Charges of racism on Corner, No more Rescue Squad?, ‘Fearless Consumer’ says goodbye

ON THIS WEEK’S COVER:
Dressing Down: Was this bar speaking in Code?
Are big, baggy clothes bad news? Owners of Jaberwoke restaurant on the Corner recently decided the answer is yes. People sporting such duds, they claim, are more likely to be rude to staff and start fights in their establishment. So a month ago, citing “safety” and a wish to encourage “better behavior,” the owners imposed a dress code banning various articles of clothing at Jaberwoke and their other two restaurants, The Virginian and West Main. The action ignited a firestorm. Is such a dress code racist?

ALSO IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:

Rejected suitor: Info-seeking UVA employee reassigned
The UVA employee who tried to get the university to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request found out last week in a mass email that his job had been eliminated. Will Shaw says it’s retaliation. UVA says otherwise.

Squad v. squad: Fire & Rescue vie to save time and lives
Both organizations are dedicated to saving lives, and both say they don’t want this issue to come across as a fight. But that’s exactly what’s happened and it’s sparked a controversy over the future existence of the Charlottesville Albemarle Rescue Squad as we know it.� But Charlottesville Fire Department officials say the Rescue Squad is just too slow and that it’s time for the City to intervene.

DIY safety: After hand flags, city lights up
The City has unveiled another fossil fuel-friendly pedestrian safety tool at a high-profile downtown location. But unlike its last high-profile crosswalk experiment, the hand-carried flags of 2002, this one avoids social stigma. In late February, workers installed do-it-yourself solar-powered warning lights at the Water Street crosswalk between the Charlottesville Ice Park and the Lewis & Clark Square condominiums. Do reidents think it’s a bright idea?

Plus:
* John Whitehead sounds off on new martial law legislation
* The Hook’s big win at last week’s Virginia Press Association Awards
AND
* Democratic candidate for Commonwealth’s Attorney Denise Lunsford in the HotSeat

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