Cover Stories


Ready or not: Here it comes Published on Jul 10th, 2003 0 comments On a recent Saturday, Hook staffer Lynn Jameson drove to the Target in Short Pump. She ran into a familiar face from Crozet, and then another friend from near Pantops. "Does everyone from Albemarle...
On Target: How will the supes vote? Published on Jul 10th, 2003 0 comments A rezoning hearing may sound like a snooze fest, but that won't be the case when Hollymead Town Center appears before the Board of Supervisors on July 16. At stake for its three developers is...
Sonic Boom II- Short Interviews Published on Jul 3rd, 2003 0 comments Published July 3, 2003 in issue #0226 of the Hook Name: Civil War Reenactors Members of group: Mike Johnson (drums) Jeff Melkerson (vox, gtr) Type of music: Angular spazz with love (The Hook:...
Tune crawl: some regretful evening Published on Jul 3rd, 2003 0 comments 7:14pm Mark and James set out on what promises to be an epic night on the town. The plan: to pay a visit to every major music venue in town that we can think of, to scope out the music (and social)...
Small potatoes? Dowdell could be looking at life Published on Jun 26th, 2003 0 comments Don Corleone, aka the Godfather, famously said, "A lawyer with his briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns." He's no lawyer, and briefcases aren't allowed in jail, but federal...
Box-car willies: Modern hobos defy age stereotypes... but little else Published on Jun 19th, 2003 0 comments Dinner nearing its end, Walter Lundwall smacks his keys down on the table. Managing a quick good-bye, he leaves abruptly, his feet slapping the pavement as he sprints in the direction of the train...
Rail culture: the language of freight-hoppers Published on Jun 19th, 2003 0 comments The audience squats on milk crates or just mills around in the parking lot behind the Corner's Plan 9. Those closest to the action huddle around a projection screen lit by footage of boxcars,...
A changed man: Lisa Hartley looks back on life Published on Jun 12th, 2003 0 comments Transgenders are nothing new. The ancient Greeks had a goddess, Venus Castina, whose sole purpose was to sympathize with those tortured, feminine souls cursed with the possession of male bodies. Then...
Sideshow: The crying game Published on Jun 5th, 2003 0 comments One sidelight– or sideshow perhaps– of the $10 million defamation verdict involves confusion over which reporter may have cried– or lied. In the trial, U.S. Attorney Bruce Pagel...
No apology: How NBC29 got spanked Published on Jun 5th, 2003 0 comments Art Baugher has known Jesse Sheckler virtually all his life. Baugher knew that his cousin adamantly opposed illegal drugs, and yet, when WVIR-TV Channel 29 reported that police had found cocaine at...
Unhappy camper: Hiker takes a walk in the courts Published on May 29th, 2003 0 comments By early May, Margaret Jackson figured she'd be hiking somewhere in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, photographing blooming rhododendrons and mountain laurel along the Appalachian Trail....
25 Hot things to do this summer Published on May 22nd, 2003 0 comments GUERRILLA FILM UNIT BOOT CAMP Want to catch a struggling Spielberg-in-training? Last summer, youthful filmmaker Johnny St. Ours touched off some very Charlottesville film experiences with his...
Top 10: Condon's nature tips for a smart summer Published on May 22nd, 2003 0 comments Gardening should not be only about growing a beautiful yard of grass, gorgeous flowers, or yummy vegetables. Gardening should provide pleasure, excitement, and health benefits. Herewith a dozen tips...
Earl's world: Almost like being in a real place Published on May 15th, 2003 0 comments Normally the Hot Seat is an 800- or 900-word affair, affording a glimpse into the lives– and refrigerators– of local newsmakers. But when we asked raconteur Earl Hamner to sit on the Hot...
Earl Hamner's NFL notoriety: How Heidi irked Jets-Raiders fans Published on May 15th, 2003 0 comments Earl Hamner was thrilled when he was hired to adapt Johanna Spyri's children's classic, Heidi, into a television movie. Little did he know its airing would become a date that would live forever in...
Cheater? Local author charges Professor Edlich Published on May 8th, 2003 0 comments Tales of plagiarism are all the same. Mid-article, mid-book, mid-paper, or mid-sentence, something goes wrong: A writer– overcome by forgetfulness, laziness, or sheer dishonesty– lifts a...
Copycat? Another UVA prof endured scandal Published on May 8th, 2003 0 comments Earlier this academic year, another UVA professor became ensnared in a plagiarism debate of her own. In November, The History News Network, a George Mason University-affiliated news site, ran a...
You gotta be crazy! Cheating students plead insanity Published on May 8th, 2003 0 comments An insanity defense is nothing new for criminals, and now it seems to be working for some UVA cheaters. UVA physics professor Louis Bloomfield made national headlines in May 2001 when he brought...
2-ring circus: Reality TV feeds urge to merge Published on May 1st, 2003 0 comments In the beginning, Rick took Darva to be his lawfully wedded wife. Could it have been only three short years ago? It seems like an eternity since the oh-so-desirable Rick Rockwell (he of fake fortune...
Gay unions: Same-sex couples can't tie the knot Published on May 1st, 2003 0 comments For many couples, getting married is the ultimate sign of commitment. But for same-sex couples, the right to have a legally recognized union is and may remain a far-off dream. In 1997, the Virginia...
Legends: Local weddings through the ages Published on May 1st, 2003 0 comments Published May 1, 2003 in issue #0217 of the Hook While today's fashionable Albemarle weddings happen in a humble barn with decidedly unhumble catering (and a bluegrass band), it hasn't always been...
Newlywed advice Published on May 1st, 2003 0 comments It's impossible to prepare for every contingency when planning your wedding, but the advice and memories of locally married newlyweds should provide food for thought (at $60 a head). Shelley...
Prenups: The death of romance? Published on May 1st, 2003 0 comments With a staggering 50 percent of marriages ending in divorce, prenuptial agreements have become standard fare for the rich and famous. While wags wonder whether Nicolas Cage or Michael Jackson might...
Bachelor parties Guys, rum, and strippers what more can you ask? Published on May 1st, 2003 0 comments We've all seen Bachelor Party, right? You know the one: Tom Hanks acting all crazy, hookers and mistaken identities, coked-up donkeys, etc. Nobody I know really has the cash for renting out fancy...
The most unusual place we've done it Published on May 1st, 2003 0 comments The question's been popped, the ring's been accepted, and the day's been designated. Now all you have to do is pick the place. But you're Jewish and you're fiance's Baptist, or maybe you're both...
Unveiled: Wedding tales beyond legend Published on May 1st, 2003 0 comments Did you hear the one about the groom who stood up at his wedding reception and asked the guests to look under their chairs, where each found an 8x10 glossy of the bride and best man in flagrante...
Will you marry me? Published on May 1st, 2003 0 comments Before there's a wedding, there's usually an engagement. The Hook asked some well known locals to share their love stories, and we got an earful. From love at first sight, to broken fingers, to "...
Real makeovers: Zippy transformations of movers and shakers Published on Apr 17th, 2003 0 comments From the classic Jerry Springer maniacal shows (Help me, Jerry! My stepmother's in love with me, but she won't get rid of her mullet!) to Oprah's teary remodelings of frumpy housewives, one thing is...
Land use: Farmers' friend or tax break for the rich? Published on Apr 10th, 2003 0 comments Behind lavish eagle-topped gates on Woodlands Road, former Value America mogul Craig Winn lives in a mansion that Albemarle County has assessed at $3.45 million. Fifty acres of rolling Albemarle...
The pits: Dogfighting's bloody aftermath Published on Apr 3rd, 2003 0 comments The pictures on the walls of Carolyn Foreman's SPCA office are cutesy images of puppies, kittens, and ducks. The photos in her hand, however, are not so endearing. They show the battered bodies of...