July 14th, 2011 issue #1028

July 14th, 2011

Shenandoah secrets: Pork, propaganda, and the creation of a COOL national park
Lisa Provence
A lot can change in three quarters of a century. Walk along the Hughes River in Madison County in a place called Nicholson Hollow, and there's little trace that this was once a thriving village. Now heavily wooded, the hollow was a lot more open then because trees had been cut since the late 1700s to build houses, barns, and fences, and the land left open for gardens, orchards, and pastures for cattle and horses. Seventy-five years ago, the hollow became part of the East Coast's first national park when it opened after heaps of controversy.
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The week in review
Hook Staff
Longest arson sentence: The two teens who torched Ruckersville Baptist Church last summer are sentenced July 11. Sean Douglas Heiderscheidt, 19, will serve seven years, and Stephen Fox, 18, received ...

Smooth move: Restaurant Week opens in style
Dave McNair
Charlottesville Restaurant Week kicked off Monday night with a bang. Over at Brookville Restaurant, co-owner Jennifer Pendleton, who'll be marrying her chef-partner Harrison Keevil later this year (c...
Carlton's closes
Dave McNair
We know the restaurant business can be tough, but Carlton's in the old Michie Company building at 609 East Market Street, may have set a record. Just two months after opening (and just days before ma...
Charlottesville named 'dream' city
Dave McNair
As if we weren't already full of ourselves and concerned enough about increasing traffic, TheStreet, an online financial magazine that's been around since 1996, named Charlottesville one of ten citie...

All in the family: To all the gays who loved before....
"I can't go that far; that's the year 2000! Negroes [and whites], okay. But that's too far!"–President Richard Nixon on gay marriage, speaking in August 1970; quoted in John Ehrlichman, Witnes...

Speedy turn at Oak Grove
Samantha Masone
6/6/11 Javier & Carmen Becerra to Vipul & Manisha Patel, 3250 Barracks Road, $510,000, Albemarle Tess Johnston to Nathaniel & Margie Howell, 21.24 acres, lots 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9, R...

Courtly: Penthouse condo offers views, convenience
Susan Lanterman
Address: 500 Court SquareNeighborhood: Downtown Asking: $165,000 Assessment: $112,900Year Built: 1926Size: 557 fin. sq. ft. Land: 0 acresAgen...

Property auctions
Hook Staff
July 14 at 9am at the Albemarle County Courthouse Property: Lot A, State Road 601, Free Union Debtor: unknown Amount owing: unknown Bidder brings: $5,000 or 10 percent sale price Info: Ronald D. Wile...

Darkness becomes him: JSJ brings Webb out of the shadows
Laura Parsons
Readers who have driven (or biked or walked) down West Main St. recently have probably noticed the old auto mechanic’s shop across from the Blue Moon Diner has transformed into something altogether...

Backfire: Chantix bad might outweigh good
John Hong
Backfire! Have you ever done something for the “good of humanity,” only to have it backfire? A would-be mother-in-law thinks she's helping with the wedding, but ends up making the future bri...

Laugh aloud: 'Horrible Bosses' dirty, hilarious
Roger Ebert
Horrible Bosses is funny and dirty, in about that order. Of George Carlin's famous "seven words you can never say on television," it omits only the usual one, I think, makes free with the others, and...

Case not closed: Special prosecutor named in Crozet murders
Lisa Provence
New allegations and a pending a clemency petition have prompted the naming of a special prosecutor in the case of Robert Davis, currently jailed for a 2003 double murder in Crozet that he (as well as...
Controversy veers: Belmont Bridge fence could pose bike hazard
Hawes Spencer
Controversy has erupted again on the Belmont Bridge, and this time it's bicyclists who might be getting the short end of the sidewalk, as a new fence– designed as a safety boon– could be ...
Feeder bear
Hawes Spencer
This bear visited the yard of John Clem in the Key West neighborhood.
Fringey trio: Three locals featured in D.C. theater festival
Hawes Spencer
Three Charlottesville-based artists are among the line-up at this year's Capital Fringe Festival, a prestigious multi-week assemblage of the performing arts in Washington D.C.
Water down: Lots of rain but still below average
Courteney Stuart
After a dry winter that brought less than half the average precipitation, fears of a drought à la 2002 have been averted by a very wet spring and what's been, to this point, a wetter than average su...

Preservationists 'speechless': Pre-permit Ingleside demolition raises ire
Dave McNair
It sounds like a joke. "I tell ya, the county's historic preservation codes are so weak," the comedian says, "you can apply for a demo permit after you've demolished your old house." Bada-boom! But i...

Bad boss: He still has something to teach you
Penelope Trunk
My favorite example of a bad boss is one I had at a software company who refused to learn how to use a computer. I often played the role of secretary even though I was a vice president. He once said ...

Fool's errand? Chances slim for ACC football glory
Juanita Giles
According to ESPN, the Bleacher Report, and almost anyone else who has an opinion about college football, 2011 is the ACC’s year. It’s year for what exactly is a bit unclear, seeing how ESPN, the...

Killer kisses: Pucker up without biting
Bill and Rich Sones
Q. What are the riskiest "kisses" of them all? –J.S. FrostA. The recent rise of interest in vampires, particularly among teens, has brought to the fore the practice of biting another person to draw...

Borrowed Inspiration: Local alt-pop-rockers drop delicious debut release
Stephanie Garcia
Let's be honest: local musician Adam Brock doesn't need much motivation to spur his songwriting– a quick glance over his track record more than proves that. The frontman of the burgeoning stick...
Downward dog days: New yoga biz stretches outdoors
Courteney Stuart
The options for doing yoga in Charlottesville already run the gamut from relaxing Hatha to vigorous Ashtanga to oh-so-sweaty Bikram, performed in a heated room. Jacqueline Wilde saw an opportunity to...
Table of contents
Hook Staff
COVERShenandoah's 75thWhether you're riding along Skyline Drive, hiking, biking or camping, the Shenandoah National Park is best known for its numerous recreational activities and glorious views. It ...

Bypass critics bypass smart network
Letter Writer
I am writing to comment on your lead article on the Rt. 29 bypass in the June 16 issue ["Fast track: Western Bypass shifts into overdrive"]. It is very one sided. I say this not as an editorial criti...
Groping headline too flippant
Letter Writer
I’m glad Lisa Provence chose to cover a story on the questionable penalty structure for crimes that include groping and sexual battery [June 6: “No felony: Victim wants tougher penalty for crotch...