Smoking on McIntire
Dec 6th 9:31am
by Hawes Spencer
Workers were revving up the resins Thursday morning as Tri-State Utilities rehabbed underground stormwater pipes along McIntire Road. The Chesapeake-based company touts its service for providing "a structural, tight fit, resin-based liner inside of the host pipe" without ever digging a trench.
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Season of giving: Is panhandling, vagrancy, destroying the Downtown Mall?
Dec 6th 7:14am
by Dave McNair
The success of the Downtown Mall is a miracle in many ways. After it was completed in 1976, initially eliminating five blocks of Charlottesville's Main Street to revitalize the downtown area, it did nothing of the sort, sputtering along for 20 years, a largely desolate place with an odd assortment of stores, and a few bar/restaurants that served a budding underground music and art scene largely ignored by the general public. UVA students, by and large, didn't go near the place.
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U. Circle classic: History in the midst of history
Dec 6th 5:05am
by Samantha Masone
Address: 31 University CircleNeighborhood: RugbyAsking: $995,000Assessment: $611,200 Year Built: 1928Size: 4240 finished sq. ft. /2060 unfinished sq. ft.Land: .34 acresCurb Appeal: 7 out of 10Listing Agent: Aaron Manis, Sloan Manis Real Estate Partners, 434-962-7039
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Property auctions
Dec 5th 1:01pm
by Hook Staff
December 12 at 3:30pm at the Albemarle Courthouse Property: 7122 Johnstone Lane, Gordonsville Debtor: Joseph B. Berger and Christy Batten Original amount owing: $168,000 Bidder brings: $15,000 or 10 percent sale price Info: Shapiro, Brown & Alt LLP 757-687-8777
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Stonefield foodery: Burtons Grill serves up American contempo
Dec 5th 5:05am
by Lisa Provence
With the new Regal megaplex drawing crowds to the Shops at Stonefield, moviegoers need a place to debrief over a glass of wine or a bite to eat after seeing, say, Life of Pi.
Now an option: Massachusetts-based Burtons Grill, which officially opened December 3.
Related stories
Food explosion: Stonefield's six restaurants aim to draw diners
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The week in review
Dec 4th 3:55pm
by Hook Staff
Biggest search for missing teen: Nearly 100 people turn out December 1 to look for 19-year-old DaShad "Sage" Smith, who was supposed to meet a friend November 20 at the Amtrak station on West Main, and didn't show up. According to Samantha Koon's report in the Daily Progress, some members of the family and the LGBT community are wondering whether Smith's sexual orientation and tendency to cross-dress have limited the public interest in his disappearance.
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'Nuclear' allegations: Ex asserts sordid past of Scoutmaster
Dec 4th 3:24pm
by Hawes Spencer
Annette Morgan tried to warn authorities about her husband. Her allegations ended up backfiring against her in the couple's divorce proceedings, an outcome that– if an unnamed accuser's allegations stand– allowed predation to occur after the warnings.
Previous:
Demerit badge: Former Keswick scoutmaster charged with sodomy
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It's about time
Dec 4th 7:07am
Too much Karenina: New adaptation upstages the tale
Dec 4th 6:06am
by Roger Ebert
Anna Karenina and Madame Bovary are two of the most notorious fallen women in literature. Karenina is prepared to lose all the advantages of high society in favor of the man she loves. Bovary abandons the man who loves her in an attempt to climb socially. As portrayed by Leo Tolstoy and Gustave Flaubert, both women are devastated by the prices they pay.
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Campus Kitchen: UVA students recycle the food
Dec 4th 4:04am
by Lisa Provence
Third-year Mike Rusie spent a recent Friday morning volunteering at the Local Food Hub. In exchange, he received sweet potatoes, carrots, and spaghetti squash– "donation-grade produce"– for UVA's Campus Kitchen Project, food that will end up on the table at Salvation Army.
The student group's mission is a "community-powered hunger relief effort," says Nicole Freeman, co-coordinator for Campus Kitchen. "We take food the dining halls would otherwise throw away."
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Wrong rail line named in story
Dec 3rd 5:54pm
by Hook Staff
Due to an editing error, last week's cover story, "Towing tales part deux: Wreckers, guns, and money," mistakenly described the railroad tracks running past the incident site. The tracks belong to Norfolk Southern, not CSX.
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Wheeler's deal: Top musician turns to choir and college
Dec 3rd 8:45am
by Emma Eisenberg
“The king of gospel keyboards” and “the Lucky 7 philosopher”– these are just two of the titles that have been bestowed upon composer, keyboardist, and all-around musician extraordinaire Art Wheeler.
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Let there be light: How I conquered the dark days
Dec 3rd 8:07am
by Janis Jaquith
Can money buy happiness, a sense of self-worth, optimism? I was counting on it, looking for happiness in a box, the one that had just landed on my back porch. It was late November, and my joie de vivre was circling the drain.
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FunStuff: Charlottesville events December 6 and beyond
Dec 2nd 9:09am
Bail denied: Alleged abductor had booked hotel room
Nov 30th 5:11pm
by Lisa Provence
A judge denied bail Friday for James Kevin Key, the Palmyra man charged with attempted abduction of a toddler at Charlottesville Fashion Square mall on November 24. At issue was his rental of a hotel room for that evening.
Related stories
Mall cops: Alleged kidnaper escorted, not reported
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What do you think about panhandling on the mall?
Nov 30th 8:33am
by Emma Eisenberg
Related
Season of giving: Is panhandling, vagrancy, destroying the Downtown Mall?
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Uriah J. Fields
Nov 30th 7:19am
by Bill Emory
Mr. Fields, the Sunday before election day, working to re-elect President Obama.~Commentator Bill Emory puts up a new photo nearly every day at billemory.com/blog.
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Glenmore manor home sells after nearly two and a half years
Nov 30th 7:05am
by Samantha Masone
8/14/12 CharlottesvilleGerald G. Fahnestock to John, Kathryn & Rachel Gendreau, 1174 Rose Hill Drive, $170,000Stanley W. & Lisa G. Butler to Adam Smith & Jennifer Freeman, 2313 Tarleton Drive, $225,000Gaffney Homes, LLC to Piedmont Realty & Construction, LLC, 110 Morgan Court, $63,000Gaffney Homes, LLC to Piedmont Realty & Construction, LLC, 114, 116, 118, 121 & 123 Morgan Court, $390,0008/15/12Albemarle
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Fashion scare: Cops credit tipsters in Palmyra man's arrest
Nov 29th 6:53pm
by Hawes Spencer
The multi-day saga of a mystery man accused of attempting to snatch a two-year-old away from her parents at a local shopping mall reached a major milestone Thursday, as community tips apparently led investigators to arrest a 46-year-old Palmyra man.
Related stories
Mall cops: Alleged kidnaper escorted, not reported
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Towing tales part deux: Wreckers, guns, and money
Nov 29th 4:04am
by Courteney Stuart
Nicholas Rigterink may not have been seeking a fight over property rights when he went out for a mid-November dinner, but the 29-year-old Charlottesville man found one– one that ended up with him staring up the barrel of a handgun.
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Towing trouble: Is Lethal owner back in biz?
Nov 29th 4:04am
by Courteney Stuart
Mention the words "Lethal Wrecker" around Charlottesville and chances are you'll find someone with a story. For nearly a decade, the towing operation, and its owner, George Morris, earned a reputation for aggressive tactics including allegations of intimidation and overcharging, as reported by the Hook. Lawsuits ensued, including one by the City of Charlottesville, and Lethal lost its AAA contract only to reinvent itself in 2007 as an entity called Cavalier Towing, with Morris' mother at the helm.
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Powerball fever: Big lottery buy feeds at Reid's
Nov 28th 8:09pm
by Hawes Spencer
With a multi-state lottery soaring toward a record $550 million dollar payout, Powerball fever has exploded– with one enterprising pair of jackpot-seekers appearing at downtown Charlottesville's Reid Super Save market to buy a few tickets: 1,300 to be precise."Are you freaking kidding me?" exclaimed the grocery shopper in line behind brothers Ben and Greg Lang on November 28. "You are gonna run out the paper."
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Attempted abduction: Security firm defends actions
Nov 28th 6:44pm
by Lisa Provence
The community has been aghast at an alleged attempted abduction of a two-year-old girl November 24 at Charlottesville Fashion Square that was not reported to police until six hours later by the child's family. On November 28, four days after the incident, AlliedBarton, the security firm that escorted the alleged abductor from the mall, broke its silence to say the family initially was okay with its handling of the situation.
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Demerit badge: Former Keswick scoutmaster charged with sodomy
Nov 28th 5:03pm
by Lisa Provence
A former scoutmaster of a Keswick-based Boy Scout troop has been charged with forcible sodomy. At a 5pm press conference, officials released that David Brian Watkins, 49, who founded Troop 1028 and went on to serve as its leader for eight years, is an accused felony child-molester.
Related:
'Nuclear' allegations: Ex asserts sordid past of Scoutmaster
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Have you ever been towed?
Nov 28th 10:37am
Seeking mom: In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy
Nov 28th 9:59am
by Hook Contributor
By Cora Schenberg
Every day for two weeks following Hurricane Sandy, I try and fail to get a call through to my eighty-two-year-old mother, who lives on Long Island with her eighty-four-year old boyfriend. Mom and Edmond’s house is in Copaigue, a few blocks from the ocean. A canal runs past their backyard. Every time I punch in their number, I get a busy signal.
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Property auctions
Nov 28th 9:29am
by Hook Staff
November 30 at 4:30pm at the Albemarle Courthouse Property: 6409 Jefferson Mill Road, Scottsville Debtor: James T. Dudley Original amount owing: $103,000 Bidder brings: 10 percent sale price Info: BWW Law Group 301-961-6555
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Mall suspect: Police release security pix of Mall grabber
Nov 27th 9:14pm
by Hawes Spencer
The foiled attempt to snatch a two-year-old girl sent a community into tumult after it was revealed that a rented security guard let the alleged kidnapper go. The man was caught on a security camera, according to the Albemarle Police Department, which released two photographs.
Related:
Mall cops: Alleged kidnapper escorted, not reported
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We Love This Place: Shopkeepers, citizens dish on local holiday tradition
Nov 27th 7:36pm
by Dave McNair
The Hook's editorial staff takes a break this week from producing the hard-hitting news you've grown accustomed to (at least in the cover story), choosing instead to check in with local shop owners and citizens to ask them how they celebrate the holidays in Charlottesville, and where they go to find gifts for their loved ones.
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The week in review
Nov 27th 3:29pm
by Hook Staff
Most disturbing discovery: A motorist reports an unresponsive man in a parked car at the eastbound I-64 rest area near Ivy/Crozet around 8:30am November 26. Virginia State Police determine the man is dead. At press time, state police have not released his name or a cause of death.
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Life of Pi: Ang Lee films the unfilmable; poetic idealism triumphs
Nov 27th 3:10pm
by Roger Ebert
Ang Lee's "Life of Pi" is a miraculous achievement of storytelling and a landmark of visual mastery. Inspired by a worldwide best-seller that many readers must have assumed was unfilmable, it is a triumph over its difficulties. It is also a moving spiritual achievement, a movie whose title could have been shortened to "Life."
****
Life of Pi
Director: Ang Lee
Starring: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Rafe Spall, Gerard Depardieu
125 minutes - PG
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Made to order: Eat out by eating in
Nov 27th 2:16pm
by Dave McNair
Relay Foods, the local online grocery, has partnered with three local restaurants to offer their customers, well, essentially "dinner kits" that will allow them to cook meals served at the C&O, The Local, and Brookville Restaurant.
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Mall cops: Alleged kidnaper escorted, not reported
Nov 27th 1:11pm
by Lisa Provence
That a two-year-old child may have been briefly kidnapped by a stranger at a shopping mall is shocking enough. That police weren't notified until six hours after the private security force at Charlottesville Fashion Square escorted the man from the property has created a firestorm.
Related:
If they took CTS to the brawl, how'd they return?
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No 'w' in Sno Balls
Nov 27th 9:19am
by Hook Staff
The orange, marshmallowy product mentioned in last week's story about the demise of Hostess Brands, "Twinkies crisis hits locally," was misspelled.
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Wedding issue not colorful enough
Nov 27th 8:45am
by Letter Writer
Reading your [October 18] Weddings special insert, out of your 12 couples, I didn't see a single person of color getting married. In fact, I only saw one black guy in any of the photos of groomsmen and bridesmaids. What gives?
Don't blacks, hispanics, asians, etc. get married any more? Or is it that they are less effective at selling over-priced "wedding professionals," venues, and services, which seems to be the main point of your issue?
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John Crow laws
Nov 27th 8:37am
by Bill Emory
The Town of Culpeper is having a “buzzard problem.” Big birds are hanging out doing their business where the town doesn’t want them. Forty miles southwest, the City Council of Charlottesville discussed a perceived problem with assemblages of humanoids on their mall November 19. Members of the public made colorful use of language in defense of the humanoids' right to sleep on the sidewalk, use base language, and solicit funds from passers-by. What options are in a town’s toolbox for dealing with unwanted wildlife?
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New seats will 'awaken' Culbreth
Nov 27th 7:09am
by Letter Writer
Regarding Lisa Provence's November 8th article "It's a wrap: Scenes from the 25th Virginia Film Fest," the very first thing she mentions, under the heading of "Things we liked," was "No screenings were held at Culbreth, the most uncomfortable theater in Charlottesville...."
Had Ms. Provence done a bit more research, she would have discovered the reason Culbreth was not used: it was closed for renovations. The highlight of those renovations? New seats.
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Renovations continue in Sherwood Farms foreclosure
Nov 27th 5:05am
by Samantha Masone
8/8/12Albemarle Albemarle Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to Bonita C. Toms, 8062 Blenheim Road, $149,750Bank of New York Mellon to Edward M. & Brandi J. McLaughlin, 2975 White Oak Lane, $230,000Richard A. & Connie H. Sylvester to Brendan S. & Carolyn S. Graves, 116 Vincennes Road, $334,800Michael B. Alexander to John Davis Rogers & Kyle Elizabeth Koehler, 705 Ingleside Lane, $1,043,000Charlottesville
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FunStuff: Charlottesville events November 29 and beyond
Nov 27th 3:03am
Out of Focus: Longtime women's support org folds
Nov 26th 4:29pm
by Lisa Provence
The same year Congress gave its blessing to the Equal Rights Amendment, a team of Charlottesville women launched a new support group to assist what were then quaintly called "displaced homemakers." Forty years later and despite creating a well-known flea market and nurturing a mediation center, the Focus Women's Resource Center has quietly ceased operations, perhaps a victim of a faded era– or of its own success.
"If there's a woman going through it, there's another woman who can help her," says co-founder Ellen Vaughan, of the nonprofit's philosophy.
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