C-VILLE Weekly | July 1 - 7, 2026

CHARLOTTESVILLE’S FREE NEWS AND ARTS WEEKLY

JULY 1 – 7, 2026

A little bit of

history

repeating In conversation with C-VILLE, Jamelle Bouie on why a new look at Lincoln feels surprisingly relevant in 2026

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PRINTS & PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION

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Hello, Charlottesville.

7.1.26

Thank you for reading C-VILLE Weekly.

In our house, we play a game called “High/Low” each birthday, wherein the birthday person names the three best things—trips, wins at work, new friendships—and three worst things—breakups, medical scares, foot-in-mouth moments—from the last year of his or her life. Besides cake, it’s our favorite way to mark the occasion, reflecting on what went right and what went not so right, with the hope of either replicating or rectifying it for the coming year.

It’s tough to do that for America’s birthday on Saturday, but maybe the bigger takeaway from the game is that it creates an opportunity to reflect together. That felt like an appropriate way to mark the nation’s 250th, so for this week’s cover story (p.26), we asked political commentator and amateur historian Jamelle Bouie to recommend a book to our Senior News Reporter, Nathan Alderman—one that might help illuminate this moment in American history. Alderman read it, then sat down with Bouie for what amounted to a two-person book club, discussing Abraham Lincoln, democracy, and the ways in which the past continues to shape the present.

History rarely offers easy answers. But it does offer perspective, and conversations like this one remind us that democracy isn’t built on everyone agreeing. It’s built on a willingness to keep asking questions, listening carefully, and learning from one another.

Happy birthday, America.

This week’s contributors

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 page 26.

Sean Tubbs moved to Charlottesville in 2002, and has sought to understand why development occurs the way it does. Since 2005, he’s helped innovate information gathering to try to help people know they belong and how they can have their say. Read his work on pages 15 and 17.

Hey, thanks! These generous benefactors of C-VILLE have supported our work through our (now tax-deductible!) Save the Free Word campaign. To contribute, follow the QR code.

Towns Ackerman Susan Albert Mary Allen Pat Allinson Catherine Anninos Elaine Attridge Jim & Gwen Baber Lori Balaban Timothy Bambury Catherine Barnes Julie Basic Susan Battani John & Nancy Baum Josh Baumann Jennifer Beachley Mayanna Bean Terry Belanger Susan Bender Denise Benson Anne Bergamesca Rebecca Berlin Kim Biasiolli Patrick Bird Diane Bisgaier Bethany Blalock Mary Ann Bournos Paddy Bowman Olivia Branch Paul Brewer Susan Brickman Christine Bridge Claudia Murray Brindle Colette Brown David Brown Dee Brown Jack Brown

Sumner Brown Kate Buford Cathleen Burgess Carol Burger Patricia Burkett David Calhoun Michael Callahan Linda & Pat Canzanelli-Dantona Brian Carlton Helen Cathro Janelle Catlett James Clark Jr. Diane Cluck Karen Collins Lorraine Collins Todd Cristian Beth Croghan Margaret Crone Emily Currier Genny Dalton Maria-Eugenia Dalton Charles Dassance Lynne DeCora Pam & Peter Dennison Nancy Dettor Martha Donnelly Helene Downs Vincent Draddy Charlotte Drummond Louise Dudley Lee Elberson Jane Elmore Karen Emmitt Ken Engebretson

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July 1 – 7, 2026

Elizabeth Engle Rosa Ellen English Gail Esterman Joe Ethier Mike Evans Barbara Febey Tom & Anna Ferrell M. Fife Jon Fink Lavonne Fitts Kevin Foley Barbara Fornoff Joan Forrest Amy Gardner Georgia Garrett Thomas Garrison Greg Gelburd Gerald Giammatteo David & Janna Gies Karen Goertler Donna Goings Stephanie Goodwin Evie Gorman Trice Gravatte Andrew Greeley Jennifer Grover Cara Hall Kendra Hall Jeremy HarrisMcDonnell Wiliam Harvey Madeleine Hawks Ann Marie Haynes Mary Haynes Elain Heffelfinger Chris Hellings

Ted Heneberry Stephen Herrick John Heyser Ezra Hitzeman Katherine Hoffman JoAnn Hofheimer Lisa Hogan Gina Hogue Laura Horn Christina Horton Robert Inlow Deb Jackson Garth Jensen Nina Johnston Nicole Jones Diane Jones Janet Jospe Jane Kamensky Marina Kelley Brian Kelly Trish Kenney Tom & Sue Kirk Kathryn Kluge Julie Lacy Marcia Langsam Jacalyn LaPierre Aaron Lawrence Eric & Diane Lawson Elizabeth Lawson Frances Lee-Vandell David Lemon Linda Lester Sean Libberton Angeline Lillard Peppy Linden Jessica Lino D. Little

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Dennis O’Connor Diane Ober Cynthia Van Osch Annette Osso Laila Ouhamou Annette Owens Timothy Palmer Michael Pantano Dashton Parham Beale Payne Susan Payne Amanda Peacock Joe Peacock Elizabeth Perdue Joann Peters James Peterson Damon Pettitt Andrew Pevsner Elayne Phillips Sandra Pollock Robin Powell Anne Price Mary Pudhorodsky Ernest Pugh Harry Purkey Leslie Quenichet Frances Racette T. Radsky Scott Ransom Sarah Ratcliffe Stots Reele Marjorie Rein Jonathan Rice Cindy Richards Kevin Richardson David Robinson Diane Rosin

Adam Roux Julia Rubarth Tim Ryan Carol Gilbert Sacks Audrey Sarate Dennis Scannell Claudia Scenna Joan Schatzman Sandra Schmidt Eric Schultz Karen Schuyler Wendy Seay James Seitz Angilee Shah Elaine Shaw Chuck Shelton Paul Shettel Vaden Shields Jeanne Siler John Smith Kristina Smith Rod Smith Meredith Smoot Diane Snustad Mickey Speck Maria Spence Jim Spencer David Stackhouse Mariah Steele Rod Stoner Robert Strickland Jeff Strider Deborah Strong Chelsea Sullivan Nichole Taylor Tim Taylor William Terrell

Emily Thiede Reid Thompson W. McIlwaine Thompson Jr. Prue Thorner John Titus Jessica Tobin Erica Toy Rose Trapnell Jill Trischman-Marks Susan Uland Darlene VanEvery Rick Vergot Christina Walker Leslie Walker Steven Ward David Waters Chris Waugaman Phoebe Weseley Kelly West Gary & Anne Westmoreland Richard Wiedemann John Whitlow Stephen Whitman Jay Wildermann Marcia Wilds Andrew Wolf Natalie Yancey Suzanne Yeaman Nura Yingling Kelly Zalewski Kathleen Zenker

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July 1 – 7, 2026

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IN THIS ISSUE

V.38, No. 26

FEATURE 26

Smooth operator Jamelle Bouie weighs in on Boss Lincoln: The Partisan Life of Abraham Lincoln.

NEWS 11 11 Greene County law enforcement works with ICE on mass arrests.

15 Christian school buys Pantops property for new campus.

17 Real Estate: Will public outcry lead to zoning code amendments?

CULTURE 33 37 Pages: JMRL book club discusses Becky Chambers’ first sci-fi novel.

39 Galleries: What’s on view this month.

FOR FUN 40 40 Sudoku 41 Crossword 43 Free Will Astrology

CLASSIFIEDS 44 P.S. 46 C-VILLE and C-VILE

EDI TOR I A L

ADVERTISING

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Caite Hamilton editor@c-ville.com

advertising@c-ville.com

ART DIRECTOR Max March max@c-ville.com CULTURE EDITOR Tami Keaveny tami@c-ville.com

DIRECTOR OF SALES Bianca Johnson bianca@c-ville.com REAL ESTATE & CLASSIFIED ACCOUNT MANAGER Brian Hrozencik brian@c-ville.com DIGITAL SALES MANAGER Rob Davis rob@c-ville.com

SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Nathan Alderman news@c-ville.com NEWS REPORTER Catie Ratliff reporter@c-ville.com NEWS CONTRIBUTOR Sean Tubbs ASSOCIATE CULTURE EDITOR CM Turner arts@c-ville.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Stephanie Vogtman-Say stephanie@c-ville.com Jacob Phillips jacob@c-ville.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Tracy Federico designer@c-ville.com PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Faith Gibson ads@c-ville.com

BUSINESS

COPY EDITOR Susan Sorensen

PUBLISHER Anna Harrison anna@c-ville.com

DIGITAL EDITOR Tristan Williams

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Debbie Miller debbie@c-ville.com

CONTRIBUTORS Rob Brezsny, Dave Cantor, Carol Diggs, Shea Gibbs, Andrew Hollins, Erika Howsare, Matt Jones, Sarah Lawson, Lisa Provence, Sarah Sargent, Kristie Smeltzer, Jen Sorensen, Julia Stumbaugh, Jake Solyst, Paul Ting, Eric Williamson

A/R SPECIALIST Nanci Winter accounting@c-ville.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Billy Dempsey circulation@c-ville.com

C-VILLE HOLDINGS, LLC Bill Chapman, Blair Kelly

C-VILLE Weekly is Charlottesville, Virginia's award-winning alternative newspaper.

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©2026 C-VILLE Weekly. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.

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July 1 – 7, 2026

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NEWS UVA | POLITICS | REAL ESTATE | CRIME

Ruckersville freezes over Greene County Sheriff’s Office stages mass immigration detention in concert with federal officials BY NATHAN ALDERMAN AND CATIE RATLIFF

T

he Greene County Sheriff ’s Office, working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, conducted a large-scale immigration enforcement operation near the intersection of routes 29 and 33 in Ruckersville on June 23. An ICE spokesperson said the operation detained 49 people.

“I just saw them pull someone over right now where I’m sitting,” said Andrew Young, an environmental lawyer who drove to the scene to document and offer legal aid after seeing reports online. “They’re everywhere up here, literally. I can’t convey how dense the ICE presence is right here.”

ANDREW YOUNG

A sudden surge in traffic violations Young provided C-VILLE with multiple photographs showing federal officials, some wearing facemasks, and people wearing sheriff ’s office gear conducting traffic stops.

Geotagging on the photos and depicted landmarks shows stops at various locations along Route 29 and the intersection of Spotswood Trail and Stanardsville Bypass.

When asked what criteria his deputies used in making these traffic stops, Greene County Sheriff Steven Smith says it was

the “same as we do with all vehicles. People that give us a reason to stop them, we stop them.” He says he doesn’t know what specific reasons were associated with the June 23 stops, since he wasn’t with his deputies at the time. But he listed general reasons why his deputies might pull someone over: “Speeding, crossing center line, swerving, running red light, just stuff like that, traffic infractions.”

The Greene County Sheriff ’s Office made 3,044 traffic stops in 2025, according to Virginia State Police data. On average, that’s 8.33 stops per day across the county’s 155.9 square miles.

C-VILLE.COM

Young reported that ICE agents were riding in the back of Greene County Sheriff’s vehicles as deputies pulled people over for traffic stops. Video of another June 23 traffic stop in that area provided to C-VILLE shows ICE personnel riding in a white Chevy Tahoe with flashing blue-and-red lights.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed SB352, which amends the Code of Virginia to largely prohibit law enforcement officers from wearing facial coverings, on May 20. The United States Department of Justice is currently suing the state of Virginia over the new law, slated to take effect July 1.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

July 1 – 7, 2026

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IMMIGRATION NEWS Full cooperation When he visited the sheriff’s office, Young says he saw ICE vehicles filling the parking lot in the back, “processing people and transporting them out” in white vans. Photos provided by Young of masked federal officers and a white transport van have embedded coordinates placing them at the sheriff’s office.

Young alleges Smith came out of the office and told him to leave or be arrested. “I said, ‘You have a very unusual arrangement going on here, with ICE riding along with you doing immigration control,’” says Young. “And [Smith] said, ‘Oh, they’re just here to support us, much like in D.C.’” The Greene County Sheriff’s Office has a 287(g) agreement with ICE under the agency’s “task force model,” in which local law enforcement officers “enforce limited immigration authority with ICE oversight during their routine police duties.”

According to ICE’s memorandum of understanding with sheriffs’ departments using the task force model, any officers or deputies who participate in immigration enforcement must pass mandatory training and exams. Otherwise, Virginia law says officers can only make immigration arrests if the suspect has both previously committed a felony and is present in the U.S. after previously being deported.

Smith believes every deputy cooperating with ICE in its operations received full certification, but says he could not be certain.

Not every member of the Greene County Sheriff’s Office has completed the training, according to Smith.

The Greene County Sheriff’s Office denied C-VILLE’s FOIA requests seeking correspondence between the office and ICE in the month leading up to the raid, citing exceptions protecting officers’ privacy.

Greene County’s June 23 operation occurred eight days before July 1, when new state laws effectively barring local law enforcement from participating in such agreements, or otherwise assisting federal immigration authorities in most circumstances, take effect. Spanberger signed HB1441 into law April 22.

“Does that affect the sheriff’s office?” asks Smith, when told about the bill. “You better check that.” The text of HB1441 includes “any sheriff’s office” in its list of law enforcement agencies to whom the bill applies.

Young reportedly told Smith, “This is Virginia, where what you’re doing is illegal, and the governor said that you’re not allowed to do this.” Smith allegedly responded, “I don’t care what the governor says.”

In a video Young provided, captured after that incident, an offscreen official identifies himself as Smith and confirms that he made that remark.

When specifically asked about the remark, Smith does not deny it. “We’re going to enforce the law no matter when it falls,” he says. “Sheriffs are elected officials. We don’t answer to the governor. We answer to the citizens of the counties we live in.”

Smith ran unopposed for Greene County sheriff in 2023, receiving 4,869 votes against 197 write-ins, according to Virginia Department of Elections data. There were 14,625 active registered voters in Greene County that year.

Detention unknown After leaving the sheriff’s office, Young says he was tailed by a black SUV until he pulled over to let it pass. Heading south from the sheriff ’s office on Spotswood Trail, Young allegedly saw another checkpoint operated by sheriff ’s deputies and ICE. “I honked my horn again, and I took a photo of them,” Young says, after which he says a deputy pulled him over. He says deputies made him wait by the side of the road for at least 40 minutes. “Three ICE agents came out of the car with their handguns drawn,” Young says; two remained near his car, while the third returned to their vehicle.

In a video Young provided, he describes armed ICE officers to a sheriff’s deputy. A man who identifies himself as Smith arrives while Young is sitting in his vehicle. Smith says he had no prior knowledge that Young had been stopped until a call alerted him.

Greene County deputies and a federal immigration officer stand in a parking lot behind the sheriff’s office June 23.

In the video, Young tells Smith he’s called the state police. Young says a local 911 dispatcher told him “no promises” when he asked them to summon state police to the scene and told them ICE agents were holding him at gunpoint.

Young says state police never showed up.

A Virginia State Police spokesperson said the agency had not received any calls related to the Greene County traffic stops.

The sheriff ’s office charged Young with “improper use of horn,” using a handheld device while driving, and failure to yield to emergency vehicles. While the charges are relatively minor, they carry at least six driver demerit points if Young is convicted, per the Department of Motor Vehicles website.

Points stack over time and stay on a driver’s record for a set period depending on the specific offense committed. Accruing 12 demerits within a year results in a mandatory driver improvement clinic, while 18 points results in a temporarily suspended license.

Lines of abandoned cars “Every single person I saw pulled over was non-white, besides me,” Young says. “The

sheriff said that they were pulling over not just non-white people.”

“There were so many empty vehicles on the side of 29 and 33,” Young said June 23, emotion evident in his voice. “I’m watching a tow truck pull away one right now.

That’s pretty haunting. There’s just dozens of cars that have been left.”

Multiple towing companies in the area reported towing approximately 10 vehicles after receiving calls from the sheriff ’s office. No company reported receiving advance notice of the enforcement operation. One company told C-VILLE the sheriff ’s office said the vehicles needed to be towed following arrests for “driving without a license.”

Organizers across the state have slammed the mass detainments, with the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia Policy Director Chris Kaiser calling the Greene County operation “just one example of what continues to unfold here in the Commonwealth: local law enforcement directly coordinating with ICE to terrorize and racially profile our communities—tactics we have seen undermine public safety and rip Virginia families apart.”

“Dragnets like these are precisely why Virginia lawmakers passed legislation that will become law in less than a week,” says Kaiser. “Virginia’s attorney general has the authority to hold Virginia officials accountable when they flout the law, and Virginians have the power to hold their sheriffs and Commonwealth’s attorneys accountable when they voluntarily facilitate the Trump administration’s violent, anti-immigrant agenda. We should be prepared to use it.”

“This is the most un-American stuff I’ve ever witnessed,” Young says, “and I’m not scared of these losers.”

The Greene County Sheriff ’s Department website, and Smith’s bio, list “putting citizen’s [sic] first” as a top priority.

“We were sworn to uphold the law and to protect our citizens,” Smith says, “and that’s what I will continue to do. Put that C in your story.”

IN BRIEF

All the news you missed last week (in one sentence or less) Appraise you Hold onto your wallets, homeowners: Albemarle County begins its annual property appraisal process. Shit-stirring County supervisors weigh stricter regulation of biosolids—treated sewage spread on agricultural fields as fertilizer. Spare change Virginia’s proposed new budget includes $7 million in state funding toward the more than $10 million Charlottesville needs to build a new low-barrier shelter for unhoused residents at 2000 Holiday Dr. Shot down On June 25, a Lancaster County judge temporarily blocked Virginia’s recently passed assault weapons ban, part of the ongoing legal battle over the law. Note imperfect State trooper pleads no contest, gets probation and community service, after leaving a threatening note on an Albemarle couple’s apartment door. Hot stuff Sixteen new recruits complete training and join Albemarle County Fire Rescue squad. Friends again Former primary rivals Beth Macy (VA-6) and Tom Perriello (VA-5) endorse one another in campaigns for their respective districts’ Democratic nominations to the House of Representatives. Scratch that To feline fans’ dismay, the Confetti Cat Cafe, planned for 410 10th St. NE, seems to have exhausted its nine lives; a “for lease” sign now adorns the still-vacant property.

ANDREW YOUNG

C-VILLE.COM

July 1 – 7, 2026

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DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Mercury rising

With the holiday weekend on the horizon, Charlottesville is expected to cross the triple-digit temperature threshold for the first time this year. In anticipation of what’s likely to be a scorching summer, the city has announced that several cooling centers will be available for anyone looking to escape the extreme heat.

Cooling centers are located at the Herman Key Jr. Recreation Center, Central Branch of Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, Benjamin Tonsler Recreation Center, and The Haven.

The Herman Key Jr. Recreation Center (800 E. Market St.) is open on weekdays from 5:30pm to 9pm, and from 1pm to 6pm on weekends. The Haven (112 W. Market St.) is also open seven days a week, from 7am to 5pm Monday through Friday, and between 7am and noon on weekends.

The cooling center at JMRL Central Branch (201 E. Market St.) is open from 9am to 9pm Monday through Thursday, and 9am to 5pm on Friday and Saturday. Benjamin Tonsler Recreation Center (500 Cherry Ave.) is open from noon to 9pm during the week, and on Saturdays from 1pm to 6pm.

Both JMRL and Benjamin Tonsler Recreation Center are closed on Sundays.

The city confirmed The Haven will be open during regular hours on July 4, while JMRL’s cooling center will be closed for the holiday.

Key and Tonsler rec centers will be open from noon to 4pm on Independence Day. When heat and humidity are high, the city recommends staying inside, avoiding outdoor activities, and using AC when possible. If staying out of the sun isn’t an option, it’s important to keep hydrated and wear lightweight, weather-appropriate clothing.

More information on city cooling centers can be found at charlottesville.gov. For a statewide list of cooling centers, visit vdh. virginia.gov.—Catie Ratliff

SUPPLIED PHOTO

Pantops player

Community Christian Academy buys 5.48-acre site for new campus BY SEAN TUBBS

P

antops is one of three areas Albemarle planners hope to grow as an “activity center” as part of the county’s ongoing management strategy to avoid expansion of the growth areas. A new group has become one of the stakeholders.

One of Albemarle’s many private religious schools paid $4.355 million for 384 Worrell Dr., which includes about five and a half acres of land as well as a 10,691-square-foot building that formerly housed the Virginia Museum of Animal Art. “Community Christian Academy was flourishing and we were literally busting at the seams with students and faculty,” said CCA Executive Director Kimberly Moore in a press release.

CCA was founded in 2012 and originally got a special use permit to operate a school at the Crosslife Community Church at 1410 Old Brook Rd. It later got an amendment to increase maximum enrollment to 150 as well as another in 2024 to construct modular buildings at that site to accommodate more students.

When Moore learned that the property was on the market, she launched a capital campaign that raised more than $1.5 million toward the purchase price. Most of the school’s fundraising efforts have traditionally been to help cover the cost of tuition for households that need the financial support.

“We knew that we needed a large facility but did not have a steady stream of income or a large amount of financial resources to invest in real estate,” Moore said.

There is enough room at the existing site for the school to begin operations in the fall.

Staff in Albemarle’s Community Develop-

CCA paid $4.355 million for 384 Worrell Dr., which, in addition to about five and a half acres of land, includes a 10,691-square-foot building that formerly housed the Virginia Museum of Animal Art.

ment Department signed off on a zoning clearance for the use in March.

Moore said CCA has room to expand in the future but the footprint of the existing building allows for a quick transition. The immediate goal will be to add 11th and 12th grades in the near future.

On June 9, the Albemarle Planning Commission learned that county staff see a lot of potential for Pantops, including undeveloped parcels.

“An Activity Center Plan here would focus on the redevelopment and reorientation of Pantops Shopping Center so that it relates to the Rivanna River as well as a focus on the South Pantops Drive-State Farm Boulevard corridor, supporting mixed-use redevelopment,” reads the staff report.

C-VILLE.COM

This change comes at a time when other properties in the area are also in play. While the CCA property currently only has vehicular access to U.S. 250, there is frontage along State Farm Boulevard.

On June 16, the Albemarle Board of Supervisors approved a special exception for a former bank building at 1652 State Farm Blvd. to exceed more than 4,000 square feet of laboratory space.

“The proposed sterile processing center would provide essential services to these facilities by supplying sterilized surgical instrument kits, thereby enhancing efficiency and reliability in medical procedures,” reads the application for an undisclosed business.

CWT Real Estate LLC paid $910,000 for C the property in November 2025.

July 1 – 7, 2026

15

Look to the Stars ~ Make Contact ~Experience CE5~

Join Dr. Steven Greer, Founder of the global Disclosure Movement and his team for an extraordinary 3-day immersive experience. Learn the science, protocols and consciousness-based practices behind CE5 (Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind) while participating in powerful group contact events under the starry night skies.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS FRIDAY, July 24 • Opening keynote presentation by Dr. Greer • UAP Disclosure updates • VIP Meet and Greet Party with exclusive access to Dr. Greer SATURDAY-SUNDAY, July 25-26 • Educational presentations by Dr. Greer’s team • Deep dives in consciousness and contact • Guided CE5 meditations and remote viewing • Sanskrit Puja Ceremonies • Nightly mass CE5 experiences led by Dr. Greer • Incredible mountain-top sky viewing • Lunch and Dinner included for all attendees

SCAN THE QR CODE TO LEARN MORE

**Special Ambassador Experience Available** ATTEND FROM ANYWHERE Can’t join us in person?

The entire conference will be available via live webinar.

• Full event recordings provided • Watch on your own schedule - replay access for 3 months after the event

SPACE IS LIMITED - SECURE YOUR SPOT TODAY! July 24-26, 2026 - Hazy Mountain Winery - Afton, Virginia 16

July 1 – 7, 2026

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REAL ESTATE NEWS

Annie Gould Gallery

Please listen Zoning changes demanded at Charlottesville Planning Commission listening session BY SEAN TUBBS

O

ne of the tasks awaiting Charlottesville’s next director of Neighborhood Development Services is how to respond to ongoing calls to amend the city’s 2023 zoning code to hinder the construction of tall buildings in some areas.

“There are a lot of unintended consequences because of some of the decisions that were made in the ordinance,” said Preservation Piedmont’s Jean Hiatt at a June 23 listening session held by the city’s Neighborhood Development Services department.

Hiatt said that includes the definition allowing “student housing” buildings within a half mile of the legal designation of Central Grounds. The ordinance allowed the firm LCD Acquisitions to propose a seven-story luxury student housing development in Fifeville, without directly constructing some of the required affordable housing. Instead, the developers of The Mark are required to pay more than $4 million into the city’s affordable housing fund.

Charlottesville City Council adopted a zoning code in December 2023 that eliminated the role elected officials play in controlling height and residential density. That also eliminated opportunities for neighbors to publicly express views about potential developments in order to suggest changes.

When Council adopted a first round of minor changes in February, major alterations that required more community engagement were referred to the city’s long-range planning division. Developers and builders were invited to a listening session on June 23 to suggest other technical adjustments.

“This is the 2026 [zoning] code clean-up cycle,” said Matt Alfele, the city’s development planning manager. “In the 2025 cycle, we completed 83 amendments that were

small technical concerns and just small refinements.”

A handful of developers provided some technical feedback, but more speakers took the opportunity to complain about how the rules allow The Mark to exist.

Another member of Preservation Piedmont critiqued how the zoning districts were selected by out-of-town firms as part of the Cville Plans Together initiative.

“I never thought the consultants spent enough time on the ground proofing our city and understanding what makes Charlottesville Charlottesville,” said Genevieve Keller, a former planning commissioner and current member of the Board of Zoning Appeals.

In April, Keller was one of two votes against a determination by the zoning administrator that The Mark qualified as student housing. The entire board voted 3-2.

At the listening session, Keller also suggested the city reevaluate properties in the Residential-B zoning district. Property owners can build up to 12 units on a single lot if half of them qualify as affordable.

In May 2025, Keller and the rest of the BZA upheld an administration modification, clearing the way for 24 units to be built on less than an acre at 2030 Barracks Rd., despite appeals from neighbors.

“They did not understand that this was possible in their neighborhoods, and they did not see it as an opportunity,” Keller told the Planning Commission.

Deputy City Manager James Freas is currently serving as the interim director of NDS after Kellie Brown departed on June 26 after less than two years in the position.

Meanwhile, the city is taking feedback on the next round of code changes at the new Connect Charlottesville page (conC nect.charlottesville.gov).

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Tranquility on 75 acres $1,925,000 | MLS 678211 | Crozet Steve White, 434.242.8355

EDNAM

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July 1 – 7, 2026

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H YLAND PARK

Blue Ridge views/outdoor living, 4-BR, 4.5-BA $1,195,000 | MLS 678613 | Charlottesville Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076 Will Faulconer, 434.987.9455

Jim Faulconer

Court Nexsen

434.981.0076 jfaulconer@mcleanfaulconer.com

ELDERBERRY P LACE

Walnut Hills neighborhood, private, 4-BR, 5-BA $995,000 | MLS 674034 | Earlysville Bridget Archer, 434.981.4149 Pam Dent, 434.960.0161

GLENMORE

Custom build, quiet lane & 4,400 sq.ft. $949,500 | MLS 675547 | Keswick Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076 Will Faulconer, 434.987.9455

LANGFORD FARMS

Custom built in Ivy with 4-BR, 3-BA $829,000 | MLS 678223 | Charlottesville Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250

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Comfort meets convenience & 2,211 sq.ft. $599,000 | MLS 676693 | Charlottesville Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250 Tim Michel, 434.960.1124

BROKEN ISLAND

Adjacent to Rivanna River, 5,600 sq.ft., private lot $960,000 | MLS 676962 | Palmyra Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076 Will Faulconer, 434.987.9455

SMI T H FI ELD CT

Canterbury Hills, renovated, guest apartment $950,000 | MLS 675548 | Charlottesville Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076 Will Faulconer, 434.987.9455

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C. 1800 replica, 15 acres, private $885,000 | MLS 674460 | Appomattox Bridget Archer, 434.981.4149 Pam Dent, 434.960.0161

Custom craftsman on 4 private acres $898,500 | MLS 678345 | Dyke Liberty Kalergis, 434.962.9911

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Views of Golf Course, 4,762 sq ft. & 1st floor primary $799,000 | MLS 674087 | Zion Crossroads Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250

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New construction, 2,899 sq ft & close to UVA $614,000 | MLS 675371 | Charlottesville Jeremy Fields, 434.270.1220

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21

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308 EAST MAIN STREET, CHARLOT TESVILLE, VA 22902 | 5574 RICHMOND ROAD, STE 101 TROY, VA 22974 This information is believed accurate but not guaranteed.

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C-VILLE.COM

(703) 203-3388

Very nice Townhouse in convenient River Run. New roof and gutter leaf filters. Well maintained. Easy access to town and Penn Park. Easy walking distance to the Community pool.82

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July 1 – 7, 2026

23

July 4, 2026 64TH ANNUAL

INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION and NATURALIZATION CEREMONY at

MONTICELLO

Register at monticello.org/july4

24

July 1 – 7, 2026

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THOMAS JEFFERSON’S MONTICELLO PRESENTS:

Dom Flemons & The Traveling Wildfires Join Monticello and the Paramount Theater for this special concert celebrating America’s 250th birthday and the 50th anniversary of the Charlottesville Downtown Mall.

JULY 3, 7 P.M. | $26 TICKETS monticello.org/domflemons

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July 1 – 7, 2026

25

26

July 1 – 7, 2026

C-VILLE.COM

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PRINTS & PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION

THEPOL ITICSOF LINCOLN

Jamelle Bouie and C-VILLE’s senior news reporter discuss a new book on how the 16th president’s fierce partisanship shaped American history BY NATHAN ALDERMAN ALDERMAN C-VILLE.COM

July 1 – 7, 2026

27

A

s the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, the turmoil and division the country faces feel more 1850s than 1776. Historian Matthew Pinsker’s Boss Lincoln: The Partisan Life of Abraham Lincoln, released earlier this year, draws from a trove of private letters and documents to reveal that the president we celebrate as a saintly martyr could also be a fire-breathing, down-anddirty political operative. The book argues that the so-called Railsplitter’s willingness to draw lines and build fences around his coalition helped him successfully rally Americans around his cause, win the Civil War, and reunite a fractured nation.

Charlottesville resident and University of Virginia grad Jamelle Bouie—New York Times columnist and co-host of ’90s “Dad thriller” movie podcast “Unclear and Present Danger”—recommended the book to Nathan Alderman, C-VILLE’s senior news reporter.

For our issue on stands this July 4, Bouie and Alderman discussed what the book reveals about both Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, why it can be good to yell at your elected officials, and which Arnold Schwarzenegger classic Honest Abe might have enjoyed most.

(The following interview has been edited for flow, clarity, and word count.)

Nathan Alderman: This book paints Lincoln as a partisan driven by principle, but I came away thinking that his main driving principle was, “I want to win.” We see him shift his priorities and his policies sometimes from one audience to the next to keep his hopes of victory alive. Did you get that same impression, or am I missing something in the text?

Jamelle Bouie: No, I think the text very much does foreground Lincoln as a partisan—first a Whig partisan, then a Republican partisan—but I also think that what is interesting about the dynamic is that I don’t think Lincoln is without principles. His partisanship and his desire to win ends up, I think, shaping the nature of his principles. So I think one of the interesting throughlines of the book is, you see Lincoln going from being kind of anti-slavery, kind of like, “seems bad, wish it wasn’t around,” to being actually quite a hardline anti-slavery politician.

And that is driven not by some moral awakening but by the exigencies of politics.

He realizes that, “Oh, to build out this coalition to win, I have to actually be a much more hardline anti-slavery person than I might natively be,” and I find that fascinat28

July 1 – 7, 2026

ing. It goes counter to, I think, the relationship between politics and principle that I think we often have, which is that you establish firm moral principles first, and then your politics are downstream of that, and your partisanship is downstream of that. But a dynamic in which your partisanship is actually the thing pushing you in the direction of a particular set of principles—I think it’s just an interesting dynamic, and I actually think it maybe has some sort of implications for thinking about politics today.

You mentioned how for Lincoln, principle is downstream of partisanship. I see a lot of discussion nowadays about [how] Democrats are losing, or lost the 2024 election, because they don’t stand for anything.

They need principles first. They need to articulate those principles. In what ways do you think that Democrats could learn from Lincoln’s example of putting policy downstream [from] partisanship?

I think that the thing Lincoln discovers, perhaps, through the 1850s, is that the way to piece together this coalition, this quite disparate coalition of former Whigs, some anti-slavery Democrats, people just opposed to [the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which repealed the Missouri Compromise and allowed slave states to potentially expand into the North]—there’s not too much of a unifying thing, you have to piece this coalition together from a lot of different parts—is to identify a particular principle that is specific enough that everyone can say, yeah, we’re for this, but broad enough that how you’re for it can be very different from group to group, from person to person.

The way partisanship falls into it, for Lincoln, as I read the book, is that then in service of trying to keep the coalition together, he doesn’t bend from it. This is what the principle is, and when it’s necessary to sort of firm up the boundaries of the coalition, he hardens it. So when there’s talk of bringing in [Democrat and political rival] Stephen Douglas, late in 1859 and in early 1860, Lincoln’s like, “We can’t do it. It would violate— it would dilute the principle too much for us to welcome Stephen Douglas into the fold.”

Where I see Democrats in the present going wrong is they’re looking for particular

Published in February, Matthew Pinsker’s book draws on Lincoln’s previously unpublished documents and letters.

C-VILLE.COM

Charlottesville resident, UVA grad, and New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie.

issue positions that [are] going to reach moderate voters. It’s going to position them well in the center of the electorate. But those issue positions are kind of disparate. They’re not really tied together by anything, and there’s no sense that Democrats are really trying to articulate a single principle of any kind, either a narrow one or a broad one.

I think what this book suggests is that it might be a totally viable strategy to stitch together a winning coalition with a principle that’s narrow enough to be definable, broad enough to include a lot of people, and that is partisan, right? It isn’t actually trying to be about bringing everyone together. [A coalition] that is about drawing distinctions in the larger electorate. That is about saying, if you are for this, then you are with us, rather than trying to pinpoint something in the center in hopes that you’ll be sort of sufficiently inoffensive to enough people.

I do think that part of what Lincoln stumbles upon or discovers is that you’re going to be offensive to some people, and that’s actually part of how you put together a coalition: by creating a sense or demonstrating that actually there are people opposed to us, and if you are also opposed to them, then you’re with us.

Good old negative polarization.

Yeah, very much. Sort of a combination of a positive vision, but then accepting the negative polarization as a consequence of that.

One of the things that the book mentions in Lincoln’s organizing efforts is how much he funds media. I’ve heard a lot of people arguing that the Democratic Party should be doing that right now, creating its own media ecosystem. Where do you land on that question, and what do you think that current Democrats can learn from Lincoln in that regard?

This is one of those places where I think I break from the consensus from my friends in media. There’s a lot of nervousness about political parties directly funding stuff like newspapers. But I say, let a thousand flowers bloom.

I think that one of the challenges for Democrats in particular—let’s say political parties generally across the globe, center-left parties—is attention, is the overall media ecosystem, is the fact that for-profit platform owners and operators don’t necessarily have the health of the nation in mind when they’re

operating. There is a lot to be said for attempting to circumvent some of this by just directly funding media themselves, and even kind of more traditional forms of media. We both live in Charlottesville. The city has several publications that cover the city. But the surrounding counties struggle somewhat for news coverage.

And a political party, Democrats, funding a bunch of rural newspapers, funding a bunch of suburban newspapers that operate as newspapers but also clearly have a partisan tinge, I think, could work to both alleviate an actual problem, but also begin to repair the party’s relationship with ordinary voters, and have people encounter the party in ways that aren’t simply … every four years or every two years in an election.

The 19th-century conception of mass politics, which is essentially that you have to kind of always be campaigning, always be working, looking for ways to connect yourself to voters, I think has a lot to say for it.

And if the currency of the current moment is attention, then that ethos of “always be campaigning” works for today. I think you actually see versions of it, you know, at the moment in New York. [New York City Mayor] Zohran Mamdani very much adopts this kind of, you’re always kind of trying to appeal to the public, you’re always in the public view, and I think it could be very successful.

Lincoln’s dealing with this enslaver class that is willing to play by the rules of democracy as long as it gets them their way, but the moment they lose, they flip the table, they freak out, they turn to violence, even when Lincoln’s like, “Guys, guys, I’m not going to take away anything you already have. I’m just going to keep you from setting the rules for the rest of the country.” It’s not enough that they get to do what they want; everyone else has to do what they want too. Where do you see that reflecting our current moment?

I think Lincoln and Republicans in 1860 are being a little bit disingenuous. Their theory of the case is that, yeah, if we end the spread of slavery, then we’ll starve it out. I mean, not to hand it to them, but I do think that Southern slaveholders were kind of like, “Yeah, this is an existential threat to our institution if it cannot expand.” And Republicans are saying, “Yeah, we’re not going to let it expand, because we want the thing to die out.”

Now, the issue, right, for 1860, is that everyone’s supposed to be bound by a fair decision of the people. What slaveholders ought to do is try to persuade the people that you should keep slavery around, and if they can’t, then, well, you know, tough luck. And it’s in the refusal to abide a fair decision of the people that I think you can see the parallels with Trump, right, with his election denialism after the 2020 election, with his forays into election denialism this year. This refusal to accept that a vote of the people in a fair election is binding and ought to shape your behavior going forward. And along the same lines, a rejection of the political authority of your opponents, of saying that just because you won this vote doesn’t mean you’re legitimate wielders of authority. You see that, I think, a lot in our current politics, with politicians very explicitly aligned with the president.

That’s where I see the parallel, in an uneasiness or outright rejection of what [I JAMELLE BOUIE (TOP), SUPPLIED (BOTTOM)

think] are basic precepts of democratic life: that sometimes you lose, and you just have to accept it and move on.

A lot of people are shouting at Lincoln because they want him to do something and they think he’s not doing it, but they have imperfect information. As citizens who are trying to make our elected officials respond to our wishes, what do you think we can learn from this book?

I think one thing you can learn is that you should continue shouting and yelling at elected officials. I mean, yes, you, the individual citizen, does not have perfect information, but neither does the elected official, right? And your yelling at them, to put it that way, is, I think, an important signal of information for them as well. It helps them understand, if nothing else, the intensity of feeling around certain issues.

Although the book emphasizes [that] Lincoln always, in the end, makes his own decision, and Lincoln’s always trying to collect information, it’s also beyond clear that [abolitionist and influential newspaper publisher] Horace Greeley constantly harassing him about being more aggressive against slavery, that he’s thinking about that. It doesn’t escape him that there are important elements of his coalition that want him to act in decisive ways. So even if he doesn’t give them everything they want, he still is quite clearly attentive to what their demands are and what they want.

That’s important. You’re not going to get a politician who is attentive to your demands and your wants if you’re not voicing those consistently. I think one thing you can draw from this is that politicians are going to be frustrated by hearing people yell at them, and you should yell at them anyway. Because your job as a citizen is not to make sure that they don’t feel frustrated. Your job as a citizen is to try to get them to do what you want them to do.

I’m struck by how Lincoln basically plays head games with so many people. He floats a policy he has no intention of adopting, just to scare people into line, or he pretends he’s doing one thing just to gauge reaction when he’s actually always planning to do the other. It’s pragmatic, but it made me kind of feel uneasy about Lincoln as a person. How do you feel about that? Do you see any national politicians who are using that kind of savvy manipulation to advance their goals?

I think all successful politicians essentially do something like this. Part of being successful, especially on the national stage, is somehow being all things to all people. Everyone looks at you and says, I think that guy’s on my side, and that requires a willingness to, as you note, say one thing and do another, float ideas you don’t ever intend to follow through on, and engage in forms of political deception. I think that is politics.

That is what successful politics requires.

I think that for Lincoln, and I think for the most successful politicians in our history, that kind of political deception isn’t done for its own sake. It’s done for the purpose of accomplishing something. I can name quite a few politicians who are slippery in that regard, but slipperiness without some kind of endpoint, without some kind of conviction for what you’re doing, that I think LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PRINTS & PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION

Abraham Lincoln’s years of political maneuvering culminated in his first inauguration on March 4, 1861, while the U.S. Capitol was still under construction.

creates mistrust. It can fracture coalitions.

Because if you are slippery, but then you eventually accomplish something that the coalition wants, people kind of forgive it.

And if you don’t, then they don’t.

For an example of what it looks like when you don’t accomplish anything, I think the fact that Kamala Harris has not a great reputation within the Democratic Party right now is an example of sort of playing high-level politics, but without a kind of a firm sense of principle behind it. And on the other end, someone like [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] has done the thing right, where you are clearly trying to appeal to various parts of your coalition by saying what they want to hear, but you have your own path in mind. She clearly has a goal she wants to accomplish, and inasmuch as she can reach that goal, I think people basically say, “all right, well, that’s politics,” and they’re okay with it. But we’ll see. You can imagine a world where Donald Trump is that kind of figure, because he does say whatever anyone wants to hear. But it’s so clear that he

does it for his own sake, for his own very narrow interest, that it’s not something that people can look past.

Are there any other aspects of the book that we haven’t yet discussed that you found particularly striking or interesting?

It’s a glimpse into another facet of Lincoln’s personality. Early on in the book, you learn that he basically proposes to Mary Todd with a big chart of election victories, which is very funny to me. It’s like, oh, these two people were sickos. I know this personality type. These are the kinds of people who today would be looking at spreadsheets of House races and making their own gerrymandered maps for fun.

I think the book is genuinely interesting as a character study. There’s been a lot of work about Lincoln as a humorist and Lincoln as theologian, and Lincoln as all kinds of things. Lincoln as just a hard-nosed political savant, Lincoln as a guy who seemed like his only actual hobby was politics, is interesting, and I think it helps make the C-VILLE.COM

period feel more real. I think that’s what’s very useful about a book like this. It helps take it out of the realm of political myth and into the realm of, actually, you know, these people are different than us, but not too different than us.

In light of your podcast, which ’90s dad thriller do you think Lincoln is going to be putting on on a slow night in the residence?

I would say True Lies, just because Lincoln’s sense of humor is very geared towards the dirty and crude joke. So something like a James Cameron movie, or like a Michael Bay movie, actually feels like it would fit Lincoln’s sensibility as a sense of humor. I’m not thinking in terms of the politics of the film, just in terms of what would make that guy laugh.

And I think, like a dumb joke, a dumb dirty C joke, would make that guy laugh.

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CULTURE THROUGH SUNDAY 8/9

KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS Representing one of the most beloved works of American theater, Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Our Town dives deep into community and quotidian rhythms. Leaning into simplicity over spectacle, the play employs a Stage Manager to guide audiences through the ordinary happenings of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire. Follow members of the Gibbs and Webb families as they navigate the everyday through young love, marriage, and loss, prompting the existential question: Do we ever realize life while we live it? $40–75, times vary. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com PROMOTIONAL PHOTO

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Registration Now Open for the 2026 Tree Steward Training Class!

Join us in our commitment to promote healthy urban and rural forests!

The Fall 2026 class will consist of a combination of online training sessions and field activities with a maximum of 32 students to facilitate the best field training possible. With a 15-week duration beginning August 4 and ending November 14, the online classes will precede the field activities held on every other Saturday at various locations in the Charlottesville area.

We look forward to meeting you, assisting you with the training program, working side-by-side with you and enjoying Piedmont Virginia’s beautiful urban and rural forests together as you progress through the class toward becoming a Tree Steward.

NOTE: Please go to the CATS website at: www.charlottesvilleareatreestewards.org to view the complete class description and syllabus and to follow the registration link to Eventbrite. Questions? Contact us at: news@cvilleareatreestewards.org

July 17 August 1 at the historic barboursville ruins

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TO-DO LIST CULTURE Wednesday 7/1

billionaire class. Comedian Lex Gibson opens with her own spicy take on the subject. Free, 7:30pm.

Mead Oriental Rugs, 111 Fourth St. NE.

music

words

Holly’s Open Mic Night. Mic check to all musicians, poets, and everyone in between. Free, 9pm.

Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St.

Friday Night Writes. An open mic for emerging musicians and writers to perform their unpublished works. Free, 7pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. newdominionbookshop.com

The Wavelength. Vintage rock and more for your mid-week music boost. Free, 6:30pm. The Whiskey Jar, 227 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thewhiskeyjarcville.com

classes Lantern Making Workshop. Celebrate the Downtown Mall’s 50th anniversary by creating your own festive lantern to be carried in the Downtown lantern parade. Open to all ages with an adult. Free with museum admission, 9:30am. Virginia Discovery Museum, 524 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. vadm.org

stage Our Town. Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prizewinning play is one of the most cherished works in American theater, not because of spectacle, but because of its simplicity. $40–75, 7:30am.

Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com

etc.

Downtown Mall 50th Anniversary Celebration. Celebrating 50 years of the heart of Charlottesville with a community lantern parade, light show, live music, and more. Free, 4pm. Downtown Mal. downtowncville.com

etc.

Rapture Karaoke Night. Hosted by Thunder Music. Free, 9pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com

Fun Fridays. Teens 11–18 are invited to drop in for a fun new experience. This week: junk journaling.

Registration required. Free, 2pm. Central Library, 201 E. Market St. jmrl.org

Teen Writers Club. Teens ages 14–18 are invited to the Teen Space for an hour of writing, collaborative editing, and optional writing challenges in the company of other creative, writerly teens.

Snacks provided. Free, 4pm. Central Library, 201 E. Market St. jmrl.org

Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, July 2. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com

Thursday 7/2

Saturday 7/4

music Berto and Vincent. Lively flamenco rumba and Latin music duo. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 201 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com Travis Elliott. A C’ville institution plays originals and covers, with thoughtful takes on classic and contemporary songs. Free, 9:30pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com Ty Burkhardt. Fingerstyle guitarist creates the sound of an entire band by hitting, tapping, slapping, and thumping his instrument. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwood farmandwinery.com

stage As You Like It. The noble Orlando wins a court wrestling match—and Rosalind’s heart—but before their love can take root, she’s banished from court. $40–75, 7:30pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com

etc.

Fireworks at the Airfield. An amazing fireworks display honoring 250 years of American independence. Free, 6pm. Gordonsville Municipal Airport, 18082 Airport Rd., Gordonsville. townof gordonsville.org 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 7/3 music Barbara Martin Trio. Sparkling jazz sounds. Free, 6pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com Bob Bennetta Trio. Live jazz. Free, 6:30pm. Afghan Kabob House, 200 Market St. afghankabobhouse.com Chickenhead Blues Band. Charlottesville’s premier boogie woogie, beat, rhythm and blues dance band. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. SUPPLIED PHOTO

music

SATURDAY 7/4

SALLY FOURTH Commemorate 250 years of the American experiment across the city.

Monticello’s Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony features keynote remarks from Gov. Abigail Spanberger. Print your own copy of the Declaration of Independence and enjoy family-friendly demonstrations and activities with Revolutionary Printing at the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library. Carter Mountain Orchard’s Happy Birthday America July 4th event offers fantastic views of the C’ville Spectacular fireworks show, while the Crozet Independence Day Celebration begins with a parade down Crozet Avenue, followed by music and fireworks at King Family Vineyards. James Monroe’s Highland hosts its Independence Day Concert and Celebration with BYO picnics on the grounds and performances by musicians from the Heifetz International Music Institute. Prices, times, and locations vary. See calendar for details.

Dom Flemons and the Traveling Wildfires. A brand-new Black stringband supergroup created and led by the Grammy Award–winning musician Flemons. $31, 7pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net Free Pony x 7th Grade Girl Fight. Two explosive local indie rock acts share the iconic Dürty stage for the first time. Free, 8pm. Dürty Nelly’s, 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellyscharlottesville.com Fridays After Five: Downtown Mall 50th Birthday Party with Baaba Seth. Homegrown world groove to celebrate the Mall’s 50th anniversary. With Theocles & The Muses. Free, 5:30pm.

Ting Pavilion, 700 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. tingpavilion.com Kirsten Haze. Folk, alt-country, roots-rock, country-blues, and a hint of jazz and swing. Free, 5pm.

DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com

Abbey Road Band 4th of July Celebration. The ultimate Beatles party band commemorates America’s 250th anniversary with classic tracks from the British Invasion era. $12–20, noon. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com Brian Franke. Offering a range of music from singer-songwriter fare to ’90s alternative rock, and mainstream pop in the orchard. Free, 2:30pm. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarleciderworks.com Goth Takeover. DJs and Goth bands bring spookiness galore. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. Lenny Burridge. Rock, folk, Irish tunes, country, and jazz—all infused with some blues. Free, 12:30pm.

Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com Raw Beets on the Fourth of July. The perfect soundtrack four your holiday celebration. Free, 2:30pm. Fallen Tree Vineyard and Farm, 4593 Clark Rd., Crozet. fallentreevineyard.com The Farm House Blues Band. Soulful vocals and heartfelt harmonies forefront an electrifying performance. Free, 5pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com Zuzu’s Hot 5. Hot jazz for hot nights. Free, 5pm.

Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

dance Disco Night ’70s Dance Party. DJ Dylo and Bobby Metronome celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Downtown Mall by playing the best of the decade from when the Mall was first built. Free, 9:30pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com Firecracker Dance Party. Get the party started for the 4th of July weekend with DJ 2sly and DJ Cadence. Ages 21+. $10, 9pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com

stage Our Town. See listing for Wednesday, July 1. $40– 75, 7:30am. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com Vlad’s Political True Crime Reality Special.

Standup comedy by Stratton Salidis skewers the

C-VILLE.COM

etc.

4th of July Picnic. Prefer fireflies to fireworks?

Pack a picnic and enjoy a peaceful celebration at sunset. Free, 6pm. Piedmont Discovery Center’s Quarry Gardens , 1643 Salem Rd., Schuyler. quarrygardensatschuyler.org Charlottesville City Market. Explore fresh produce, local foods, and handmade goods from 100+ local vendors. Free, 9am. Charlottesville City Market, 100 Water St E. Crozet Independence Day Celebration. The tradition returns, with the beloved parade leading up to celebrations and fireworks. Free, 6pm. King Family Vineyard, 6550 Roseland Farm, Crozet. kingfamilyvineyards.com CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36

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CULTURE TO-DO LIST CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35

Saturday 7/4

Happy Birthday America July 4th Event.

Offering front row seats for the C’ville Spectacular fireworks show. $20, 5:30pm. Carter Mountain Orchard, 1435 Carters Mountain Trl. cartermountainorchard.com Independence Day Celebration and Concert.

Guests are welcomed to picnic on the grounds and enjoy music from the Heifetz International Music Institute. Highland Pavilion Yard offers views of the firework show beside Carter Mountain.

Free, 6pm. James Monroe’s Highland, 2050 James Monroe Pkwy. highland.org July 4th Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony. Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary as the West Lawn turns into an outdoor courtroom where dozens of people take the oath of citizenship. Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivers keynote remarks. Free, 9am. Monticello, 1050 Monticello Loop. monticello.org Reds, Whites and Bluegrass: The Waterfalls.

Celebrate the 4th of July with reds, whites, and bluegrass. Free, noon. Keswick Vineyards, 1575 Keswick Winery Dr., Keswick. keswickvineyards.com Red, White + Rooftop Views. An all-American rooftop party featuring family-friendly games, live DJ spinning tunes, elevated cookout favorites, summer cocktails, and the best view of the fireworks in town. $25, 3pm. UP on the Roof -

SUMMER TIME IS YOGA TIME

Charlottesville, The Doyle Hotel, 499 W. Main St. eatupdrinkup.net Revolutionary Printing. Print your own copy of the Declaration of Independence, and enjoy family-friendly demonstrations, activities, and entertainment. Free, 11am. Harrison Auditorium, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, 170 McCormick Rd. discover.library.virginia.edu Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, July 2. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com

Sunday 7/5 music Brian Franke. Independent award-winning singer-songwriter and cover artist. Free, 1pm.

Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com Louis Smith. Versatile acoustical rock ‘n’ roll chameleon plays originals and covers. Free, 2pm.

Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com Mirabelle & Matty. Father-daughter duo entertains with fabulous and fun sing-along tunes. Free, 2pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com WTJU Vinyl Takeover. Five full hours of tracks on wax from your favorite WTJU Radio DJs. Free,

3 months unlimited yoga for the price of 10 classes 3 months unlimited yoga $225 $225

for the price of 10 classes

614 Forest Street (across from Kardinal Hall)

nowyogacville.com

FRIDAY 7/3

Let’s be social!

Follow us on: @cvilleweekly cville.weekly @cvilleweekly

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BRICKS AND MORE Charlottesville’s pedestrian thoroughfare is half a century old. Party down in its honor at the Downtown Mall 50th Anniversary Celebration, featuring a full day of family-friendly events. The Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society leads ticketed tours of the Mall and the special exhibition “Then and Now: Charlottesville in the 1970s,” mounted at Vault Virginia. Free ice cream and entertainment are available at Central Place at 4pm, followed by Baaba Seth at Fridays After Five.

The Elby Brass Band leads a community Lantern Parade from Ting Pavilion, capped off by the 50th Light Show on the CODE Building. Prices, times, and locations vary. downtowncville.com

SUPPLIED PHOTO

PAGES CULTURE

1pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com

stage As You Like It. See listing for Thursday, July 2. $40–75, 2pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com Bent Theatre Improv. Off-the-cuff comedy.

Free, 6pm. Decipher Brewing, 1740 Broadway St. benttheatrecomedy.com

classes Needle Felted Mushrooms for Beginners. Learn how to make soft and colorful mushroom decorations using a specialized barbed needle to sculpt beautiful dyed wool. Ages 12+. $35, 11:30am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com Needle Felted Opossums. Learn how to make a soft little opossum figure using a specialized notched needle to sculpt dyed wool. Beginning and returning students welcome. Ages 12+. $35, 1:30pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com Paint + Sip: Cliffside Paradise. Paint the supplied design in a step-by-step format. No experience necessary, all materials and first drink included. $44, 3pm. Starr Hill Downtown, 946 Grady Ave. Suite 101. blueridgebrushes.com

etc.

Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, July 2. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com

Monday 7/6 music Ramona Martinez. Local favorite serenades with her signature mix of country western and mariachi.

Free, 5:30pm. The Fitzroy, 120 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. thefitzroycville.com

words Rare Book School Lecture: From text to .txt: Making Material Messes in a Sloppy World. Matthew Kirschenbaum, commonwealth professor of artificial intelligence and professor of English at UVA, offers an attenuated archaeology of the textual condition. Free, 5:30pm. Edgar Shannon Library at UVA, room 330, 160 McCormick Rd. library.virginia.edu VDM 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

etc.

Astronomy on Tap. UVA astronomers offer talks, trivia, prizes, and telescope observing aimed at a general audience. Open to all ages. Free, 7pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. astronomyontap.org Cretaceous Craft Crew. Calling all creative teens and tweens ages 10–15 to make awesome dinothemed crafts and hang out with friends. This week: dino ink coasters. Registration required. Free, 4pm.

Central Library, 201 E. Market St. jmrl.org

Tuesday 7/7 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 Teen Space Tuesdays. Teens ages 11–18 can beat the heat this summer by dropping into the Teen Space to discover new crafts and activities. This week: board game game-in. Free, 1pm. Central Library, 201 E. Market St. jmrl.org SUPPLIED PHOTOS

Through the wormhole JMRL book club discusses sci-fi novel by Becky Chambers

BY SARAH LAWSON

I

t’s summer reading season and JeffersonMadison Regional Library coordinates a variety of book clubs for all ages. One of JMRL’s recurring offerings is the First Thursday Book Club, a hybrid (in-person/virtual) meetup for adults hosted by Greene County Library and Friends of the Greene County Library. Facilitated by Branch Manager EJ Dowling, each month’s featured title is selected by the club’s members. “It’s a really great group of people who love reading,” says Dowling. “The group picks really great and sometimes unknown or unexpected titles, which makes for a great discussion.”

On July 2, the First Thursday Book Club will discuss the science fiction novel The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. Originally self-published in 2014 following Chambers’ successful Kickstarter campaign, the book was nominated for the 2016 Arthur C. Clarke Award and longlisted for the 2016 Women’s Prize for Fiction. It is also the first of four in the Wayfarers series, which won the 2019 Hugo Award for Best Series.

Set in the distant future, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet follows the adventures of the Wayfarer, a long-haul spaceship whose crew members punch wormholes to facilitate interstellar travel and commerce. Humans have long ago fled a mostly dead Earth and are now spread across the galaxy. Though there are still differing worldviews in this diaspora, humans have almost entirely become a pacifist species, humbled by the experience of destroying their home planet and now working to support interstellar harmony through the Galactic Commons.

Many humans embrace a culture of remembrance and repair, honored in small ways as well as large celebrations. Chambers writes, “Remembrance Day was a human holiday commemorating the day that the last homesteader set off from Earth—the day the last Humans left their inhospitable homeworld … The festival was meant as a gesture of friendship and unity among a fractured species, an acknowledgment that despite their difficult pasts, they could work together toward a bright galactic future.”

Chambers excels at worldbuilding as well as character creation, and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet is a propulsive read largely due to the details she shares about the interplay between species and characters. Each member of the Wayfarer crew has a complex personality, full of quirks and his-

Jefferson-Madison Regional Library’s hybrid First Thursday Book Club will discuss Becky Chambers’ The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet on July 2.

tory, as well as species-specific traits. At the outset of the book, readers get to know the crew through the arrival of Rosemary, the ship’s newest resident, a human clerk who grew up on Mars and is trained in navigating interspecies relations.

The ship’s crew includes four sapient species, including a Navigator, a species that pairs with a neurovirus to enhance their ability to see multidimensional space. There’s also Sissix, an Aandrisk pilot, whose species is coldblooded and covered in scales and feathers, and Dr. Chef, whose dual roles are implied by his name and who looks like what you’d get “if you crossed an otter with a gecko, then made it walk like a six-legged caterpillar.”

The human crewmembers include Kizzy and Jenks, eccentric human ship technicians who are most certainly neurodivergent; Corbin, the Wayfarer’s algaeist, who grows the algae that the ship runs on; and Ashby, the spacer captain, a human who was born in space rather than on a planet. There’s also

Lovelace, aka Lovey, the Wayfarer’s sentient AI (who puts Claude and Grok to shame).

The crew works together to maintain strong relationships and a good reputation for their work, along with hearty appetites. As readers of Chambers’ Monk and Robot books will recall, the author enjoys writing about tea and snacks in great detail. The Wayfarer series characters eat a lot of bugs—big bugs, small bugs, marinated bugs grilled to perfection. Food is an important aspect of ship life, often supplemented with hydroponic vegetables as well as a constant flow of both happy tea (caffeinated) and boring tea (herbal) as well as mek, a soothing drink with soporific effects. There are also snacks aplenty, including Kizzy’s go-to, “devastatingly hot” fire shrimp.

Friendship is a core theme of the book, and the Wayfarer’s multispecies crew, like the ship itself, is ragtag but resilient. Despite disagreements, they are each other’s chosen family. The crew’s bonds are tested when the Wayfarer is offered a highprofile job punching a new wormhole to connect Central space with the distant capital planet of a new member species of the Galactic Commons. It’s a longterm commitment that carries a non-negligible level of risk but also offers more than ample compensation—and sets the scene for the titular adventure.

Along the way, the crew encounters homesickness, fear, grief, love, and space pirates, among other challenges. Chambers invites readers to reflect on themes ranging from family and colonialism to medical ethics and discrimination. A recurring theme: “Do not judge other species by your own social norms.” After all, punching holes in the sublayer of space is tricky, but not as complicated as surviving interspecies conflict and showing up for your best friends even when C things get complicated.

The Wayfarer series characters eat a lot of bugs—big bugs, small bugs, marinated bugs grilled to perfection.

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C-V I L L E R E S TAU RA N T WEEK

Julythrough 20 July 26 PARTICIPANTS

$1 per meal benefits the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank

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25 PRICES: $35 $45 THREE $

GALLERIES CULTURE July Exhibitions

The Center at Belvedere 540 Belvedere Blvd.

“Belonging,” paintings by Randy Baskerville.

July 1–August 31. Reception July 11, 11am–1pm.

Crozet Artisan Depot 5791 Three Notch’d Rd., Crozet. “The Art of Gathering,” handcrafted functional works by gardener, beekeeper, and artist Liz Buckner-Yordy of Petite Buzz Farm.

Meet-the-artist event July 11, 11am–1pm. “Virginia Plein Air,” oil and gouache paintings employing an observational approach to capturing the beauty of Virginia’s landscapes, by Debra Sheffer. Both shows run July 1–31.

C’ville Arts Cooperative Gallery 118 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. “Sacred Geometry,” contemporary artwork that bridges centuries, bringing mystical traditions to life through pattern, movement, and reverent beauty, by MISK. July 3–31. First Fridays opening reception with the artist, 5–8pm.

The Edgar Shannon Library at UVA 160 McCormick Rd. “The Way We See It,” centering the perspectives of children living in container camps after the 2023 earthquakes in southeastern Türkiye and northern Syria,

by Lucy Bassett. Through December 31.

The Gallery at Studio IX 969 Second St. SE. “Everything Good Starts Small,” new works reflecting thoughts, optimism, and belief that any idea, person, and good action starts small,

by Edgar Batcheller. Through August 2.

IX Art Park 522 Second St. SE. “The Looking Glass,” an immersive art space featuring a whimsical enchanted forest and kaleidoscopic cave. Ongoing.

Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 Fourth St. NW. Permanent exhibition, “Pride Overcomes Prejudice,” exploring the history of peoples of African descent in Charlottesville. Ongoing.

Les Yeux du Monde 841 Wolf Trap Rd. “On the Way,” a solo exhibition of new paintings rooted in a sustained engagement with land and place by longtime gallery artist Susan McAlister, reflecting on the interconnectedness of past, present, and future. Through July 12.

McGuffey Art Center 201 Second St. NW. In the Sarah B. Smith Gallery, “A Felt Sense,” felted textile paintings that translate emotional and lived experience into tactile, sensory forms, by Lindsay Heider Diamond. In the First and Second Floor galleries, “All Member Summer Show,” works by both renting and associate members, highlighting the breadth, diversity, and creativity of the center’s artistic community. Artist talk July 18, 1pm. All exhibitions run July 3–August 16.

Monkee’s of Charlottesville 2138 Barracks Rd. “Art & Style: Room to Breathe,” expressive works by Charlotte Pottieger. Through July 31.

New City Arts 114 Third St. NE. In the Welcome Gallery, “Think Like A Gardener,” a solo exhibition of sketches, cyanotypes, and paintings exploring what it means to be a “planetary gardener,” by Ruby Zielinski.

Through July 15.

Northside Library 705 W. Rio Rd. An exhibit featuring more than 30 photographs created by members of the Charlottesville Camera Club, showcasing a variety of subjects, styles, and photographic techniques.

Through July 31.

Franchell Mack Brown at Second Street Gallery

Aida Lizalde at Visible Records IMAGES COURTESY OF THE GALLERIES AND/OR ARTISTS

Ruby Zielinski at New City Arts

Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri, Maruwa, 2013. Synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 60 × 72 inches, Collection of Steve Martin and Anne Stringfield. © The artist. Licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd. Photo courtesy of Gagosian.

The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of UVA presents multiple shows and programming at various locations this month. In the museum, the traveling exhibition Irrititja Kuwarri Tjungu (Past and Present Together): Contemporary Aboriginal Painting from the Australian Desert features 127 works produced between 1971–2021 by more than 80 artists, organized in conjunction with Papunya Tula Artists. Ngiya Murrakupupuni amintiya Jilamara (My Country and Art) features painting, sculpture, and fiber art by Michelle Pulatuwayu Woody Minnapinni, and group show Color is Life: Women’s Work Today features fiberwork, painting, printmaking, film, and sculpture. In the Upper West Oval Room of the Rotunda at UVA, the group show Tali | Sandhills: Prints from Ikuntji Artists features works from the first Aboriginal art center established for women, by women in Central Australia. At Violet Crown Charlottesville, “Nunga Screen” showcases newly released short films by First Nations filmmakers from Australia on July 7 at 7pm. Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of UVA, 400 Worrell Dr. kluge-ruhe.org The PVCC Gallery V. Earl Dickinson Building, 501 College Dr. The 2026 Student Art Exhibition showcases the accomplishments of student artists from the latest academic year. Through August 29.

SCAN—Gallery on Valley 460 Valley St., Scottsville. In the Associate Gallery, “The Art of Dance,” a visual tour through the world of Spanish dance through the works of Tim C. Jones. July 3–29. In the Main Gallery, “Create! Fabricate! Construct!”

Through August 31. First Fridays event, 4–7pm.

Second Street Gallery 115 Second St. SE. In the Main Gallery, “Aww Sookie Sookie Now,” a solo show of colorful works exploring material, process, and nostalgia by Franchell Mack Brown. In the Dové Gallery, “HOT PINK,” a group exhibition exploring Queer identity and resistance, C-VILLE.COM

organized by Kaleido Collective. Both shows run through July 17.

Vault Virginia 300 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. “Then & Now: Charlottesville in the 1970s,” 10 painted portraits by local artist and activist Frances Brand, supported by historic photographs, newspaper articles, and additional images. Through September.

Virginia Book Arts Old Train Station, 600 E. Water St. An open house event featuring artists’ books on display, printing demos, and hand printed cards for purchase. July 3.

First Friday, 5–7pm.

Visible Records 1740 Broadway St. “come tierra, canta fuego (earth-eater, fire-singer),” ceramic sculptures and experimental installations reflecting on migration, impermanence, and the shifting boundaries between the physical and psychological, by Aida Lizalde. Through August 15.

July 1 – 7, 2026

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FOR FUN PUZZLES SUDOKU

#1

#2

#4

#5

#1 solution

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July 1 – 7, 2026

#2 solution

C-VILLE.COM

#3 solution

#4 solution

PUZZLES FOR FUN CROSSWORD BY MATT JONES

I am here to make friends ACROSS

#3

61. Airport vehicles 62. Joule or ampere 63. Idle from Monty Python 64. “Cómo ___?” (“How are you?” in Spanish) 65. After the expected time

1. Exasperated sound 5. Blundering 10. Spheres 14. Emmy winner Falco 15. In a regal manner 16. Brand of bubbly, familiarly 17. Like a moray 18. Begin to wither 19. Ready, willing, and ___ 20. Well-hidden royal residence?

23. Singer Carly ___ Jepsen 24. How detectives might investigate 25. Report that a torso is lacking color?

31. Sister of Kim and Kourtney 32. Oboe piece 33. Pledging site 37. Blue-green shades 38. Judge who presided over the Simpson trial 39. Gut ___ 40. Castle-building material 41. “Where have you ___?”

42. Feet in a meter?

43. Flower holder that hides easily in your hand?

45. Key of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 1 49. “What have we here?”

50. Danish film director who’s more minimalist?

57. “All right” 58. Checkout line 59. Acronymic exclusionary anxiety 60. English logician with a diagram named for him

1. Permeate gradually 2. Notion 3. Fish feature 4. Nickelodeon show whose title character has a football-shaped head 5. Heavily committed 6. Sushi seaweed 7. Dark, poetically 8. Story framework 9. Disease forever associated with Mary Mallon at the opening of the 20th century 10. Nebraska’s biggest city 11. Follower of Asimov’s laws 12. Casus ___ (war justification) 13. Precipitous 21. They may be judged on “The Great Canadian Baking Show” 22. Come to a halt 25. B’way box office buys 26. Actress Seehorn of “Pluribus” 27. ___ Bator, Mongolia 28. Halle Bailey role 29. “Don’t care if they do” 30. “Jurassic Park III” star Tea 33. Tasty 34. Italia’s capital 35. Some Wall St. traders

DOWN

ANSWERS 6/24/26

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#6 solution

© 2026 MATT JONES

#5 solution

Subdue with a zap Quarrel Style of J.S. Bach First-person or thirdperson, briefly 44. At a minimum 45. Baseball catcher 46. Crafter 47. Resident of Tehran 48. Joey Fatone’s boy band 51. Short pencils 52. Amanda of “Brockmire” 53. Glow 54. Burial isle of many Scottish kings 55. Send out 56. Memory method

#6

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY FOR FUN

By Rob Brezsny

Leo

(July 23-Aug. 22): Most fields of human endeavor work like this: A few people are truly brilliant, a handful are actively harmful, and the majority fall somewhere between “not great” and “pretty good.” That’s true whether you’re talking about engineers, doctors, poets, or astrologers. So it’s inadvisable to assume a physician is wise about your wellbeing just because they’ve logged 15 years on the job, or to trust your life direction to the first astrologer whose promotion catches your eye. In the coming weeks, dear Leo, discernment like this matters even more than usual.

Let your natural hopefulness be balanced by sharp, thoughtful judgment. Don’t just challenge obvious authority. Put every so-called fact, spin, assumption, and official line under your own clear-eyed review.

Virgo

(Aug. 22-Sept. 22): Architects designing spaces for collective use try to balance two human needs: to see expansively and also have safe places to retreat. Too much exposure creates anxiety; too much enclosure brings claustrophobia. The ideal is to provide both shelter and spaciousness. Let’s use this theme as a metaphor for your life during the coming months. You’ll be wise to create an equilibrium between engagement and privacy, between vastness and protection. Make it easy for yourself to observe the larger scene and also withdraw when needed.

Libra

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Self-proclaimed “skeptics” love to sneer at astrologers, as if pondering what lies ahead were a violation of scientific purity. And yet economists, sports analysts, trend watchers, and political commentators churn out shaky predictions every day.

Honestly, those professionals of probability often create more confusion than those of us who read the heavens. Take weather forecasters, for instance: From Europe to Japan, their models routinely miss sudden floods and twisters and trigger more than a few false alarms. But do the debunkers brand them as charlatans? Of course not. Forgive the outburst, but I’m building to a key foresight: Every forecast, projection, or vision that crosses your path over the next month will miss the mark—except for this one. So free yourself of their meddling.

Scorpio

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Ethnobotanists describe how certain Indigenous traditions work with “teacher plants.” These are flora that offer not only physical benefits but spiritual instruction. They include psychoactive substances, but also ordinary plants approached with extraordinary attention. In the spirit of reinventing your education, Scorpio, I invite you to expand your understanding of who and what your teachers are. What ordinary elements of your daily life might offer wis-

(June 21-July 22): There are phases when the cosmic energies and I urge you to put others first—even tend to their pain before you tend to your own. But this isn’t one of those times. Right now, sacrificing yourself for the sake of others Cancer would obstruct the flow of righteous grace into your life. So then what is the most soul‑honoring path available? Here’s what I think: Summon your inventive brilliance and use it to imagine generous ways to care for yourself. Shower yourself with gifts, treats, and blessings that delight you. Take the loving care you so deftly pour into other people and lavish it wholeheartedly on yourself. dom if you engage them with deep respect?

What situations at the edges of your awareness could bring lessons that enrich your perspectives? Now is an excellent time to seek new apprenticeships.

Sagittarius

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Western science and Western religions may disagree about how the universe began, but both place its birth in the distant past. Tantra and other spiritual paths, by contrast, propose that the universe is born afresh in every instant through the sacred, erotic interplay of God and Goddess. When humans approach love-making as an experimental sacrament, these traditions suggest, we can tune in to the union of those primordial forces and, in a sense, take part in the continual creation of existence. So, are you ready for a bit of world-making erotic play? The current astrological indicators say yes, you are.

Capricorn

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Your next few weeks will be sponsored by CoffeeBeer, the paradoxical elixir that both pumps up your energy and decompresses your defenses. You will be an exemplary role model for this innovative product because you will epitomize what occurs when a sensitive soul gets excited and mellows out at the same time. I also expect you will soon be exploring intriguing opportunities that become available to you because of your supercharged calm. Fortunately, you don’t need to drink actual coffee and beer together to make this happen. The cosmic forces will be conspiring to help you.

Aquarius

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Horticulturists practice “deadheading.” They remove spent flowers

from plants to encourage new vitality. Faded flowers drain energy that could go toward fresh growth. Plants that have been deadheaded produce more abundant blooms than those left to manage their own decay. I recommend a metaphorical version of this practice to you, Aquarius. You’ll be wise to deadhead your emotional garden. Certain attachments, once vibrant and nourishing, have expired. They’re not evil or wrong; they’re simply finished. It’s best not to keep directing precious energy toward maintaining their faded forms. With gratitude for the old beauty, clear the way for new beauty.

Pisces

(Feb. 19-March 20): Finish this sentence, Pisces: “The one thing that really keeps me from being myself is _______.” Is it someone’s opinion, an old story about who you are, a fear of loss, a habit of over-pleasing, a secret shame, or a belief that you’re “too much” or “not enough”? Whatever first pops into your mind is probably closest to the truth. Here’s your next step: Loosen the grip of this stressor by even just 20 percent. I bet your real self will feel relaxed enough to bloom more fully.

Aries

(March 21-April 19): Archaeologists studying ancient wells have discovered that some weren’t finished in a single effort. Communities might dig to the current water table, use the well for years, then probe further down when water levels dropped or needs increased. This is a useful metaphor for you, Aries. As of yet, you don’t have the ability or tools to reach the deepest layers you aspire to reach. My counsel is to go as far as you can now and gather what C-VILLE.COM

you find there. Later, when you’re readier, you will build on what has come before.

Taurus

(April 20-May 20): The doom‑and‑gloom wing of astrology is exhausting. The superstition that Mercury retrograde causes scrambled messages and dire mix‑ups is dull and misguided. The planet’s apparent backward motion, which is happening right now, shows up about three times every year like clockwork. It’s perfectly normal! In my view, Mercury retrograde isn’t threatening unless you obsess on the idea that it is, in which case, yes, your payment might go astray, and a friend may misunderstand you. But if cultivating relaxed clarity is more fun and productive for you than coping with fearful tension, treat the time between now and July 23 as a rich opportunity to refine, deepen, and upgrade how you communicate.

Gemini

(May 21-June 21): You Gemini readers have decreed that I must halt all musings about maddening, riddle-drenched ambiguity.

You’ve delivered the message to me that you’re tired of wrestling with enigmas wrapped in paradoxes. Straightforward, plainspoken factualness is what you want.

Well, okay. (Please remember that I don’t make this stuff up; I simply channel cosmic omens.) Maybe I’ll start obeying your orders next time. But first, I will advise you: 1. Unexpected gifts are coming from people and situations in transition. 2. Tough but friendly interventions will nudge you toward healthy course corrections. 3. Mysterious C assistance is on its way.

Expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text message horoscopes: RealAstrology.com, (877) 873-4888

July 1 – 7, 2026

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VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE IN RE: ESTATE OF JANET SHERRILL LANE Civil Action No. CWF24-92 SHOW CAUSE ORDER AGAINST DISTRIBUTION On motion of the Executor, it appearing that six months have elapsed smce the qualification, and a report of the accounts of Sharrah A. Lane, Executor of the Estate of Janet Sherrill Lane, deceased, and of the debts and demands against the Estate has been filed in the Clerk’s Office, IT IS ORDERED that the creditors of, and all others interested in, the Estate show cause, if they can, on the 16 th day of July, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. before this Court, against the payment and delivery of the Estate of Janet Sherrill Lane, deceased, to the distributees without requiring refunding bonds.

It is further ordered that the foregoing portion of this order be published once a week for two successive weeks in the C-ville Weekly, a newspaper published in Charlottesville, Virginia.

WHAT BURNED

WHAT THEY CLAIMED

Their lies come out of your wallet. Insurance fraud costs everyone in Virginia $1,000 per year. Learn how to spot it and report it at TheCostOfFraud.com.

ENTER: Claude Worrell, Sr. Date: 6/15/26

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FORECLOSURE SALE OF VALUABLE REAL ESTATE AT PUBLIC AUCTION A 7 Bedroom, 9½ Bath Home 55 High Meadows Lane, Scottsville, VA 22950 Albemarle County Tax Map No. 130A1-00-00-00400

Services

SALE: WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2026, AT 12:00 P.M. AT THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 55 HIGH MEADOWS LANE, SCOTTSVILLE, VA In execution of a Deed of Trust, being dated April 15, 2020, and recorded on April 16, 2020, in the Clerk’s Office of Albemarle County Circuit Court, Virginia (the “Clerk’s Office”), as Instrument No. 202000004232 (the “Deed of Trust”). The undersigned as Trustee under said Deed of Trust will offer for sale at public auction the parcel listed below: ALL that certain tract or parcel of land, with improvements thereon and appurtenances thereto, situated in Albemarle County, Virginia, on the east side of State Route 20 in the Town of Scottsville, containing 13.09 acres, more or less, shown as TM 130A(l)-4, on a plat

by Lum’s Land Surveys, Inc., dated April 24, 2007, and recorded in the Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Court of Albemarle County, Virginia in Deed Book 3415, page 168; TOGETHER WITH a 25’ nonexclusive easement for ingress and egress to and from State Route 20 as shown on plat recorded in Deed Book 826, page 359.

Property Address: 55 High Meadows Lane, Scottsville, VA 24590 Tax Map No. 130A1-00-00-00400 (the “Property”).

TERMS OF SALE: A bidder’s deposit of the greater of $30,000 or 10% of the winning bid, shall be paid at the sale by cashier’s check made payable to Bidder (to be assigned to Trustee if Bidder is successful), with the balance of the winning bid plus a 10% buyer’s premium to be paid upon delivery of a trustee’s deed within 30 days of sale. If the initial deposit is less than 10% of the winning bid, then the successful bidder’s deposit MUST be increased to 10% of the winning bid by cashier’s check or wired funds within three (3) business days. Settlement shall be held within 30 days after the date of sale unless otherwise postponed at the sole discretion of the Trustee. Sale is subject to the covenants, conditions, restrictions, rights of way, and easements, if any, contained in the deeds and other documents forming the chain of title to the property. Property is sold “AS IS, WHERE IS,” “WITH ALL FAULTS” and “WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTIES.”

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Neither the Substitute Trustee nor the Lender shall have any obligation to obtain possession of the Property. It shall be the purchaser’s obligation, at the purchaser’s sole cost, to obtain possession of the Property.

The purchaser waives and releases the Substitute Trustee and Lender and each of their respective agents, successors and assigns from any and all claims the purchaser and/or its successors and assigns may now have or may have in the future relating to: (1) any condition, problem or violation affecting the Property; (2) any existing or future building or zoning code problems or violations, and (3) the accuracy or validity of any information described herein. Purchaser has not relied on anything in the foreclosure advertisement but rather has relied solely on such investigations, examinations or inspections of the Property as the purchaser has made.

TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE WITH RESPECT TO SETTLEMENT. The deposit shall be applied to the credit of successful bidder at settlement; or, in the event of failure to complete settlement within the time set forth after the date of sale, in accordance with the terms of sale, the deposit shall be forfeited and applied to the costs of sale, including Trustee’s fee, and the Property shall be resold at the cost and expense of the defaulting Purchaser. Risk of loss or damage to the Property shall be borne by successful bidder from the time of auctioneer’s strike down at the sale. Purchaser shall pay all settlement fees, title examination charges, title insurance premiums, and recording costs. Current real estate property taxes will be prorated at closing as of date of sale. Rollback taxes, if any, will be the responsibility of the Purchaser.

THE TRUSTEE RESERVES THE RIGHT: (i) to waive the deposit requirements; (ii) to extend the period of time within which the Purchaser is to make full settlement; (iii) to withdraw the Property from sale at any time prior to the termination of the bidding; (iv) to keep the bidding open for any length of time; (v) to reject all bids; and (vi) to postpone or continue this sale from time to time, such notices of postponement or setting over shall be in a manner deemed reasonable by the Trustee. Announcements made on day of sale take precedence over all other advertised terms and conditions.

FOR INFORMATION SEE: www.fplegal.com/foreclosures Flora Pettit PC, Trustee Nancy R. Schlichting 530 E. Main Street P. O. Box 2057 Charlottesville, VA 22902 (434) 220-6113 lmg@fplegal.com

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P.S. TRENDING The good, the bad, and the Charlottesville Submit your own at c-vile.com.

C-VILLE

Gearharts Fine Chocolates voted country’s best chocolate shop by USA Today readers. Jalen Brunson, whose father Rick Brunson served as the University of Virginia’s director of men’s basketball operations from 2007 to 2009, named NBA Finals MVP. Jefferson-Madison Regional Library goes late fee-free starting July 1. Baby giraffes missing from Natural Bridge Zoo since 2025 found safe. Graphic artist Jake Van Yahres mows likeness of Harriet Tubman into empty space of Robert E. Lee statue in Market Street Park. Recreational weed sales to begin in Virginia in July 2027. Western Albemarle High’s Sturman twins win state tennis championships.

C-VILE

Drought continues, with Virginia suffering its driest stretch since 1941. Ousted Albemarle County schools superintendent Matt Haas gets full salary and benefits through June 2027—including a previously approved raise and an $800 bonus. Fewer spaces in Market Street Parking Garage thanks to repair work that’ll run through August 28. Water system updates cause daily Barracks Road lane closures.

Former UVA men’s lacrosse coach Lars Tiffany claims the university breached contract extension agreement and owes him more than $1.4 million. Suspected norovirus cases on Appalachian Trail. Rash of car break-ins at West Main Street parking garages. Greene County buddies up to ICE.

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