Two will move on
One last look at the Democratic City Council candidates before the June 13 primary
Heather Hill
Age: 39
Occupation: Independent consultant; former engineer and brand manager; VP of Hill Family Operations
Education: Bachelor’s in industrial and systems engineering from Virginia Tech, and an MBA from UVA’s Darden School of Business
Political experience: President of the North Downtown Residents Association and “my home, overseeing the conflicts of three children under 7!”
Top issues:
1. Transparency and accountability
2. Affordable housing
3. Investing in infrastucture and multimodal transportation
Top complaint she’s received from residents: When citizens invest time and energy to bring priority issues forward, and there is no response.
Fun fact: “I still hold the record at my high school for the 100-meter dash, along with legs in the 400-meter and 1,600-meter relays—all set in 1995.”
Endorsements: “I have not focused on cultivating a list of political endorsements in order to concentrate
time and energy on earning the backing of every citizen in Charlottesville. Check out my campaign ‘village’ at HillforCville.com.”
Amy Laufer
Age: 45
Occupation: Current school board member, former chair; former middle school math and science teacher
Education: Bachelor’s in geology from the University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin, and a master’s in secondary science education from Columbia University.
Political experience: Active member of the local Democratic party and a volunteer for many candidates; founder of Virginia’s List, a PAC dedicated to supporting Democratic women running for state office; twice elected to the school board, where she served as chair and vice chair
Top issues:
1. Workforce development
2. Affordable housing
3. Environment
Top complaint she’s received from residents: “In my time on the school board, I learned how important it is to have concrete goals and priorities, and I’d like to see more goal-oriented thinking from the current council so we can really work together and achieve meaningful, practical solutions.”
Fun fact: “I met my husband, Aaron, in the Peace Corps; we have three children at three different public schools in Charlottesville.”
Endorsements: Tom Perriello, Democratic candidate for governor; L.F. Payne, former 5th District congressman; Jennifer McKeever and about two dozen more.
Bob Fenwick
Age: 72
Occupation: General construction contractor
Education: Bachelor’s in physics from Georgetown University
Political experience: Elected to City Council in 2013
Top issues:
1. Elected representatives should serve as representatives and recognize that they do not automatically become experts in city management merely because their political campaigns were successful.
2. Neighborhood protection
3. A fairer balance in the distribution of municipal funds
Top complaint he’s received from residents: “When elected representatives don’t respect the will of the entire
community.”
Fun fact: He was branded “a treacherous scalawag” during the monuments discussion.
Endorsements: Together Charlottesville, Equity and Progress in Charlottesville (EPIC)
White watch
North Carolina-based group Loyal White Knights of the KKK has applied to hold a July 8 rally on the steps of the city’s circuit court, while Jason Kessler’s Unity and Security for America will hold an August 12 assembly in Lee Park.
“I feel embarrassed by all of what I’ve seen tonight.”—Karenne Wood, a member of the Monacan tribe, at the June 5 City Council meeting
New visitors
UVA Rector Bill Goodwin, whose term ends this month, said he did not seek reappointment to the Board of Visitors. His son-in-law, Robert D. Hardie of Charlottesville, was appointed, as were Robert M. Blue of Richmond and Maurice Jones of New York. John A. Griffin, also of New York, was reappointed.
Fishing for answers
Colby Horne didn’t know exactly what he caught when he reeled in a slithering, 27-inch creature from Lake Anna last week, so he threw it back in. A Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries biologist has identified it as a snakehead—an invasive species of fish—and says they were likely introduced illegally.
Homicide arrest
City police charged Gregory Nathaniel Fitzgerald, 40, with first degree murder for the February 5 homicide of Robert “Bobby” Hall Reauveau. Fitzgerald was served at the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail, where he was incarcerated on separate charges.
Reid’s drive-through
A car plowed through Reid Super-Save Market June 3 around 5:45pm when the elderly driver allegedly hit the gas rather than the brakes. A man’s leg was pinned under the car and he was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The store reopened at 8am June 4.
