December 5th, 2002 issue #0144

December 5th, 2002

Hot dam: Should it stay or should it go?

Picture a lazy summer day, floating on an inner tube in the mill pond on the Rivanna. Life doesn't get much better than that– unless you're Sally Shad trying to get up the river to spawn before your whole species is extinct, and a dam is in the way.

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When woolens ruled: The mill behind the neighborhood

Before it was a college town, Charlottesville was a mill town. In fact, the mill was such a big deal that it made the fabric for uniforms of the Confederate Army, West Point cadets, and New York City cops. Long before the Woolen Mills dam [see cover story] was built in 1830, the location at the base of Monticello Mountain on a triangle of land between the Rivanna River and Moore's Creek made industrial history.

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The week in review

Worst cheating scandal: The last honor trials of the 158 students accused of cheating 18 months ago in Professor Louis Bloomfield's "How Things Work" physics class are comp...

Communist evolution Tea Bazaar embraces Reds

When Dish tried to join the masses at the Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar's "communist lunch" last week, we discovered that it was already history. Why make such a novel id...

Osbourne Inc: Why Ozzy's a great CEO

It's become endlessly popular to make facile comparisons of various non-business-world figures to CEOs. Even today we still see references to George W. Bush having the mana...

Foreclosures

December 11, 2002, at 9am at the Charlottesville CourthouseProperty: 709 Prospect AvenueDebtor: unknownOriginally owing: $52,470Bidder brings: $5,200 or 10 percent of sales...

SOLD!

Albemarle 7/31 Martha Elizabeth Campbell to Mary F. and C. Wilson McNeely III, 2.03 acres near Millington, $85,000. Jean M. Crey to Hai Lin and Hong Wang, 3284 Gate...

On the block update

Address: 1418 Cherry Avenue Seen in The Hook : 8/29 Asking: $159,900 Contract price: $150,000 Days on market: 63 Seller's Agent: Patrick Punch of Montague, Miller &...
Starr-y, Starr-y Hill: Grab a piece of the 'ville

ASKING: $258,000 SIZE: 1568 fin. sq. ft. YEAR BUILT: 1925 ADDRESS: 208 Sixth Street NW NEIGHBORHOOD: Starr Hill CURB APPEAL: 6 out of a possible 10 LISTED BY: Bert Blikslag...

Curb jerky: Local band sounds overdone

With most students at an exam or on the road, last week the Corner turned into a barren stretch of empty hang-outs. Monday night, only a handful showed up at Orbit to waste...
Going up: Ted Stryker boys on the move

The Civil War Re-Enactors and Ted Stryker's Drinking Problem at Tokyo Rose, Friday, November 29 A large contingent of Charlottesville's rock scene should probably decide to...

Getting around: UVA students dodge car rules

Effective for the next school year, parking permits for UVA's incoming students will be a thing of the past. But who needs a permit anyway? Even before the University annou...
Lowe's incident: Assailant convicted; plans to appeal

The man who hurled racial slurs at a local shopper and then punched her at Lowe's was convicted of misdemeanor assault and battery November 19 in Albemarle General District...
Sour note: Bell-ringer sent packing

What are the top holiday harmonies? Carols and the tinkle of Salvation Army bells, right? Well, apparently not everyone is cheered by the sounds o' the season. Salvation Ar...
Superfast: Griesar gets his due

The only man to leave the Dave Matthews Band has just received a jolt of national publicity in the November 27 issue of Rolling Stone. The magazine that waited nearly a dec...
Tricky triangle: Locals tangle over city's designs on Preston

The only thing everyone agrees on is that the future of Preston Avenue is at stake. Beyond that, there's anything but consensus. At issue is a parcel of land that looks lik...

Catting around: Give kitty a key

Q. Family installed a cat door to allow the pet to leave and enter the house at any time. Great idea, but soon neighborhood cats were dropping in at all hours for snacks an...

Mr. Grape Man: Gorman's got the juicy details

Cabernet Franc. Mark Tim Gorman's words: that's the wine that will make this region famous. He should know. Not only is he president of the Virginia Vineyards Association, ...

Judge this: Hizzonor Helvin's gone fishin'

Here's the downside of being a judge: You can't have a beer with your lunch at Court Square Tavern because people might say, "He's drunk on the bench," or "Look at the guy ...

Call hunting what it is

Re Ann Schaefer's claim ["Bravo for Hunters," Mail, November 21, 2002] (http://readthehook.com/92761/lettershy-bravo-hunters) that "hunters preserve open spaces." Whate...
Do unto foxes...

We all have our opinions on foxhunting ["Hounded– What's so wrong with foxhunting?" Cover story, November 14, 2002] (http://readthehook.com/92725/cover-story-houn...
Where's the evidence?

I was disappointed by the glib attitude taken by the drafters of the "adult use" section of the zoning ordinance. According to your article ["XXX-rated ordinance," News, No...

Eclectic youth: Trucks takes on the slide

It may be the dead of winter, but sandals, hackey-sacks, and tie-dyed t-shirts are sure to make their appearance at Starr Hill this Friday, December 6, for the bluesey-jam/...
Emerging mayhem: No shrugs at new Offstage show

"Bring your lighters, your black t-shirts, and your old ladies," Denise Stewart jokes, issuing an invitation to the newest offering in Offstage Theater's growing list of pr...
Get HIPP: Workshop helps increase the peace

Hassle Lines, Crocs and Frogs, Jail Break, Zip Zap Boing.These may sound like the names of trendy, aggressive new video games, but they’re actually some of the key peacem...
Oakley's solstice: Fantasy writers gather in the gloom

It may be early to call it the solstice, but the dark forces are converging on Oakley’s Gently Used Books.Valkeries, vampires, and mythical kingdoms will be shop-talk at ...
Oh Death! Demons and doom lurk at "The Edge"

Based on our artwork, one might assume that America doesn’t have a particularly death-obsessed culture. Only the dwindling numbers of the gloomy Goth subculture still sur...
Stuff-y ideas: Crafts and art by the armload

My sister just announced that our extended family is having a homemade Christmas this year. “We’ve decided the kids have enough stuff,” she said. So instead of buying...