May 24th, 2012 issue #1121

May 24th, 2012

Beware: There's a dark side of sunny days

The warm sun on your skin... picnics with friends.... long, lazy days... beach vacations... heat stroke? We're not trying to kill your summer buzz, but there are a few heightened risks associated with summertime fun, so follow these precautions. And then dive right in!Tick tick tick

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Brain eater: After boy's death, aunt urges safer swimming

For decades, brain-eating organisms were the stuff of legends– or of legendarily hot places like Texas, Arizona, and Florida. But the killer amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri really did invade and consume a boy's brain right here in Virginia. It happened last summer, and Bonnie Strickland knows all too well. Related Dr. Hook: 'Brain drain: Lethal amoebae take devasting toll'

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Burning roadside: Can Mark Cline rise again from the ashes?

Just as the tourist season was about to begin, one of Virginia's most trip-worthy attractions has been destroyed by fire, a rude turn for the one-man whirling dervish whose creativity, for 30 years, has kept the tiny town of Natural Bridge on the map of summer fun. Related stories: • Can Professor Cline save the Taubman?

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Guide to a death-defying summer o' 2012

Mint Springs provides a beach with mountain views. Skinny dipping at Mint Springs

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4Better Or Worse

The week in review

Best sign Virginia isn't for all lovers: The House of Delegates, led by Bob Marshall, torpedoes the nomination of Richmond prosecutor Tracy Thorne-Begland to General Distri...

The Dish

New frogurt: Bloop plops down on Pantops

Like a cool dollop of twisty soft-serve ice-cream falling slowly in circles from the machine as it shapes a mound on a crispy sweet cone, Charlottesville's newest self-serv...
Sweating for sweets: Paradox Bakery comes to Glass Building

Amidst construction work, unopened equipment boxes, stacked furniture, the smell of fresh paint, and general chaos, a chocolate layer cake sits temptingly on a high table c...

Essays

American Wildways: Connecting wildlife and helping ourselves

By Amy Mathews AmosLast year, conservation athlete John Davis left his job and spent 10 months covering 7,600 miles on an epic journey. Unlike Jack Kerouac, the 47-year old...

Question of the Week

What's the most dangerous thing you'll do this summer?

Real Estate - $old

Reassessment reflects need for upgrade

3/30/12 Albemarle Poplar Glen LLC to John V. Ashworth, 317 Poplar Glen Court, $335,341 Carolyn Colette Lussier, attorney-in-fact for Catherine C. McDonald to Stein E. Krets...

Real Estate - On the Block

Halsey's houses: Fox Ridge offered as plantation deteriorates

The long unwinding of assets owned by internet millionaire Halsey Minor now includes his hometown property: Fox Ridge Farm, a 205-acre equestrian estate near Free Union. Qu...

Real Estate Property auctions

Property auctions

May 31 at 11am at the Albemarle CourthouseProperty: 5020 Harris Brook Lane, North Garden Debtor: Jeanette B. Cowan Original amount owing: $66,332 Bidder brings: 10 percent...

Movie Reviews

Commanding laughter: Cohen surprises audiences with a tight regime

THE Dictator is funny, in addition to being obscene, disgusting, scatological, vulgar, crude and so on. Having seen Sacha Baron Cohen promoting it on countless talk sh...

Table of contents

COVERDeath defying summerLetting kids drive? Taking a cliff dive? The fun and danger never ends this summer if you follow some of these ideas. But if you're the more cautio...

News

Bears and bobcats: Central Va. gets natural history museum

Since the Charlottesville branch of the Virginia Natural History Museum closed its doors in 2004, the Smithsonian Institution's museum in Washington is closer for local nat...
Beaten, but undrained: Litigant says City gets its water... in 40 years

One man's water lawsuit against four local governments was tossed out of court Friday as a judge dismissed the case and, in a separate ruling, validated the lead defendant...
Boyce's battle: Former Prism director takes on alligator

Back in 2004, Fred Boyce made headlines for wrangling with folk musicians at the Prism Coffeehouse, where he was the talented if hot-tempered artistic director, responsible...
Feud ends: Giles cashes as VNB heads for buying spree

If anyone were expecting fireworks or fisticuffs at the annual meeting of Virginia National Bank Monday night, they were shown less a feud than a roadmap to riches, as bank...
No response: Huguely misses lawsuit's 21-day deadline

When Sharon Love served a $30 million lawsuit on her daughter's convicted killer on April 26, by law, George Huguely had three weeks to respond. However, by the end of day ...
Over Alan Jackson

This is how the free Sunday evening concert that country music superstar Alan Jackson gave the people of Louisa County looked. The May 20 event was limited to a crowd of 6,...
Tow talk: Council votes 4-1 for advisory board

After a reported spike in towing complaints from visitors to downtown Charlottesville, the city's towing laws are about to come under scrutiny as City Council voted 4-1 to ...
Weschler's world: Berkshire Hathaway buys 'Daily Progress'

Ted Weschler has just become an even bigger media mogul in Charlottesville. That's because his boss, Warren Buffett, just bought most of debt-laden Media General's newspape...
When trees sprout photographs...

...That means Look3, Charlottesville's photography fest, is just around the corner. The underwater photos of National Geographic's David Doubilet started going up at 7am Fr...