Published March 14, 2002 in issue 0006 of The Hook

Best description of a thief-- white male, fond of chocolates, ice cream, and books: Barracks Road's Lindt Chocolate Shops, Barnes & Noble, and Ben and Jerry's all have been robbed over the past couple of weeks, possibly by the same suspect, police say.

Worst news for those who like to chauffeur their champagne-swilling friends around: The General Assembly passes a redundant-sounding bill that allows for the arrest of a driver exhibiting signs of intoxication when there's an open booze container in the car. Can't you already get arrested for that without the open containers?

Best legislation for open government lovers: Gov. Mark Warner signs a bill making the state's Freedom of Information Advisory Council permanent.

Worst result of amateur crime-stopping: A Lowe's employee is sprayed with "a substance similar to mace or pepper spray" when he attempts to foil the theft of a drill, according to a Daily Progress report.

Best publicity for a University of Virginia Press book: Online mag Salon excerpts recipes from Calvin Schwabe's Unmentionable Cuisine, including such morsels as coconut cream-marinated dog on skewers, grilled rat Bordeaux style, and grubs en papilote.

Worst trend at UVA: Five bomb threats (as of press time) in the past few weeks, perhaps a result of midterms, although that doesn't explain such unlikely targets as the Aquatic and Fitness Center and the O-Hill dining hall, or the motive of the allege perp, an employee, in the latter threat.

Best prediction about Garrett Square: In 15 years, "I ultimately think it's going to become the Soho of Charlottesville," says City Councilor Maurice Cox in a Daily Progress story by Jake Mooney.

Worst food service review: Protesting jail food, three inmates burst a sprinkler at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail. They are charged with participating in a riot, according to a Reed Williams report in the Progress.

Worst role models: Three volunteer Stony Point firefighters implicated in arson charges allegedly threatened to initiate junior firefighters by duct-taping them together and dumping ice down their pants if they didn't set three fires, so the firefighters could put them out, according to another Williams report.

Best attempt to keep the City Council race from being a Democratic shoo-in: Independent and now two-time candidate Stratton Salidis enters the race just before the March 5 deadline. In his last Council race, Salidis claimed 317 votes.

Worst breakup: According to a Progress report, the bickering between developers Colin Rolph and Lee Danielson was so bad that their accountant was reduced to tears. The properties of the developers who brought downtown Charlottesville the Ice Park and Regal Cinemas are now in receivership. (See story, page XX.)

Best service for nosy neighbors: City real estate assessments are now available online.

Worst news for Lewis Mountain neighborhood NIMBYs: UVA is building a five-story parking garage between Emmet Street and Ivy Road.

Worst reason to go to Tortola: Michael Spicer has been ordered to return to stand trial on charges of conspiracy in the death of Lois McMillen.

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