Most strapped: The city expects a $2.1 million deficit by the end of fiscal year 2010 in June.

Most sunshine: UVA Medical Center is posting doctors' business relationships online, Ted Strong reports in the DP.

Most alleged hooking: Charttesville Police arrest 10 people-- nine women and one man-- between November 1 and 4 for allegedly posting ads on public Internet sites offering sex for money.

Most postal: Mail center employees picket November 15 outside the post office on U.S. 29 to protest the possible closure of the mail processing center on Airport Road. Brian McNeill has the story in the Progress.

Biggest negligence award: A jury awards $5.25 million November 13 to the family of Sydney Aichs, the 16-year-old Albemarle High student who was killed May 9, 2008, when a truck driven by Kenneth Barbour ran a red light on U.S. 29 at Forest Lakes. Barbour pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and reckless driving and is serving a two-year active sentence. Don B Swisher Trucking Corporation and McCann Delivery Services are also defendants in the civil suit.

Biggest international bribery case: Fluvanna man Charles Paul Edward Jumet pleads guilty November 13 to paying off Panamanian officials to obtain a maritime contract in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and to making a false statement. He faces sentencing February 12.

Longest abduction sentence: Kevin Stone gets six years in jail for kidnapping his wife from the Dairy Queen in Crozet August 16, 2008, with the remainder for his 28-year sentence suspended, NBC29 reports.

Most birds: Staunton woman Phyllis Jannisch, 40, is charged with animal abuse after police are called to her house because of the stench and find 150 birds, seven cats and a dog, as well as bird carcasses, urine, and feces throughout the house, which authorities condemn, NBC29 reports.

Latest Waynesboro multiplex plans: Visulite owner Adam Greenbaum is no longer part of the 10-screen theater on Lew Dewitt Boulevard near Lowe's that he announced in September, according to the News Virginian, and developer Brett Hayes plans to proceed with an eight-screen plex with 3-D theaters.

Latest layoffs in Waynesboro: Thirty-seven employees at an Ntelos headquarters are shown the door November 10 and another 11 are offered early retirement. Mohawk Industries has laid off 113 people this year and will close its plant in December. And Invista stopped manufacturing nylon fiber there in December 2008.

Best news for those who still have money: Waynesboro City Council votes to allow a Porsche dealership in a vacant Grand Furniture building on West Main Street, and Weldon and Phyllis Scrogham plan to relocate their  G&W Motorwerkes from Staunton, the News Virginian reports.

Latest member of the 700 club: UVA women's basketball coach Debbie Ryan logs in her 700th win November 13 in the season opener against Manhattan.

Best Miller Center score: Former President George W. Bush chooses UVA to compile an oral history of his presidency at the Miller Center, whose Oral History Project has documented the terms of Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Next best Miller Center score: Actor Richard Dreyfus discusses the importance of civics at a November 16 forum.

Best national exposure for a semi-local burger: David Letterman mentions the "Chubby Melt" at Moss Creek Cafe in Fishersville on his November 9 show, the News Virginian reports. The burger is served with grilled onions and mushrooms between two grilled cheese sandwiches.

 #

Christa is 23 years old with blondish hair, green eyes, a thin frame, and medium height. She enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and camping, as well as music, traveling, cooking, and "overall having fun." A UVA grad who now works as a graphic designer in Charlottesville, she's pretty active-- runs and works out every week-- and says her easy-going sense of humor makes her stand out. Christa is looking for "a tall guy with a great smile who doesn't take himself too seriously."

Paul is 26 years old, 5'11" with short blond hair and green eyes. He likes listening to live music, going to shows, outdoor activities, sports, and playing with his dog. He graduated from Virginia Tech and now does event marketing and promotions. Like Christa, he runs a few times a week and wants to become involved in intramural sports. Paul is looking for a "confident, athletic girl with natural beauty and a smile that makes others do the same... someone open-minded and willing to experience life to its fullest."

Christa and Paul met at Bel Rio in Belmont.

What did you do to get ready for the date?

Christa: not much out of the ordinary, showered, figured out what to wear.

Paul: Changed clothes and looked up directions to the restaurant.

How long did it take to get ready? 

Christa: About an hour.

Paul: 15 minutes or so.

Did you get there first? If so, what did you do while waiting?

Paul: Yes. I sat outside and enjoyed the evening.

Were you nervous?
Christa: A little, since I've never been on a blind date.

Paul: Not really.

What was your first impression of your date? 

Christa: He seemed very relaxed, comfortable, and happy.

Paul: Wonderful personality, easy to talk to.

What was he/she wearing? 

Christa: Black button down shirt and jeans.

Paul: Sleeveless top with jacket and dress pants.

Was he/she your type? 

Christa: In some ways, yes, but not in others.

Paul: Fun, intelligent girl with a career: yes.

Did you order drinks? 

Christa: We both got a couple beers.

Paul: A few.

What did you order? 

Christa: We shared a calamari appetizer, I got paella, and then we shared tiramisu for dessert. He had a steak. It was really good.

How were you date's table manners? 

Christa: They were very good. He was very polite.

Paul: Very polite.

What did you talk about? 

Christa: A lot! Music, hobbies, interests.

Paul: Our jobs, upbringing, family, hobbies and interests, past relationships and lack of blind-date experience.

How did the conversation flow? 

Christa: Very smoothly, lots of talking; it took us half an hour to even look at the menu.

Paul: Very naturally.

What did you find most interesting about your date? 

Paul: She was a very interesting girl all-around, but I loved that we had similar interests in art and music.

Christa: 1. That he had lived in Charlottesville for a year and a half and had never been to Belmont. 2. He doesn't have a gallbladder.

What did you all have in common? 

Christa: We both like music a lot, and have some similar favorites.

Paul: Very similar lifestyles and personalities; we got along very well together.

Did you feel any chemistry? 

Christa: Not really, but sometimes it's hard to tell after just meeting someone once.

Paul: There was some chemistry as we shared a lot of laughs and smiles throughout the evening.

What was your favorite part of the date? 

Paul: It was a great evening from start to finish.

Christa: I was expecting some awkwardness, but it felt like we had already been friends before the date. It was overall really fun.

How did the date end? 

Paul: We gave one another a hug and exchanged phone numbers so we could hang out again.

Christa: We hung around for a while after dinner watching the band [Caravan of Thieves], and headed out when they took a break.

Kiss? or hug? or handshake? 

Christa: Hug.

Paul: Hug.

Would you go out again? 

Paul: Definitely.

Christa: Probably.

Rate the Date: 

Christa: 8.

Paul: 8.

#

1. Stick with your priorities

When people travel to another city, why do they go sightseeing in random museums? If your your top three things in life are going to the gym, staying in touch with friends, and reading a book a week, then sightseeing is not on your priority list-- you don't need to do it when you travel. (If sightseeing is on your priority list, then get a new job, because you have no control over where you sightsee if you have a job with a lot of travel.)

2. Eat really well

First of all, you're not paying for your own food, so you should eat really healthy food, which is always more expensive than junk food. Second, if you have a personal rule that you always eat well when you travel, then you will actually get healthier from traveling. Most people eat crap when traveling because they are tired and feel like the calories don't count because they are across state lines, but that attitude will make you burn out faster. (I can't find a link, but I'm sure there's a study to support the hypothesis that travel stress disappears faster without the golden arches.)

3. Think of balance in terms of weeks, not days

I know I want to spend time with my fiance, with the kids, and be around for dinner invitations and tooth-fairy moments. I used to worry that if I didn't have breakfast with the kids, then I had to have dinner. Now, I think in terms of weeks. If I was gone all week, I take off a day from work to have extra time for my personal life. If you are good at your job, and you travel a lot, no one counts how many days you take off.

4. Get elite status. Somewhere. Anywhere.

When everyone is staying overnight at O'Hare, the people who are platinum are getting rebooked first. When you are waiting on the tarmac for an hour at LaGuardia because air traffic control cannot remember how many planes are in the air (which, really, is like, every day), you get upgraded to first class. So you're drinking free wine and eating firm grapes while you are a prisoner of the airport. To get elite status, it means that every time your company wants to save $50 to put you on another airline, you have to say no. If my company will save more than $300, I'll travel on an airline that I am not platinum on. Make sure your company knows you're doing them a favor.

5. Do not agree to stupid meetings for geographical reasons

Just because someone you never want to hang out with lives in Saskatchewan and you're gonna be there doesn't mean that all of a sudden you should hang out with him. You have a life. And you surely have stuff you can do that evening besides hang out with a loser. Or maybe he's only a half-loser. The thing is, you don't have time for half-losers at home. They are the same everywhere: Still just a distraction from the real work of living the life you want.

***

The bottom line is that you need to respect your life. Your life cannot be on hold while you travel. The travel, if it's really frequent, sort of is your life. So the values you have— to be spiritual, frugal, or healthy— have to prevail during your travel. This is not vacation travel. This is not a vacation from your life. Business travel is your life.

 ~

Penelope Trunk has started several companies and worked for many more.

#

Undissolved Mysteries By JOHN ALLEN BREEN41@AOL.COM

Slow Wave By JESSE REKLAW
www.slowwave.com

#]]> http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2009/11/19/cartoons.aspx http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2009/11/19/cartoons.aspx Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:05:20 +0000

Assessed at $1.35 million
SUBMITTED PHOTO

CLARIFICATION

• The "One Time" storyteller in our September 17 and October 5 issues, Mike Fermahin, doesn't actually work at Sarisand Tile, as our stories might have suggested, but he's done some contracting for the company.

#

I don't know how people can get on a stage, wear high heels, and show off their heinies. To me, it's like a bad dream in which you realize you're wearing your pajamas or are naked in public. 

Should you get vaccinated against the "Heinie"?

One of my patients asked me if he should get the heinie vaccine. "Heinie? You mean like your derriere?" He responded, "You know, H1N1--- Hini." Clever.

Right now, 48 states report widespread flu outbreaks, most consistent with H1N1 virus. 

"Most consistent?" 

Well, doctors like me can't culture sick patients with flu-like illness (FLI) because health insurance won't cover the $250 test. We can do the rapid influenza test, but it's only about 70 percent sensitive. If this rapid test shows influenza A, we assume it is H1N1 virus but can't confirm it. 

Also, patients who call the office with FLI are told to stay home, if possible, so they don't contaminate others. So who really knows how many people have or have had H1N1 virus? I think it's mega-mucho-many!

 The CDC recommends H1N1 virus vaccine (AKA swine flu vaccine) for people six months to 24 years old. It seems the ones who become most ill are the young ones. Folks 25-64 years old aren't pushed to get the swine flu vaccine unless they're immunocompromised (e.g. HIV+, diabetes, taking immunosuppresants) or have other health conditions-- in particular, pregnancy, asthma, kidney disease, heart disease.

Who says getting old stinks? It appears those born before 1950 have some immunity to H1N1 virus. However, people in bad health over the age of 65 might still consider getting the vaccine.

The H1N1 vaccine is made the same way the seasonal flu vaccine is made, so the CDC considers it safe. The nasal spray is a live attenuated virus, meaning the H1N1 virus is alive but kind of sleepy. Because it's alive, those who are immunocompromised or pregnant shouldn't take this one. The shot is needed twice for those six months to nine years old: one shot, then another one four weeks later. Bummer! 

Some shots are free from thimerosol (the mercury compound voluntary pulled from most vaccines), but for some reason some shots contain this mercury preservative. 

What about people who have already had FLI, including me? There is no guarantee if people have had FLI that they indeed had H1N1 virus, so those considered at risk by CDC standards are recommended to get the swine flu vaccine. Those who have confirmed H1N1 virus should be immune the rest of this dreadful H1N1 season.

Some people were vaccinated for swine flu back in 1976, our country's bicentennial. However, this vaccine is not thought to provide full immunity in this year's pandemic. 

So, ready for the H1N1 vaccine? Good luck, because finding the vaccine is like a scavenger hunt. My medical office keeps getting updates from the health department saying it should be coming soon. And I keep singing, "She'll be coming ‘round da mountain when she comes," because the news of receiving supplies of the seasonal flu shot to H1N1 vaccine seems to be like a repeating verse of the song. (By the way, the seasonal flu shot doesn't provide protection from H1N1 virus.) 

Some people who have never wanted a flu shot are now clamoring for the swine flu shot because the illness is spreading so fast. I guess those who have said, "I'll get a flu shot when pigs fly," now have this chance.

~

Dr. Hook cracks a joke or two, but he's a renowned physician with a local practice and an interesting website, drjohnhong.com. Email him with your questions.

#

Massive stores crammed to the gills with three-dozen brands of cereal and 17 kinds of frozen potato products seem like something out of a dream. This is how I felt the first time I bought booze outside my home state of Virginia.

Growing up in Virginia, the only liquor store I knew was the ABC "package store" in the Bradlee Shopping Center in Alexandria. The linoleum was dingy, the adjustable industrial shelving a grimy grayish off-white. Unlike every other store on the strip there was no music, just the hum of the florescent lighting and the consumptive coughs of the other patrons.

The clerks wore smocks over their clothes, a practice that had been abandoned by virtually all other retail establishments by my 1980s childhood. Every shelf was tidy and completely full of liquor-- no problem there-- but the selection was abysmal, with rows and rows of identical bottles lining the walls.

There was a Giant grocery store next door-- a convenient place for revelations about the glories of the capitalist system-- and a wine shop a few doors down. But neither of them sold booze. Only the state-owned, state-run ABC was authorized to vend hooch. Virginia is one of 18 states where the government is the monopoly rumrunner. Supermarkets, gourmet shops, and corner stores are all forbidden to sell liquor.

But Bob McDonnell, the newly-elected Republican governor, has promised to end the monopoly on liquor sales in the Old Dominion. This bold gesture isn't because McDonnell is an especially thoroughgoing libertarian; there are plenty of other areas where he'd like to see more state involvement in the private lives of citizens, not less.

This isn't a 12-step program to help the Commonwealth go cold turkey on alcohol money either. McDonnell has no intention of letting Virginia's bottle-based income fall below its current levels of more than $100 million a year. In fact, part of the reason McDonnell is considering privatization at all is that he is looking for cash to spend on transportation infrastructure.

He predicts that selling off the state's 334 liquor stores to private players and gathering licensing fees from more private sellers will bring in $500 million in the short run, while leaving long-run income intact. (The Washington Post remains unconvinced, noting that McDonnell's figures may be too optimistic.)

But no matter what the political and budgetary machinations, Virginians are unlikely to wind up paying more for their rotgut, and they are very likely to wind up with a better selection and a relatively skeeze-free shopping experience.

Commonwealth officials can focus on governing a large landmass without having to fuss with the details of running a liquor empire. And the move may even represent a net gain for the state budget in the future when the state sheds responsibility for ABC employee benefits and pensions, and starts bringing in real estate and other tax revenue from the privatized stores.

And assuming they're not regulated within an inch of their lives and hemmed in by the continued existence of a state-dominated wholesale system, the privately-run stores are likely to be more profitable. In addition to being able to compete with D.C. on price, they can expand their stock-- 80 proof and otherwise.

Right now, high-margin novelty rim salt and Jimmy Buffet-themed blenders aren't sold alongside the tipple in Virginia because the only thing stupider than a state selling intoxicants is a state selling Margaritaville Mixers to go with them.

The number of stores will likely increase under privatization, although the cautious McDonnell has promised "a limit placed on the number of authorized retail outlets to reflect community concern."

Virginians haven't suffered alone with terrible state liquor retail establishments. But the number of states with public provision for gin gimlets mixins' is shrinking. Iowa, West Virginia, and Alberta, Canada have all privatized their moonshine vendors. Each of those states adopted revenue neutral privatization policies-- meaning that they pledged to set rates to keep the flow of cash into state coffers from liquor sales steady.

As it happens, the booze biz boomed, and the tax money started flowing in, which meant those states had to reduce wholesale markup rates in order to keep too much money from flowing in to the state coffers and violating the terms of the deal. Washington State, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania are considering similar plans.

Another citizen-improving side-effect of privatization: An end to the petty crime encouraged by the deprivations of a restrictive state monopoly. Turns out, for instance, that a friend of my family-- a Virginia lady and veteran party thrower-- has been violating state law for decades by popping up to Calvert Woodley Fine Wines & Spirits in D.C. to stock up the Bloody Mary bar. Bringing a case of Capital City booze into Virginia risks a $2,500 fine, a year in jail, and confiscation of her trusty Model A.

But who can blame her? When I moved to D.C. as an adult, the liquor stores were a revelation. For starters, there are so many! Can't find Old Overholt for your Manhattans in Rosebud on 17th and R? No problem, they probably have it at Cairo on 17th and Q.

Sure, most of the clerks are still surly, but you can always choose a different store next time if the checker gives you guff about your fondness for Malibu rum.

~

Katherine Mangu-Ward is a senior editor at Reason magazine, the libertarian fun mag which first published this essay.

#]]> http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2009/11/19/ESSAY-sayonaraABC-a.aspx http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2009/11/19/ESSAY-sayonaraABC-a.aspx Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Kate Atwood
PUBLICITY PHOTO

She knew two other people whose mothers had died: Snow White and Cinderella.

"Great... 12 years old, looking for answers on how to navigate a reality I never could have imagined, and the only people I had to look to for support and understanding were two fairy tale princesses," she writes in the introduction to her book, A Healing Place: Help Your Child Find Hope and Happiness after the Loss of a Loved One... 

And that, she says, is why she wrote the book, published this month by an imprint of the Penguin Group.

The sad picture of a motherless girl doesn't necessarily jibe with the bubbly voice on the phone in a recent interview from her home in Atlanta.

"I remember being 12 or 13 and saying, this will not define me," says Atwood, now 31. And yet, she's devoted her life to helping grieving children.

The epiphany came the year before she graduated from the University of Virginia. She was working at a bereavement camp called Comfort Zone in Richmond.

"I had an exchange with a young girl," remembers Atwood. "We exchanged stories, and it gave me a sense of peace."

By age 24, she knew what she wanted to do. Over dinner with her father, architect Bill Atwood, whom she describes as "entrepreneurial," she laid out her dream, and he encouraged her to go for it. "Having your father believe in you sometimes is all you need," she says.

And Kate's Club was born. In six years, it has become a well-established Atlanta nonprofit-- with an executive director, licensed clinical professionals, and national acclaim.

Still, it's a group, she freely acknowledges, that nobody wants to join. But anyone who's lost a parent or sibling can. The club provides support, social programs, and life skill activities, such as cooking and yoga. "It's coping-- not with loss but with moving to a new life," Atwood explains.

Charlottesville writer John Kelly was so impressed that after penning an article about Atwood for Albemarle magazine, he partnered with her on writing the new book.

"I became more impressed with her personal story," says Kelly, "and how she took the worst thing that had happened to her and turned it into an opportunity to help."

Atwood just hopes the book will empower people outside Atlanta to start their own versions of Kate's Club. "The biggest gift you can give yourself," she advises, "is being part of something bigger than yourself." 

Kate Atwood and John Kelly will be at Barnes & Noble Saturday, November 21, from 2 to 4pm.

#

Thomas Huggins, Davis Appliance
PHOTO BY RYAN HOOVER

But the actual word that I needed to use, "reparar," sounded so much like the English word "rape" that I couldn't bring myself to say it to her. And I kind of slurred it so that it came out like "rapar" which means "to forcibly steal." So I basically told her, "We're sending someone over to forcibly steal your washing machine." 

"Que?!?" she said, panicked. 

So I backtracked and explained that we were sending someone to repair it. 

Mistakes can be made because when I'm asking a customer a question I have to make assumptions about how they understand it. With some people, it's clear that we're talking about the same thing in the same way, but not so with other people. 

A lot of people will call in and say that they need a knob because that's the thing they see when they turn something and it doesn't work. But the knob is only the handle that you hold onto. The switch is the mechanical component— just because something's not starting doesn't mean that the start switch is where the fault is. 

When they call in with a set of descriptions of problems, we usually know based on experience what the problem will be with a certain brand, make, and model. The more complex a machine is, the less we can guess at because there are too many variables. 

One problem that we run into is that people call in, and they don't really have any experience in observing what their machine is not doing. They'll often start out by telling me what the machine needs. What we really need to hear is: what is the machine doing that it's not supposed to do, or what it's not doing that it is supposed to do. Because we can usually figure out what to do based on that.

 One time, we had a little misunderstanding. One of our former technicians was working on an elderly woman's gas stove and he was short of time and needed a part that was out on his truck. So instead of just walking out to the truck, he raced out to it to get the part. And he turned around and the old woman was standing there out of breath. 

He asked her why she was there, and she said, "When I see someone running from a gas stove, then I'm gonna run too!" She thought it was going to explode!

#

Jenny Mikulski: "I would remind people that blaming the victim is never helpful."

Sean Patrick: "Increased visibility of who she is and where she might be located or anybody's leads."

Nathan Huffman: "I would track every major event, where they'd be held. I would check highways, byways, rivers. I would check every spot  I could imagine."

#

10/29-11/3

Federal Realty Investment Trust, tenant upfit, 1137 Emmet Street, $14,000

Towers Limited Partnership, tenant uplift, 185 Seminole Court, $5,504

Gaogo LLC, renovation/non-residential, 202 2^nd Street NW, $100,000 

Albemarle

10/1-10/30

Charlottesville Dental Building LLC, renovate offices, Rio district, bathroom, $60,000

Sunset LLC, illuminated wall sign, Barber House, Rio district, $3000

Belvedere Station Land Trust; Robert M. Hauser, Rio district, single family, $150,000

Hurt Investment Company, add shower, interior renovations, Jack Jouett, $22,000

River's Edge III LLC, tenant upfit for dental office, Rivanna, $125,000

Virginia Land Trust, tenant upfit, Rivanna, $35,000

Lighthouse Worship Center Inc., utility building for Lighthouse Worship Center, Rivanna, $45,000

PJP Building One LC, tenant upfit, Rivanna, $110,000

PJP Building Two LC, expand medical office, Dr. Mark Dean, Rivanna, $65,000

FSOB LLC, tenant upfit for Charlottesville Family Medicine, Scottsville, $340,000

#

Address: 710 Belmont Avenue

Neighborhood: Belmont

Asking: $519,000

Assessment: $420,200

Year Built: 1920

Size: 1,895 fin. sq. ft. / 200 unfin. 

Land: 0.12 acres

Agent: Sonja Casero, 296-0134, Frank Hardy Inc.

Curb Appeal: 9 out of 10

A house isn't always just a house. Some have only walls surrounding space, while others have an ineffable something— we could call it heart— that makes the place a home. It's hard to put a finger on what that element is-- or a price tag, for that matter.

While visitors may quibble about whether that element is evident in this Queen Anne at the corner of Belmont Avenue and Church Street, it does have curbside presence. Its blue stucco exterior catches a passerby's eye, and a new copper roof extends over a romantic turret that makes one imagine a cozy space for reading or other private endeavors.

When the current owner bought the place in 2004, there was not a single plant on the property. Today, all the landscaping has resulted in lush gardens, even in November. Shrubs and young trees provide height and counterpoint to low herbs and grasses. A stone walkway through a small seating area leads to the front door and around the house to the fenced yard in back. Stones from two log-cabin chimneys surround raised beds that look authentic enough to be original.

Although small, the backyard is an oasis, with a koi pond and soothing waterfall, and the covered back porch is big enough entertain a small group. (Prospective buyers shouldn't get too attached to the fish, though, as they do not convey.)

Inside, warm pine floors and a gas-converted hearth create a lived-in feel in the living room beside the generous foyer. A wide doorway leads to an updated kitchen with the dining room beyond. Painted a vibrant red, it's quite dramatic, but the current clunky furniture shrinks the size of the room. New owners may probably want to shift to minimalist to give the appearance of a larger space.

Space in the back on this floor, currently used as a second living room, would make a striking master suite with a new spa-like bath and tiled shower sporting two showerheads and a built-in bench. Two steps down from the bath, what could be the bedroom leads directly to the covered porch. If new buyers wanted to make this space the master suite, they probably would add a second door to the backyard.  

In the renovation, the staircase was opened up on the second floor to create a potential office or play area. Here, built-in shelves take the place of a railing and sit low, again creating a feeling of space. Two second-story bedrooms are connected by a bath with a claw-foot tub. A washer and dryer are also up here behind closet doors.

Some extras, like plantation shutters and antique and handmade light fixtures, are in keeping with the character of the house, while a whole-house water purification system is an update for contemporary needs. Two heat pumps have also been installed.

The detached garage, accessed from Church Street, could be converted into a carriage house-- the owner has an architect's plans for the conversion that will convey and might be useful for a buyer seeking some rental income.  

Beyond the obvious beauty and character of the house, the price does reflect updates and the owner's personal investment. Finding an older house in turn-key condition is a boon, though, and character is hard to price.

PHOTOS BY SARAH JACOBSON

Each week, a brave local seller invites the Hook to provide an impartial, warts-and-all look at their real estate listing. E-mail yours today!

#

Property: 2659 Barracks Road Unit 4

Debtor: Seth O. and AnnJeannette D. Feiner

Amount owing: $101,175

Bidder brings: $10,000 or 10 percent of sale price

Info: Friedman & MacFadyen PA 804-288-0088

November 25 at 10am at the Albemarle County Courthouse 

Property: 4885 Mechums River Road

Debtor: Sandy L. Story and Ruth Story

Amount owing: $456,000

Bidder brings: 10 percent of sale price

Info: Specialized Inc. of Virginia 703-779-0080

November 25 at 10am at the Albemarle County Courthouse 

Property: 6491 Free Union Road, Free Union

Debtor: Donnie R. Dunn

Amount owing: $152,000

Bidder brings: 10 percent of sale price

Info: Specialized Inc. of Virginia 703-779-0080

November 25 at 3:45pm at the Albemarle County Courthouse 

Property: 2962 Magnolia Bend

Debtor: Lee J. Brady and Helena M. Brady

Amount owing: $240,000

Bidder brings: $20,000 or 10 percent of sale price

Info: Samuel I. White PC 757-457-1460

November 25 at 4pm at the Albemarle County Courthouse 

Property: 237 Yellowstone Drive Unit 107

Debtor: Ozair A. Abdullah

Amount owing: $210,320

Bidder brings: $15,000 or 10 percent of sale price

Info: Shapiro & Burson LLP 757-687-8777

November 25 at 4pm at the Albemarle County Courthouse 

Property: Lot 40 Indian Ridge Drive, Earlysville

Debtor: William J. Bader and Kristie L. Bader

Amount owing: $220,400

Bidder brings: $15,000 or 10 percent of sale price

Info: Shapiro & Burson LLP 757-687-8777

November 25 at 4pm at the Albemarle County Courthouse 

Property: 51 Georgetown Green

Debtor: Susan R. Kennedy

Amount owing: $157,000

Bidder brings: $15,000 or 10 percent of sale price

Info: Shapiro & Burson LLP 757-687-8777

December 1 at 12:30pm at the Albemarle County Courthouse 

Property: 313 Eastbrook Drive

Debtor: Jane A. Caterini and Arthur Howell and Terry S. Howell

Amount owing: $220,400

Bidder brings: $15,000 or 10 percent of sale price

Info: Shapiro & Burson LLP 757-687-8777

December 2 at 4pm at the Albemarle County Courthouse 

Property: 534 Summerford Lane, Crozet

Debtor: Joshua A. Goldschmidt

Amount owing: $228,750

Bidder brings: $15,000 or 10 percent of sale price

Info: Shapiro & Burson LLP 757-687-8777

December 3 at 3pm at the Albemarle County Courthouse 

Property: 1574 Cool Spring Road

Debtor: Hannah C. Petty

Amount owing: $132,000

Bidder brings: 10 percent of sale price

Info: Wittstadt Title & Escrow 866-503-4930

December 7 at 11am at the Albemarle County Courthouse 

Property: 1021 Stonewood Drive 

Debtor: Kirk D. Soderlund and Carol A. Soderlund

Amount owing: $156,200

Bidder brings: $11,000 or 10 percent of sale price

Info: ALG Trustee, LLC 703-777-2448

December 9 at 4pm at the Albemarle County Courthouse 

Property: 901 Stonehenge Road 

Debtor: Alvina A. Toms

Amount owing: $217,000

Bidder brings: $15,000 or 10 percent of sale price

Info: Shapiro & Burson LLP 757-687-8777

[This compilation was culled from published accounts of auctions scheduled by creditors. Such plans may change if the alleged debt is satisfied.]

#

6/5

Charles D. Beretz to Sugoto Muhkerjee, 1102 Olympia Drive, Fontana, $455,000.

Russell D. Martin to Leslie R. Martin, parcel at Old Trail Creekside, Crozet, gift.

HSBC Bank USA National Association, trustee, to Unni Kirandumkan, condominium unit at Parkside at Eagles Landing, $166,600.

Dennis Woodriff to Kirtley M. Gunn, 53.82 acres at 3722 Foster's Branch Road, $1,155,000.

Drew E. Price to Peter E. Amato Jr., 124 Boxwood Court, Village Homes of Mill Creek, $271,000.

Andrew J. Norman to Patricia B. VandenBerg, 1463 Monterey Drive, Four Seasons, gift.

Sandal Inc. to David T. Johnston, 2.485 acres at 1495 Old Ballard Road, $763,750.

Michael D. Barnes to M&A Journal Inc., 3053 Boatwright Lane, $260,000.

Axel Lanausse to Robert V. Finley, 1801 Brenda Court, Greenbrier, $311,500.

Richard W. McEnally to Jared T. Govan, 2151 Whippoorwill Road, Whippoorwill Hollow, $427,600.

Blake Shusterman to Mary Kay Nasevich, 3236 Gateway Circle, $250,000.

6/8

Lee Estes, trustee, to Spring Hill Foundation, 1620 Frays Mill Road, gift.

Carolyn S. Baron to William A. Marr Jr., 10 Ednam Village Street, Ednam Village, $725,000.

6/9

Catherine C. Hedrick, trustee, to Philip R. Kiester, 1670 Blackwood Road, Flordon, $730,000.

Granison A. Trimiar to Bruce E. Johnson, 5890 Covesville Store Road, Covesville, gift.

Judith Geller Scher, trustee, to Norbert Leitinger, 2445 Williston Drive, West Leigh, $525,000.

6/10

Glenmore Associates Ltd. to Warrenton Investments Inc., lot 6, phase 2 Glenmore, $550,000.

J. Marshall Pattie to Karen R. Wayman, 122 Blithe Court, BirnamWood, $212,000.

Janice L. Corrin to Elizabeth M. Puritz, unit in Hessian Hills condominiums, 2421 Barracks Place, $157,000.

6/11

James Whindleton Jr. to Roponzal M. Irving, 1.9430 acres on State Route 712, 3558 Plank Road, North Garden, gift.

Bank of America NA to Scott Sungjin Yang, 1211 Villa Lane, Villas at Southern Ridge, $150,400.

Lauren E. Stephens to Janice L. Corrin, condominium unit in Clifden Greene, River Run, $189,000.

Vincent Pace to I&J Home Builders LLC, 2.150 acres in Totier Hills, $66,000.

Anne and Lane L. Bonner III to Arika Bree Roy Cocke, 1.033 acres in Bellair, $230,000.

Gaffney Homes LLC to Arika Bree Roy Cocke, 2.067 acres in Bellair, $270,000.

Cynthia W. Rojas, ex., to 109  Turtle Creek LLC, condominium unit at Turtle Creek, $154,500.

Amir A. Jazaeri to David S. Callaghan Jr., 2720 Leeds Lane, Meriwether Hill, $400,000.

Southern Property LLC to Cornelius W. Thomas, condominium unit at 2140 Saranac Court, the Pavilions at Pantops, $298,235.

Professional Foreclosure Corp. to JP Morgan Chase Bank National Association, 6.310 acres, $740,500.

Frank E. Donley to Jessica L. Kiewra, 1057 Haden Terrace, Ballard Field, Old Trail, Crozet, $201,700.

Benjamin T. Goolsby Jr. to Jason Lee and Mary Ellis Henderson, parcel in North Garden, gift.

6/12

NVR Inc. to Justin Anderson, condominium unit at 1549 Montessori Terrace, the Pavilions at Pantops, $274,690.

A. Randal Sharp to Barbara Thompson, trustee, parcel, $89,000.

NVR Inc. to Justin E. Dodson, condominium unit at 1545 Montessori Terrace, the Pavilions at Pantops, $259,355.

Alyson S. O'Sullivan to Evan C. Pike, condominium unit at 1336 Wimbledon Way, LeParc, RiverRun, $250,000.

Lisa C. VanWinkle to Mary P. Moynihan, unit in Riverbend condominiums, 310 Riverbend Drive, $154,000.

Two Dog LLC to Ron Raab, 3.887 acres at 2427 Davis Shop Road, Free Union, $345,000.

 6/15

NVR Inc. to Patrick Sims, condominium unit at 1555 Montessori Terrace, the Pavilions at Pantops, $273,615.

Christopher Lee Hicks to E. Grant Cosner, one-quarter interest in 15 acres, $54,800.

Specialized of Virginia, trustee, to Bank of New York Mellon Trust Co., condominium unit at 192 Parkside at Eagle's Landing, $166,600.

Michael Barrett to Kent Rademacher, 3217 Doctor's Crossing, $426,750.

Melissa D. Leiher to Andrew L. Malstrom, 4743 Blue Jay Way, Briarwood, $219,900.

Karl B. Gass to Peyton T. Taylor, 202 Turkey Ridge Road, Peacock Hill, $188,200.

Joshua and Ellen Louise Popkin to Allison S. and Edwin T. Hughes III, 99.92 acres, $375,000.

Big deal

6/5

Dennis Woodriff to Kirtley M. Gunn, 53.82 acres at 3722 Foster's Branch Road, $1,155,000.

#

ASSESSMENT: $485,700
SELLER'S AGENT: Barbara Frost, RE/MAX Realty Specialists, 960-4921

#]]> http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2009/11/19/REALESTATE-update-0846withdrawn.aspx http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2009/11/19/REALESTATE-update-0846withdrawn.aspx Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0000

DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK

Q. You don't ordinarily think of lifting a glass of beer to your lips as a triumphant human act. Think again. –S. Addams
A. Complex hand-eye coordination guides your hand's couple of dozen bones, muscles and nerves with a flexibility and finesse unmatched in the animal world, says Mark Denny in Froth! The Science of Beer. Fully a quarter of your brain's motor cortex is devoted to fulfilling this seemingly effortless articulation.

Muscles in your hand and forearm control your grip on the glass. Sensory feedback from your fingertips lets you make fine adjustments to the glass without tilting it, crushing it, or spilling any of the brew. Then you gently tip the liquid at just the right angular rate to pour it comfortably down your capacious gullet. 

This is tricky stuff: For one thing, the beer is quite close to your eyes, which you may even have closed in an ecstacy of appreciation. Yet all of this happens automatically.

"I once observed a student at an Edinburgh University bar drink a pint of beer while standing on his head-- difficult to do even when sober, which this gentleman was not" writes Denny. "Not only did he need to balance using just one arm for support, he also had to carefully bring the beer to his lips without spilling it up his nose. After his success, the appreciative and inebriated audience applauded."
Q. At Boston's Public Gardens, caretakers puzzled over why the eggs of a much-loved swan couple never hatched. Then came the embarrassing answer... –R. M. Brown
A. Both swans turned out to be female, then dubbed Juliet and Juliet, says David G. Myers in Psychology in Everyday Life. At least occasional same-sex relations have been observed in hundreds of species, including grizzlies, gorillas, monkeys, flamingos, owls, and penguins (New York City's Central Park Zoo's Silo and Roy). Among rams, for example, some 6 to 10 percent (to sheep-breeders, the "duds") shun ewes and instead seek out other males. "Some degree of such behavior seems to be a natural part of the animal world," Meyers writes.
Q. "There are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary numerals, and those who don't." What's wrong with the speaker's math here? –S. Hawking

A. Nothing at all, nor with his sense of whimsy either, as presented by Ian Stewart in Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities. The "10" here is a binary number as used internally in all modern computers (in base-2) whose numerals "translate" into (1 x 2) + (0 x 1) = 2. (Our everyday decimal system uses base-10). In other words, the missing eight kinds of people are for those who don't understand binary numerals, which of course isn't you, right?
Q. In recent baseball history, a triple play occurred in which no defensive player touched the ball. A player could have been struck by it, however. How was this accomplished? –G. Triandos

A. Major league records of all past triple plays show no such listing, according to the Society of American Baseball Research. However, in a 1987 issue of The National Pastime, an article entitled "Look Ma, No Hands" described the following stranger-than-fiction play from a girls' softball tournament: "With runners on first and second, the batter hit a high pop fly toward the shortstop, who had trouble finding the ball in the sun. The umpire called 'Infield Fly.' That's one out. The runner on first, seeing that the ball was going to drop, put her head down and ran, passing the runner on second. That's two out. The runner on second, hearing footsteps, advanced a few feet off the base, turned to remonstrate with her over-zealous teammate, and was hit by the ball as it descended. That's one-two-three, and the side was out." 

~

Send Strange questions to brothers Bill and Rich at strangetrue@cs.com.

#]]> http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2009/11/19/STRANGE-0846.aspx http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2009/11/19/STRANGE-0846.aspx Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Pacquiao looks so sweet, doesn't he?
Flickr/bendjsf

I readily admit that my childhood was spent relatively dare-free. Girls don't really dare girls to do things— they're just mean to each other. When Schwartz triple-dog-dares Flick to lick the icy flagpole in A Christmas Story, the scene doesn't resonate with girls as much as with boys. A girl would have laughed in Schwartz's face, and his tongue would have stayed in his mouth.

Too bad Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. is not a girl. If he were, he might not be on the wrong end of so many triple-dog-dares right now. Even before Manny Pacquiao took his seventh title in his seventh weight class last Saturday night, the boxing world was calling for the recently unretired Mayweather to pencil the Filipino in on his dance card. Now, after watching 12 rounds of Pacquiao's fists of fury, the calls are about an inch shy of becoming hoots.

And why not? For some reason (vanity), "Pretty Boy" Floyd still touts himself as the best boxer in the world pound-for-pound, but as Ra the Rugged Man so aptly asked Mayweather on Eminem's satellite radio channel, "So Floyd, when you gonna fight somebody your own size?" 

It's becoming more and more apparent that if Floyd has his way, the answer is never. Mayweather, not known for being shy and retiring, has spent the last few months putting his mouth to work instead of his fists. 

When Mayweather told Sky's Adam Smith, "The thing is, with Pacquiao I don't see any versatility as a fighter," he's really saying, "I'm scared." When he says, "He's a good puncher but just one-dimensional," he's saying, "I'm scared." 

When he says, "If I beat Manny Pacquiao, do you know what they [the critics] are going to say? ‘You're supposed to beat him; you're Floyd Mayweather,'" he's saying, "I'm scared."  

And why not? The 32-year-old knows better than anyone that he ought to be out of his mind with fear when it comes to Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao is the strongest, fastest, most energetic and exciting boxer to come down the pike in many years. Last December, the southpaw made mincemeat of Oscar de La Hoya, who— the 2-1 favorite-- threw in the towel after the eighth round. In May, as a junior welterweight, Pacquiao KO'd Ricky Hatton in only the second round. 

Then, last Saturday, fighting as a welterweight, "Pac-Man" dropped Miguel Cotto in the third round, again in the fourth, and kept him cut and bleeding until the ref called a TKO in the twelfth.

You can tell yourself whatever you want, Floyd Mayweather Jr.; Manny Pacquiao is the real deal. 

So what if Pacquiao has been beaten three times? Two of those losses were over 10 years ago, and the third was against Erik Morales at super-featherweight in 2005. (Pacquiao has beaten Morales twice since then.) Sure, Mayweather may have a 40-0 record, but again, I have to remember Ra the Rugged Man when he asked Mayweather, "If you wanna be great, don't you gotta fight the best?"

According to Mayweather, the answer is no. Actually, his verbatim answer to Rugged Man was, "Boxing doesn't work like that anymore"-- and perhaps in Mayweather's mind, it doesn't. For Floyd, being the best means not losing and making money, and if that means ducking fights, then that means ducking fights.

Since his return to boxing, Mayweather has made an art of ducking not just Pacquiao, but Cotto, Paul Williams and Sugar Shane Mosley. As well he should. Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a multi-millionaire, and he got that way by fighting people he knew he could beat, people who were smaller or older. Take a look at the welterweight rankings: Mayweather is ranked number two, but he hasn't fought anyone in the top 10 of his division.

What conclusion can you draw?

In his heart of hearts, Mayweather is terrified. He can make all the excuses in the world-- not enough money, it's too easy, the promoters don't like him, and so on-- but one day the triple-dog-dares are going to get to him, and he's going to have to face the truth: he can't beat anyone of merit.

That's something the boxing world would pay to see. 

~

Juanita Giles lives in Keysville where she makes videos and updates her http://thesportsdr.com/">Sports Doctor site.

#]]> http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2009/11/19/THESPORTSDOC-0846-mannyVmayweather.aspx http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2009/11/19/THESPORTSDOC-0846-mannyVmayweather.aspx Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0000