Debate persists as $49M jail project moves forward P.9
Abundant Life eyes
Prospect Avenue expansion P.13
Tanael Joachim’s humor cuts deep— and a little dirty P.29
FEBRUARY 18 – 24, 2026
We asked local leaders: What happens if ICE comes to Charlottesville?
REED ENVIRONMENTAL WRITING AWARD
2026 VIRGINIA FESTIVAL OF THE BOOK EVENT
You’re invited to join SELC, in person or virtually, as we celebrate our 2026 Reed Environmental Writing Award winners as part of the Virginia Festival of the Book. Don’t miss your chance to hear from author and two-time book winner, Catherine Coleman Flowers, and journalism winner Garden & Gun staff writer Lindsey Liles, as they share reflections on their award-winning work.
Christian Cooper, an Emmy Award-winning host and the NY Times bestselling author of Better Living Through Birding, joins the award ceremony as our special guest speaker.
The first 400 event registrants receive a FREE copy of Holy Ground: On Activism, Environmental Justice, and Finding Hope by Catherine Coleman Flowers.
March 20, 2026 at 5:00 pm CODE Building 225 West Water Street Charlottesville, VA 22902
Register for the in person or virtual event by scanning the QR code or visit selc.org/reed-award-registration/
Catherine Coleman Flowers BOOK AWARD WINNER
Lindsey Liles JOURNALISM AWARD WINNER
JOHN LABBÉ
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the meeting convenient for you:
Wednesday, February 25, 6-8 p.m.
Gordon-Barbour Elementary School 500 West Baker Street Gordonsville, VA 22942 or
Tuesday, March 3, 5-7 p.m.
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Learn more at DominionEnergy.com/Charlottesville-Gordonsville
Hello, Charlottesville.
Thank you for reading C-VILLE Weekly.
2.18.26
I received a letter last week in response to our recent cover story about the Blue Ridge Disc Golf Club (more specifically, to my note drawing a parallel between the team’s tenacity and the bravery of Minnesotans standing up to ICE-related violence). “Disrupting armed federal agents from doing their job is un-American and dangerous,” the reader wrote. “If only the protests were peaceful, the results would not have been so tragic.”
Essentially: Don’t question law enforcement, or you’ll be shot on sight.
If you’ve ever seen a therapist for anxiety (ahem), you’ve probably explored the concept of “carrying out the thought.” You ask yourself, “What if?” and follow the logic all the way to the end. So, let’s do that. If we assume law enforcement is always acting in the public interest, then any disagreement becomes dangerous—objection, observation, even making noise to hold power accountable.
I’ll pretend, for a moment, that Renée Good and Alex Pretti were “obstructionary”— filming federal agents, speaking out, or blowing whistles. All of that is protected under the First Amendment. Even if you squint and call it obstruction, what gives an agent license to kill? Carrying out this logic, any exercise of constitutional rights could be a death sentence.
And if questioning authority is “un-American,” then what do we call the Boston Tea Party? The lunch counter sit-ins? The march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge? Americans have a long, inconvenient history of challenging authority in pursuit of change. Dissent has always been part of the experiment.
Which leads me to this week’s cover story (p. 17). In it, reporter Nathan Alderman asks local leaders “What if?” What happens if ICE comes to Charlottesville? Who will protect our neighbors? What will our institutions actually do? The answers are, at best, complicated. Carrying out the thought almost always is.
This week’s contributors
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Nathan Alderman, C-VILLE’s senior news reporter, is a writer, editor, and Oxford comma enthusiast. He volunteers for civic causes, folds a lot of laundry, and adores his spouse and his large, loud, hungry children. He’s written for Macworld magazine and The Motley Fool, among others. Read his work on pages 9 and 17.
Sarah Sargent has been writing about contemporary art for more than 20 years. In addition to C-VILLE Weekly, her writing has appeared in Art Papers, Sculpture Magazine, Artillery, and Virginia Living. A former director of Second Street Gallery, Sargent lives in southern Albemarle. Read her work on page 33.
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IN THIS ISSUE
FEATURE 17
Chilling effect
NEWS 9
9 Latest on ACRJ renovation project.
11 Stefan Friedman’s restaurant empire crumbles.
12 Third time’s the charm for Windy Knoll?
13 Real Estate: NDS considers new Abundant Life building.
31 Stages: Jackson and the Janks at Dürty Nelly’s.
33 The Works: McGuffey celebrates J.M. Henry’s work.
FOR FUN 40
40 Sudoku
41 Crossword
43 Free Will Astrology
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APRIL
JUNE 20:
WNRN Presents: The String Cheese Incident
Just Keep Spinning Tour 2026
JULY 18:
Alison Krauss & Union
Station ft. Jerry Douglas with Special Guest Theo Lawrence
JULY 26: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Benefiting the Charlottesville Free Clinic
SEPTEMBER 8: Sierra Ferrell A WNRN 30th Anniversary show Heavy Petal Tour
SEPTEMBER 22: Rainbow Kitten Surprise
More Announcements Coming Soon!
Mar 1 - Joe troop & the truth machine
Mar 7 - Cheick hamala Diabate band and corey harris
& FT. JOHN RADEMACHER 02-24| BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT WITH GLASSING
02-25| LAUNDRY DAY WITH SATCHEL SHURE 02-26| KENDALL STREET COMPANY WITH SHAGWUF
02-27| FULL MOON FEVERTOM PETTY TRIBUTE 02-28| JOE PUG 03-04| AN EVENING WITH THE LARRY KEEL/JON STICKLEY DUO 03-07| NIGHT TEACHER WITH DIANE CLUCK 03-08| SHAKEDOWN CITI 03-11|
MAR 20 - the High & Wides
MAR 21 - the SAAMI BROTHERS (2 shows)
MAR 27 - Terri Allard, Jason Pollock, & Thomas Gunn
-
MAR 28 - Bill Evans A songwriters’ round qawwali Masters from pakistan w/
(2
Mar 14 - “A Night In Nashville” Annual Fundraising Gala At Three Notch’d BREwing Co. Rescheduled from Jan 24 April 25/26 - Tom Tom fest
APRil 4 - hiroya tsukamoto & ty burkhardt A fingerstyle
April 10 - Mark SCHATz & Bryan McDowell
April 18 - Driftwood
22nd 3:30pm |
An Evening with Lorissa Rinehart & Tara Setmayer
To register for either event, please scan the QR code or type the URL into a web browser
bit.ly/4qDHMDS
Thursday, February 26th | 6:30 p - 8:00 p
Center for Politics | 655 Leonard Sandridge Road, Charlottesville, Virginia
An Evening with Presidential Advisors Jean Becker & Tom Collamore
Tuesday, March 10th | 6:30 p - 8:00 p
Center for Politics | 655 Leonard Sandridge Road, Charlottesville, Virginia
For more information contact Glenn Crossman at GAC4t@virginia.edu
Digging in
ACRJ renovations are ongoing, but there’s still work to be done BY CATIE RATLIFF
NEWS CONSTRUCTION
Renovation at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail is underway, following the demolition of the 1974 portion of the facility earlier this month. After years of debate, the $49 million project was narrowly approved by City Council last June. While critics and supporters of the project largely agreed that the facilities needed an update, the price tag and priorities of the reduced-scope renovation remain divisive.
Opened in 1974, ACRJ serves the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle and Nelson counties. The facility has a rated-capacity of 329 beds, and largely holds people awaiting trial or sentencing, or serving shorter sentences.
Renovation of the ACRJ was originally planned to be more extensive, covering both the replacement of the east wing and a more involved update of the west wing. The project was scaled back after bids came in several million dollars above expectations because of rising construction costs and tariffs. The ACRJ Authority Board opted to go with the lowest bidder, English Construction in Lynchburg, and then pare down the scope of work to fit within the allocated $49 million.
Under the final plan, renovations will include the complete replacement of the east wing with a two-story structure and add a dedicated public entrance, 12 individual visitation rooms, three outdoor recreation areas, a video court space, two mental health offices, and more spaces for mental health and classroom activities. Staff will also get 14 more office spaces, and HVAC and mechanical systems in the west wing will be improved.
Demolition of the east wing has already been completed, with contractors now preparing for plumbing, electrical, and foundation work, according to ACRJ Superintendent Martin Kumer. English Construction did not respond to C-VILLE’s request for comment by press time.
“The scope of work that was finally approved and formally approved will have a much larger visitation space for inmates and families, higher quality visitation as well,” says Kumer. “The lack of outdoor recreation
space, the antiquated HVAC systems on the 1975 portion of the jail, and the cell sizes of the housing areas on that side of the jail were the biggest things that needed attention.”
In February 2024, ACRJ surveyed two focus groups of people incarcerated there. The jail received a total of 47 surveys, 14 from focus groups and 33 from tablets. Among the potential renovation items listed on the survey, participants slightly prioritized outdoor recreation space and reliable plumbing. The revised scope of the renovation includes both.
Visitation was another top priority for respondents. The renovation will include more private spaces, but it is unclear how it will address the other aspect of people’s complaints: frequency of visitation. ACRJ currently allows one 30-minute in-person visit per month with up to three visitors. Kumer says the new dedicated spaces will allow for more frequent visits, but did not specify further.
Despite generally agreeing that ACRJ facilities need improving, the scope and nature of the investment remain a concern for officials and activists alike.
Charlottesville City Council narrowly approved the renovations in a 3-2 vote in June 2025, with councilors Natalie Oschrin and Michael Payne voting against the project. Contractors did not provide a revised scope of work until July 1, 2025.
“When you look at particularly the older wing of the jail, there were renovations, no matter what, that had to happen there and should happen there,” says Payne. “My biggest concern is just the overall cost of the project and the amount of debt service payments that’s going to obligate the City of Charlottesville for a number of decades, and that that cost is just kind of baked in of the city paying a little over $1 million a year.”
The cost of the renovations is divided among the city and counties, with $12.1 million in 2025 grant anticipation notes and $36.9 million in 2025 bonds. Accounting for the initial loans taken out, interest, and debt services, the projected costs over 28 years are $28.7 million for Charlottesville, $32.1 million for Albemarle County, and $11.9 million for Nelson County.
Costs were split among the localities using the FY26 inmate day calculations from the ACRJ Authority Board.
“It’s going to butt up against other budget priorities in [the] city, around schools, transportation—anything, you name it,” says Payne.
Payne and The People’s Coalition, which organized in opposition to the ACRJ renovation, both emphasize that the facilities are outdated—but some of the multimilliondollar investment should have been directed toward preventative measures, particularly for those with mental health disorders.
“People building these jails usually focus on the ‘three Cs’ as their arguments to support jail expansion, which is to increase in capacity, a better contemporary jail, and more compassionate jail,” says Rosia Parker, People’s Coalition organizer. “We should be wary of carceral humanism, which portrays jailers as social service providers. You can’t get better in a cell, especially when it’s designed to punish and control one’s mindset and body. … The criminal system is not equipped to provide effective mental health care for anyone.”
Even with the inclusion of dedicated mental health spaces in the renovation plans, Parker is skeptical.
“We fought so much for mental health, we know that they’re going to put them there so they can … say, ‘Oh, we did what the people asked. We have these beds, or special purpose beds designed for mental health,’” says Parker. “But is it actually designed for mental health, or is it designed for isolation? … Invest in the village instead of into the jail system, because you can’t heal in a jail cell.”
The ACRJ renovations are ongoing, and are on schedule for completion in November 2027.
ACRJ renovations will replace 7-by-5-foot cells with new spaces nearly triple the size.
Lost in revision
The House of Delegates Appropriations Committee quietly removed some higher education employees from HB1263, its collective bargaining legislation, on February 13.
As of press time, HB1263 creates bargaining units for individual home care providers and state and local government employees. Per the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission’s fiscal impact review, the “state and local government employees” unit would include staff at public higher education institutions. Bargaining rights for faculty are no longer included in the bill.
“When the federal government attacked UVA, we put ourselves on the line to protect this institution,” said Ian Mullins, a University of Virginia professor and United Campus Workers member, in a February 15 press release. “We put ourselves out there and defended UVA in a very public way when our administrators wouldn’t. Collective bargaining would help faculty feel empowered to stand up for the university without fear of retaliation because we would have contracts we could use to defend ourselves.”
Organizers are now rallying behind the state Senate version of the legislation, SB378, with hopes that the final bill sent to the governor will include all campus workers. To drum up support and hear from chapters across Virginia, UCW is launching a statewide tour, beginning with UVA on February 21.—Catie Ratliff
Primary update
Scottsville Supervisor Michael Pruitt ended his campaign to represent the 5th District in the House of Representatives and endorsed Democratic primary frontrunner Tom Perriello. “I joined this race knowing I’d face a hard, uphill battle. But with the newly publicized district maps, I now know that such a fight will do more harm than good,” said Pruitt in the February 11 announcement. “I know Tom Perriello will put in the work to stand up for rural, working Virginians in Congress.”—CR
Empty plates
Local restaurateur Stefan Friedman’s moveable feast is suddenly picked clean BY
NATHAN ALDERMAN
Behind the locked door of Ace Biscuit & Barbecue, ceiling fans spin above the empty dining room. At the former Omakase Obscura, the well-stocked bar shelves remain illuminated. Boxes crowd the Vitae Spirits distillery and the former Draft Taproom, some bearing address labels for other businesses under the now-closed umbrella of restaurateur Stefan Friedman’s A Moveable Feast.
On February 4, surprised staff at Ace received an eviction notice, according to a Reddit post from manager Ryan High. By February 6, the barbecue restaurant and every other food or beverage business Friedman owned, including The Wine Guild of Charlottesville, had closed or transferred ownership.
“This is a hard business,” Friedman says, “and I did not realize until I got into it how hard it was. And I’ve got no one to point fingers at other than myself for that.”
Head chef Chris Humphrey ran seafood restaurant Bonny & Read for Friedman from November 2023 until it closed in September 2025. “His lack of restaurant experience showed pretty quickly to me,” Humphrey says. “He loved being there and hosting people. But [the restaurants] were never treated like actual businesses.”
“It just seemed like there was always some drama that was going on,” says Bonny & Read pastry chef Cait L. Taylor. “I have never worked inside a company that would allow repairs to take so long to get fixed.”
Friedman says he got into the restaurant business a few years prior to the pandemic, when he and Richard Wampler took over Draft Taproom on the Downtown Mall. But starting in late 2022, Friedman bought existing restaurants and started new ones at a dizzying pace.
He registered an LLC for Fellini’s in February 2023, but the beloved Italian restaurant never reopened. Friedman purchased Ace Biscuit & Barbecue and Vitae Spirits in 2023, opening Bonny & Read near the end of that year. Vitae’s downtown tasting room became Omakase Obscura in August 2024.
Friedman added Downtown Mall event venue Old Metropolitan Hall to his roster in February 2025, and purchased The Wine Guild, a wine bar and shop in Rose Hill, in December 2025. Only Old Metropolitan Hall now remains, its control transferred to previous owner Stay Charlottesville per a February 10 press release.
“We were putting our blood, sweat, and tears into that kitchen,” Taylor says of her time at Bonny & Read. “I feel like we were owed at least an apology.”
IN BRIEF
All the news you missed last week (in one sentence or less)
“It’s terrible what happened, and I feel terrible about it,” Friedman says of the recent spate of closures. Asked what message he’d send to his staff, he says, “I apologize.” Friedman still hopes he can salvage parts of his business. “Right now, I am trying to see the art of the possible of what can continue,” he says. “I’m working with a lot of stakeholders to try to keep a couple flagship things going. And I think that’s doable.” “I don’t think any of this was malicious,” Humphrey says. When he talks about the problems that ultimately scuttled Bonny & Read, he could almost be describing Friedman’s larger efforts as well: “It just quickly got bigger than it should have, faster than it should have, I feel now, especially looking back.”
There’s more to this story—find it at c-ville.com.
10 won The Virginia Supreme Court okays state Dems’ referendum to redistrict, leaving voters to make the final call in April. 10.5%, too Charlottesville schools, workers patch up differences, agree to previously imperiled staff pay raise. Inflation 101 UVA President Scott Beardsley ($1.3 million), former President Jim Ryan ($1.21 million), and UVA Health CEO Mitchell Rosner ($1.63 million) will collectively earn $4.14 million in fiscal 2026, with each paid more than the national average for their position, per The Cavalier Daily. ICE break Albemarle High School students walk out of class to protest masked, unaccountable immigration enforcement. National treasure UVA displays a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence for Presidents’ Day; Nicolas Cage’s whereabouts unknown. Gray matter Acclaimed brain surgeon Dr. Aaron Dumont, once a UVA assistant prof, returns to head the university’s neurosurgery department June 1. Döner donors C’ville’s Otto Turkish Street Food to open a second location in Richmond.
Omakase Obscura on the Downtown Mall sits vacant on February 12, with lights still on inside and bar shelves stocked.
Adult PRIMARY CARE
NEWS DEVELOPMENT
A third Wind(y)
Albemarle Planning Commission wants another design for a rezoning in Crozet
BY SEAN TUBBS
Seven Development will try a third time to create a plan for a 3.15-acre site in Crozet’s growth area after both the Albemarle Planning Commission and neighbors said the plans for Windy Knoll were too dense.
“When you actually stand on the northern part of this property, I don’t understand how it’s possible to say that 12 to 14 townhomes on less than an acre of buildable land is consistent with the surrounding neighborhood,” said Julianne Price, an adjacent property owner.
When Seven Development first filed a rezoning for the project, it originally showed 22 units. A second request reduced the number of units to 18.
The most recent plan calls for four townhomes on the southern part of the property, with a 14-unit multifamily building on the northern end.
Price and others opposed the latter structure at a public hearing on February 10.
“The subject property is also approximately 550 feet from the Blue Ridge Shopping Center, which is zoned Highway Commercial, and approximately 600 feet from Clover Lawn Shopping Center, which is zoned Planned Development Mixed Commercial,” said county planner Syd Shoaf.
Both centers are designated as “village centers” in the recently adopted Comprehensive Plan, and the subject properties are designated as “neighborhood residential density,” which allows for a range between three and six units per acre. The Windy Knoll plan comes in at the higher end.
Civil engineer Justin Shimp, representing Seven Development, said this is an infill project, allowing the county to add more homes in a place where people can reach other destinations without driving.
“What you’re going to find is we will be back here more and more often with projects like this because without expanding the development areas, the remaining land is going to be infill projects,” Shimp said.
Leonard Ozar lives just south of the development. He said the density is too high and infrastructure is not sufficient to support more people.
“I know three people on my block alone that have already moved,” Ozar said. “They’ve moved out and said we’re not going to deal with this. I’ll be number four.”
Michael Crenshaw lives closer to Claudius Crozet Park and asked the Planning Commission to approve the project because the county needs housing, especially four units guaranteed to be affordable.
“This is a style of housing that we need,” Crenshaw said. “If we’re not going to expand the development area, and if we’re going to work within the existing development area, there’s not that much more land to work with.”
But the president of the Liberty Hall Homeowners Association asked the Planning Commission to recommend denial.
“The Crozet Master Plan calls for infill that is compatible in scale and design with the existing neighborhood fabric,” said Nadia Anderson. “This layout compresses 14 attached units into a narrow band directly behind existing single-family homes with a minimal buffering or transition.”
White Hall District Planning Commissioner Lonnie Murray said he had sympathy for those concerned about the 14-unit block, but said more single family homes would be too few homes.
“It does seem like this is inconsistent with the neighboring properties,” he said.
“I think if you had a little bit less density, you could have more room for some buffering.”
Samuel Miller District Planning Commissioner Karen Firehock said all of the easily developable parcels are gone, and that scrutiny must be applied to the “weird” ones that are left.
“I think that it’s our job as a Commission to take extra care then to make sure that as we infill, we do so thoughtfully,” Firehock said.
When it was clear there were not enough votes to get a recommendation for approval, Shimp asked for a deferral.
“I’m happy to take another stab at it to try to address some of these concerns,” he said. The project will come back at a later date.
REAL ESTATE NEWS Community building
Abundant Life Ministries wants to build new space off Prospect Avenue BY SEAN TUBBS
To celebrate its 30th anniversary this year, Abundant Life Ministries wants to construct a 10,370-squarefoot community building behind a singlefamily house it owns at 782 Prospect Ave. The group filed the first set of plans with Charlottesville’s Department of Neighborhood Development Services on February 12.
Such a building would be a by-right use under the city’s zoning code, which means the project needs only staff approval to begin work. However, Abundant Life is asking for permission to remove 26 trees on the 1.286-acre property, and it also wants to be excused from being required to build a 63.5-foot stretch of sidewalk.
“The city is currently working on a sidewalk improvement project along Prospect Avenue, including the Abundant Life project area, to provide a 5-foot sidewalk along the southeast edge of Prospect Avenue,” reads an application request drafted by the firm Line and Grade on ALM’s behalf.
Staff will make both determinations, and City Council would play no role. There is also no requirement to provide parking for the project under the city’s rules.
“This proposed development is not anticipated to generate additional traffic, as one handicap space will be the only parking provided,” reads page four of the site development plan.
Charlottesville’s transportation website lists the sidewalk project as being in the design process, with no timeline for when construction might take place or how much it would cost.
The project falls under the threshold required to hold a meeting soliciting community feedback on transportation impacts. Major developments in excess of 50,000 square feet must come up with a
plan to encourage people to use alternatives to driving.
The right of way for Prospect Avenue is 40 feet wide including a sidewalk only on one side. Last year, the Virginia Department of Transportation updated the roadway’s classification to “minor collector” from “local road.” That change was made in part because, according to VDOT’s rules, “bus routes generally do not run on Local Roads.”
Charlottesville Area Transit’s Route 6 runs along Prospect Avenue twice an hour, though CAT’s long-term plans show a different route in the future with no timeline for when it might be implemented.
At a pre-meeting in November, Abundant Life Board Chair Rachel Schnorr told Neighborhood Development Services staff that the expanded facilities would be part of the organization’s 30th anniversary.
At the same meeting, NDS Manager Matt Alfele said the city would work to expedite the review.
A previous ALM plan to build on the back end of the property fizzled out; old zoning rules required a special use permit.
Annie Gould Gallery
March
March
April
May
The new space off Prospect Avenue would comprise a 10,370-square-foot facility.
Danny Knicely, Cesar Garabini, & Fernanda Bravo Appalachian and Brazilian Traditions
Cheick Hamala Diabate Band & Corey Harris Music of Mali Meets the Blues
The Saami Brothers Qawwali Masters from Pakistan
Throat Singing
Rumput
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Welcome to this beautifully maintained single-level home featuring a charming covered front porch. Inside, the spacious living room offers vaultedceilings and a striking stone gas fireplace. A bright sunroom, new deck, and level backyard provide excellent spaces for relaxing or entertaining. The well-appointedkitchen offers abundant counter and storage space, along with a casual dining area. A separate formal dining room adds flexibility and can easily serve as a homeoffice or additional living space. All three bedrooms are generously sized, including a primary suite with a walk-in closet and an en suite bath featuring
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UVA MUSIC EVENTS
Date/Time/Place
Friday, 2/20, 3:30pm 107 Old Cabell Hall
Saturday, 02/21, 8:00pm Old Cabell Hall
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How local government and institutions are preparing—or not—to protect us from ICE
BY NATHAN ALDERMAN
There is no evidence that United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are or will be headed to Charlottesville in force. The Deportation Data Project, whose limited information does not seem to include two reported arrests at local courthouses in April 2025, lists 24 apprehensions in Charlottesville and Albemarle between January 20, 2025, when President Donald Trump took office, and October 16, 2025, the last day of data. All of those involved inmates released from the regional jail.
But immigration enforcement has been rising elsewhere in the state. For the portion of 2025 covered by the Deportation Data Project, ICE arrests in Virginia totaled 6,610 people, 56 percent of whom had no history of criminal charges. In the equivalent period of 2024, ICE arrested 1,249 people in Virginia, 25 percent of whom had no charges or convictions.
To find out how our community might respond to largescale ICE operations, CVILLE spent weeks reaching out to agencies and organizations in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.
The more power those entities had, the less many of them wanted to say.
The human stakes
First, you need to understand what detention means for the people subjected to it.
Karen Mann, a pastor at Sojourners United Church of Christ, regularly drives more than an hour to visit detainees at the Farmville Detention Center, a forprofit prison for migrants.
“You used to be able to walk just directly into the building, and now there’s a fence and a gate,” Mann says, adding that the fence is lined with razor wire. “I think that went up in December sometime.”
As of January 22, data from TRAC Immigration showed that Farmville held a daily average of 714 people, all male, close to its total capacity of 732. A year ago, Farmville averaged 440 prisoners. ICE data shows that of those 714 detainees, 541— three out of four—had no criminal record.
“Sometime over the summer or fall, they moved to noncontact visits only,” Mann says. “So when we visit, or if any of their family members visit, you have to go into
a room, you’re separated by glass, and you talk over a phone set.” Detainees aren’t allowed to write or draw; they’re forbidden pencils or even crayons.
“They’re stuck in these rooms together all day,” Mann says. “A lot of them don’t have contact with their attorneys, if they have attorneys, so they don’t know the status of their case.”
“It is probably one of the most emotionally wrenching things that I have done as a pastor,” she says, “to sit across a man who’s weeping because he hasn’t been able to speak to his children in a year, and he did nothing wrong, nothing, he has no criminal record, and he’s being held for no reason.”
Seth Michelson, a professor at Washington and Lee University, serves as an interpreter for detained people. “It took over five hours yesterday just to talk to somebody,” he says of a recent visit. He and the person’s lawyer struggled through an arbitrarily canceled video conference, then tried for hours until they could finally reach the person by phone.
Michelson and Guinevere Higgins help to run the Central Virginia Community Support Fund, raising money to release detained immigrants on bond pending further hearings.
“Our average bond is about $7,500,” Higgins says, “so, completely out of reach for most working families. The trend that we’re seeing, because we are tapped into a nationwide network of immigrant bond funds, is that bonds are being set higher and higher and higher.”
Higgins says immigration judges, who work for ICE under the executive branch, are being fired and replaced if they show detainees too much mercy. “They’re being replaced to insert more cruelty into the system, to have higher bonds, to maybe not grant bond at all. So it’s really a miracle if you get to the point where you are even granted bond in the first place. It’s basically an impossibility if you don’t have an immigration attorney.”
“We also know that ICE is moving people around so that [it’s] even harder for them to access their attorneys,” she says. “If you’ve been transferred to Missouri or Texas, how are you supposed to meet with your attorney?”
“We pay ransom,” Higgins says. “That is what we do.”
The official response
If ICE comes to our area in force, it will not lack for targets.
The U.S. Census’ American Community Survey for 2024 says that 10.6 percent of people living in Charlottesville, and 11.6 percent in Albemarle County, were born outside the United States, compared to 13.5 percent for Virginia as a whole. Of that foreignborn population, 63.1 percent in Charlottesville and 45.9 percent in Albemarle were not U.S. citizens. That’s 3,028 and 6,235 people, respectively. These figures include students, refugees, asylumseekers, and others here legally. But given ICE’s pattern of racebased “Kavanaugh stops” in Minneapolis and other cities, that distinction may not matter.
If area agencies and organizations have included an influx of armed federal troops in their emergency planning, few of them are talking about it.
“The county cannot provide legal advice or disclose public safety tactics that could compromise incident response,” said Albemarle County Director of Communications Abbey Stumpf in a statement. The county declined CVILLE’s request to speak to emergency planning personnel.
The City of Charlottesville did not respond to requests to interview its director of emergency management.
“To protect the safety of our patients, team members and visitors, we do not discuss our preparedness plans in detail,” University of Virginia Health spokesperson Eric Swenson said in a statement.
What, then, will local institutions do if ICE rolls up? Here’s what they told us.
Prosecutors
Unlike other states, commonwealth’s attorneys in Virginia do not bring charges directly in most cases. They generally must wait to prosecute until they receive a charge from a local magistrate, usually resulting from a police investigation.
“As a prosecutor, I don’t deal in hypotheticals,” says Charlottesville Commonwealth’s Attorney Joe Platania. “However, the citizens of Charlottesville can expect that all allegations of criminal conduct will be reviewed and criminally investigated if appropriate.”
“Our office is a reactive office,” says Albemarle Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Hingeley. “If there are ICE operations in our area that may result in crimes being committed, the first responders to that would be the police department.”
Last April, Hingeley said he would launch an investigation into ICE’s two arrests at the county courthouse. “There has been no charge that has emerged from any in
TRISTAN WILLIAMS
Karen Mann, a pastor at Sojourners United Church of Christ, regularly drives more than an hour to visit detainees at the Farmville Detention Center.
vestigation,” he says, “so I’m not going to be in a position to comment about any investigation.”
“If the police bring a charge to me that’s based on evidence and there’s no legal reason why it shouldn’t be prosecuted?” Hingeley says. “Yes, I would prosecute it.” If the case were moved from state to federal court, as federal officials have the power to request, Hingeley says, he feels confident that he could ask for and receive support in the case from Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones.
City and county government
The City of Charlottesville directed C-VILLE to a February 2 memo from City Attorney John Maddux to all city employees. If confronted by an ICE request to enter city buildings, it instructs employees not to physically interfere with agents, and to notify Maddux’s office and their supervisor. While agents can enter public areas of any building, they can’t enter non-public areas without a valid judicial warrant or authorization from any of a small pool of city officials.
The memo notes that ICE’s administrative warrants or notices to appear do not compel employees to grant federal agents
access to any files or non-public areas of city property. It instructs employees to ask for identification from agents, get copies of any legal documents they’re given, and avoid making any statements about city policy. If agents try to force their way into any areas where they’re not allowed, the memo tells employees not to stop them, and to register their lack of consent, document the incident, and notify the city attorney.
Albemarle County specified no instructions or policies for county employees.
Agendas for recent Board of Supervisors meetings contain no resolutions or proposed regulations regarding federal operations. The county declined C-VILLE’s request to interview members of the Board.
Hospitals
The University of Virginia hospital declined to answer questions about whether it would allow ICE officials to conduct arrests in non-public areas of its buildings without a valid judicial warrant. Per a statement from spokesperson Eric Swensen, employees who encounter ICE are told to contact University Police, provide no patient information, and ask federal agents to wait in a public area of the building “while officials coordinate a response.”
“Sentara is committed to providing high-quality health care while maintaining the safety, privacy, and dignity of everyone who seeks care in our facilities,” spokesperson Mike Kafka said in a statement. “We have longstanding policies that cover how we engage with law enforcement, and we follow all applicable federal and state laws, including HIPAA regulations governing the protection of patient information. … Sentara will continue to comply with lawful and appropriate judicial warrants and court orders, consistent with our legal obligations and our commitment to patient care.”
Schools
In Charlottesville City Schools, 721 students (16 percent of the student body) speak another language at home. Some 1,842 students, 13 percent of the student body, are learning English as a second language in Albemarle County Public Schools. Neither school system keeps data on students’ immigration status, and both say they have plans in case ICE arrives.
“It’s important people know no one is allowed into school buildings within the school property unless there is a warrant issued by a court,” says Jason Grant, chief communications officer for Albe-
marle County Public Schools, “and then [our attorneys] would obviously review that to make certain that it is a viable legal warrant.”
“Any request for student information from ICE or any law enforcement agency would need to be accompanied by a judicial warrant,” says Amanda Simalchik, community relations coordinator at Charlottesville City Schools. “Additionally, if ICE or law enforcement seeks access to schools, they must provide legal justification.”
Both officials stressed that school resource officers—currently present in Albemarle County high schools and slated to return to Charlottesville High School and Charlottesville Middle School this fall—do not and will not perform immigration-related duties.
But both school systems noted the limits of their ability to protect students. In Minneapolis, immigration enforcement officials have regularly been spotted parking near public schools around dropoff and pickup times. Beyond their property lines, schools say they have no control over ICE officers’ presence in the area, beyond calling local police. Parents who want to alter or add to the lists of people authorized to pick up their children can easily do so by contacting their local school.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
The Farmville Detention Center, a for-profit prison for migrants, reportedly held a daily average of 714 people, all male, which is close to its total capacity of 732. A year ago, the facility averaged 440 prisoners.
Law enforcement
No local law enforcement agencies, including the city, county, and UVA police, the city and county sheriff’s departments, and the regional jail, have 287(g) agreements that oblige their officers to perform federal enforcement duties for ICE. That’s true both for the departments overall and their individual officers. Federal law forbids local law enforcement to impede federal investigations, and requires them to cooperate with any warrants signed by a judge. But what form that cooperation takes can vary.
“Historically … external law enforcement agencies at the local, state, and federal levels have contacted the University Police Division in advance of any planned activities on Grounds so that UPD can help ensure that those activities are conducted in the least disruptive manner possible,” says UVA spokesperson Bethanie Glover.
University Police did not respond to repeated requests for interviews, and UVA declined to answer whether UPD would allow federal immigration officials into dormitories, classrooms, or other buildings on Grounds without a valid judicial warrant.
Charlottesville Sheriff James Brown III, whose office handles security for city courthouses, says masked and armed individuals aren’t allowed inside the courts. “If someone was there to arrest someone inside the courthouse, we would talk with the judge about it and just kind of play it by ear,” he says. “We haven’t had that situation come up.”
In Albemarle County, “the courthouses are public buildings, so we cannot stop anybody from coming into the courthouse,” says Sheriff Chan Bryant. “[ICE officers] haven’t taken anybody into custody from the actual courtroom. … They only have taken two people into custody from the lobby of the courthouse.” Bryant says her staff has told her that ICE has informed them it will no longer conduct arrests within the courthouse. “They will take people into custody outside of the building.”
Martin Kumer, superintendent of the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail, says his facility won’t hold inmates past their scheduled release date for transfer to ICE custody. When inmates are first processed, their fingerprints are made available to other law enforcement agencies nationwide. If ICE spots someone they want, they can ask the jail when that person will be released; the jail is legally obligated to answer. ICE then typically apprehends the person in the jail’s parking lot immediately upon their release.
Albemarle County declined to grant C-VILLE an interview with county police. The Albemarle County Police Department “does not inquire into the immigration status of victims or witnesses,” County Executive Jeff Richardson said in a statement.
“For decades, ACPD has worked intentionally to earn the trust of residents who have historically been marginalized or hesitant to engage with law enforcement.”
Albemarle County students joined thousands of students nationwide who walked out of class on Friday, February 13, to protest the actions of ICE and the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
JAMES CARTER
and the repression in
over the last months have really galvanized a lot of people who have recognized for the first time that this is not a threat to other people— that fascism is coming for all of us.”
Charlottesville Chief of Police Michael Kochis says he’s been talking with the city’s Hispanic community, and they’re frightened about the possibility of ICE raids. Kochis says his worst nightmare as a police chief is someone being afraid to report a crime because of immigration concerns.
Kochis says his officers will cooperate with any warrant signed by a judge, and can’t stop ICE or other federal agencies in their investigations. But if his officers see federal agents breaking the law, they have a duty to intervene under state law to protect citizens and their rights. What that intervention looks like, he says, will depend on the situation.
His officers swear an oath to the Constitution, Kochis says, and he expects them to uphold it. If they don’t believe in constitutional policing, he says they shouldn’t be in the department.
How to save ourselves
Like the ACLU, local activists say they’re holding trainings and building connections in case ICE comes to town. “It’s all of our job to keep our community safe,” says a spokesperson for Charlottesville’s Queer Liberation Front, who asked to be identified only as Torren. “And we want to make sure our fellow organizers and community members are equipped to do so.”
“An incredible portion of the greater Charlottesville community is pissed—as they well should be,” Torren says. “We have seen an increase in volunteer interest and in formerly inactive community members seeking and attending antifascist trainings.”
“The murders in Minneapolis and the repression in Minneapolis over the last months have really galvanized a lot of people who have recognized for the first time that this is not a threat to other people—that fascism is coming for all of us,” says David Singerman, co-organizer of Indivisible Charlottesville. “If people feel more comfortable or more safe doing one kind of action versus another, they’ve found ways to do that. There’s a place in this fight for everyone, and everyone can contribute.” Indivisible Charlottesville’s website lists more information on upcoming trainings or other ways to help.
Central Virginia Community Support Fund’s Higgins and Michelson urge people to contribute to their organization. “Every donation we get can be recycled,” Michelson says, “because our money comes back. So when you give us $1, we give it to the bond of a person in need who’s been detained.”
“Every dollar counts, and we’re still dollars short,” Michelson says. “We have more bond requests than we can fund, more people being detained all the time, and the prices are going up.”
Even agencies with plans for dealing with ICE are limited in how they can respond. Amid that uncertainty, ordinary people in Charlottesville, Albemarle, and throughout Virginia have been quietly preparing to defend their neighbors.
Mary Bauer, executive director of the ACLU of Virginia, says her organization has done “many dozens” of “Know Your Rights” trainings for people across Virginia.
“If you’re stopped by ICE, you do not have to answer questions about your immigration status, where you were born, or how you entered the country,” she says. “We tell people, never, ever lie about being a United States citizen, never show false documents.”
“There is an absolute right under the First Amendment to observe and to film, so long as individuals do not interfere with the operations,” Bauer says. “And it’s not interference to observe and comment and make noise and videotape.”
“My congregation is expressing a lot of anger and fear about what’s happening,” says Sojourners’ Karen Mann, “and at the same time, expressing a significant willingness to try things, to engage, to show up. In this last year, we’ve actually seen an uptick in our attendance and engagement. We have people who are involved and engaged in ways that they never were before.”
Mann says Sojourners, “a majority white congregation,” has been reaching out to build relationships with communities more directly at risk from ICE. In addition to looking for ways to join local mutual aid projects, the church has been providing space for other groups to meet and train.
“We have to hold on to our shared values and beliefs, even if we disagree with one another on the best way to engage,” Mann says. “When we cannot see the face of God in our undocumented immigrant neighbor, or any neighbor, then we cannot see God at all. And I find myself feeling more motivated, more passionate about this, than at any time in my life. When we miss this, we miss the whole of the Gospel.”
David Singerman, co-organizer of Indivisible Charlottesville, says “the murders in Minneapolis
Minneapolis
Innocence, Justice, and the Courage to Confront a Broken System : A Conversation with John Grisham and Deirdre Enright
Wed 4/22 - The Paramount Theater
Join bestselling author John Grisham and Deirdre Enright, founder of the UVA Innocence Project, for a powerful conversation on justice, wrongful conviction, and the moral courage required to confront systemic failure.
This one-day summit returns, bringing multi-sector changemakers and leaders together to spark ideas, drive action, and shape our region’s future.
AI & Data Entrepreneurship Energy & Climate Biotech Technology Startups Investment Innovation Summit
This two-day summit brings together entrepreneurs, investors and innovators from across the nation to explore the trends shaping the future of industry.
Upcoming Tomorrow Talks :
From Equal to Effective: Reexamining the Way We Fund Public Education with Price Thomas, Executive Director of City of Promise. FEB 25th - 6:30PM
The Courage to Lead: Building Brave Workplace Cultures with Jim Detert, Author and Professor at UVA’s Darden School of Business. MAR 3rd - 6:30PM
The Courage to Repair: An Introduction to Restorative Justice Practices with Erin Campbell of Central Virginia Community Justice. MAR 10th - 6:30PM
THE WINE DOWN -
WHAT’S DELISH AT LOCAL WINERIES?
53RD WINERY AND VINEYARD
A note from Winegrower and Owner, Dave Drillock
Last month, I opened with our James Suckling.com scores. Towards the end of the January, we received the results of 6 wines we entered in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. We received 3 gold medals for our 2023 Two Springs, 2023 Cab Franc Reserve and our 2024 Chardonnay and 3 silver medals for our 2023 Romulus, 2023 Albarino and our 2024 Viognier. Overall, Virginia Wines did well in this competition and is evidence of the strides the Virginia Wine Industry is making in producing high quality wines. Our wine of the month is our newly released 2023 Chambourcin. Chambourcin got a bad rap early on as it was mainly used for sweet wines. However, its reputation is turning around. Its grown in the Mid-western and Mid Atlantic States and Australia! Chambourcin has been compared to Gamay Noir, Petit Sirah or Sicilian reds. Our 2023 Chambourcin is dry styled, aged in French and American oak. This wine has dark berry flavors with low tannins and moderate acidity. Medium bodied, it goes well with savory dishes like grilled pork chops, short ribs, tomato-based sauces or BBQ, roasted vegetables and mushrooms. We have had lots of positive feedback. A good way to get to know this wine better would be at our Chambourcin food and wine pairing event scheduled for March 28th. Details will be out soon.
We invite you to visit our serene, meadow-like location in rural Louisa County. We pride ourselves on being genuine and approachable, eager to share our passion for wine without any scripted lines or memorized facts, just a warm and welcome atmosphere. We are a Winery that just wants to be a Winery! Can it get a bit warmer soon?
February events
Saturday, February 21st: Wine
Club Appreciation Day with specialty selected wines and more.
Live Music: Denise O’Meara with piano in the pavilion
Food Truck: CubaMex LLC Specializes in authentic Cuban and Mexican Cuisine
Saturday, February 28th: First Taste: Wine Tasting and Charcuterie Missed last month’s experience? Sign up in February! Get a first look at what’s coming next. Taste bottled but not released, award winning
wines paired with a generous charcuterie table to savor alongside. Ticketed event, go to website to sign up.
For more details, please check our website at www.53rdwinery.com or call us at 540-894-1536.
Cheers!
Open 7 days a week, 11 am – 5 pm 13372 Shannon Hill Rd Louisa, VA 23093 (540) 894-5474 • 53rdwinery.com
DUCARD VINEYARDS
2023 Signature ViognierNew Release!
100% estate grown Viognier with notes of apricot, pear, and honeysuckle leading to a natural salinity and lovely, bright finish. Best served slightly chilled. 2026 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Gold Medal Winner.
We are open 7 days a week throughout the month of February with live music every weekend. Visit our website and our social media pages for the most up to date listings of our upcoming live music and events!
Saturdays & Sundays - Live music every Saturday in January from 2-5 pm. Come to DuCard for the afternoon with family and friends and enjoy a variety of live music (no cover). Bring a picnic or select some local fare from our lite noshing menu to pair with our award-winning wine for a fun afternoon in our amazing mountain setting.
Open daily
Mon-Thurs. 12-5 pm Fri. 12-9 pm Sat/Sun. 12-6 pm
40 Gibson Hollow Ln Etlan, VA 22719 (540) 923-4206 www.ducardvineyards.com
EASTWOOD FARM AND WINERY
February at Eastwood Enjoy Friday night shrimp boils and weekly live music—along with awardwinning wines, ciders and beers, and all your favorite menu items, from mulled wine to flatbreads and fondues to roasting s’mores around our fire pits. Also enjoy a refreshing lineup of non-alcoholic beveragesfrom vibrant mocktails and mimosas to extensive NA beer offerings.
Upcoming at the Winery:
Low-Country Shrimp Boil | Every Friday 4-7:30PM (open 12-8PM)
Get ready for a delicious, flavorpacked Shrimp Boil Feast Friday nights this Winter! We’re bringing the best of Southern tradition right to your plate with succulent shrimp, juicy sausage, tender corn on the cob, and perfectly seasoned potatoes – all served hot and ready to enjoy in a relaxed, fun atmosphere with live music from 5-8pm on the stage in our tasting room.
Paint & Sip | February 22 12-2PM
Grab a glass of wine (or your favorite drink!) and let your creativity flow in our relaxed and fun Paint & Sip classes. Whether you’re an experienced artist or a first-time painter, the talented instructors of Blue Ridge Brushes will walk you through the painting process as you create your own masterpiece. Ticketed EventReserve Your Spot On Our Website
Open Mic Reader’s Night|Thursday, February 19th and March 19th, 6:30PM (open 12-8PM)
Join us for our newest feature, Open Mic Reader’s Night, an evening celebrating the written word. Local writers will take the mic to share readings from their short stories and poetry, showcasing their creativity and unique voices in a warm, welcoming setting.
Music Bingo|Sunday, February 22nd 2-4PM (open 12-5PM)
Everyone loves singing along with their favorite songs and who doesn’t love a competitive game of Bingo? Music Bingo brings together the best of both worlds for a high energy game that is fun for everyone. Simply listen to the music, match the songs to the titles on your music bingo cards, and win great prizes!
MUSIC AT EASTWOOD!
Join us for the popular Eastwood After Dark featuring upbeat, danceable music on Saturday nights from 5-8pm (in addition to our more mellow Saturday afternoon music program). Eastwood also hosts a range of live performances by talented local and regional musicians every Thursday and Friday night (and Sundays!). See the Winery Calendar on our website for details.
Every Thursday (open 12-8 PM): Live Music 5-8PM
Thursday “Thank You” Community Day at Eastwood— $5 Taps (Beer & Cider)
Every Friday (open 12-8 PM): Live Music 5-8PM
Shrimp Boil 5-8PM
Every Saturday (open 12-8
PM): Live Music 12:30-3:30PM
+ Eastwood After Dark with Live Music 5-8PM
Every Sunday (open 12-5 PM): Live Music or Music Bingo (See the Winery Calendar on our website for details.)
Also Open Monday through Wednesday 12-5 PM
What about the kids?
Kids can share in the experience with their own juice tasting flights and cheese boards!
We look forward to welcoming you to our cozy tasting room, seven days a week. Join us for award-winning wines, beer, and cider, as well as a delicious seasonal menu by Chef Andrew Partridge that is perfect for lunch or dinner. Delight in lounging on our enclosed & heated veranda with a glass of our gold medal 2022 Meritage Reserve. Or, stay inside and enjoy live music with a seasonal toasty flatbread or our scrumptious Cast Iron Baked Brie. Escape to Virginia Wine Country, only five miles from Downtown Charlottesville. Open year-round, seven days a week.
Pet friendly and large groups are welcome. Ample indoor and outdoor seating.
Rt 20 near the intersection with Avon Extended (5 mi from Downtown Mall) Charlottesville, VA 22902 (434) 264-6727 www.eastwoodfarmandwinery.com
HARDWARE HILLS VINEYARD
Riparian Rose Sparkling Wine
Give your Valentine a little something to sparkle about! This gorgeous wine will delight with beauty, flavor and fun. Enjoy elegance and whimsy with notable complexity, dazzling color and lively flavors of bright cherry, cranberry, strawberry and blood orange.
Our social media is worth taking a look! Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube... fun wine humor here.
EVENTS:
Feb. 28 -- February 28 – 6-9 p.m. Deuling Pianos Dinner and Show: Get ready to experience the thrill of two talented pianists from Felix and Fingers Dueling Pianos, going headto-head in a musical showdown, taking your song requests and delivering stunning performances that will have you singing and dancing along. Sip on delicious wine, party with friends, and soak up the
electric atmosphere as our pianists dazzle you with their skills and creativity. Whether you’re a music enthusiast or simply looking for a good time, this event is perfect for anyone craving an evening of fun and excitement. Click the website link for all the details, menu, and timing!
Fridays - LIVE MUSIC, check out our site for each week’s lineup!
Hours - We will be open during our regular winter hours
5199 W River Rd, Scottsville, VA 434.286.4710 • www.hardwarehills.com
KESWICK VINEYARDS
Fall in Love at Keswick Vineyards This February!
Live Music Every Saturday: 12 - 4 PM
Let the music set the mood while you sip and soak in the moment.
Join Virginia’s Most Rewarding Wine Club
Where every pour feels personal and every visit feels like home. Ask us how to fall in love with Keswick wine all year long!
February is for indulgence, connection, and savoring the moments that linger—and Prince Michel Vineyard & Winery is the perfect place to do just that. Nestled in the heart of Virginia Wine Country and proudly woman-
owned, Prince Michel blends tradition with a modern, welcoming atmosphere that invites you to slow down, sip deeply, and enjoy the season of love.
This month, we’re featuring our Rapidan River Chocolate Red, a smooth, velvety blend crafted for cozy winter nights and romantic celebrations. Made from 43% Chambourcin, 18% Merlot, and 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, this irresistibly satisfying wine layers dark berry fruit with rich cocoa warmth for a truly decadent experience.
Enjoy it slightly chilled, over ice, or as a luxurious after-dinner treat—it’s the perfect companion for chocolate desserts, fireside evenings, or Valentine’s Day celebrations.
Beyond the bottle, Prince Michel offers more than just great wine.
Open 7 days a week at 11 a.m.
154 Winery Lane, Leon, VA 22725 (540) 547-3707
www.princemichel.com
A Woman-Owned Business
REVALATION VINEYARDS
2023 Village Estate Reserve
Our 2023 Village Estate Reserve proves that beauty can be singular, but when joined with others, it is spectacular. Crafted from 39% Cabernet Franc, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 28% Tannat, is nicely structured, with refreshing acidity from the Tannat. It has a medium intensity of aromas, including black raspberries and currants, with a subtle touch of oak. Deep ruby, with an opaque core and rim, our 2023 Village Estate Reserve lingers on your palate. This is a wine you will thoroughly enjoy
From tastings and scenic views to delicious bites and craft beer at Tap 29 Brew Pub, every visit is designed to feel special!
Fall in love with Rapidan River Chocolate Red all February long— and make this month one worth savoring.
Live Music every Friday–Sunday (lineup on our website)
Trivia every Monday, 6–7:30 p.m.
Tuesday is Beer & Wings Specials Day
Happy Hour every Thursday, 3–5 p.m.
Historic Preservation Architect Jody Lahendro joins us at 3 pm to present Preserving Black History in Rural Virginia.
February 27 – Book Club @ The Vineyard – Join us at 6 pm as we discuss The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope.
March 1 – Art @ The Vineyard –Chee Ricketts is featured in both tasting rooms until the end of April. Her work has been featured in solo exhibitions at This Century Gallery in Williamsburg, Blue Skies Gallery in Hampton, and the Purcell Gallery of the Louisa Arts Center.
March 6 – Book World Meets Wine World – Author Dave Hirschman joins us at 6 pm to discuss his book, The Tenacious Bloom.
March 15 – Sip & Learn – Andrea Quinn joins us at 5 pm for her presentation, Civil War Nurses.
March 27 – Book Club @ The Vineyard – Our discussion will start at 6 pm. March’s book will be decided at the January Book Club.
2710 Hebron Valley Road, Madison, VA 22727 • 540-407-1236 www.revalationvineyards.com
on your own and proudly serve to your friends. A wine that can easily complement red meat dishes or your favorite hard cheeses.
February Hours: Fridays & Saturdays, noon to 6 pm; Sundays, noon to 5 pm. Mondays and Thursdays by reservation.
Now Until February 28 – Art @ The Vineyard – Revalation Vineyards is pleased to feature artist Chelsea Kirby in both of our tasting rooms until the end of February. Chelsea is an animal lover and draws inspiration from them in her work. Her preferred medium is acrylic.
February 22 – Sip & Learn –
VIRGINIA WINE COLLECTIVE
Join us at Eastwood Farm and Winery’s new production facility and downtown tasting room every Friday night from 4-9PM forwinemaker wine flights and a delicious pairing menu created by Chef Cory Partridge.
Eastwood designed the Virginia Wine Collective to include nine winemaker suites and an incubator alongside the main production area. The suites provide a space where independent winemakers can anchor a license and make
their wines. The Collective has been designed to reduce the costs associated with independent winemaking, and thereby support further innovation and talent in the Monticello AVA.
Upcoming at the Collective: Winemaker Pop-Ups | Select Fridays 6-8PM
Enjoy free samples and tour the facility with some of our independent winemakers on Fridays! Check out events on our website: (https:// eastwoodfarmandwinery.com/ virginia-wine-collective/) and Facebook page as we will be adding more dates.
February 20: Chris Tropeano, Present Company Wines
February 27: Erin and Sandy Robertson, Dogwood & Thistle
March 6: Jake Busching, Jake Busching Wines
Production Tours and Guided Tastings
We look forward to welcoming guests to the Virginia Wine Collective for tours and guided tastings. Please email our Wine Collective Coordinator, Gabrielle Thomas, if you would like to schedule a tour or guided tasting. She may be reached at gabrielle@ eastwoodfarmandwinery.com
Large Party Reservations
Interested in making a large party reservation for your group? Reach out to mary@ eastwoodfarmandwinery.com to book.
Current Winery Hours Fridays 4-9 PM
1585 Avon Street Extended Charlottesville, VA 22902 (434) 264-6727 https://eastwoodfarmandwinery.com/ virginia-wine-collective/
An evening with
SongWriter
featuring Bruce Holsinger + The Golden Hours
Where: THE GUILD at Vault Virginia
When: Saturday, February 21, at 6pm
Tickets: www.theguild.social cville
In a live recording of the SongWriter podcast, bestselling author Bruce Holsinger will read a new short story about a troublesome cat, and The Golden Hours (with members of David Wax Museum) will perform a new song written in response. Dr. Jennifer McQuiston will discuss animal intelligence with host Ben Arthur and the artists, and the audience will be invited to interact.
TANAEL JOACHIM
Tanael Joachim holds the kind of enviable, disarming charm that allows him to shift from insights on religion, immigration, and communication, to explicitly disgusting one-liners. But that’s not his bread and butter. Rather, like most great standups, his jokes keep audiences off-kilter by navigating topics of intellectual interest. Of course, when we all least expect it, he’ll drop a filthy zinger about having sex with someone’s grandmother. It’s a style similar to shared giggles from kids exposed to an elderly relative dropping f-bombs in mixed company. Speaking of mixed company, Joachim, who grew up in Haiti, knows how to unite a room as he dissects it. Having struggled as an immigrant in the U.S., his retelling about informing the government that he does standup for a living makes for some uproariously good lines—ones that
feel relevant in this particularly catastrophic atmosphere of our country.
In his 2023 “Alien of Ordinary Ability” special, he cuts into what he perceives as the incongruity of Black Christians having earned no less strife after centuries of piety; his controversial train of thought ends with suggesting they give Buddha a try. Joachim opines that he’s losing some of his Black crowd for sure, then pulls everyone back with a smile and a subject shift.
A bilingual speaker, his views on colonization and language are both inventive and hilarious. He considers animal communication and questions if their interactions mirror human-
ity’s. The set-up? A Kentucky-bred horse inexplicably visits China. Joachim imitates the native Chinese horse in a way that in any other context would feel very bad. The subject matter (language), the characters (horses) soften the blow to a goofy love tap made more ridiculous when he suggests the joke is written for kids.
Adult themes prevail, however. He tells the audience that his “immigrant name” is hard to pronounce—especially for liberal white people who he lets flounder over it in a bit that should really resonate in Charlottesville: “I use my initials, TJ, just to make it easy for people. But my real name is Thomas Jefferson, so I use that just to try to help people out. I don’t look like a Thomas Jefferson. Maybe one of his kids, you know what I mean? This joke is how I find out who went to college in the audience.”—CM Gorey The Southern Café &
CULTURE TO-DO LIST
Wednesday 2/18 music
Open Mic Night. Mic check to all musicians, poets, and everyone in between. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. dance
Weekly Swing Dance. Beginner-friendly swing dance lessons teach the Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa, and blues. No partner needed. Stay for social dancing after the class. $10, 7pm. The Front Porch, 221 E. Water St. frontporchcville.com classes
Paint + Sip: Wishful Love. Paint the design in a step-by-step format. No experience necessary, all materials and first drink included. $44, 6pm. Starr Hill Brewery Tap Room, 5391 Three Notched Rd., Crozet. blueridgebrushes.com etc.
Rapture Karaoke. Hosted by Thunder Music. Free, 9pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com
Thursday 2/19 music
Berto and Vincent. A night of wild flamenco rumba and Latin guitar. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com
Cleophus James. Jock jazz and psych psoul. Free, 8pm. Dürty Nelly’s, 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellyscharlottesville.com
J. Roddy Walston and the Automatic Band. A force of nature that can’t be contained. $26, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com
Songwriter’s Open Mic. A space for all levels, styles, and ages. Amps and mics provided. Performances limited to one original song per artist. Hosted by Erynn Legna McLeod. Free, 7pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com stage
New Works Featuring the work of UVA student playwrights, directors, designers, and performers. $7, 8pm. Helms Theatre, 109 Culbreth Rd. drama. virginia.edu
Twelfth Night, or What You Will Shipwrecked and alone, Viola disguises herself as a man and stumbles into Shakespeare’s most tangled love triangle. $35–75, 7:30pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com
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Open Mic Reader’s Night at Eastwood. Several local authors share readings from their short stories and poetry, showcasing their creative talents through the written word. Free, 6:30pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com
SATURDAY 2/21
ART FROM THE UNDERGROUND
There’s a hot spot on the low down popping up with a real keen twist: top-notch picture-makers producing masterpieces at lightning speed on site, and selling ’em right then and there. A little birdy said they call it the Gallery Rally: Second Street Speakeasy! You wanna buy art from one of the best in town at a nice fixed price? It’s yours, if you can beat other collectors in a game of chance. We’re talkin’ works by Aaron Eichorst, Lou Haney, Chicho Lorenzo, Tobiah Mundt, Clay Witt, and Sarah Boyts Yoder, plus about 30 more of your favorite local creators. The incomparable Darryl Smith emcees the evening, while DJ Billy Hunt cues up a mix of ’20s tunes and modern ditties. Free, 5pm. Second Street Gallery, 115 Second St. SE. secondstreetgallery.org
VA250: Defining the American Dream. Hear from representatives of three local descendant organizations on what the American Dream meant to enslaved people in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Free, 5pm. James Monroe’s Highland, 2050 James Monroe Pkwy. highland.org
etc.
Brewery Puzzle Hunt. An escape room meets a pub crawl. Visit the Preston Avenue breweries, crack codes, unravel riddles, and sample Charlottesville’s best brews. Players get $1 off pints at each brewery. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com
Crafters Cinema. A relaxed evening of crafting while enjoying a movie with other makers. This month: Little Women (2019) and felt earrings and keychains. Ages 16+. Free, 5:30pm. Central Library, 201 E. Market St. jmrl.0rg
Hardware Hills Trivia Night. Bring your team of up to six players for some brain-teasing fun. Ages 21+. Free, 6:30pm. Hardware Hills Vineyard, 5199 W. River Rd., Scottsville. hardwarehills.com
Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. Like an escape room but at a winery. Crack codes and unravel riddles while sampling Charlottesville’s best wine, beer, and cider. Play when you want and go at your own pace. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com
Friday 2/20 music
Abrams Bridge: Springsteen Tribute. Bridge brings the high energy and live magic of Springsteen and The E Street Band. Free, 7pm. Pro Re Nata, 6135 Rockfish Gap Tpke., Crozet. prnbrewery.com
Almost Queen: A tribute to Queen with Steve Leonard. Guaranteed to blow your mind with iconic four-part harmonies and expertly executed musical interludes. $56–68, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com
Bob Bennetta Trio. Live jazz. Free, 6:30pm. Afghan Kabob House, 200 Market St. afghankabobhouse.com
Dara James and the Soul Disciples. Awesome blues, R&B, and a whole lot of soul. Free, 6pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com
Eli Cook Band. Music from the crossroads of blues, the highways of rock, and the backroads of country. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St.
FarAway. Married couple Brian Franke and Sara Davenport perform tunes with strong and tight harmonies. Free, 5pm. Hardware Hills Vineyard, 5199 W. River Rd., Scottsville. hardwarehills.com
Meisha Herron. Soulful songs about love, nature, community, and family. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarm andwinery.com
Pamela Ryder with Mighty Fine Company. Shake off your winter blues with the warm sounds of this local soul-rocking group. Enjoy the unique sax, fiddle blends, harmonies from the heart, and a thumping rhythm that might get you movin’. Free, 6pm. Dürty Nelly’s, 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellyscharlottesville.com
stage
Las Juanas. Meet the women who refused to disappear—a chorus of legendary Juanas brought to life in a moving, powerful performance presented by the Spanish Theater Group. $5–15, 7 pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org
New Works See listing for Thursday, February 19. $7, 8pm. Helms Theatre, 109 Culbreth Rd. drama.virginia.edu
Twelfth Night, or What You Will. See listing for Thursday, February 19. $35–75, 7:30pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. american shakespearecenter.com
words
Author Event: Bsrat Mezghebe. Mezghebe reads from her new novel, I Hope You Find What You’re Looking For. A conversation with writer and lawyer Tochi Eze follows. Free, 7pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. newdominion bookshop.com
etc.
Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, February 19. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com
Fourth Annual Odds and Ends Film Festival. An experimental film festival showcases works that push formal and conceptual boundaries, allowing for multiple ways of understanding and interpretation. $10, 6:30pm. Light House Studio: Vinegar Hill Theatre, 220 W. Market St. lighthousestudio.org
Paramount On Screen: Coming to America Akeem (Eddie Murphy) is the prince of a wealthy African country and wants for nothing, except a wife who will love him in spite of his title. $9–11, 7pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net
Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, February 19. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com
Saturday 2/21 music
Anthony Semaio. A performer who grew up on ’80s metal and glam rock, but just cannot get enough of the acoustic guitar sound. Free, 12:30pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com
Blake Hunter & The Gatherers. Featuring Blake Hunter, Eric Knutson, Paul Rosner, and Brian Wahl. $10, 7pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com
Danny Knicely, Cesar Garabini, & Fernanda Bravo. Unique trio blends the musical traditions of Appalachia and Brazil. $20–25, 8pm. The Front Porch, 221 E. Water St. frontporchcville.com
Dirty Grass Players. Pushing the leading edge of bluegrass music with a nod to the past and a wink to the future. $23, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com
Drew Pace with special guest James Tamelcoff. High-energy lyrical country. $23, 7:30pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com
Gospel Music: A Song For All Times. A learning and listening concert combines soul-stirring gospel choir performances with a live band, special guests, and enlightening commentary by charismatic music educator Horace Scruggs. $10–12, 7:30pm. Piedmont Virginia Community College, V. Earl Dickinson Building, 501 College Dr. pvcc.edu
Mojo Pie. Susan Munson and Frank Bechter perform. Free, 2:30pm. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarle ciderworks.com
South Canal Street. Covering top hits from the golden era of music, the late 1950s to the 1970s. Free, 2pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com
STAGES CULTURE
Jackson and the Janks
It’s a little unfair to call Jackson and the Janks’ music old-fashioned. Though, honestly, that’s exactly what it is. But that’s too vague. It doesn’t feel as prudish as that catch-all people born after the year 2000 sometimes throw around.
The twangy guitar and slightly overdriven, whiskey-soaked vocals brighten the ’50s blues-based rock ‘n’ roll spotlighting Jackson Lynch’s voice and songwriting. Bereft of a bass player, the low end is held down with massive honking, deep rumbling sax work. On the band’s most recent record, Write It Down (2025), the horns are embellished further with trombone flair. The personnel for both brass and drums split duties, leaving Lynch as the center-stage linchpin.
There’s no question that many tracks from this combo sound so believably vintage that it’s difficult to accept you’re not listening to a cover. Take for instance “Stumblin’,” the opening song from the band’s 2022 selftitled release. Dripping in slow-dance romantic crooning, it’s brimming with twin-
Dürty Nelly’s Tuesday 2/24
kling chime arpeggios, and forces the listener to pause and take in a tearjerking pedal steel à la Santo & Johnny’s 1959 hit “Sleep Walk.” Indeed, the melody hits so immediately and ghosts so memorably that it feels lifted from some minor top 40 success I just can’t put my finger on.
What I can confirm with video evidence online is that the New York band often plays out as a trio or quartet, with Lynch leading a saxophone player, pedal steel player, and drummer. The beats and the overall feel would not sound out of place coming from the doorway of a small club on New Orleans’ Frenchmen Street. Despite the fact that a few of the players are reportedly NOLA mainstay musicians, you can imagine dance floors gently pulsing to most of these numbers. And while, yes, it’s much easier to envision retro-minded hep cats in rockabilly threads cutting loose to Jackson and the Janks, those people don’t have exclusive rights to get down to the healing power of good upbeat blues.—CM Gorey
CULTURE TO-DO LIST
Saturday 2/21
The Gladstones. Straight up, old-school rock ‘n’ roll. Free, 5:30pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com
The Wavelength. Vintage jazz, blues, and original music. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com
URGENT: Tribute To Foreigner. Delivering an electrifying tribute to one of the most iconic rock bands of all time. $20–25, 7pm. Pro Re Nata, 6135 Rockfish Gap Tpke., Crozet. prnbrewery.com
Valentin Prince. A songwriter recognized as a fluent and creative guitarist, with a remarkably clear voice on the instrument. Free, 8pm. The Stage at WTJU, 2244 Ivy Rd. wtju.net
stage
DEI Plants Do Comedy. Marilyn Hajj hosts a comedy show featuring some of the funniest humans the DMV has to offer. $15, 8pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com
New Works. See listing for Thursday, February 19. $7, 8pm. Helms Theatre, 109 Culbreth Rd. drama. virginia.edu
Las Juanas See listing for Friday, February 20. $5–15, 7pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org Twelfth Night, or What You Will See listing for Thursday, February 19. $35–75, 2pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. american shakespearecenter.com
TUESDAY 2/24
HIGH CONTRAST CONCERT
Blackwater Holylight calls attention to contrasting elements, occupying a sonic spectrum that acknowledges dualities without accepting binaries. Menacing riffs and beguiling melodies lace a signature heavy sound that simultaneously uplifts and entrances listeners into head-nodding approval. The Portland, Oregon-born outfit traded the gloom of the Pacific Northwest for sunny Los Angeles, marrying elements of doom, shoegaze, and hard rock with the transcendental vibe of Southern California. The result is an intoxicating blend of intense instrumentation and arrangement that haunts the listener in all the best ways. $25.65, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com
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Author Event: Gabrielle Calvocoressi. Calvocoressi reads from their new poetry collection, The New Economy. A conversation with poet Brian Teare follows. Free, 7pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. ndbookshop.com
New Dominion Storytime. Featuring readings from recent storybooks and the classics kids know and love. Rain or shine. All ages welcome. Free, 11am. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. newdominionbookshop.com
People and Places: Conservation Projects at Highland. Leaders and students from Highland and the IIC share perspectives and results of collaborative projects involving the people and places of the Highland landscape. Free, 10am. James Monroe’s Highland, 2050 James Monroe Pkwy. highland.org
classes
Color Mixing with Confidence in Watercolor: Foundations of Color Theory. Demystifying the essential elements of color theory as applied to watercolors, equipping you with the ability to use these principles confidently in your own painting. Ages 15+. $40, 1pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com
Learn to Knit. Learn the basics of knitting. No experience needed. Leave with a pair of knitting needles, the beginning of a scarf, and enough yarn to finish it. Ages 12+. $25, 10am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com
Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com
Keb’ Mo’. With five Grammys, 14 Blues Foundation awards, and a groundbreaking career spanning nearly 50 years under his belt, Keb’ Mo’ has nothing left to prove. Just don’t tell him that. $58–74, 7pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net
Shane Click. Covers influenced by sounds ranging from Exile and Alabama, all the way to Motown. Free, 2pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com
dance
BRIMS Ceol agus Céilí: Irish Session & Social Dance. Musicians join together with BRIMS instructors to play reels, jigs, and polkas for dancers. All ages welcome, no previous dance experience needed. Free, 3pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com
stage
Las Juanas. See listing for Friday, February 20. $5–15, 7pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org
Wicked Galentine’s Bloom Bar. Celebrate friendship, fierce femininity, and a little bit of magic as we create bold, enchanting floral arrangements inspired by the iconic colors and themes of Wicked with The Freckled Flower Farm. $49, 4pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com etc.
Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, February 19. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com
Fourth Annual Odds and Ends Film Festival. See listing for Friday, February 20. $10, 6:30pm. Light House Studio: Vinegar Hill Theatre, 220 W. Market St. lighthousestudio.org
Gallery Rally: Second Street Speakeasy! A speakeasy-themed shindig where visual artists create new works in-person within an atmosphere of music, raffles, and games o f chance. Free, 5pm. Second Street Gallery, 115 Second St. SE. second streetgallery.org
Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, February 19. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com
Sunday 2/22 music
Chris Van Cleave and Gary Green. Actor, singer, and songwriter Van Cleave is joined by Green, a harmonica wizard and local institution. Free, 2pm.
Tanael Joachim: The Alien Everywhere Tour. NYC-based standup comedian brings jokes from a singular Haitian perspective to the rest of the English-speaking world. $32, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com
UVA Chamber Music Series Four. An innovative and intimate performance featuring cellist Adam Carter, violinist Jeannette Jang, and pianist Jeremy Thompson. Free, 3:30pm. Old Cabell Hall. music.virginia.edu
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Storytelling Session with Cville Stories. A vibrant personal-storytelling event where audience members have opportunities to share their own tales while hearing from select storytellers. Free, 3pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com classes
Fabric Mosaics: Create Your Own Kinusaiga Art. Craft a 9 x 9-inch art panel from foam board and fabric scraps using the Japanese technique of kinusaiga in a no-sew fabric art class. Ages 16+. $30, 11am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com
Paint + Sip: White Winter Wine Glasses. Paint the supplied design on one or two wineglasses in a step-by-step format. No experience necessary, all materials included. $40–44, noon. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. blueridgebrushes.com
FRIDAY 2/20 & SATURDAY 2/21
CINEMA MISCELLANEA
The fourth annual Odds and Ends Film Festival celebrates the poetic, personal, and political perspectives addressed by emerging filmmakers and creators who work outside of commercial structures. Embracing the experimental and unexpected, the programming plays out over two days, and includes Q&A sessions with filmmakers, and installations of multimedia artworks. A live performance by James Connolly (pictured) takes place Saturday evening, featuring a psychedelic composition using a custom-made video synthesizer that hybridizes analog and digital technologies. $10, 6:30pm. Light House Studio: Vinegar Hill Theatre, 220 W. Market St. lighthousestudio.org
etc.
Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, February 19. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com
Music Bingo. Listen to your favorite music, match the songs to the titles on your music bingo cards, and win great prizes. Fun for the whole family. Free, 2pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com
Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, February 19. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com
Monday 2/23
music
The Runarounds: The Minivan Tour. Five-piece alt-rock band known for turning every stage into a wild, full-throttle show. $90, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jefferson theater.com
words
Profs & Pints: How Do You Fly This Thing? A discussion of the basics of piloting airplanes and navigating your local airspace, with Nate Young, FAA-certified commercial pilot and flight instructor. $13–17, 5:30pm. Graduate Hotel, 1309 W. Main St. profsandpints.com
Storytime. A magical storytime adventure where the pages come alive and imagination knows no bounds. Free with museum admission, 10:30am. Virginia Discovery Museum, 524 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. vadm.org
classes
Needle Felted Mushrooms. A beginner-level felting class creating soft and colorful mushroom decorations using a specialized barbed needle to sculpt beautiful dyed wool. Ages 12+. $30, 4pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappy elephant.com
etc.
Grown-Up Game Night. Play board games and make new friends. Bring your own game, or play one of the library’s. Ages 18+. Free, 6:30pm. Northside Library, 705 W. Rio Rd. jmrl.org
Tuesday 2/24
music
Blackwater Holylight. Exploring the duality of light and dark through menacing riffs, beguiling melodies, shoegaze guitars, and lighter-than-air synths. $25, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com
Jackson and the Janks. New Orleans R&B dance band. Electric sound backed by sacred steel and Barry sax. Free, 7:30pm. Dürty Nelly’s, 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellyscharlottesville.com
Open Jam with Jeff Massanari & Friends. Bring your instrument to play with Massanari and a core of accomplished players. Free, 6:30pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com
Open Mic Night. Test the waters, showcase what you’re working on, or just play what you love. Hosted by The Open Mic Music Exchange/Nicole Giordano. Free, 9:30pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com etc.
Geeks Who Drink Trivia. Good trivia, good times. Teams of two to six people compete to win prizes like gift certificates and pint glasses, plus bragging rights. Free, 7pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com
THE WORKS CULTURE
Warm layers
Painter J.M. Henry let beauty get in the way BY SARAH SARGENT
J.M. Henry left an indelible impression on those he encountered in Charlottesville. They remember his talent and commitment to art, his resiliency, his generosity, and his finely attuned sense of humor. “Interference: A Retrospective of the Paintings of J.M. Henry” at McGuffey Art Center celebrates the work of the artist who died in June 2025.
Henry, who moved with his family to Charlottesville in 2004 to be close to the UVA Medical Center, suffered from Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, a rare and progressive lung disease. Originally diagnosed in 1995, he underwent a double lung transplant in 2012.
The retrospective exhibition is guest- curated by Deborah McLeod with the assistance of Henry’s daughter Alison and McGuffey member Scott Smith, and primarily uses work from the artist’s estate.
In 2016 Henry moved to Lawrenceville, Virginia, where he converted a warehouse into a work-live space. With characteristic humor, he referred to the town as “the village of Larrys” and “Larryville.”
McLeod sums up his spirit: “He was a cowboy—a funny, brilliant, kind, serious, funny (did I say that already?) cowboy. He rode the range alone, sequestered away in his big twostory warehouse in mostly deserted Lawrenceville, painting and painting, no matter his declining health. His art was his horse.”
Henry was a formalist who reveled in his materials and the facility with which he employed them. His palette and his compositional integrity reveal an artist of great skill and confidence.
Looking at his surfaces, you’re struck not only by his command of the medium, but the ease with which he creates stylistic ef-
fects—the subject is secondary. In fact, it almost doesn’t matter what he paints, it’s how he paints that counts. The medium is truly the message in Henry’s work.
Henry built up his surfaces with many layers of paint that he’d subsequently go over with grinders, sandpaper, hair dryers, and scrapers, producing texture and revealing glimpses of the layers beneath the top coat.
“Jim used a lot of very thin veils of color, one on top of another, allowing them to breathe through each other, with one hue interfering with another,” says McLeod. Other works show stylistic and compositional interferences where Henry causes a shift in direction by introducing an opposing factor into the composition.
“Because the hue and surface properties of the paint are the elements most important to me,” wrote Henry in his artist’s statement, “I try to layer various paint bodies in a manner which creates a luscious color field that at first appears static but gradually reveals the subdued energy of the drawing within.”
Henry was fascinated with printmaking and used various means to mimic the appearance of prints. “Edges were super important to him,” says McLeod. Though not a printmaker, he admired the way prints bleed onto the paper and would emulate this in his paintings.
“The edges are often left ragged to allow my process to reveal itself, and to extend the gestural internal drawing which is an integral part of that process,” wrote Henry. “I seek to create a unique surface that changes and shifts as the light does, or as the viewer changes position in relation to the painting.”
In addition to his print-like works, the show can be divided into three other catego-
ries of paintings: abstractions, abstracted seascapes, and works that reference major color field artists.
It’s not surprising that Henry embraced abstraction, given his focus on formal considerations, and his abstract work has real authority and presence. This is the case whether the work is a nearly monochromatic expanse of blue, or a denser, heavily worked painting featuring a grid of red circles against a murky wash of black over blue.
In his seascapes, Henry uses totally abstract elements to create the impression of topography, a harbor with boats, and architecture, as well as atmospheric effects seen across water. There’s something calming about these works, which boast low horizon lines that emphasize the sky.
It’s hard to tell what Henry was doing with paintings that resemble works by color field artists: “Dreamer” (Kenneth Noland), “Shield” (Clyfford Still), “Pylon” series (Barnett Newman), “Lark” (Jules Olitski), and “Shield” (Mark Rothko). Are they homages to artists he admired, or a flex of his artistic muscles? Maybe he was trying on another artist’s style to see how it’s done or how it feels—a practice that’s not uncommon.
The curious form of one his small, untitled works—a fire? a dust devil?—depicts a figure largely composed of wind, dust, or smoke. Henry builds it up with masterly brushstrokes that describe its immateriality and sense of movement. He continues his virtuosic treatment of paint in the ground on which the mysterious form sits, where the marks of pigment coalesce into highlights and shadows and suggest the uneven contour of the earth. The superb artistry elevates this work of modest scale into something quite extraordinary.
“Interference: A Retrospective of the Paintings of J.M. Henry” is on view at McGuffey Art Center through March 1.
SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION 2026
CHARLOTTESVILLE’S FAVORITE STEM SUMMER CAMP
Where curious kids learn, build, and have a blast.
Science ⚙ Engineering Coding Creativity
Give your child a summer filled with hands-on projects, real problem-solving, and confidencebuilding fun.
Full-Day or Half-Day options
STEAM HQ at Albemarle Sq OR Charlottesville Catholic School
⏰ Early drop-off available -Small groups
- Learning through play
-Responsible Technology
-Fun that actually teaches something
Limited spots available
Scan the QR code to learn more & enroll
Why Summer Camp?
ANDY PRITIKIN
“Hey Dad,” my teenage daughter beckons. “I was talking to my friend today . . . “
I interrupt her — “Hang on sweetie, were you actually TALKING to your friend?’
Her: “What do you mean?”
Me: “I mean, was there sound coming out of your mouth, going into her ear and vice versa?”
Her: “Duh, of course not, I never talk on my phone except to you and Mom!”
Oy. This is where we were at before the pandemic. The word “talk” had already lost its meaning. Communication skills continue going the way of the dodo bird, with human interaction being reduced to snaps, selfies, emojis, memes, and absurdly entertaining TikToks.
Young people are more digitally connected than ever before, while being significantly less personally connected as human beings.
You may think our kids talk to each other at school, but most schools now hand children laptops or tablets to stare at for much of the day. When they come home, of course, they want their personal devices. They are little screen addicts — and they take after their parents.
Parenting is increasingly difficult. It takes a level of discipline and commitment that past generations never had to deal with — mainly because of digital devices. From the little ones in our pocket, to the 72-inch, high-def, six-zillion-shows-at-ourfingertips ones.
Then there’s social media. OMG! LOL! Likes, loves, friends/unfriends, follows/unfollows, online bullying, predators, and pornography — all just clicks away if you aren’t paying attention . . . so pay attention!!
What is the antidote? How can parents battle this ever-growing
monster, especially during summer vacation when kids have even more free time and boredom to feed their screen addiction?
Well, there is an answer, an outdoor oasis away from screens, where children actually talk to each other using the ancient art of speech and body language. A step back in time, before digital data began stressing us all out: summer camp.
Now, there are lots of programs that call themselves “summer camps,” and most have their merits, but I’m talking about those that are outdoors with grass, trees, humidity, sunscreen, bugs, and dirt. The kind of place where kids learn how to swim, how to hold a baseball or softball bat, a paintbrush, and even a guitar. Where they muster the courage to talk to strangers, ask for help, climb a rock wall, and leap onto a stage or off a zipline platform—all grounded in the importance of safety at summer camp.
But what happens when it rains? I’ll tell you what doesn’t happen — kids don’t melt like the Wicked Witch of the West! They actually have a blast jumping in puddles, getting soaked, and playing. It’s what kids are supposed to do when being kids. Because once they morph into adults . . . They very likely may end up getting paid to stare at screens all day.
Research confirms that today’s children are more emotionally fragile than ever, struggling to cope with adversity. Half of students going off to college aren’t making it to graduation day, yet most parents are on an unwavering mission to protect their children from the hardships of life. Kids are kept inside when it’s too hot, too cold, too rainy, too icy. We bring them their schoolwork when they forget it at home. We wake them up in the morning, help them with their homework, and then get mad at ourselves for doing it. But at sum-
mer camp, their cool camp counselors can ask them to “figure it out,” and the kids usually listen without debate. If our children don’t start figuring out things for themselves, and deal with the inevitable challenges of life, we may find them living at home for a very long time, or moving back when things don’t go their way.
Humans are not born with great social skills. These are skills learned and practiced. As babies, we scream when upset, but eventually learn how to express ourselves to our caregivers. Camp is a continuation of that process. Campers are put into challenging situations, requiring them think critically through possible solutions, just like real (adult) life! Sometimes they will overcome obstacles and succeed, and sometimes they will simply fail — which is a super important life lesson, achieved more likely without parental interference.
Parents routinely spend or borrow inordinate sums of money for college to prepare their children for life. Comparatively speaking, an investment into summer camp is a bargain for the life skills it develops in a young person. Communication, collaboration, creativity, independence, and the ability to make and keep friends are “soft skills” that employers are seeking in the 21st century, as well as typical outcomes of an American Camp Association accredited camp.
So consider giving your kids an old-
school, summer camp experience that they will learn from and cherish for the rest of their lives — it could end up being the wisest parental investment you ever make. And if your kids are high school or college students, encourage them to work at a summer camp to hone those same vital skills, along with empathy and some serious work ethic!
Andy Pritikin is the owner/director of Liberty Lake Day Camp; past president of American Camp Association, New York & New Jersey; and host of the Day Camp Podcast.
The American Camp Association® (ACA) is a national organization serving the more than 20,000 year-round and summer camps in the US who annually serve 26 million campers. ACA is committed to collaborating with those who believe in quality camp and outdoor experiences for children, youth, and adults. ACA provides advocacy, evidence-based education, and professional development, and is the only independent national accrediting body for the organized camp experience. ACA accreditation provides public evidence of a camp’s voluntary commitment to the health, safety, risk management, and overall well-being of campers and staff. For more information, visit ACAcamps.org or call 800428-2267.
Sabre is pleased to offer D&D summer camp for all kids, ages 10-17.
Sessions at Sabre will run from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. of the week selected.
Our In StoreDungeon Master will teach your kids all about D&D and help them build characters to take on epic adventures!
Read all about it on our website, and see you here adventurer!
FOR FUN PUZZLES
SUDOKU
#1
#1
#2 #5
#4
CROSSWORD BY
MATT JONES
Letters across the Atlantic
56. Number that’s its own fourth power
58. Odd
62. Not so well
63. Menswear delivery for Danson or Lange?
65. Pub provision
66. Lip overgrowth, slangily
67. Very, in Versailles
68. Lawn repair roll
69. Ar tist known for optical illusions
70. 1-Across’s U.K. equivalent (and inspiration for this puzzle)
DOWN
1. Sticks in the microwave
Droplets of water
“Galloping Gourmet” Graham
32. Football party entree, often
Long-standing
AL and NL divisions
Bored feeling
Sm¯rrebr¯d bread 41. Party game with a similar concept to “The Traitors”
42. Laundr y day target
43. ___ Leppard
44. Perfect places
45. Diner orders
47. Butter-and-flour sauce thickener
49. “___ Kapital” (Karl Marx work)
50. Solvent in nail polish remover
53. Smooth-talking
55. Bank (on)
2. Somehow manages (with “out”)
3. Lamprey lurer
4. Musician Buffy ___-Marie who retired from live performance in 2023
5. Knock-knock joke, usually
6. Assns.
7. Bender, for example
8. “From the Alex ___ Stage ...”
9. Dejected
10. Hide-and-seek players being provided snacks?
11. Shady garden spot
12. Academic heads
13. Screening org.
17. Provides a segue for
21. Like emails with bold headers
23. “The Princess Bride” weapon
25. Hatch location
26. Leaves amazed
#5
By Rob Brezsny Pisces
(Feb. 19-March 20): Big bright transitions are at hand: from thrashing around in the educational mire to celebrating your sweet escape; from wrangling with shadows and ghosts to greeting new allies; from messing around with interesting but confounding chaos to seizing fresh opportunities to shine and thrive. Hallelujah! What explains this exhilarating shift? The Season of Dazzling Self-Adoration is dawning for you Pisceans. In the weeks ahead, you will be inspired to embark on bold experiments in loving yourself with extra fervor and ingenuity.
Aries
(March 21-April 19): Saturn has entered Aries. I see this landmark shift as being potentially very good news for you. Between now and April 2028, you will have enhanced powers to channel your restless heart in constructive directions. I predict you will narrow down your multiple interests and devote yourself to a few resonant paths rather than scattering your intense energy. More than ever before, you can summon the determination to follow through on what you initiate. My Saturnin-Aries prayer: May you be bold, even brazen, in identifying where you truly belong, and never settle for a half certain fit.
Taurus
(April 20-May 20): I am issuing a Wow Advisory. Consider this your high-voltage wonder alert. Your future may offer you thrilling quests and epic exploits that could be unnerving to people who want you to remain the same as you have been. You will have a knack for stirring up liberating encounters with lavish pleasures and rich feelings that transform your brain chemistry. The rousing mysteries you attract into your sphere may send provocative ripples through your own imagination as well as your web of allies. Expect juicy plot twists. Be alert for portals opening in the middle of nowhere.
Gemini
(May 21-June 20): In Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, you find anatomical drawings next to flying machine designs, mathematical calculations alongside water flow observations, and philosophical musings interrupted by grocery lists. He moved from painting to engineering to scientific observation as curiosity led him. Let’s make him your inspirational role model for now, Gemini. Disobey categories! Merge categories! Mix and match categories! Let’s assume that your eager mind will create expanded knowledge networks that prove valuable in unexpected ways. Let’s hypothesize that your cheerful rebellion against conventional ways of organizing reality will spawn energizing innovations in your beautiful, mysterious life.
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY FOR FUN
(Jan 20-Feb. 18): Over the last 4,000 years, a host of things have been used as money in addition to precious metals and paper currency. Among them have been cows, seashells, cheese, tobacco, velvet, tulips, elephant tusks, and huge stone wheels. I hope this poetic fact will inspire your imagination about financial matters. In the coming weeks, I expect you’ll be extra creative in drumming up new approaches to getting the cash you need. Here are questions to guide you. Which of your underused talents might be ready to boost your income? What undervalued gifts could you be more aggressive about giving? What neglected treasures or underutilized assets could you use to generate money?
Cancer
(June 21-July 22): In falconry, there’s a practice called “weathering.” It involves regularly exposing trained birds to the wild elements so they don’t become too domesticated and lose their wildness. The falconer needs a partner, not a pet. Does that theme resonate, Cancerian? Is it possible that you have been too sheltered lately? Either by your own caution or by well-meaning people who think they’re protecting you? Let’s make sure you stay in touch with the fervent, untamed sides of your nature. How? You could expose yourself to an experience that scares you a little. Take a fun risk you’ve been rationalizing away. Invite touches of rowdiness into your life.
Leo
(July 23-Aug. 22): The loudest noise in history? It was the 1883 volcanic eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia, heard thousands of miles away. The pressure wave circled the Earth multiple times. I am predicting a benevolent version of a Krakatoa event for you in the coming months. Not literal loudness, but a shiny bright expression of such magnitude that it redefines your world and what people thought was possible from you. Can you be prepared for it? A little. You’ll be wise to cultivate visionary equanimity: a calm willingness to stay focused on the big picture. I predict your big boom will be challenging but ultimately magnificent and empowering.
Virgo
(Aug. 22-Sept. 22): Buddhism teaches about “near enemies”: qualities that may appear to be virtues but aren’t. For example, pity masquerades as compassion. Clingy attachment
pretends to be love. Apathy and indifference pose as equanimity. In the coming weeks, Virgo, I hope you won’t get distracted by near enemies. Your assignment: Investigate whether any of your supposed virtues are actually near enemies. After you’ve done that, find out if any of your so-called negative emotions might harbor interesting powers you could tap into.
Libra
(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Many intelligent people think astrology is dangerous nonsense perpetrated by quacks. For any horoscope writer with an ego, this affront tends to be deflating. Like everyone else, we want to be appreciated. On the other hand, I have found that practicing an art that gets so much disdain has been mostly liberating. It’s impossible for me to get bloated with excess pride. I practice astrology for the joy it affords me, not to garner recognition. So in a backhanded way, a seemingly disheartening drawback serves as an energizing boon. My prediction is that you, Libra, will soon harvest an analogous turnabout. You will draw strength, even inspiration, from what may ostensibly appear to be a liability.
Scorpio
(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Mycologist Paul Stamets claims mushrooms taught him to think in networks rather than hierarchies. He sees how everything feeds everything else through vast webs of underground filaments. This is Scorpio wisdom at its most scintillating: homing in on the hidden circuitry working below the surface; gauging the way nourishment is distributed incrementally through many collaborative interconnections; seeing the synergy between
seemingly separate sources. I hope you will accentuate this mode of understanding in the coming weeks. The key to your soulful success and happiness will be in how well you map the mycelial-like networks, both in the world around you and in your inner depths. PS: For extra credit, study the invisible threads that link your obsessions to each other, your wounds to your gifts, and your rage to your tenderness.
Sagittarius
(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The peregrine falcon dives at speeds exceeding 240 miles per hour, making it the fastest animal on Earth. But before the dive, there’s often a period of circling, scanning, and waiting. The spectacular descent is set up by the patient reconnaissance that precedes it. I believe you’re now in a phase similar to the falcon’s preparatory reconnaissance, Sagittarius. The quality of your eventual plunge will depend on how well you’re tracking your target now. Use this time to gather intelligence, not to second-guess your readiness. You’ll know when your aim is true.
Capricorn
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): There’s a certain miracle you could really use right now, Capricorn. But to attract it into your life would require a subtle and simple shift. In a related development, the revelation you need most is concealed in plain sight. To get these two goodies into your life, you shouldn’t make the error of seeking them in exotic locales. Ordinary events in the daily routine will bring you what you need: the miracle and the revelation that will change everything for the better. Expanded weekly
CLASSIFIEDS
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville is accepting proposals from qualified contractors for vertical construction for 25 residential units in Village 3 of the redeveloped Southwood community. The contract award will be based on several factors, including experience, schedule, and price. Equal opportunity employer and female/minority owner businesses are encouraged to apply, as well as protected groups such as those covered in Section3. Proposal packages are available by request.
To obtain a proposal package including the final site plan, drawings, and HFHGC specification manual please contact:
Noah Gaylor Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville 1801 Broadway Street, Charlottesville, VA, 22902 By phone at (434) 293-9066 Or email at ngaylor@cvillehabitat.org
GRUPO ROA, LLC
ENEMY
The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY
for a restaurant wine, beer and mixed beverages consumed on and off premise license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages Augusto Rodriguez Araoz, Owner
NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be Submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.
P.S. THE HOTSEAT
Stitch perfect
Scholar, maker, and cultural critic Lisa Woolfork has been making space and creating community in Charlottesville, centering her efforts on functional fiber arts. Woolfork hosts the awardwinning podcast “Stitch Please,” a platform for conversations about sewing, quilting, fashion, labor, memory, and liberation featuring sewists, artists, designers, historians, and makers from across the African diaspora. The podcast has been nominated for a 2026 Ambies Award for Best Indie Podcast, presented by The Podcast Academy. We put Woolfork in the HotSeat ahead of the February 23 awards ceremony.
Name: Lisa Woolfork
Age: Older than I look.
Pronouns: She/her
Hometown: West Palm Beach, Florida—but I’ve lived in Charlottesville for 26 years, so this is home now.
Job(s): Associate professor of English at the University of Virginia; founder of Black Women Stitch; host of the “Stitch Please” podcast
What’s something about your job that people would be surprised to learn? Focusing on stitching: Everything you are wearing right now was made by someone. Why not you?
What is craft to you? Craft is liberatory.
Why is supporting functional arts important? Functional art reminds us that creativity is not only within our grasp, it is our grasp.
What are you working on right now? A collaborative sew-in style challenge with the Black Sewing Network during Black History
gear get
you be? Myself with more knowledge, information, and money. I’d do it again.
If you had three wishes, what would you wish for? Endless revisions to my wishes.
Are there any superstitions you abide by? Don’t split the pole unless you hate me.
Most embarrassing moment: Once I sewed a shirt’s sleeves on upside down so that the sleeve placket was on the top of the wrist. Rookie mistake.
Month, and continuing work on a manuscript about Black women’s stitching practices.
Proudest accomplishment: Industry awards for a show recorded in my basement: Seven Black Podcasting Awards; Gold and Listener’s Choice Signal Awards; four Ambie nominations (the Oscars of podcasting); and winning Best DIY Podcast Ambie in 2024
Best advice you ever got: Don’t accept criticism from someone you wouldn’t take advice from.
Best part of living here: Summer
Worst part of living here: Winter
Favorite Charlottesville restaurant: Smyrna
Favorite Charlottesville venue: The Paramount Theater
Favorite Charlottesville landmark/attraction: Jefferson School
Bodo’s order: Ham, egg, and cheddar on a plain bagel
Describe a perfect day: Still working on it.
If you could be reincarnated as a person or thing, what would
Do you have any pets? No. Thank you, though.
Favorite movie and/or show: Sinners
Favorite book: Kindred by Octavia Butler
Who’d play you in a movie? Not Melania Trump
Go-to karaoke song: Not telling you that!
What’s your comfort food/meal? Pearl Island’s oxtail, extra gravy, with pigeon peas and rice
Subject that causes you to rant: Bananas
Best journey you ever went on: 2016 trip with sisters and friends to France and Italy
Next journey: Hoping to go to Cape Town, South Africa, this summer, and possibly other countries on the continent.
Favorite word: [hahahahaha!] No.
Hottest take/most unpopular opinion: “Hot takes” are just bad ideas in rhinestones.
What have you forgotten today? Many things. I just hope they weren’t important.
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