes continue. On November 4, the city announced that Parag Agrawal had been hired as the Director of Neighborhood Development Services. Agrawal even made an introductory appearance at a press conference the next day. But less than two weeks later, Agrawal is gone, after announcing last week that he’s taken a job as the planning director in Prince William County instead. There’s been a lot of turnover at City Hall recently, but this is a new record.

Looking on the bright side, at least the city won’t have to pay Agrawal a severance package. Mike Murphy got nine months of additional pay after spending a year as interim city manager, and former city manager Tarron Richardson got a $205,000 lump sum after less than a year and a half at the helm. Maybe it would’ve been in Agrawal’s best interest to stick around for another week or two—who knows what he might have walked away with.

After 16 months on the job, former city manager Tarron Richardson walked away with $205,000 in severance pay. PC: Eze Amos

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Quote of the week

“Quite honestly, I just don’t have the time to address every crazy thing she says. It would be a full-time job.”

—Virginia Senate Republican Mark Obenshain, when asked to respond to Republican gubernatorial candidate Amanda Chase’s latest remarks

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In brief

White House bound?

After just two years as UVA president, Jim Ryan may be moving on to the White House—at least, if Nicholas Kristof has his way. The New York Times columnist floated Ryan as a secretary of education pick for Joe Biden’s cabinet last week, praising his “strong moral compass” and more than a decade of experience in higher education. Ryan was “flattered” by the mention, but said, “My focus has been and will continue to be leading the University of Virginia.”

Durty deal

You can get anything on Craigslist—even a much-loved Charlottesville bar. Durty Nelly’s Pub is for sale, and last week the whole shebang was briefly posted on the online classified board with a price tag of $75,000. Durty Nelly’s is still open and doesn’t plan on closing, but the post suggested that the owner is looking to move on.

Pass it around

After Governor Ralph Northam’s recent announcement that he would support marijuana legalization in next year’s General Assembly session, State Delegate Lee Carter proposed that money generated from pot sales be spent on reparations for Black and Indigenous Virginians. It’s “a moral commitment our history demands of us and a necessary first step in Virginia,” Carter wrote in a press release.

Bottom lines up

It’ll come as no surprise that one business in particular is thriving during the pandemic: Virginia ABC stores have reported record sales through the last few months, turning in $22 million more in revenue in October 2020 than during October 2019. Usually, restaurants make up roughly 20 percent of the ABC stores’ businesses, but the liquor shops are having no trouble making ends meet even with that flow interrupted.

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In brief: Remembering John Conover, flicking off UVA, and more

Former city councilor John Conover, pictured here in 2007 with his wife, Virginia Daugherty, passed away on October 4. PC: Eze Amos

A fond farewell

Charlottesville superstar John Conover, 74, passed away over the weekend. Conover arrived in town in 1970 and started a printing press, before serving as a city councilor from 1980 to 1984. He later worked as an attorney with the Legal Aid Justice Center, served on the board of Live Arts, and helped spearhead the creation of the Rivanna Trail.

Conover was a “creative and quirky thinker,” said City Councilor Lloyd Snook at council’s Monday meeting. “I didn’t always agree with him, but I always listened to him…His was a full life, a life of service to the community and the poor.”

Conover’s personality shines through in all of the stories written about him during his time in Charlottesville—in a 2004 interview with The Hook, Conover said his perfect day featured “some competition, some reading, some affection,” and that his proudest accomplishment was “consistency in love and community.”

Court conflict 

For nearly 25 years, the Charlottesville Albemarle Adult Drug Treatment Court has helped local residents struggling with addiction get the treatment they need, rather than punish them with jail time. However, one aspect of the court has been a recent point of contention: Participants must plead guilty to their charges in order to enter the program.

Charlottesville attorney Jeff Fogel has brought up the issue numerous times to City Council, leading Charlottesville Commonwealth’s Attorney Joe Platania and Deputy Public Defender Liz Murtagh to give a presentation on the program during Monday’s meeting.

“With the post-plea docket, there’s an acceptance of responsibility and a desire for intensive treatment very quickly,” said Platania. “That is a component that leads to more success.”

Mayor Nikuyah Walker, who worked directly with clients battling substance abuse while at Region Ten, pushed back on Platania’s definition of responsibility.

“They don’t walk in the door, even after those guilty pleas, saying ‘I’m going to change my life and I’m thankful…’ All the people usually know at that time is that they don’t want to go back into jail, which they know does not serve them well either,” she said.

During public comment, community organizer Ang Conn urged council to think about the many people who did not graduate from the program, and in turn were given a sentence, as it considers future changes.

Since there have been only 400 graduates in the program’s history, “that’s approximately 16 successful cases per year,” said Conn. “That doesn’t seem to be a successful program to me.”

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Quote of the week

“Even if businesses fail, they can start another business…What we cannot do is bring someone back to life if they die.”

—Mayor Nikuyah Walker, on her Facebook post suggesting that indoor dining should be banned

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In brief

Disproportionate contact

For the third year in a row, crime charges dropped in Charlottesville—yet Black residents continue to be disproportionately arrested. According to the Charlottesville Police Department’s new annual report, 52 percent of the people arrested last year were Black, even though only about 18 percent of the city is Black. In 2018, 57 percent of people arrested were Black. Meanwhile, complaints made against the department have resulted in few repercussions: Out of the 50 internal affairs cases conducted last year, only 10 percent were sustained.

Sign up

UVA prez Jim Ryan penned an open letter to the university community this week, expressing his distaste for the controversial “Fuck UVA” sign on a student’s Lawn room door. Ryan didn’t like the profanity and also didn’t appreciate that the sign “fail[s] to acknowledge any of the progress that this University has made.” Though the sign is protected under the First Amendment, Ryan claimed UVA admin would consider “additional regulations” for the Lawn before next school year. Many students have pointed out that, ironically, last week the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education ranked UVA the No. 6 university for “open climates for free speech” in 2020.

Blair with me, here

With Dr. Tarron Richardson’s resignation finalized last week, Charlottesville’s new interim city manager appeared at Monday’s council meeting for the first time—or rather, appeared for the first time as a city manager. John Blair has been the city attorney since 2018, and has been a fixture at City Council meetings, sorting out the council’s procedural questions in a measured, deliberate drawl.

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In brief: Sad grads, Spanish cuts, running for justice

The cancellation of UVA's graduation will have effects all across town.

 

For the first time in nearly 200 years, the University of Virginia will be honoring its graduates not on Grounds—but online. Starting at 1pm May 16, students, their families, and friends will be able to tune in to the university’s virtual celebration and conferral of degrees on its website, as well as on UVA’s official Facebook and Twitter accounts.

The 30-minute ceremony—planned by a committee of students, faculty, and staff—will open with a surprise performer, followed by the university’s annual year-in-review video. President Jim Ryan, along with the deans of each school, will then confer degrees to UVA’s more than 7,000 graduates. After a student-led performance, Ryan will deliver congratulatory remarks, and introduce a second surprise entertainer. The ceremony will wrap up with a performance of “The Good Old Song” by the University Singers.

Graduates will still get to walk the Lawn, but when remains unclear: An in-person graduation ceremony is planned for either October or next May, depending on future social-distancing guidelines and restrictions.

When Final Exercises do happen, Courtney Cacatian, executive director of the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau, expects it will bring a “much needed boost” to the local economy, specifically with lodging taxes. The city’s hotel occupancy in May is typically around 75 percent, with rooms sold out during graduation weekend. And the average daily rate for a room is $150—the highest for the entire year.

According to the latest data available (from the week of April 19), Charlottesville hotel occupancy was down to 25 percent, not including the places that have closed because of the pandemic.

Charlottesville’s restaurants are also losing out on big bucks (not to mention the city’s loss of meals tax revenue). Over graduation weekend, The Local, for instance, typically hosts more than 1,500 guests—“by far our busiest time of the entire year,” says operations manager Michelle Moshier. “Now, restaurants are not only faced with trying to recover from months of closures, [but] they are also taking a huge financial hit by losing much-needed sales that restaurants count on to carry them through the slower summer months.”

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Quote of the Week

“When we beat this, people will still have to battle with insurance companies and choose between groceries and medicine. We have to do better.”

—Dr. Cameron Webb, candidate for Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, in his first television advertisement

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In brief

Hasta la vista

As the pandemic continues to crunch budgets, Charlottesville City Schools has decided to sacrifice its elementary school Spanish program. The city hadn’t met the school district’s requests for funding even before the pandemic, and now, after further cuts, the district finds itself on the wrong end of a $1.16 million deficit, reports The Daily Progress. School board members have expressed a desire to bring the program back once the pandemic’s effects have passed.

Run with Maud

Dozens of Charlottesville residents donned black T-shirts last weekend, and embarked on a 2.23 mile jog in a show of solidarity for Ahmaud Arbery, the black man who was murdered by two white men while jogging in Brunswick, Georgia, on February 23. Arbery’s alleged killers were charged with murder May 7. The Charlottesville group, organized by former vice-mayor Wes Bellamy, was one of many around the country that ran in Arbery’s honor.

Pass the test?

UVA President Jim Ryan appeared on “Face the Nation” over the weekend to discuss the school’s still-mysterious fall plans. Ryan hopes to have as many students on Grounds as possible, but said, “we would need to test students when they first arrive, and faculty and staff before the students arrive.” That seems like an ambitious goal, given the difficulty that even state governments have had in procuring tests.

Pole position

Even with fewer people on the roads, those pesky telephone poles still jump in front of cars sometimes. A driver downed the pole outside of Vinegar Hill Theatre on May 8, resulting in a brief power outage downtown and a day-long road closure.

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Coronavirus News

‘It could suck so much more’: A fourth-year’s attempt at positivity

PC: Dan Addison/UVA Communications

By Dan Goff

“Remember when I said I doubted the university would move classes online because it would be a logistical nightmare? Well, I was only half right. UVA will and has moved classes online. And it’s a logistical nightmare.”

This quote, from an email sent by one of my professors, nicely sums up the sentiment of UVA faculty and students. I’ve heard and read a lot of grumbling about the university-mandated switch to Zoom, and I’ve done a fair bit of it myself. We fourth-years are especially bummed, since it’s more than just a “logistical nightmare” for us. It looks like the rest of our time at UVA isn’t going to be at UVA at all.

The latest update from President Jim Ryan, letting us know that final exercises as we know them are officially canceled, was a particularly upsetting blow. Graduation ceremonies were the one school-related part of being a fourth-year I really didn’t want to miss. We’ve been told that UVA is “developing creative alternatives,” but I’m skeptical. I shudder to think of the Zoom call that would accommodate a crowd of 4,000.

Charlottesville is not unique here, of course. This is a trend happening at universities across the country and the world, and it’s a necessary one. We can whine all we want about how much the rest of this semester is going to suck (and admittedly, it’ll probably suck), but these are prudent precautions. 

What I’ve been trying to do these past few days is keep in mind how relatively fortunate I am. I’m still in Charlottesville (sorry, President Ryan) because of my job as delivery boy at New Dominion Bookshop. My parents live outside Richmond, an easy drive in case I need to return home. I’m an English major in the creative writing program whose thesis is being written in isolation anyways—my degree doesn’t depend on student teaching or hands-on lab work.

I’ve heard stories of other students faring worse—like my friend Aline Dolinh, a fellow fourth-year who recently returned from Germany. Her trip should’ve ended days earlier, but thanks to what she calls a “comedy of errors,” involving a stolen backpack that contained her laptop and passport, she was stranded. Things were looking grim as Germany continued to close its borders and restrict travel, but she (incredibly) got at least her passport returned to her and made it back to the States earlier this week, where she’s now hanging out in her parents’ basement “like a medieval plague victim.”

Aside from such ill-fated trips abroad, what about the students whose actual homes are overseas? According to recent data, UVA has nearly 2,500 nonresident alien students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs. What percentage of these students is trying but unable to return home? How long might they be stuck here? Questions like these make me remember how lucky I am to be an in-state student with a car, and my right to complain shrinks that much more. 

Of course, there’s the social side of this to consider too. We’ll find creative ways to graduate, but what about creative ways to remain in touch? When I chatted with Aline the other day, she agreed that “it’s the small things that are hitting the most. I won’t be able to do x or y with my friends, and I don’t know the next time I’ll get to see some of these people.”

Charlottesville—particularly the university side of Charlottesville—is starting to feel like a ghost town. Two of my three roommates are still here, but from what I’ve seen, this is pretty unusual. My Instagram and Facebook feeds are stuffed with fourth-years posting bittersweet photos of the Lawn with captions commemorating their “3.75 years” and giving an emotional goodbye to Charlottesville.  

As far as I know, the majority of my fourth- year friends have already packed up and headed back to their family homes. This includes Veronica Sirotic, who was the first friend I made at UVA—though I’m sure I wasn’t hers. Veronica is one of the most social people I’ve ever met. It seems like she can make friends with someone as effortlessly as shaking their hand—two activities which I guess are prohibited for the time being. 

When I FaceTimed Veronica to check in, she answered the call wearing her cap and gown—graduation photos, she explained. She had a mini ceremony with her roommates (from a socially safe distance, of course), after which she drove to her parents’ place in Arlington. 

She was understandably upset about the situation, but was also trying to keep a fair perspective. “I’m not dead, and my family is safe,” she said. “I have a lot to be grateful for.” 

We both acknowledged that while being a fourth-year sucked right now, “it could suck so much more.” I referenced a post I had seen her share on Facebook from Take Back the Night, UVA’s sexual assault prevention group that she co-chairs. The post said that “people currently experiencing sexual harm or survivors of that harm may be particularly affected” by the pandemic—for a variety of reasons, including lack of access to in-person counseling and an exacerbated sense of isolation. The post was a wake-up call, another reality of this that I hadn’t even considered. 

Talking with Veronica was a bit of a wake-up call, too, and it helped put things further into perspective. Sure, what’s ahead is concerning, and not just in the context of public health. This is a less-than-ideal time to be entering the job market—I have no idea what the economy will look like when I graduate in two months. 

I’ve been trying not to worry about hypotheticals like that, though, and take things day-by-day. It’s easy to feel helpless in a situation like this, but we still have some agency. Veronica’s photo shoot inspired me—come May 16, if President Ryan’s “creative alternatives” don’t pan out, I might have a personal graduation ceremony in the safety of my apartment. I can wear the honors of Honors in my bedroom and hand off a diploma to myself. I won’t have a Lawn to march across and my ceilings are a little low for cap-throwing, but it’s better than nothing.

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In brief: 1619 Project comes to town, Chase announces governor bid, and more

Acclaimed New York Times Magazine writer Nikole Hannah-Jones speaks with Times columnist and local resident Jamelle Bouie about the 1619 Project at The Haven on February 17. PC: Eze Amos

Get serious: Talking reparations, monuments, and more

What does it mean to confront the truth? To not be complacent in an unjust system? To seek justice for those who’ve been oppressed by that system for over 400 years?

Acclaimed New York Times Magazine writer Nikole Hannah-Jones grappled with these questions­—and more—during a discussion with Times columnist (and local resident) Jamelle Bouie at The Haven on February 17.

“So much about the society that we’ve developed has been touched by [slavery], but we treat it as very marginal,” says Hannah-Jones, who also spoke at the Rotunda with UVA President Jim Ryan earlier in the day. Charlottesville “is a place that’s clearly still grappling and struggling with that legacy. And so I think it was important to have that conversation here.”

Hannah-Jones, who originated the magazine’s ongoing 1619 Project on the legacy of slavery, connected the project’s work to the years-long controversy surrounding the city’s Confederate statues, which she described as monuments to white supremacy.

“I just find it appalling that black folks pay to maintain statues to white supremacy and enslavement,” she says. “If you can’t get rid of monuments to people who fought [for slavery], then you’re not actually serious about making larger repairs.”

Hannah-Jones also addressed economic reparations for the descendants of slaves, saying “you cannot repay centuries of stolen capital without capital.” 

After reading Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America in high school, Hannah-Jones says she could not stop thinking about the mass erasure and misrepresentation of black history. After years of reporting on de facto school segregation and other racial justice issues, she pitched the 1619 Project to paint a broader picture of the long-lasting impact of slavery.

Hannah-Jones said 1619 has been criticized by some as “too pessimistic,” and she does not think there is a real desire for change, as “people aren’t willing to do the work,” especially when it personally affects them. 

Yet she encouraged community leaders, activists, and others to keep up the fight. 

“We do have to believe we can destruct the system that we have,” she said. “If you don’t believe it, then you can just sit comfortably where you are.”

About the 1619 Project

The 1619 Project was launched by The New York Times Magazine in August 2019, with a special issue devoted to tracing the legacy of slavery in America (which began 400 years earlier), and its impact on our current inequalities. The multimedia project now includes a podcast, teacher resources, and a forthcoming book, and aims to “reframe the country’s history,” the magazine says, “by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.”    

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Quote of the Week

“Fairfax needs to resign…Granting Fairfax the honor of speaking at the gala sends an exculpatory message I do not believe is merited.”

­—Charlottesville-based Dem super-donor Michael Bills, who withdrew a sponsorship when Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax was invited to speak at the Blue Commonwealth Gala 

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Ban banned

Charlottesville’s state Senator Creigh Deeds was one of four Democrats who voted to reject a bill that would ban the sale of assault weapons in Virginia. The bill had been supported by Governor Ralph Northam, and its failure is a rare victory for a gun-rights crowd that has loudly voiced its grievances in recent weeks. Deeds, whose district includes rural areas in Bath County, continues to earn his reputation as one of the most gun-friendly Democrats in the legislature.

Tessa Majors update

A 14-year-old middle school student was arrested in New York City February 14 for the fatal stabbing of Barnard freshman and St. Anne’s-Belfield alum Tessa Majors. The teen was charged with one count of intentional murder, one count of felony murder, and four counts of robbery. He will be tried as an adult.

Funke business

Hajo Funke, a German professor specializing in far-right extremism, was supposed to spend a semester teaching at UVA—but his visa has been delayed indefinitely, reports the Cavalier Daily. The professors who hoped to collaborate with Funke speculate that his work on far-right politics, criticism of Unite the Right, or a recent passport stamp from Iran might have caused the delay, but the consulate has kept mum. Foreign students and professors have had increasing difficulty entering the country since Trump took office, reported The New York Times in June.

Chasing power

State Senator Amanda Chase, who recently called Democrats “traitors” for passing modest gun restrictions, is the first Republican to announce a 2021 candidacy for governor. She says she has “brass balls’’ and will fight “the liberal, socialistic agenda that has taken control of the Capitol.” Chase says she’ll run as an independent if she can’t secure the Republican nomination, which actually might be a smart electoral play—Republicans have not won a statewide election in Virginia since 2009.

Virginia state Senator Amanda Chase has announced her bid for governor. PC: senate.virginia.gov

 

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News

In brief: form-based code delayed, UVA soccer wins, A12 appeals denied, and more

UVA President Jim Ryan has decided to reinstate the 21-gun salute during the university’s Veterans Day ceremony next year.

Rain check

Planning Commission delays form-based code proposal

After much debate, the City Planning Commission has decided to table its plans to introduce an alternative kind of zoning, called form-based code, to the city’s Strategic Investment Area south of downtown.

Unlike conventional zoning, form-based code focuses on the physical form and scale of buildings in relationship to one another, rather than on building use. It can be used to encourage mixed-use and pedestrian-friendly development as well as streamline the development approval process.

The commissioners present at last Tuesday’s meeting were all in favor of implementing a form-based code but did not think the proposal was ready for approval.

“We want to have a code we’re comfortable with,” said Commissioner Lisa Green.

Dozens of Charlottesville residents came to the meeting, and 16 spoke out against the proposal. Many were concerned that the code did not place enough priority on affordable housing and could allow developers to use loopholes.

Under the proposed code, for example, developers would be allowed to build one to four additional stories if they provide a certain number of affordable housing units. However, affordable units would only be required to be a percentage of the units in the additional stories, not of the entire building.

Several residents recognized that outgoing Councilor Kathy Galvin, who has pushed for the code, wanted the proposal to go before City Council before its final meeting, but urged the commission to delay the proposal until it adequately addresses the city’s affordable housing needs.

“Kathy, I’m sorry that you’re leaving in December, but this plan can wait,” said Joy Johnson, chair of the Public Housing Association of Residents.

The commissioners will vote again on the form-based code sometime early next year.

The proposed code would allow for buildings up to nine stories within the IX Art Park property, but would specify that they surround an area of open space.

 

Such great heights

A plan by Jeff Levien, owner of Heirloom Development (and the man behind 600 West Main), to erect a 101-foot building just off the Downtown Mall came another step closer to reality last week, when the Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of a special-use permit for 218 W. Market St. 

Levien is seeking to construct a mixed-use building with commercial space and rental apartments on the site that’s currently home to the Artful Lodger, The Livery Stable, and other small businesses. The permit would increase the allowable height and density for the project from 70 feet and 24 units to 101 feet and 134 units.

If approved by City Council, the new building will become one of the tallest in Charlottesville. 

Quote of the week

“Take it down and put it in a hall of shame.’” —Rose Ann Abrahamson, descendant of Sacagawea, on the proper course of action for the West Main Street statue of Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea

In brief

Unappealing

Virginia’s Court of Appeals denied the appeals of two men convicted in the violent beating of Deandre Harris inside the Market Street Parking Garage during the 2017 Unite the Right rally. Jacob Goodwin and Alex Ramos were caught on video beating Harris, and the judge cited that footage in upholding Goodwin’s conviction for malicious wounding. Goodwin will continue his sentence of eight years behind bars, while Ramos is serving six.

November madness

UVA soccer teams continue their electrifying seasons. The men’s team raised the program’s 16th ACC tournament trophy last week and earned the top seed in the NCAA tournament. The top-seeded women’s team thumped Radford 3-0 in its opening tournament match. 

Jumped the gun

UVA President Jim Ryan removed the 21-gun salute from the university’s Veterans Day program this year, but he’s rethought that decision, and says that next year’s ceremony will include the salute. “Sometimes you make mistakes,” Ryan said in a Facebook post. He had hoped to avoid class disruption and minimize the amount of guns being fired on college campuses, but others disagreed with his course of action. “My sincere apologies to any who may have doubted our commitment to honoring our veterans,” Ryan wrote. 

 

Updated 11/21: An earlier version of this story contained an item that mistakenly attributed to city manager Tarron Richardson a claim that the camera found in Court Square Park last week belonged to the city. In fact, Dr. Richardson was talking about a camera on 8th Street and Hardy Drive. 

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In brief: Victory for C-VILLE, new trails, UVA living wage, and more

Dr. Jalane Schmidt and reporter Lisa Provence outside the courthouse. Photo by Jenny Mead

Case dismissed

Judge throws out defamation lawsuit against C-VILLE and UVA prof

On October 28, the Albemarle Circuit Court ruled in favor of C-VILLE Weekly and former news editor Lisa Provence, concluding that a defamation claim brought by Edward Tayloe II lacked the legal basis to proceed. 

Judge Claude Worrell also ruled in favor of UVA professor Jalane Schmidt, whom Tayloe also sued for defamation, citing comments she made in C-VILLE’s story.

The story at issue, “The Plaintiffs: Who’s who in the fight to keep Confederate monuments,” published in March, profiled the 13 people and organizations suing the city to keep the statues in place. Tayloe’s entry noted his lineage as one of the First Families of Virginia, and included information about his family’s history as one of the largest slave-holding dynasties in the state, a matter of historical record published, among other places, in the 2014 book A Tale of Two Plantations. Schmidt is quoted observing, in respect to Tayloe’s ancestors, “for generations this family has been roiling the lives of black people.”

In May, Tayloe sued the paper, Provence, and Schmidt, alleging that the story and Schmidt’s statements were defamatory because they implied that he was racist, and seeking $1.7 million in damages.

As lawyers for C-VILLE argued in their reply in support of their request to dismiss, Tayloe “does not contend that C-VILLE Weekly got any facts wrong in the article at issue. Instead, he is aggrieved by the truthful, if perhaps uncomfortable, presentation of his family history in connection with an accurate report on a subject of public concern.”

Attorneys for C-VILLE and Schmidt characterized the lawsuit as a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation), and ACLU attorney Eden Heilman, representing Schmidt, warned of the “chilling effect” that such lawsuits could have on public discussion.

Before giving his decision, Judge Worrell noted that the “political discourse has gotten pretty rough and tumble” and that it “requires all of us to have a pretty thick skin,” except if one has been defamed or libeled. He went on to declare that neither Schmidt’s statements nor C-VILLE’s story as a whole were defamatory or libelous.

The ruling means the case is dismissed and will not go to trial.

 

 

Quote of the week

“It’s both the right and the smart thing to do.” —UVA President Jim Ryan on the university’s decision to expand its living wage plan to include contracted employees.

In brief

Firing back

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held oral arguments on October 29th on a case to block Dominion Energy from placing a 54,000-horsepower compressor station, fueled by fracked methane gas, in the historically black community of Union Hill in Buckingham County. The Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board—comprised of members appointed by Gov. Ralph Northam, who owns stock in Dominion—issued a permit for the facility in January, inspiring uproar over what supporters call environmental racism.

Land grab

The City of Charlottesville has purchased 142 acres of land adjoining the Ragged Mountain Reservoir, which will be used for trails, environmental education programs, and forest protection, the city announced last week. The city paid $600,000 for the property, most of which was covered by a federal Community Forest Grant, and landowner Louisa Heyward donated the remaining value of the property (roughly $500,000).

Going bagless

For “both budgetary and environmental reasons,” the City of Charlottesville is swapping bagged leaf collection service for vacuum trucks. Starting October 28th, residents can rake their loose leaves to the curb for collection three times a season. Those who insist on bagging leaves can bring them to 1505 Avon Street Extended on Saturdays from 8am-1pm.

Pay raise

UVA announced on October 24 that its major contractors will be paying their full-time workers at least $15 an hour, fulfilling a promise UVA President Jim Ryan made when he raised pay for all full-time UVA employees. The new policy will lift the wages of more than 800 workers, including food service and janitorial staff, and will go into effect January 1.

Showing the receipts 

Days after city residents at the October 21st City Council meeting expressed the need for policy transparency, Mayor Nikuyah Walker has announced that the Charlottesville Police Department will post all policies and general orders to the city’s website, starting in January. At the meeting, speakers said the Police Civilian Review Board should be able to review all CPD policies. Council will vote on a proposed ordinance and bylaws for the CRB on November 4th.

Categories
Opinion

An opportunity to lead: Will UVA follow through on its promises?

Despite an abundance of resources, UVA has had difficulty attracting and retaining black students, faculty, and administrators. (Photo: Patrickneil CC)

By Richard Dickerson

I am a native of Charlottesville. I attended all-black Jefferson Elementary School, Johnson and McGuffey elementary schools, Buford Junior High, and Lane High School, class of 1973.

Many things have changed since I left Charlottesville, shortly after graduation. The University of Virginia, however, remains omnipotent in terms of academics, economics, and public policy. The university continues to be one of the city’s largest employers. My father worked at UVA Hospital for 44 years, double shifts for 30 years. He left home at 6:30 or 7:00am, returning after 11:00pm. My father was not alone—many of my friends had parents doing the same. 

I am glad that president Jim Ryan is raising salaries to $15 per hour, but many UVA employees struggle to obtain decent affordable housing. The expansion of the university has and continues to have a negative impact on the housing stock in the city. Neighborhoods that were once all-black now have become havens for student housing. How long will Westhaven continue to exist at its current location?

Despite an abundance of resources, UVA has had difficulty attracting and retaining black students, black faculty, and senior black administrators.

The year is 2019, and the city and the university recently gathered to pay respects on the occasion of the second anniversary of the Nazi march. The march exposed to the world what many in the black community have known for years: Despite the happy talk about how great and wonderful Charlottesville is, the black community was often an afterthought at best. The role for many in the black community has been to cook, clean, and serve those in leadership positions at UVA, and then return to neighborhoods that were often neglected.

President Ryan has created a committee tasked with providing ideas and direction on how UVA can be better. But over the years, whether at UVA or other places, committees have been, and often remain, the final resting place for ideas designed to help.

The problems do not need to be studied to death. On the issue of race, treat people of color like you treat white people. The people who built the university and the people who built Monticello were slaves. The Memorial to Enslaved Laborers is at minimum a euphemism that seeks to lessen the evil of slavery, at worst revisionist history that seems to be geared to make whites feel possibly more at ease. Both send a very distinct message.

The university has really smart people, an annual budget of $3.7 billion, and an endowment of more than $9 billion. Budget determines priorities. How much money will the university allocate to address housing, illiteracy, health care, education? What specific actions will the university take to improve the quality of life for the working poor in its service area? How does the university improve upon its meager record as it relates to the number of black students, faculty, senior administrators? 

Over the years, the university has had a fractured relationship with city leaders in Charlottesville. The city needs the university and the university clearly needs the city. It is 2019, and the world is watching. The university has an opportunity to lead.

Richard A. Dickerson is a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Clinton and Obama administrations, and currently runs a private consulting firm called RAD Communications.

Categories
News

In brief: Lynching memorial installed, ICE threatens with fines, Jim Ryan’s big bucks, and more

The Equal Justice Initiative provided the marker for Court Square that details the history of lynching in America on one side and the account of John Henry James on the other. (Photo: Eze Amos)

History of lynching acknowledged

In Court Square, Albemarle County’s seat of justice, a memorial was installed July 12 to commemorate a historic injustice—the lynching of a black man on that date in 1898. A mob of white people pulled John Henry James from a train near what is now Farmington Country Club, and hanged him from a locust tree.

More than 100 people gathered for the installation of the marker from the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama, where two busloads of local people journeyed a year ago to deliver soil from the lynching site. EJI’s Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice were created to acknowledge this country’s history of racial terror and its impact today.

Many of those from the pilgrimage, organized by Jefferson School African American Heritage Center director Andrea Douglas and UVA professor and activist Jalane Schmidt, attended, as did city councilors, Albemarle supervisors, and Governor Ralph Northam—who did not speak.

“It wasn’t just about the trip. It was what we did when we got home,” said Douglas. “If you want lasting change, it has to happen on every single level.”

Kiara Boone from the Equal Justice Initiative noted the importance of “truth telling” to acknowledge the pain of racial injustice and begin to repair it and heal from it. “It’s a reflection of our values, what a community chooses to memorialize,” she said.

Memorials and monuments often “tell a very one-sided, watered-down version of history,” she said at the site that holds statues of a Confederate general and a soldier. By unveiling the James marker, “we push back on that.”

Mayor Nikuyah Walker said what happened to James could still happen today. “I want you to think about a community where a man can be lynched with law enforcement present, and the fear that travels through generations as a result…and how that fear lived within the DNA of black people who walk these lands today.”

Installing the memorial is “the easiest part of the work,” she said. In changing the landscape of a community as wealthy as Charlottesville, Walker asked, “Do you do that work with the intention of understanding that there’s a debt that hasn’t been paid?”

The Equal Justice Initiative provided the marker for Court Square that details the history of lynching in America on one side and the account of John Henry James on the other.

Quote of the week

“The soil carries a story, the blood, tears, and sweat of those who were oppressed in the community.” —Kiara Boone with the Equal Justice Initiative at the installation of a marker commemorating the 1898 lynching of John Henry James

In brief

Sanctuary fine

ICE is threatening to impose a $214,000 fine on Guatemalan refugee Maria Chavalan Sut, who has lived in Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church since October while she fights deportation, the DP reports. The Reverend Isaac Collins says, “The purpose of it is to intimidate Maria and to put pressure on her.”

Ryan’s No. 2

UVA prez Jim Ryan has the second-highest salary of state employees in Virginia, according to a Richmond Times-Dispatch list of salaries. Ryan clocks in at $963,000 for his first 11 months, and follows Michael Rao, VCU president.

Another Long honor

Former Wahoo and Super Bowl champ Chris Long received the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award for his philanthropic work and leadership. Long’s First Quarter for Literacy program promotes early literacy in Charlottesville and other communities, and his Water Boys initiative has built more than 60 wells in East Africa.

Harding’s return

Attorney Elliott Harding’s first stab at getting on the ballot to challenge longtime Democratic state Senator Creigh Deeds in the 25th District was rebuffed by the Charlottesville registrar, who challenged some of the signatures Harding submitted. He appealed to the State Board of Elections, which gave him a thumbs up to be on the ballot November 5 as an independent, the Daily Progress reports. Harding is the nephew of Albemarle Sheriff Chip Harding.

Huguely motion denied

Judge Rick Moore ruled that an expert who testified in a Maryland case that George Huguely V did not intend to murder Yeardley Love in 2010 cannot be deposed by the defense in Sharon Love’s wrongful death lawsuit against Huguely, because he’s Love’s expert and Love does not intend to call him as a witness in the Charlottesville case.

Hindu sanctuary at UVA

The president of the Universal Society of Hinduism urged UVA July 13 to provide Hindu students with a “designated prayer-meditation hall for rituals, quiet reflection, festivals and spiritual exercise.” Rajan Zed, who resides in Nevada, asks that the prayer room include ceremonial Hindu objects such as an altar and statues. According to the Cav Daily, Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh communities do not have a designated place of worship on Grounds.

Huguely motion denied

Judge Rick Moore ruled that an expert who testified in a Maryland insurance case that George Huguely V did not intend to murder Yeardley Love in 2010 cannot be deposed by the defense in Sharon Love’s wrongful death lawsuit against Huguely because he’s Love’s expert and Love does not intend to call him as a witness in the Charlottesville case.