The rink was officially opened on May 1, 1996.
FILE PHOTO BY HAWES SPENCER

Lee Danielson was right— an ice rink in Charlottesville is a money-loser. And now the latest owners of the Charlottesville Ice Park, admitting that they’ve seen losses that “mounted more quickly than we anticipated,” reveal they will shut down the Charlottesville Ice Park later this year.

“The reality is that the Central Virginia area, while being enthusiastic about the rink to a degree, does not have enough people interested in skating often enough to support the operation,” co-owner Bruce Williamson writes in a remarkably candid open letter to staff, avid skaters, and parents of young skaters.

Williamson, a lawyer, helped purchase the facility in 2003 after Danielson and co-developer Colin Rolph feuded over its viability.  Despite carving off the upstairs party room as retail space (now housing the Eloise boutique), the new owners— now consisting of (more)

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On the block: the first homestead in Vineyard Estates, developed by William Moses and Patricia Kluge.
ALBEMARLE COUNTY WEBSITE; LISA PROVENCE

The high-dollar development of Patricia Kluge and Willam Moses, already beset by a multi-million-dollar spec house in foreclosure, earned another unwelcome distinction Friday as a judge ruled that a realtor’s $2 million lawsuit against the project can move forward.

The attorney for the Vineyard Estates development, Dave Thomas, argued February 26 in Albemarle Circuit Court that an email that estate broker Frank Hardy sent a day after a meeting in which the two sides discussed ending Hardy’s exclusive listing agreements for the 24-lot development, amounted to a contract.

“We all agree that we would like to accept your offer of $25,000 together with the release of the existing contact list,” Hardy wrote in the email. “Would you like to prepare a document which would terminate our agreement upon receipt of funds?”

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After years of boom times, Albemarle County Executive Bob Tucker presents a diminished budget for the second year in a row, this one 12 percent less than two years ago.
PHOTO BY LISA PROVENCE

With the University of Virginia as the big employer in town, Albemarle County has often been thought to be sheltered from the financial pain other parts of the country are suffering. The fiscal year 2010-11 budget County Exec Bob Tucker unveiled February 25 dispels that notion.

Tucker’s $293,850,901 budget is $10.3 million trimmer than last year and nearly $40 million less than fiscal year 2008-09.

The good news for homeowners is that the property tax rate holds steady at 74.2 cents per $100, so while homes lost value in the county on average 3.96 percent, at least those tax bills will be a few bucks less.

The bad news: All those best-place-to-live attributes (more)

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Tom Morgan’s country song includes a girl named Heather.
PHOTO BY LISA PROVENCE

When Tom Morgan packs up his up Chevy Cavalier February 27 and heads north with Led Zeppelin blasting, he’s leaving behind his morning drive time gig with 99.7 WCYK “Your Country.” He doesn’t have a job waiting for him in Philadelphia, but he does have a woman, and leaving a payin’ DJ job in a tough economy for love sounds a lot like the country tunes Morgan has been playing since 2006 at “Your Country.”

“I’m moving for love,” declares Morgan, 27.

The Roanoke native grew up with a father who “lived and breathed radio” and worked in the business for 30 years in Norfolk.

Morgan cut his country teeth in Knoxville, and that experience got him back to Virginia, where he started doing afternoons at Charlottesville’s only country station.

He says “Your Wake-Up Call with Tom and Pam” is the number one or two morning show in the area.

Monticello Media general manager Dennis Mockler can’t confirm that— as the station no longer (more)

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Delegate Rob Bell, right, votes against marijuana reform bills in committee and becomes the subject of a YouTube video.
PHOTO FROM YOUTUBE

Supporters of two bills on marijuana— one to decriminalize possession of small quantities and one amending Virginia’s on-the-books medical marijuana law— accuse Delegate Rob Bell in a YouTube video of leading the charge to derail legislation that might have provided relief to cancer victims.

Michael Krawitz, with Virginians Against Drug Violence and Patients Out of Time, complains that Bell ignored human suffering and used “straw man” arguments during a January 27 subcommittee hearing by alleging that the measures would lower the penalties for an adult selling pot to a third grader— an “inflammatory” allegation bearing little connection to the real world, says Krawitz.

Bell, however, says he remembers a respectful hearing, and that he questioned a witness who claimed decriminalization would save $75 million a year by keeping Virginia’s 20,000 pot arrestees out of jail for 30 days.

“That was inaccurate,” says Bell. “I can’t recall a case where anyone spent 30 days in jail for pot.”

House bills 1134 and 1136 were carried by Republican Delegate Harvey Morgan from Gloucester, and have been tabled for a year.

The makers of the video “had an agenda,” says Bell. “I am not as important as they think.”

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The song (previewed here) is available only on iTunes.
RECORD JACKET

Up-and coming singer-songwriter Schuyler Fisk (still best known as the daughter of Oscar winning Sissy Spacek) has released a new single “Love Somebody” exclusively on iTunes, and all the proceeds benefit the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA.

“We love the SPCA, and the whole family has toured the facility and been involved in the fundraisers,” says mom Sissy Spacek. “We feel so fortunate to have an organization like this in our community that we wanted to do our share.”

Spacek, who taught her daughter to play guitar at an early age (and even performed with her at a St. Anne’s-Belfield middle school talent show), finds the song’s message— to love anyone, be it a human or animal friend— in sync with the no-kill mission of the SPCA. The mother of the 27-year-old singer and actress has also been involved in the SPCA, starring in public service television ads promoting the foundation. Fisk, who is traveling after wrapping up an untitled Gus Van Sant film, could not be reached for comment.

“Her hope is that people would be inspired to be involved in the SPCA, be it fostering puppies or making a donation,” says mom, who picks up on a line from the song: “It’s very true that life is better when you love somebody.”

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