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Inside the texts between Kate Acuff and former administrator Matt Haas P.9

Supervisors side with density goals in Crozet rezoning fight P.14

French wine judges give Virginia vino its flowers at Paris competition P.37

CHARLOTTESVILLE’S FREE NEWS AND ARTS WEEKLY

SEPTEMBER 9 – 15, 2026

Turtle power

Ancient, adaptable, and surprisingly vulnerable, turtles face a world transformed by humans FILE PHOTO

Monday, September 14 – Sunday, September 20

MENUS START ON PAGE 25

September 9 – 15, 2026

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C-VILLE.COM

September 9 – 15, 2026

Hello, Charlottesville.

9.9.26

Thank you for reading C-VILLE Weekly.

For Labor Day weekend, my family and I took an overnight trip to Washington,

This week’s contributors

D.C., with two destinations in mind: the O Museum in the Mansion and the

National Geographic Museum of Exploration. Our visit to the former was an experience akin to visiting a labyrinthine thrift store—four winding floors of more than 100 rooms connected by narrow stairs and secret doors, filled with tchotchkes and memorabilia and, frankly, junk. Our visit to the latter, however, was worth the whole trip (well, that and the fish and chips at Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant on the wharf; my girl’s been watching a lot of “Kitchen Nightmares” lately): an exploration of and appreciation for the natural world. It’s easy to feel awed by nature walking through a museum dedicated to it. It’s harder to conjure that same sense of wonder for critters we pass on the side of the road. Take turtles.

Christine Phelan Kueter, a native Midwesterner, has worked in book publishing, as a newspaper reporter and columnist, and as a writer and editor in higher education. A correspondent for WVTF/Radio IQ since 2020, her monthly series, “Meet Virginia,” aired on Virginia Public Radio in 2024. Read her work on page 21.

Virginia is home to 25 species of them, creatures that have been lumbering around the planet since the Triassic period, some 230 million years ago. As we report in this week’s cover story (p.21), they can feel through their shells. They can see more colors than we can. They make noises, communicate with one another, and can live for more than a century. And many of them are already in decline or vulnerable to it. The story is full of the kind of facts that make you look differently at an animal you thought you knew. And it’s a reminder that appreciating the natural world doesn’t require a trip to a museum—or even out of town. Sometimes it’s right there, slowly making its way across the road.

Paul Ting developed an interest in wine while stationed near Napa Valley during his time in the United States Air Force. He holds a certificate in winemaking from the University of California, Davis, and professional certifications in sake, cider, and shochu. Read his work on page 37.

Let’s take this online

Readers say the darndest things! Here are a few comments that caught our eye on our social media feeds this week. Join the conversation on Facebook (facebook.com/cville.weekly) and Instagram (@cvilleweekly). On “Write of way,” on the city’s decision to give Dewberry Hotel owner 60 days to respond with a plan for the abandoned building

“Pass an ordinance that requires any new development in the city to proffer a contribution to a redevelopment fund, that among other things, can be used for its demolition along with the demolition or redevelopment of other blighted properties. Youre telling me Jaffray Woodriff can tear down the main st arena to build the CODE building, but this shell can’t be torn down?” Jim Noble, Facebook “Turn it into something fun, arcade, mini golf, food, drinks & shops! Cville seriously lacks FUN!” Chris Ryan, Facebook

September 9 – 15, 2026

” “ @a.e.milne, Instagram

CHARLOTTE SVILLE’S FREE NEWS AND ARTS WEEKLY SEPTEMBER

“Rip it down, it’s been through too many seasons exposed.” @sidetracksmusic, Instagram

On “Return engagement” the September 3 cover story on Sara Holdren directing Live Arts’ The Causcasian Circle Circle

“Run to see Chalk Circle!! Sara’s work is incredible!” @wcon76, Instagram

C-VILLE.COM

2 – 8, 2026

Sara Holdren comes home to direct Brecht at the theater where she got her start

Thanks for reading!

CIRCLING KCAB SUPPORT US!

A decade of deca y the city demands later, Piedmont Housing from Dewberry a plan Alliance bets on the futur Bronwyn shows off a P.9 e triple threat of 501 Cherry Ave. on Rattlin’ P.15 Bones P.35

TRISTAN WILLIAMS

“Homeless shelter with a retail operation on the mall where the able residents can work.” Jo Ann Moore, Facebook

“Me personally, I kinda like the grime that it brings to the “skyline” of downtown but can’t the city just turn a blind eye for a weekend and allow the tweeker olympics to scrap what’s left and finally be done with it. Everybody wins in that scenario, AND it gives a much needed boost to the local economy. Plus, recycling is rad and should be encouraged in every way possible.” @w0wb0bw0w, Instagram

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September 9 – 15, 2026

THE FRONT PORCH

221 E WATER ST CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA

UPCOMING CONCERTS

IN THIS ISSUE

V.38, No. 36

FEATURE 21

Slow and steady FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

REBECCA FRAZIER

JAKE BLOUNT BAND @ Potter’s Craft Cider

SEPT 19

SEPT 20

SEPT 24

Larry Keel Duo

CHARLOTTEVILLE JAZZ SOCIETY AND WTJU PRESENT

DARRELL SCOTT

w/ Brennan Gilmore & Andy Thacker

@ RIVANNA RIVER CO SEPT 26

The Montvales

ALI WEBB

@ POTTER’S CRAFT CIDER

OCT 3

Chamomile & Whiskey

OCT 9

w/ Sweet Afton and Leah Grams Johnson

THE HONEY DEWDROPS

@ RIVANNA RIVER CO OCT 11

OCT 17

ACELIA, EBONY NICOLE, & JO MALICOTTE

GALLATIN CANYON

W/ MIKE BURRIS & EMILY MORRISON

@ RIVANNA RIVER CO

OCT 25

Homecoming:

An Evening with Mariana Bell and Her Band

@ SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS VINEYARDS

NEWS 9 9

A closer examination of text messages between Kate Acuff and Matt Haas. 13 Planning Commission considers upgrade to city’s Comprehensive Plan. 14 Real Estate: County supervisors approve Windy Knoll rezoning in Crozet.

CULTURE 31 32 In Memoriam: Remembering WTJU’s Chuck Taylor. 33 Pages: Ebony Walden’s memoir takes readers around the world.

For tickets - www.frontporchcville.org

Sunday, September 20 3:30 pm Old Cabell Hall

Getting to know Virginia’s 25 turtle species.

UVA Faculty Artist series

.thrum A new music collective

35 Interview: DSO’s Rob Koritz on capturing the Dead’s spirit. 37 The Working Pour: Virginia wines win big in Paris.

FOR FUN 40 40 Sudoku 41 Crossword 43 Free Will Astrology

CLASSIFIEDS 44 P.S. 46 Local trans author Charley Burton in the HotSeat.

EDI TOR I A L

ADVERTISING

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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 COPY EDITOR Susan Sorensen

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CONTRIBUTORS Rob Brezsny, Dave Cantor, Carol Diggs, Shea Gibbs, Andrew Hollins, Sarah Lawson, Sarah Sargent, Kristie Smeltzer, Jen Sorensen, Julia Stumbaugh, Paul Ting, Eric Williamson

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. Through our distinctive coverage, we work to spark curiosity and enable readers to engage meaningfully with their community.

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@cvilleweekly |

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September 9 – 15, 2026

C-VILLE.COM

ON THE DOWNTOWN MALL 38TH SEASON

On the Stage

TingPavilion.com SEPTEMBER 10: WNRN Presents:

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SEPTEMBER 20: Willie Nelson and Family with Particle Kid

SEPTEMBER 22: Rainbow Kitten Surprise with Cigarettes @ Sunset

SEPTEMBER 24: Sam Barber

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Thanks for another great year! See you in 2027!

with Josiah & the Bonnevilles and Wild Horses

The Judy Chops

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with Special Guests The Ransom Brothers

Proceeds to benefit a variety of local non-profits.

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September 9 – 15, 2026

CHARACTER AND CONTINGENCY IN THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE:

A Revolutionary Conversation

Knowing When it’s Time F O R M E M O R Y CA R E

Family is often the first to notice when memory loss begins to affect a loved one’s well-being. Wandering, an appliance left on, a missed dose of medication: these are the moments that tell you a little more help may be needed. Recognizing these signs early means you can find support sooner. At Reunion Memory Care Neighborhood at The Blake, your loved one is cared for by a 24-hour team that includes Certified Dementia Practitioners who take the time to know them. Discreet SafelyYou camera technology adds a gentle layer of protection while preserving their dignity and privacy. We would be happy to show you around. Call (434) 218-0180 to schedule a visit, and ask how you can save thousands with a move-in by 9/30.

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September 9 – 15, 2026

C-VILLE.COM

Tuesday, September 15 • 7:30 p.m. Join us for a special evening commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Through engaging conversation explore the leaders, choices, and circumstances that shaped the outcome of the American Revolution and the lessons that remain relevant today. Main Stage Theatre | V. Earl Dickinson Building 501 College Drive

NEWS Buddy system Text messages raise questions about school board member’s friendship with former superintendent BY NATHAN ALDERMAN

n the hours before the Albemarle County School Board met on June 11, board member Kate Acuff texted former superintendent Matthew Haas: “Call me when you have a second.” That night, the board would decide whether to ask Haas to resign amid a scandal over an employee accused of sexual misconduct with children. Roughly three and a half hours later, Acuff added, “Bad,” and two minutes after that, “It won’t be in public.” “But it’s going to happen?” Haas asked shortly after. “Looks like it,” Acuff replied. It’s difficult to confirm when these texts were sent; the messages, drawn from Haas’ phone, sometimes have timestamps hours earlier than events they apparently describe. But Acuff may have sent this last remark during the school board’s closed meeting, amid deliberations over Haas’ future. As a recall effort attempts to remove Acuff from office, these messages—obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request by the ACPS Family Council—appear to show a EZE AMOS

close friendship between Acuff and Haas that may have influenced Acuff’s supervision of the former superintendent.

Smiles and thumbs-up Under Virginia law and local policy, the school board employs the superintendent. The board acts as the superintendent’s boss, and is charged with holding superintendents accountable for their performance. “I do understand when people work together for a long time … there should be a level of friendship,” says Family Council member Lizzie Batman. “But it feels like this friendship was less looking out for students and more looking out for each other, or Dr. Acuff looking out for Dr. Haas.” Throughout the texts, Acuff sends Haas cartoon emojis of herself expressing frustration or giving smiles and thumbs-up. She frequently praises Haas and expresses concern for him. In one February exchange, Haas

replies to a redacted message from Acuff: “Aww you made my day, Kate, thank you,” with a blue heart emoji. During the controversy over the district’s decision to transfer Greer Elementary’s principal to fill a vacancy at Crozet Elementary, Acuff repeatedly offers to show up to meetings with parents and faculty to backstop Haas. “Hope you are OK,” she texts on April 30. “I am no [sic] in the least questioning your decision but wondered if you would like me there as a silent supporter. … I will be your moral support from a distance…” On May 3, Haas responds to another such offer: “I would appreciate it if you were there, Kate,” later adding, “it meant a lot to have you there.” “I’ve known Dr. Haas since I joined the [school board] in 2014,” Acuff says. “I am friendly with Dr. Haas and have worked closely with him since he became superintendent [in 2017], particularly during times when I served as chair or vice chair. … I have not been shy about talking with him about his performance.” C-VILLE.COM

Performance review In a May 11 text exchange—roughly one month before allegations of child sexual abuse against former ACPS employee Michael Swiney became public knowledge— Acuff messaged Haas about performance reviews that occurred during her tenure as school board chair. “Re your annual review,” Acuff writes, “I confess, when Chair, I urged [board] members to get their comments to you and I gave mine directly to you Chair or not. However, I did not submit anything to HR or compile a general report. [Current Chair Rebecca Berlin] wants to meet with me re process and whether there have been any support plans and such previously. You are always conscientious re your mid-year and year self reviews and my experience is that the [board] reviews have been reacting to that for the most part.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

September 9 – 15, 2026

OTHER BOOKS BY JAMES ARE:

Local Author

William A. James, Sr. has done it again.

HIS NEWEST BOOK IS...

In, A MURDER ON FIFTH AND DICE AND THE RUIN OF FIFEVILLE,

IN THE STREETS OF VINEGAR HILL, James reveals how fear and misunderstandings caused The Charlottesville City Council to condemn and Demolish a 20 Acre Tract (30 Black businesses and 600 residents) from the Downtown area from 1958-1964.

James shows how drugdealing and gang violence led to the condemnation, demolition, and gentrification of Fifeville. It is a Sequel to his IN THE STREETS OF VINEGAR HILL, 2007. (He is writing a play based upon this latest Book)

Local Author William A. James, Sr.

In, HARD TIMES AND SURVIVAL: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN AFRICANAMERICAN SON,

Call or Write, William A. James, Sr. 434-985-8987 PO Box 6991, Charlottesville, VA 22906 Wjpublications@aol.com

James relates His Story and the Reader learns what He means when He Says: “Do not GiveIn to Adversity, but overcome it by Steady and Constant Perserverance.”

BOOKS SOLD AT: Lucy Cat in a Teachers’ Edition combines both Lucy Cat in a Cat Book and Lucy Cat in a Coloring Book for use in a classroom by Teachers, or at home instructors. It is part of a Lucy Cat Series that teaches children that we should all treat one another with courtesy, consideration, and respect despite what appears to be differences between us. For Ages 5-8.

September 9 – 15, 2026

C-VILLE.COM

The University of Virginia Bookstore 400 Emmet Street, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (on UVA Grounds). Patsy Goolsby, Manager, 434-924-1075 | bookshop@virginia.edu 2nd Act Books 214 East Main Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902 Daphne Spain, Owner, 434-202-0754 | daphnespain@gmail.com Amazon.com

EDUCATION NEWS texting with Haas during the first closed session on June 11. She left the meeting before its second closed session began at 8:26pm, reportedly feeling unwell. The remaining members voted unanimously to request Haas’ resignation.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

“When something’s not working, when someone’s not doing what they’re supposed to, you need to have it documented so we don’t have a huge mess like this,” Batman says. “Because I believe a lot of what’s happening, a lot of the crazy things, come from the top.” State law gives boards the power to evaluate school board members, but doesn’t specify a process. Instead, the law points toward guidelines set by the Virginia Department of Education. Of the four criteria those guidelines list, only one—student outcome measures—is required by law. Two of the other three optional criteria are self-reported by the superintendent to the board. Acuff did not respond to questions about the evaluation process during her time as school board chair. “We did [Haas’] evaluations, but there wasn’t a formal process in writing for a standard to go on from chair to chair,” says former at-large member Allison Spillman, who resigned from the school board in August. Spillman says she and Berlin were working on a formal process before the June revelation of Swiney’s arrest and charges. “Dr. Haas gave [a] self evaluation,” Spillman says. “Each of the board members was asked to submit feedback to the chair, and then the chair would put something in writing to share with Dr. Haas.” Spillman says there was no formal process for the board to address complaints about the superintendent’s conduct. Policy states that all concerns sent to the school board about any district employee “shall be referred to the Superintendent/ Designee for decision.” “I do know that complaints were told to me over the course of my tenure in Family Council,” says Batman. “People didn’t trust him. That was really what it came down to.”

Open and closed On June 11, after telling Haas that “it looks like” something—likely the call for his resignation—will happen, Acuff adds, “I tried…

EZE AMOS

‘Political nonsense’

The Albemarle County School Board voted 6-1 on June 11 to ask former superintendent Matthew Haas to resign.

I want to leave as well…” About 15 minutes later, she continues, “I’m going to leave before the next closed [session]. This stinks.” Timestamps for Acuff’s texts indicate the above exchanges with Haas took place between 3:30 and 4pm. However, the messages refer to events that didn’t happen until after the closed session began at 4:45pm. The board didn’t begin a public meeting until 6:43pm. “These text messages tell [Haas] everything we were doing in closed session,” Spillman says. On two prior occasions, timestamps from Haas’ phone diverge from events they describe. One March exchange lists a specific time that suggests the texts are stamped three hours earlier than they actually occur. An April text from Acuff mentions Haas’ remarks at a school board meeting that night,

where transcripts show he didn’t speak until nearly an hour after the listed time of Acuff’s message. Virginia law does not prohibit attendees of a closed meeting from divulging what happens within it, nor impose any legal penalty for doing so. “However, if a board member chooses to make that information public, then it undermines the very reason that the meeting was closed,” school board member Ellen Osborne says. In an interview on WINA Radio the day after the June 11 school board meeting, host Jay James told Acuff, “I want to stipulate this: Legally, you cannot discuss or reveal what is discussed in closed session, i.e. why it’s a closed session.” “Exactly,” Acuff replied. Acuff did not respond to C-VILLE’s questions about whether she had been

C-VILLE.COM

Acuff now faces a recall campaign led by Albemarle County Republican Party chair Phil Riese, allegedly with bipartisan support. In an August 14 interview with WINA, Acuff told Cville Right Now’s Mike Barber that Haas informed her of a situation involving police and an employee placed on leave prior to June 3, when Spillman and other board members say they learned the details of Swiney’s case. “I did not learn the substance of what was going on,” Acuff told Barber, “until all my colleagues learned it when the charges were brought.” Virginia code instructs superintendents that “any neglect or violation by teachers of any of the laws or regulations shall be promptly reported to the school board.” Swiney was placed on leave in January. In a final text to Haas on June 11, timestamped 5:49pm, Acuff writes, “I’m so sorry, Matt. This is unfair political nonsense and it leaves the Division in a bit of a mess.” “Generally, I believe that poor decisions often come out of crisis situations,” Acuff says, when asked about that message, “and my primary concern during the first closed meeting wasn’t whether Dr. Haas should or shouldn’t be asked to resign. It was the speed at which the decisions were being made. Of course it was important to allay the concerns of the public. … However, the [board] agreed that a decisive action was needed. Ultimately, the buck stopped with the superintendent.” “It’s not political nonsense,” Batman says in response. “Kids were put in danger. This is not political nonsense, and thinking that C it is, is actually insane.”

September 9 – 15, 2026

SEPTEMBER 21

OCTOBER 29

Judy Woodruff and Jamelle Bouie on Freedom of the Press

Dr. Danielle Allen on Radical Duke

NOVEMBER 12

DECEMBER 8

Storytelling and American Democracy with Dr. Jane Kamensky, Edward F. O’Keefe, Tina Tchen, and Janet Tran

Dr. Richard Bell on The American Revolution and the Fate of the World

Get tickets at monticello.org/pursuits Special pricing for Monticello Members

September 9 – 15, 2026

C-VILLE.COM

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Strong suit In a September 4 decision, Albemarle County Circuit Court ruled former men’s lacrosse head coach Lars Tiffany can proceed with his suit against the University of Virginia. Tiffany is seeking $1.4 million for breach of contract. Judge Cheryl Higgins tossed UVA’s bids for dismissal of the lawsuit. During Tiffany’s time as head coach at UVA, the team achieved a 108-51 record and won two national championships.— Catie Ratliff

Utility matter

City planners will hold public hearing on minor upgrade to Comprehensive Plan BY SEAN TUBBS

Energy engagement Virginia Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi will visit Charlottesville September 14 as part of her energy costs listening tour, discussing the proposed $67 million merger of Dominion Energy and NextEra. The merger is currently under consideration by the SCC, weighing worries including the acquisition’s effects on utility costs. For a link to register for the event, visit c-ville.com.—CR

Burning questions The Charlottesville Police Department and Fire Marshal are investigating a suspected arson at the former Rivanna River encampment area. A September 2 surveillance video shows an individual lighting at least two tents on fire less than two hours after the city announced no one remained at the sites. In a September 2 news release, officials announced the “transition” of the encampment was finished and 26 people completed intake at the Holiday Drive emergency shelter, but “cleanup [would continue] over the coming days.” The apparent arson occurred at 11:03pm, based on timestamps from security footage released by investigators. Anyone with information about the incident should contact Crime Stoppers at 977-4000.—CR

Construction continues on dozens of new Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority units at Sixth Street SE.

he website for the Cville Plans Together initiative has not been updated since Charlottesville City Council adopted a new zoning code in December 2023, but several events this week show continued progress toward implementing a vision that stems from what had been a stalled process. In February 2019, City Council agreed to jumpstart an update of the Comprehensive Plan, which got bogged down when some members of the Planning Commission said not enough was being done to increase density in the city’s residential zoning district. “As we build a strategy to achieve a local housing landscape that is healthy, ample, high quality, and affordable, we must be equally deliberate in dismantling the dynam-

ics and the structures that perpetuate continued inequity,” reads a request for proposals for a firm to produce an affordable housing policy, an updated comp plan, and a new zoning code to make it all work. The city hired the firm Rhodeside & Harwell to lead the work, and all of the community engagement during the first year was conducted over Zoom due to the pandemic. In addition to adopting the new zoning code in 2023, Council approved the housing plan in March 2021 and a new Comprehensive Plan in November 2021. On September 8, Council learned at a work session that $65.8 million has been spent so far on housing projects, putting the city way ahead of a housing plan goal to spend $10 million annually over a 10-year period. That

includes $52.3 million in direct housing investment that has gone to groups like the Piedmont Housing Alliance and the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority to build or renovate affordable places to live. The Comprehensive Plan survived a legal challenge from plaintiffs and has been amended a few times to respond to some of the claims and to add both the Climate Action Plan and the latest update of the Parks & Recreation Master Plan. On September 9, the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on another amendment to the Comprehensive Plan that would update the Community Facilities and Services chapter with the latest details on where public utilities like water and sewer lines will be located. One future project is being added: “a strategy for the future Schenks Branch Sewer Interceptor Upgrade Project.” While one phase has been completed, a second phase has been stalled due to a disagreement between Albemarle and Charlottesville about the exact route it will take. Virginia law requires a full review of the Comprehensive Plan every five years, but there’s no indication on when that work might begin. Staff in Charlottesville’s Department of Neighborhood Development Services is conducting an ongoing review of the zoning code, but so far only minor changes have been updated. A coalition of groups has come together to ask Council to take a more aggressive reform of the Development Code to address concerns that the existing rules make it too easy to build density in Fifeville, Rose Hill, and 10th and Page. So far Council has deC clined to direct staff to do so.

IN BRIEF

All the news you missed last week (in one sentence or less) Tragic turn Rescuers recover the body of a male in his late teens from the Rivanna Reservoir August 31; the victim appears to have fallen in while fishing. Gun crazy A 19-year-old Augusta County man forced his way into a Waynesboro elementary school September 2, wounded a staff member, and then fatally shot himself in the school’s library; no children were hurt. Red light The Greene County Sheriff’s Office hires Republican State Sen. Bill Stanley as its legal counsel, pushing back against the state Attorney General’s civil rights investigation into GCSO’s traffic stops involving Latino drivers. Healthy again? Fallout from GOP 5th District Rep. John McGuire’s vote to cut health care continues, as state insurance exchange data shows 94,000 fewer Virginians, a 24 percent drop from 2025, covered under Obamacare plans this year. Makes cents Albemarle supervisors vote to add a sales tax referendum on November’s ballot: a proposed extra penny per dollar to fund new school construction. Calcium calumny UVA researchers believe blocking deadly brain tumors’ ability to absorb calcium could stunt tumors’ growth and make them easier to kill. SEAN TUBBS

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September 9 – 15, 2026

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NEWS REAL ESTATE Infill support Albemarle supervisors approve 18-unit development in Crozet over local opposition BY SEAN TUBBS

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he No. 1 objective of Albemarle “The wording which is used in master County’s housing strategy is to plans throughout, and AC44 as well, is that build more units, and the county’s infill should be compatible in scale and scope new Comprehensive Plan calls for projects with the surrounding neighborhoods in order to be as dense as possible. to not create what we have here today, which is overwhelming houses on the east with masOn September 2, the Board of Supervisive buildings,” Mallek said. sors voted 5 to 1 to approve a rezoning of One of the reasons the Planning Comthree acres from R-1 to R-6 to allow for 18 mission cited for denial was a lack of diaunits. The project known as Windy Knoll started off in mid-2025 at 22 units, but logue with neighbors. Supervisor Ned GalSeven Development lowered the density laway asked for a clarification about what’s to satisfy the Planning Commission. That required of a developer. group recommended denial anyway in May. “They did participate and hold a commuJustin Shimp, civil engineer for the projnity meeting at the beginning of the process, ect, said the concept plan now has more which is required,” said Michael Barnes, Alclarity about a shared use path, more details bemarle’s planning director. “As far as reon amenity space, and more detailed plans quirements, the ordinance doesn’t require a to convey stormwater from the property. number or type of ordinances with adjacent He added that the project would provide properties beyond the community meeting.” much of what the county has asked for in Gallaway said he understood that neighbors felt they had not been heard but was Housing Albemarle and AC44 by providing 5.7 units per acre within range allowed under satisfied the requirement had been met. the Crozet Master Plan. “I find it concerning that our Planning “This project will enhance the mix of Commission named something that’s units in the neighborhood, adding a higher not required as a reason for denial,” Galdensity compared to Cory Farms and Sparlaway said. row Hill, which were developed as purely Supervisor Sally Duncan of the Jack Jouett District said she thought the county single-family dwellings,” Shimp said. “If these post-denial changes represent a should maintain the stormwater infrastrucbetter design, why wasn’t the design returned ture and not the homeowners’ association. to the Planning Commission?” asked Crozet One sticking point had been whether the Community Association President Bill households in the affordable units could O’Malley. More immediate neighbors of the make the communal HOA payments. project also expressed concern that the reDuncan said the surrounding neighborhoods should have been built at higher zoning was allowed to proceed. One person said there will likely be a legal challenge density as called for in the Crozet Master against the shared use path. Another said 18 Plan, adding that more than 18 units should be built at Windy Knoll. units on three acres is too much. “If people in the county want to stop “The way to address this problem and all the problems with this design and its negative development, they are welcome to purchase implications for the environment and the the property when it’s up for sale and not C people who live around this property is to develop it,” Duncan said. reduce the number of units to C a level that is appropriate for this land and its unique constraints,” said Julianne Price. A dozen other speakers asked the Board to deny. No one spoke in favor. Supervisor Ann Mallek of the White Hall District was the lone vote against the project and said too many decisions would be left up to staff when the project moves to the site plan phase. She said Windy A concept plan for Windy Knoll, an 18-unit development on three acres in Crozet. Albemarle supervisors approved the Knoll would not be compliant rezoning 5-1 despite opposition from neighbors and a recomwith the Crozet Master Plan. mendation for denial from the Planning Commission. SHIMP ENGINEERING

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September 9 – 15, 2026

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JEFFERSON LAKE FARM

3 cottages, 1,156 contiguous acres & river frontage $7,865,000 | MLS 677397 | Palmyra Steve White, 434.242.8355

MON T E VEN TOSO

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OLD BALLARD FARM

Meticulously crafted, 5-BR, 5-BA $2,750,000 | MLS 678129 | Charlottesville Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700

BREAK H EART ROAD

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WH I T E HALL ESTAT E

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September 9 – 15, 2026

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FREE UNION ROAD

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September 9 – 15, 2026

Thinking of Buying or Selling This Fall?

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Scare us. But make it quick.

Our Two-Sentence Horror Story Contest is back—and you don’t need many words to terrify, unsettle, or totally creep us out.

September 9 – 15, 2026

Submit your tiniest tale of terror for a shot at local movie and theater tickets. The winning story will rise from the dead in our October 28 issue—and be brought to life on social media by Live Arts actors. Enter if you dare, by October 9: bit.ly/horrorstories2026

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CHARLOT TESVILLE 434.951.5155 | ZION CROSSROADS 434.589.2611

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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OLD T I M E R S Everything we should know— and appreciate— about Virginia’s 25 turtle species

By Christine Phelan Kueter

FILE PHOTO

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September 9 – 15, 2026

ike ancients made visible, Virginia is home to 25 species of turtles, many of them already in decline or vulnerable to it, due to eroding federal protections that went into effect in July of this year. But with a bit of care, protection, and respect, these creatures— clomping around since the Triassic period 230 million years back, and emerging between April and November to mate, build nests, lay eggs, and hatch—may have a shot at a few hundred million more.

Turtles have feeling in their shells.

While a turtle’s shell is mostly bone, and an extension of the ribcage, atop their shells’ scale-like “scutes” is a layer of skin with nerve endings, says Randy Chambers, a biology professor and wetland ecologist who directs William & Mary’s Keck Environmental Lab. “The mating ritual is that male turtles have really really long fingernails, and they stroke the female’s shell,” says Chambers, who notes that it takes most turtle species 10 to 20 years to reach sexual maturity. “Female turtles get off on this, apparently, so we know there is feeling there.” Connor Gillespie, a former zookeeper who’s now the director of outreach at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, sees something similar in the center’s permanent residents, box turtles Shelton and Wilson, who chastely rub themselves against brushes inside their cages. It’s part of why pain relief for turtles with shell injuries (438 turtles were treated at the center in 2025 alone, the majority hit by cars) is a critical part of treatment and rehabilitation, which can occasionally involve putty, metal bars, and even zip ties to re-fashion and re-fuse their broken shells back together. There are easy clues to distinguish a turtle’s sex, which is determined by the temperature outside as eggs incubate, rather than genetically. Temperature drives a lot of turtle ecology, including whether hatchlings are born male or female. Cooler temperatures (about 82 degrees) tend to beget males; warmer temps are likelier to produce females. In snapping turtles, males and females are roughly equivalent in size, but males have longer, thicker tails. Male and female box turtles are also similar in size, but still easy to sex, Chambers says. “The male’s underside has a concave, or inward, shell, so that when he mates and mounts the female he doesn’t roll off,” Chambers says. “Female box turtles’ undersides are pretty flat. Male box turtles also have bright orange eyes.” Female diamondback terrapins in the Chesapeake Bay, however, are far larger than males, Chambers found—larger, even, than females of the same species just a few states away in Long Island Sound, where commercial crabbing is banned. Using terrapin cadavers collected by the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute to compare, Chambers and his students found that, prior to the advent of commercial crabbing in the Chesapeake Bay in 1940, female terrapins skewed smaller. 22

September 9 – 15, 2026

North American snapping turtles are Virginia’s largest freshwater reptile and can weigh more than 50 pounds.

Smaller females more easily drowned in crab pots, leaving behind larger females that birthed similarly hefty progeny. “We were able to demonstrate that crabbing led to sexual dimorphism,” says Chambers, which is when species of the same type differ in size and appearance. Sexual dimorphism exists in other turtle species, too, including cooter varieties, painted and mud turtles, with longer, heavier females that typically outweigh males by 40 percent to 104 percent.

Turtles are loners from birth …

“People will say, ‘Oh, my gosh, I found it, and there’s no water for a mile,’” says Gillespie, “but that’s normal. The mother will go a half mile or a mile to choose a nest she thinks is safe, and babies travel alone after hatching back to that water source.” Virginia turtles “are aligned to aquatic or wet habitats and require those moist locations but also have to have adjacent upland that’s dry for nesting,” adds Chambers. “Most turtles are homebodies—they don’t really move around much, though if their pond dries up, cooters will march uphill to the next body of water. But for the most part they stay where they are.” It’s ill-advised and often illegal to nab a turtle and keep it as a pet because “you’ve really displaced that turtle, and taken it from its home range,” which disorients it and compromises its survival. Also, adds Chambers, “you’ll have to keep it the rest of your life.” “You’re not technically allowed to re-release it because you’ve unwilded a wild animal,” he C-VILLE.COM

says. “It’ll outlive you, so you’ll have to put it in your will that you bequeath the turtle to the next generation. So keep that in mind before you go grabbing a turtle off the road!”

… but communicate and may form communities, too.

Chambers has repeatedly observed clusters (called “bales”) of turtles caught in commercial crab traps. “The world record for most number of turtles drowned in the same trap is 92, which is amazing,” Chambers says. “That was in Georgia. I’ve seen derelict traps in Virginia kill as many as 30. There’s got to be some social structure to that.” “Do they talk to one another? I don’t know,” he muses. “Can they say, ‘Help’?” Turtles also make noise, Chambers says, a sort of grunt-chirp, but no one’s ever recorded their sounds underwater. Though “primarily a visual predator,” Chambers notes turtles’ strong sense of smell, ability to see many more colors than the average human (“They’re tetrachromatic,” he says), and the fact that “they’re making noises means they can hear” and probably communicate.

They’re part of the illegal wildlife trade.

Wildlife Center staff often care for native turtles confiscated by the Department of

Wildlife Resources in seizures from people who illegally capture and “sell them, sometimes here, sometimes overseas.” “We’ve seen box, spotted, sliders—they’ll sell them as pets or used for medicinal purposes or food,” Gillespie says. “Once they come back to us, we can’t just release them because we don’t know where they came from so they stay here while their legal cases are resolved. Then, hopefully, we can find good homes for them at zoos or aquariums, though sometimes, in rare circumstances, we can figure out where they’re from.”

GLOSSARY Carapace [KEH-ruh-pays] n.—The bony case or shield covering the back or part of an animal. On turtles, the upper domed portion of their shell. Plastron [PLAS-trun] n.—The underside of a turtle’s shell, made of bone and cartilage, which usually joins with the carapace along each side of the body to create a rigid skeletal box. Scute [skOOT] n.—An external bony or horny plate or scale made of keratin. Brumation [brew-MAY-shun] n.—The turtle equivalent of hibernation, when turtles burrow several centimeters in the soil or mud and reduce their metabolism during winter. Bale [BAYL] n.—A group of turtles.

FILE PHOTO

That’s getting marginally easier. With other states on the Eastern Seaboard, DWR is developing a genetic mapping project to figure out where turtles are from, which in 2024, repatriated eight spotted turtles that’d been poached (part of a seizure of 292 animals from an individual’s house) back to their native habitat.

Turtles’ shells indicate their age. Sort of.

Like tree rings, counting a turtle’s scutes roughly indicates their age. That technique doesn’t work for every species, Chambers notes, adding that turtles can live from 20 to more than 100 years. “You can count the annual rings on the scutes of a box turtle, and you’ll very quickly get to 30,” he says, “but those little concentric scales on the back of a diamondback terrapin, there’s an annual ring that’s deposited, but after seven or eight years, because they’re in the water and burrowing in the mud to hibernate, or brumate, a lot of times the rings get worn off. That’s true of a lot of turtles,” including cooters, sliders, and painted turtles.

There are things you can do to help them.

Don’t keep turtles as pets, something that, for the most part, is illegal. Limit your use of pesticides, which can trigger aural abscesses and infections in turtles, and plant native species to help turtles forage, burrow, and nest. Be mindful as you mow and weed whack to avoid any accidental encounters with slow-moving creatures. And if you see a turtle in the road? Pull over safely to help. “The going line is, whatever direction it’s going, help it go,” says Chambers. “Someone who’s doing that is doing okay.” If you encounter a turtle that’s been hurt but is still alive, gently place it in a container, note the location where you found it, and bring it to a wildlife rehabilitation center. “The shell is a living part of their body, and if we get to them quickly enough, and the puncture isn’t too deep, our team can save them,” Gillespie says, even when the injuries are sometimes horrific. That means the creatures might live in one of the center’s “turtle towers” for more than a year while they quietly recover, ultimately graduating to an outdoor recovery area (near where Sheldon and Wilson live) before being released back to their home ranges. “Then we’ll call you, and say, ‘Hey, you remember the turtle you brought to us last May? She’s healed and is ready to go,’” says Gillespie. “They’re very long-lived. If we treat a box turtle and release it, there’s a chance it could live for 30, 40, or 50 years more.” But in most cases, pleads Gillespie, “Just leave them alone.” PHOTOS COURTESY OF PADDY RYAN AND JOHN WHITE

SHELL GAME See if you can match these turtle images from the Virginia Herpetological Society to their names.

ANSWERS ___ Eastern musk turtle ___ Eastern painted turtle ___ Eastern river cooter

___ Hawksbill sea turtle ___ North American snapping turtle ___ Northern diamond-backed terrapin

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___ Red-eared slider ___ Southeastern mud turtle ___ Spotted turtle

September 9 – 15, 2026

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TACO WEEK 2026

Taco Week Plate 3 tacos for $8

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Make sure to check out our happy hour Monday-Thursday with great drink specials from 4-6 pm!

Monday - Saturday: 11am-8pm Sunday - 12pm - 8pm

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Taco Week

September 14-20, 2026 C-VILLE Taco Week is back to showcase the vibrancy that the Charlottesville food scene has to offer and Poplar Restaurant, at the Virginia Guesthouse is excited to be participating. FEATURING

Honey Chipotle Lime Chicken Tacos | $8 with citrus slaw and avocado crema

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Photo: Jen Fariello

Benjamin Rous, Music Director Douglas Hargrave, Music Director Laureate Kate Tamarkin, Music Director Laureate

The Firebird David Sariti, violin

Friday, September 25 7:30pm | Old Cabell Hall

Sunday, September 27

3:30pm | Martin Luther King, Jr. Performing Arts Center

RAVEL – “Five O’clock Foxtrot” from L’enfant et les sortilèges LIGETI – Atmosphères VAUGHAN WILLIAMS – Violin Concerto STRAVINSKY – The Firebird Suite WINNER

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Best Classical Music Group

UVA Arts Box Office artsboxoffice.virginia.edu | 434.924.3376 Very Special Thanks to

September 9 - 15, 2026

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CULTURE MUSIC | ART | BOOKS | FOOD | DRINK

SUNDAY 9/13

GET HEAVY Self-described “fresh organ trio” Parlor Greens built its funky instrumental reputation with In Green We Dream, the band’s 2024 debut. The three pros of R&B music—Tim Carman (Canyon Lights, formerly of GA-20) on drums, Jimmy James (True Loves) on guitar, and Adam Scone (Scone Cash Players, The Sugarman 3) on organ—go heavier on the group’s sophomore effort, Emeralds. The album carries emotional weight following personal tragedies in the musicians’ individual lives, but they process it all on this sonic freight train of soul-powered love. Charles Owens Trio opens the show. $28.35, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com WHITNEY PELFREY

C-VILLE.COM

September 9 – 15, 2026

CULTURE IN MEMORIAM

Chuck’s band

Charlottesville music community mourns loss of local radio pioneer BY SHEA GIBBS

Wednesday 9/9

Thursday 9/10

music

Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival: Pastoral Landscapes. An evening of music that includes Beethoven’s sublime Pastoral Symphony in a luminous arrangement for flute and strings. With Brooklyn Rider, Demarre McGill, and others. $30, 7:30pm. Hazy Mountain Vineyard & Brewery, 240 Hazy Mountain Ln., Afton. cvillechambermusic.org Old Mervs. An unbreakable bond shared between lifelong mates. Dave and Henry hail from the tiny farming community of Kojonup, a town three hours south of Perth, Western Australia. $32, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com The Wavelength. Vintage rock, blues, and original tunes for your mid-week music boost. Free, 6:30pm. The Whiskey Jar, 227 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thewhiskeyjarcville.com

stage Holly’s Open Mic Night. Mic check to all musicians, poets, and everyone in between. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St.

classes Finding Your Voice: Artist Statements & Elevator Pitches. An evolving professional practices series designed to support artists at every stage of their careers. $50–65, 5:30pm. Second Street Gallery, 115 Second St. SE. secondstreetgallery.org

Chuck Taylor, the longtime WTJU general manager who led the radio station into a new era, passed away on August 11.

huck Taylor, the groundbreaking former WTJU general manager who died on August 11 at age 74, was, by most accounts, married to music. He had a collection of vinyl records numbering in the thousands. He kept a spreadsheet of all the concerts he attended over a 40-year period. More than 600 shows, many at beloved local venues, populate the sheet. So when Taylor arrived at his WTJU retirement party in 2010 with a friend named Betty Jo Taylor, it caused a bit of a stir. As it turned out, Taylor did not have a secret spouse that no one at the radio station knew about—just a close friend who happened to share his last name. Chuck Taylor was born in Suffolk, Virginia, in 1952. He grew up in Virginia Beach and attended Elon University in North Carolina. Like so many other folks, he decided to move to Charlottesville just because he liked it here. Taylor began his radio career as a DJ hosting WTJU’s eclectic “From A Whisper To A Scream.” By 1993, he was named the radio station’s general manager. Taylor’s ascendance at WTJU marked a turning point, according to current General Manager Nathan Moore. Taylor was the station’s first-ever paid staff member and transitioned WTJU from a traditional studentcentered outlet to a bridge between the University of Virginia and the surrounding area. Moore says the approach “pioneered a hybrid … radio model with a balance of community and student DJs.” “He was Uncle Chuck, you know,” Moore says. “His knowledge of music was truly encyclopedic—every genre. I’m a big fan of the music we play on WTJU, but he re32

September 9 – 15, 2026

ally knew it all. Chuck could have hosted any show on the station.” Taylor was known for his attention to the contemporaneous history of WTJU. He collected countless photos, posters, T-shirts, recordings, files, and other memorabilia during his more than three decades at the station. Moore says WTJU plans to use the trove to create a digital exhibition celebrating the outlet’s 70th anniversary next year. In the wake of Taylor’s death, the local music community has flocked to online media outlets to pay tribute. Co-workers, musicians, friends, and loved ones have offered countless stories of Taylor bringing people together around music, and more than one tale of quiet love affairs and marriage engagements unfulfilled. “My family and I loved him,” Susan Wysocki wrote on a public obituary forum. “He was a thoughtful, sweet man, an excellent driver, and music aficionado extraordinaire.” Betty Jo Taylor remembers Chuck for the quiet nights they spent on his Woolen Mills porch, where they’d put on records and play Scrabble as neighbors passed by with a wave. She remembers the soundtracks he meticulously planned for their road trips. “We had a relaxed, close friendship,” Betty Jo says. “He was very proud of working for ’TJU. That was his life and his love for the longest time, and he put his heart and soul into it.” Taylor is survived by his sister, stepbrother, and stepsister. He lost his parents, another sister, and his stepfather years ago in relatively quick succession. He battled a difficult illness in his later years. A graveside service on August 19 at Holly Lawn Cemetery gave Uncle Chuck one final chance to bring people together. C-VILLE.COM

etc. Dürty Karaoke. Belt out your favorites. Free, 8:30pm. Dürty Nelly’s, 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellyscharlottesville.com

An Evening with Dark Star Orchestra. Continuing the Grateful Dead live-concert experience. $57, 7pm. Ting Pavilion, 700 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. tingpavilion.com Batesville Open Mic Night. Music, singing, poetry, spoken word—everyone is welcome to participate. Hosted by Jordan Redifer and Mark Douglas. Free, 7pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com Berto Sales & Vincent Zorn. Lively flamenco rumba. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 201 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival: Music in the Morning. A mid-day concert at a gallery featuring music about American painters. $25, 11am. Vault Virgina, 300 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. cvillechambermusic.org Colton Davies. Ska-influenced Americana. Free, 7pm. Dürty Nelly’s, 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellyscharlottesville.com Danny Beirne. A live show supporting your favorite local charity and musicians. All ages welcome. Free, 7pm. Maya Restaurant, 633 W. Main St. maya-restaurant.com Half Dead. Charlottesville’s newest Grateful Dead cover band. Free, 4pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com Michael Clem. Local favorite plays on the veranda. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

SUPPLIED PHOTOS

PAGES CULTURE

dance Argentine Tango Lessons. Community-run tango class with a relaxed atmosphere and welcoming vibe. $15, 8pm. McGuffey Art Center, 201 Second St. NW. charlottesvilletango.com

stage One Mic Stand Spoken Word Open Mic. PVCC’s spoken word open mic night, hosted by Ty Cooper, offers the chance to showcase original writings and enjoy the works of others. Free, 7pm. Piedmont Virginia Community College, V. Earl Dickinson Building, 501 College Dr. pvcc.edu

words Book Reading: LGBTQ+ Authors Charley Burton and Steve Majors. Local author Burton joins author Majors (virtually) for an evening book-reading event discussing their life journeys and navigating LGBTQ+ challenges. Free, 6:30pm. The Beautiful Idea, 411 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. beautifulideacville.com Poetry Reading: M. NourbeSe Philip. A conversation with UVA professor Kiki Petrosino follows the reading. Free, 6:30pm. The Contemplative Commons at UVA, 403 Emmet St S. csc.virginia.edu

etc. Vision Trivia. Test your knowledge with themed trivia from tellAplay Entertainment. Free, 7pm. Vision BBQ & Catering, 247 Ridge McIntire Rd. visionbbqcville.com CONTINUED ON PAGE 34

SATURDAY 9/12

WIELDING THE AXE A look back at Robert Cray’s career traces the bluesman working his way up as a student of masters before becoming a legendary musician himself. Inspired by Albert Collins, Freddie King, and Muddy Waters, Cray put his own group together and workshopped his style on the road throughout the ’80s. By the early ’90s, he was gigging alongside Eric Clapton and John Lee Hooker, and sharing the stage with Stevie Ray Vaughan at Vaughan’s final performance. In 2020, Cray cut ties with Clapton over Slowhand’s support of controversial lyrics around the COVID-19 lockdown. The Robert Cray Band has released more than 20 acclaimed albums, and its frontman continues touring at age 73. $35-68.50, 8pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

SUPPLIED PHOTOS

Finding words

Ebony Walden details the transformative power of travel BY SARAH LAWSON

ecounting the experiences of an around-the-world trip, author and poet Ebony Walden’s new memoir, Where I’m From: A Poetic Journey Across Five Continents, engages deeply with her childhood in New York, as well as aspects of her time in Charlottesville. Before moving to Charlottesville for graduate studies in urban planning, Walden grew up in Queens and Long Island. “My home was filled with love and support … but still marred by poverty—water being cut off, winters without heat,” she writes. “Scarcity had shaped me. I knew how to survive, but … survival isn’t the same as freedom.” In Where I’m From, Walden grapples with these experiences, making meaning from her past as well as the journey that ultimately took her to 17 countries over the course of eight months in 2010 to 2011. “I was not trying to write about my past at all,” says Walden. “But those were the things that came up as I was writing. In memoir, your goal is to find the story under the story. The larger story is I went around the world. But … the most interesting part is what you learn about me.” Engaging support from her faith community, family, and friends, she crowdfunded the trip, pitching it as the Poetic Justice World Tour. Her plan was to backpack and volunteer her way around the world, engaging with the people she met through a “Where I’m From” fill-in-the-blank poem template along the way. “The lens for me going on the trip was trying to find the beauty and the brokenness in the world, and then to find the beauty in the brokenness,” reflects Walden. “I’ve got to be strong to get through this very dynamic but trying situation, but I also have to learn to be soft and vulnerable. I have to both plan but then let go of my plans. I have to learn how to be present because that is all the trip is asking of me.” Her creative work reflects this dynamic as well. “When I read my poems from before that trip, they’re very didactic,” Walden says. “And I think that’s what I tried to communicate: strong, confident, self-assured person. ... And then I read the poems I wrote on the trip and after the trip, and I’m writing from a vulnerable place.” Throughout Where I’m From, Walden engages through the dual lens of race and gender, navigating tensions between her experiences in the U.S. and abroad, living and traveling as a Black American woman, as well as in connection with other people she meets. “I think the trip was a precursor to

[realizing that] I can engage with people about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and about culture, because I’ve literally crossed 50 cultures myself and had to navigate with privilege,” she says. “Of course, in the U.S., I’m a quote-unquote minority. I’m not part of the dominant group racially or as a woman. But I go around the world and I have passport privilege, educational privilege, and financial privilege.” Traveling in Central and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, Walden faced challenges ranging from broken luggage and altitude sickness to bronchitis and dental issues, but she also connected with people about their deepest sorrows and their most meaningful joys. She tried local cuisine, went paragliding, almost got arrested, and performed at open mic nights. “I was trying to have a dynamic experience that I could capture and try to figure out what it wanted to become after I did that,” Walden recalls. And writing a memoir wasn’t originally part of that plan. Though she shared her journey through a community exhibit at CitySpace, it wasn’t until 2014 that Walden took her first memoir writing class through WriterHouse as a way to more fully capture her trip experiences. She then took a two-year memoir intensive with writer C-VILLE.COM

Author and poet Ebony Walden shares her new memoir, Where I’m From: A Poetic Journey Across Five Continents, on September 11 at New Dominion Bookshop.

Sharon Harrigan, during which she workshopped what would become Where I’m From. Even then, Walden says, “I didn’t enter any of those classes thinking that I was going to publish a memoir. … The trip was ego-shattering for me. But it was also an extraordinary journey.” She shelved an initial draft of the full book around the end of 2017 in order to focus on launching her business, Ebony Walden Consulting, a racial equity-focused consulting firm, and creator of “Black Beyond Borders,” a documentary series exploring the African diaspora. Though she now lives in Richmond, Walden is a former City of Charlottesville neighborhood planner and founder of Charlottesville’s WordSmith Poetry Jam. In 2024, while working on a proposal for another project, Walden returned to her draft—and it felt like her story was ready to share. Walden writes, “[This book] has become much more than a recounting of my adventures—it is an homage to the transformative power of travel, a call to dream out loud and embark on the journey of self-discovery that lies within each of us.” September 9 – 15, 2026

CULTURE TO-DO LIST CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33

Friday 9/11 music Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival: The People United! A monumental piano work based on a Chilean protest chant. With Benjamin Hochman, Demarre McGill, and others. $25, 12:30pm. University Baptist Church, 1223 W. Main St. cvillechambermusic.org David Wax Museum & The Lowland Hum Present: The Golden Hours. Catch the unveiling of a new Charlottesville-based band formed by the members of acclaimed local indie-folk acts. $25–35, 7:30pm. The Southern Café and Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com Fridays After Five: The Judy Chops. Genredefying Americana rock. With Loose Champagne. Free, 5:30pm. Ting Pavilion, 700 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. tingpavilion.com Grateful Dub. Roots of Creation offers a reggaeinfused tribute to Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead. $29, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com Ian Gilliam & The FireKings. Blues, rockabilly, honky-tonk, and rock ‘n’ roll music. Free, 6pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com John Kelly. Rock-solid guitar playing and singing rooted in traditional and country styles. Free, 5pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com Lost in the Supermarket. Experience the legendary punk energy and anti-establishment musical mayhem that made the Clash icons. Free, 9pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com Rebecca Frazier. Acclaimed flatpicker brings her band. $20–25, 8pm. The Front Porch, 221 E. Water St. frontporchcville.com Rebecca Romano. Showcasing local talent. Free, 4:30pm. Fallen Tree Vineyard and Farm, 4593 Clark Rd., Crozet. fallentreevineyard.com South River Strings. Four-piece string band produces an eclectic mix of rock, blues, and bluegrass. Free, 6pm. Chisholm Vineyards at Adventure Farm, 1135 Clan Chisholm Ln., Earlysville. chisholmvineyards.com The Greenhorns. Seven-piece band from Charlottesville blends New Orleans funk, jump blues, R&B, and a little jazz. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. The Jen Tal Band. Soulful original music and classic covers. Free, 5:30pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com YSA. Up-and-coming local singer-songwriter. Free, 8pm. Dürty Nelly’s, 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellyscharlottesville.com

stage Dear Evan Hansen. A deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical for anyone who’s ever felt alone in a crowded room. $25–40, 7:30pm. Belmont Arts Collaborative, 221 Carlton Rd. Ste. 3. venturestagecompany.org The Tempest. Embark for a brave new world and discover a story where magic fills the air, power shifts hands, and by the end, love and forgiveness take center stage. $45–75, 7:30pm. American Shakespeare Center, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com

September 9 – 15, 2026

C-VILLE.COM

Journey Across Five Continents, followed by a Q&A session with the audience. Free, 7pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. ndbookshop.com

classes Slow Stitch Sanctuary. An open stitch circle for slow stitchers and hand-sewers/stitchers of all types and levels. Free, noon. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com

Saturday 9/12 music Brian Franke. Independent award-winning singer-songwriter and cover artist. Free, 12:30pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com Her Checkered Past. Anne O’Brien and Frank Bechter play music that warms the heart. Free, 2:30pm. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarleciderworks.com Jay Pun & Jen Tal. Afro-soul sounds. Free, 3pm. Blenheim Vineyards, 31 Blenheim Farm. blenheimvineyards.com Josh Mayo. Music to cure whatever ails you. Free, 9:30pm. The Bebedero, 201 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com LockJaw Classic Rock Band. Music for dancing after dark. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com Mike Proffitt. Original and classic acoustic rock. Free, 2pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com Scuffletown. Multi-instrumental offerings. Free, 6pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com Small Town Rodeo. Singer and flatpicker Joe Simpson fronts a foursome steeped in bluegrass stylings. Free, 6pm. Chisholm Vineyards at Adventure Farm, 1135 Clan Chisholm Ln., Earlysville. chisholmvineyards.com The Robert Cray Band: All Amped Up Tour 2026. Blues icon. Soul man. Rock ‘n’ roller. Cray is all these things, and more. $47–146, 8pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net Travis Elliott & Friends Live Taping. Local singer-songwriter assembles band for live video taping. Free, 8pm. The Front Porch, 221 E. Water St. frontporchcville.com Two Runner. Folk, Americana, bluegrass singersongwriters Paige Anderson and Emilie Rose perform. $22, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com

dance Can’t Feel My Face 2010s Dance Party. DJs and 2010s visuals transport you back to the decade defined by memes and selfies. Ages 18+. $23, 9pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com

stage Dear Evan Hansen. See listing for Friday, September 11. $25–40, 3pm and 7:30pm. Belmont Arts Collaborative, 221 Carlton Rd. Ste. 3. venturestagecompany.org The Tempest. See listing for Friday, September 11. $45–75, 2pm and 7:30pm. American Shakespeare Center, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com

words

Author Event: Ebony Walden. Walden reads from her new memoir, Where I’m From: A Poetic

Author Event: Lucy Alford. Alford reads from her debut poetry collection, Daylight / Savings. A

INTERVIEW CULTURE conversation with Lisa Russ Spaar follows. Free, 7pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. ndbookshop.com New Dominion Storytime. Readings from recent storybooks and the classics kids know and love. Rain or shine. All ages welcome. Free, 11am. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. ndbookshop.com

classes Autumn Botanicals in Watercolor and Ink. Celebrate the changing of the seasons and explore the process of creating a loose, intuitive watercolor and ink paintings of autumn botanicals. Ages 12+. $70, 10am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com

Let it grow Dark Star Orchestra drummer remembers Bob Weir, looks ahead BY SHEA GIBBS up, and we played at Trax. I always look forward to coming to Charlottesville—or even Richmond or Norfolk. Virginia has a strong jam band fan base.

Beginner Hand Sewing. An introductory course for those with little or no hand-sewing experience. Ages 15+. $20, 10am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com

Phil Lesh and Bob Weir have both played with you guys, correct? Bobby played with us probably eight or 10 times. I think Phil played with us three times. Billy [Kreutzman’s] played with us a couple times. Donna played with us dozens and dozens of times. She was a very good friend of ours. When an original member comes out and plays with us, it’s incredibly cool. I remember the first time Bobby played with us—or really the first time any of them played with us—it was kind of a novelty. When they want to come back and do it again, that’s really flattering and validating.

etc. Annual Central Virginia Star Party. View spectacular astronomical objects through telescopes and learn about the solar system, the night sky, galaxies, and the universe with fun hands-on activities. Free, 6:30pm. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarle ciderworks.com Charlottesville City Market. Explore fresh produce, local foods, and handmade goods from 100+ area vendors. Free, 9am. Charlottesville City Market, 100 Water St. E. charlottesville.gov PDC’s Paw Paw Festival. Celebrate North America’s largest native fruit. Free, 4pm. Piedmont Discovery Center’s Quarry Gardens, 1643 Salem Rd. , Schuyler. quarrygardensatschuyler.org Second Street Gallery Season 53 Kickoff Rooftop Party. Celebrate the unveiling of a new season of exhibitions and mingle with artists while enjoying rooftop views and music. $53, 6:30pm. Second Street Gallery, 115 Second St SE. second streetgallery.org

Sunday 9/13 music

Dark Star Orchestra keeps the love alive in tribute to the Grateful Dead on September 10 at Ting Pavilion.

Batesville Second Sunday Bluegrass Jam. Show up with Instruments if you got ’em. Otherwise, just show up. Musicians gather in a circle to jam and the audience sneaks a spot to watch. Free, 2pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com

ccording to Dark Star Orchestra percussionist Rob Koritz, the seven-piece cover band is “fanatical” about capturing the spirit of each Grateful Dead show it reenacts. When DSO takes the Ting Pavilion stage on September 10, that attention to detail will be on display. But as Koritz told C-VILLE Weekly in a recent interview, exactly which show the band will do on any given night remains a mystery until the tour starts.

Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival: Series Concert II: Beethoven’s 5th—Up Close. Experience an unforgettable afternoon of chamber music featuring an all-star roster of acclaimed artists. $20–30, 3pm. Old Cabell Hall. cvillechamber music.org Mighty Fine Company. Rock ‘n’ roll shaped by the songwriting of Pamela Ryder and defined by a blend of musical talents. Free, 2pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com Olivarez Trio. A vibrant acoustic blend of French jazz styles mixed with eastern European folklore, waltzes, early jazz improvisations, and more. Free, 1pm. Chisholm Vineyards at Adventure Farm, 1135 Clan Chisholm Ln., Earlysville. chisholmvineyards.com Parlor Greens. Psychedelic R&B sound built on deep pocket grooves, vintage organ tones, and modern soul swagger. $23, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com Patrick & Aaron Olwell and Friends. Fine renditions of traditional Irish folk music. Free, 2:30pm. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarleciderworks.com CONTINUED ON PAGE 36 SUPPLIED PHOTO

C-VILLE: Has DSO seen an uptick in attendance now that there’s no Grateful Dead iteration on the road? Rob Koritz: The last three or four years have been really good, actually. And the thing I’ve noticed is that our audience is getting younger. These young people, who very well may never have seen the actual Grateful Dead, are getting turned on to this great music. Why do you suppose that is? Lots of different reasons, but I think some of it is a direct correlation to Dead & Company, with John Mayer being in that band. He brought in a whole different demographic. Another part of it is there’s people out

there with really cool parents who are Deadheads. … Unfortunately, in the last two years, we lost Phil [Lesh], Donna [Jean Godchaux], and Bobby [Weir]. So, people want to celebrate them, and we’re an avenue that they can take to celebrate them and the music. What other jam bands do you most appreciate? Dead & Co. was a huge draw, and I saw them multiple times myself. I’m sure there’s young people out there these days who are fans of Goose and Dogs In A Pile and Daniel Donato; it goes in cycles. I admittedly don’t get a chance to see a lot of the newer jam bands. I do try to get out to festivals. Dave Matthews Band became a big part of the jam scene. What’s your take on Charlottesville’s most well-known export? There’s a love-hate relationship with that band for people. I’ve always loved them, partially because I’m a drummer and Carter Beauford’s one of the coolest, most innovative drummers ever. The Dave Matthews channel is one of the presets on XM in the car. I remember back in the day when we were first starting and they had just blown C-VILLE.COM

What else can you tell us about playing with Bob Weir? The first couple times Bobby came out, he just showed up and we played. And then the last two times he played with us—especially the last time—he came out in the afternoon and we rehearsed for an hour and a half. He wanted to come and jam for a while before we went on stage. That was huge to me. It was him saying, “Let’s work on this” and “Let’s see what we’re going to do here; let’s have some fun.” I would imagine it’s also nervy to play with your idols. I’ll tell you a real quick story that sums it up: 2002, Warfield theater in San Francisco. Bobby’s coming to play with us for the first time. He walks in the door, and I’m the first person he sees. I introduce myself, and he says to me: “Really glad to be here. Let’s go out on stage, and whatever you do, don’t try and impress me. God knows I’ve gone on stage and tried to impress somebody and fell flat on my face.” It instantly put me at ease. I was like, “All right, man, this cat is cool.” We had a great night, and it was the first of many times that he played with us. Any hints about the set you guys will play on September 10? A lot of it will have to do with whatever we did the last time we were there. Whenever we come back to a place, we try to do something different. What’s next for Grateful Dead music? It’s not going anywhere. Bobby’s big thing was that he wanted this music to live on for 300 years. I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. September 9 – 15, 2026

CULTURE TO-DO LIST

UVA MUSIC EVENTS

Date/Time/Place

Event (* Denotes free events)

Thursday, 9/10, 6:00pm Carr's Hill Field

Annie Hui-Hsin Hsieh, * The Spatialtemporality of Musical Memories

Friday, 9/11, 3:30pm 107 Old Cabell Hall

Jonathan and Stephanie Leon Shames, * Piano Guest Artist Recital

SUNDAY 9/13

Tuesday, 9/18, 3:30pm 107 Old Cabell Hall

Loren Kajikawa, “Will The Real Slim Shady Please Stand Up?”: Eminem as Political Football *

ONTO BIGGER SCREENS

Sunday, 9/20, 3:30pm Old Cabell Hall

Faculty Artist Series: .thrum A New Music Collective

Friday, 9/25, 6:30pm Carr's Hill Field

CMB Open Rehersal * "Hoos on the Move."

Friday, 9/25, 7:30pm Old Cabell Hall

Charlottesville Symphony directed by Ben Rous The Firebird

Sunday, 9/27, 3:30pm MLK Jr. Performing Arts Center

Charlottesville Symphony directed by Ben Rous The Firebird

Friday, 10/9, 6:30pm Carr's Hill Field

CMB Open Rehersal * "¡Vamos Hoos!"

Thursday, 10/15, 10:00am & 11:30am Old Cabell Hall

Symphony Youth Concerts * for local 4th and 5th grade classes Advance reservations required

Saturday, 10/17, All day Old Cabell Hall

11th Annual UVA Flute Forum * Featuring Alexa Still

Saturday, 10/17, 3:30am Old Cabell Hall

Alexa Still Flute Recital, * part of Flute Forum

All artists, programs, and venues are subject to change. Office: 434.924.3052;

music@virginia.edu;

https://music.virginia.edu

Box Office: 434.924.3376, artsboxoffice.virginia.edu Subscribe to at UVA”: music.virginia.edu/subscribe Subscribe to“Music our music email: music.virginia.edu/events

September 9 – 15, 2026

C-VILLE.COM

Student stories are the headliner at Light House Studio’s 25th Annual Youth Film Festival, but it’s also the biggest fundraiser of the year for the organization that provides unique filmmaking education to the Charlottesville community. Support the arts and get a preview of the films before they hit the amateur screening circuit. $20.50-139, 5:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35

Sunday 9/13 Thomas Gunn. A fusion of folk and country. Free, 2pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com

stage The Tempest. See listing for Friday, September 11. $45-75, 2pm. American Shakespeare Center, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespeare center.com

classes Crochet for Beginners. Learn the basics of crochet. Leave with a crochet hook and a small

crocheted washcloth. Ages 12+. $35, 11:30am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappy elephant.com Knit and Learn. UVA Environmental Sciences graduate students and fiber artists share their research in a weekly series. Free, 2pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com Oil Painting for Everybody: Still Life Edition. Learn oil painting in an approachable and organized format. Ages 14+. $45, 2pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com

etc. Cville Vegfest. Vegan community event featuring plant-based foods, live music, entertainment, speakers, children’s activities, yoga, and more. Free, 11am. IX Art Park, 955 Second St. SE. cvillevegfest.com SUPPLIED PHOTO

THE WORKING POUR CULTURE

Light House Studio Presents: The 25th Annual Youth Film Festival. Celebrate student films, storytelling, and community. $17–127, 5:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

Monday 9/14 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 Vision’s Open Mic Mondays. Bring your chops and get down. Free, 7pm. Vision BBQ & Catering, 247 Ridge McIntire Rd. visionbbqcville.com

classes Crafter Hours. A great way to unwind after a busy day. Bring a work in progress from home or be surprised by a supplied beginner-friendly craft. Ages 16+. $5, 6pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com Crochet a Wind Spinner. This pattern works up nicely and is a fun way to decorate your outdoor/ window space. Basic crochet knowledge required. Ages 13+. $16, 4pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com

etc. Trivia on Tap. General knowledge trivia with special themed-days on the third Monday of the month. Hosted by Olivia. Free, 7pm. Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen & Brewery, 520 Second St. SE. threenotchdbrewing.com

Tuesday 9/15 music BRIMS. Blue Ridge Irish Music School open jam. Free, 6:30pm. Dürty Nelly’s, 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellyscharlottesville.com Rapture Open Mic Night. Hosted by The Open Mic Music Exchange with Nicole Giordano. Free, 9:30pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com Tuesday Jazz with Jeff Massanari. A cast of great players joins the guitar virtuoso. Free, 6:30pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapture restaurant.com

words Character and Contingency in the War for Independence: A Revolutionary Conversation. A special evening of engaging dialogue on the leaders, decisions, and circumstances that shaped the American Revolution with distinguished scholars Drs. Andrew J. O’Shaughnessy and James R. Sofka. Free, 7:30pm. Piedmont Virginia Community College, V. Earl Dickinson Building, 501 College Dr. pvcc.edu

classes Fiber Arts Fan Club. For crocheters, knitters, felters, embroiderers, needleworkers, tatters, and quilters. Bring your current work in progress and get crafty. Free, 6:30pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com

etc. Geeks Who Drink Trivia. Good trivia, good times. Teams of two to six people compete to win prizes like gift certificates and pint glasses, plus bragging rights. Free, 7pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com Vision’s Comedy Open Mic Tuesdays. Sharpen your set or just hang out for the laughs. Free, 7:30pm. Vision BBQ & Catering, 247 Ridge McIntire Rd. visionbbqcville.com SUPPLIED PHOTO

Vin primé

Old World, New Roots

A blind tasting in Paris sees Virginia wine gaining global respect BY PAUL H. TING

ifty years after the 1976 Judgment competition. Shaps’ Virginia wines placed of Paris—a blind tasting in France first in both the chardonnay and petit manthat upended the world’s assumpseng categories, and his French label, Maison tions about great wine regions when CaliShaps, ranked third in the chardonnay flight, fornia labels beat out some legendary French a reminder that old world and new roots can ones—Virginia wines found themselves on be part of the same winemaker’s career. Tanisha Townsend, an American-born a similar stage. Old World, New Roots, a blind tasting wine educator based in Paris who sat on the held on June 29 at Le Cordon Bleu Paris, was judging panel, sees significance in the results organized by Thomas McCune, a student in beyond the individual rankings. “When the Le Cordon Bleu’s wine management proJudgment of Paris happened 50 years ago, gram, and Frank Morgan, the director of California was really the only American wine judging for the Virginia Governor’s Cup. region in the conversation,” she says. “Fast forward to today, and Virginia wines are It was not intended to be a recreation of the historic 1976 wine event. “We wanted standing shoulder to shoulder with some of this tasting to stand on its own and focus on France’s top regions.” where Virginia wine is today, rather than That is not an insignificant claim, and not trying to recreate something that happened necessarily one Virginia winemakers would 50 years ago,” says Morgan. have confidently made a few decades ago. Twenty-four wines were included, 12 each What Old World, New Roots demonstrates from Virginia and France, representing four is that Virginia wine can shed any doubt that categories: chardonnay, petit manseng, caberit deserves inclusion on the world stage. net franc, and Bordeaux-style red blends. Thomas Jefferson never saw his dream to Morgan chose the Virginia wines after reviewgrow and produce world-class wine at Moning competition results, visiting wineries, and ticello come to fruition. But, 250 years after tasting potential entries, while McCune sehe helped draft the nation’s founding doculected independent French producers of comment, wines from the state he called home parable scale, many of which he uses as repare finally making good on that ambition. McCune says the results “proved Thomas resentative examples during his classes. Chairing the judges’ panel was Xavier Jefferson to be correct.” Thuizat, Best Sommelier of France and Meilleur Ouvrier de France, one of France’s highest professional honors. The panel also included French wine professionals, Le Cordon Bleu students, and American judges. Wines were judged blind using the American Wine Society’s 20-point scale, which scores appearance, aroma, taste, aftertaste, and overall impression. The results are hard to ignore: Virginia took the top two spots in chardonnay, swept petit manseng, won cabernet franc, and swept the Bordeauxstyle red blends. Barboursville Vineyards’ 2021 Octagon was the only wine in the tasting to receive a perfect score from an individual judge, earning 20 points from Thuizat, who commented: “Superb. One of the best I have ever tasted. Everything is perfectly balanced.” Michael Shaps found himself in an interesting position, Old World, New Roots was organized by Frank Morgan, director of with both his French and Vir- judging for the Virginia Governor’s Cup, and Thomas McCune, a ginia wines selected for the student in Le Cordon Bleu’s wine management program. C-VILLE.COM

Twenty-four wines competed across four flights, 12 from Virginia and 12 from France. Here are the top three wines in each category: CHARDONNAY

1st: Michael Shaps Wineworks Wild Meadow Vineyard Chardonnay 2023 (Virginia) 2nd: Pollak Vineyards Chardonnay Reserve 2023 (Virginia) 3rd: Maison Shaps Les Chazots AOP Côte d’Or Chardonnay 2023 (France)

PETIT MANSENG

1st: Michael Shaps Wineworks Honah Lee Vineyard Petit Manseng 2023 (Virginia) 2nd: Veritas Vineyards Petit Manseng 2023 (Virginia) 3rd: Paradise Springs Vineyards Petit Manseng 2024 (Virginia)

CABERNET FRANC

1st: Valley Road Vineyards Estate Reserve Cabernet Franc 2023 (Virginia) 2nd: Château Daugay Le Piou 2023, Saint-Émilion (France) 3rd: Château de Minique, Ceci n’est pas que Équilibre, AOP Bourgueil 2022 (France)

BORDEAUX-STYLE RED BLENDS

1st: King Family Vineyards Meritage 2019 (Virginia) 2nd: Pollak Vineyards Meritage 2021 (Virginia) 3rd: Barboursville Vineyards Octagon 2021 (Virginia)

OTHER WINES IN THE COMPETITION X Ankida Ridge Vineyards Chardonnay 2024 (Virginia) X Champagne Paul Lebrun AOP Coteaux Champenois 2022 (France) X Domaine Dugois Terres de Marne AOP Arbois 2024 (France) X Domaine Coustarrèt Renaissance AOP Jurançon Sec 2022 (France) X Domaine Cauhapé La Canopée AOP Jurançon Sec 2022 (France) X Domaine Camin Larredya Costat Blanca AOP Jurançon Sec 2023 (France) X DuCard Vineyards Vintner Reserve Cabernet Franc 2023 (Virginia) X Afton Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2023 (Virginia) X Château Vieux Sarpe AOP Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2021 (France) X Vignobles Garzaro Clos des Amandiers AOP Pomerol 2020 (France) X Château La Rose Figeac AOP Pomerol 2018 (France) September 9 – 15, 2026

September 9 – 15, 2026

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September 8–19, 2026 FREE student rush tickets available for concerts on Sept. 8, 11, 13, 17, and 19! See website for more info. C-VILLE.COM

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FOR FUN PUZZLES SUDOKU

#1 solution

September 9 – 15, 2026

#2 solution

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#3 solution

#4 solution

PUZZLES FOR FUN CROSSWORD BY MATT JONES

The little sleep ACROSS 1. 6. 10. 14. 15. 16. 17. 19. 20. 21. 23. 25. 26. 30. 31. 32. 34. 37. 38. 39. 40.

41. 42. 43. 45. 47. 50. 51. 53. 57.

Audibly stunned Obstacle Attempt Firenze’s ___ Vecchio Beginning of a Shakespearean soliloquy Luau tuber Introduction to cooking? Chain selling meatballs (and other, larger things) “300” setting Happening Tuesday offering? Museum guides Like random whistling, say Southwest formation Long-legged wader The “T” in GTA 6 Friend-o Cookware items Exhausted Curse ___ Na Na (oldies vocal group) Japanese barberry feature ___-Potty (music festival amenity) Response in court Where wrecks may lead to an x-ray? Close off Farm females 2016 film whose poster was updated slightly in 2026 to fix the angle of a hand One way to get around the U.S. Subject of adulation

58. Forensic scientist’s findings 60. Golden Fleece ship 61. Invisible glow 62. “Cars” singer Gary 63. Chips supplier 64. Second-person plural pronoun, to Pittsburgh residents 65. Caught a little shuteye (which can be found in the four longest answers)

DOWN 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 18. 22. 24. 26. 27. 28. 29. 33. 35. 36.

Alerts from HQ Paltrow lifestyle brand “Black Beauty” novelist Sewell First courses Motivator’s message ___-Foy, Quebec “Chicken Little” denial In ___ (trapped) Settle in Malt liquor hyped in ‘90s hip-hop (and not the “man with seven wives” town) Dismantled “___ you the cutest?” Regatta entrants Racing speed Rapper on “Law & Order: SVU” Bony prefix Amts. in recipes Monument Valley locale It means never having to say you’re sorry? Like a 41-Across “Rubber Duckie” singer Against Tilt to the side

. , / 2 : $ , 9 ( + $ / , 6 1 2 7 $ / ( ( 5 , 9 2 * , ) / $ 1 ( & 8 , 6 , 1 ( $ * 7 & $ 6 7 3 ( 7 5 ( / ' $ 1 ( 0 2 5 , $ 5 7 < $ 3 7 % , 7 2 1 $ / $ 9 2 1 / , 6 3 6 ' $ 0 0 $ 1 ( 7 + ( 2 3 3 2 6 , 7 ( 5 2 1 1 < / 2 $ 0 $ 1 < 5 , . 5 , & $ 5 ' 2 % $ 1 ( % 8 5 5 , 7 2 6 $ 7 2 0 6 ( ( 6 $ + $ 5 $ - $ 1 ( - $ & . ( 7 6 * 2 7 . , ' ' 2 + ( 5 ( 6 ( 1 ( / ( ' 3 6 6 6 7 < 2 6 7

#6 solution

#5 solution

Gimme an E

ANSWERS 9/2/26

38. Exclamation after getting home 39. Full of oneself 41. Greenish-blue 42. “Bugonia” star Jesse 44. Colombian plains 46. Satirical horror-metal band in giant foam costumes 47. Related to a hipbone 48. Pelvic bones 49. Tedious feeling 52. “Well, shucks” 54. “The ___ of the Ancient Mariner” 55. “Take ___!” (coach’s order) 56. “The Simpsons” news anchor Brockman 59. Ciudad de la ___ (Equatorial Guinea’s new capital, not to be confused with Bolivia’s)61. Write quickly

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY FOR FUN By Rob Brezsny

Libra

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I just finished a delicate peace mission to the contested inner landscape where your nightmares have been causing a big ruckus. In response to my diplomacy, they have agreed to drop their weapons and release their captives. In exchange, they are asking you to sit with them for a while as they rant and sob, and maybe offer them a few kisses and affectionate embraces. Drawing on my long years of coaxing unruly spirits back into semi-sanity, I conclude that a key reason they turned so dramatic and extreme was that they have been starving for your attention. I am very sure that with just a little effort, you can tame their reckless restlessness.

Scorpio

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’re poised at a threshold between what’s comfortably familiar and excitingly possible. A certain reliable part of your life has served you well for a long time but is now ripe for evolution. The paradox is that letting go of a serviceable asset can feel more difficult than shedding what’s obviously harmful. So here’s the riddle I hope you will meditate on: What good old thing could you relinquish so as to attract and make room for a great new thing in your life?

Sagittarius

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci filled his notebooks with sketches of machines that would not become practical until centuries later. Examples are the parachute, a helicopter‑like “aerial screw,” and an armored tank. Many of his designs were simply too advanced for the materials and engineering of his era. I suspect you may experience comparable moments of visionary thinking in the coming weeks and months, Sagittarius. To some people and even to yourself, your ideas might seem overly ambitious or ahead of their time. But please don’t dismiss them. Write down your inklings and let them cavort around in your imagination.

Capricorn

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Sofia Kovalevskaya was born under the sign of Capricorn in 1850. Early in her life, she displayed mathematical brilliance. She longed to develop her talent, but women weren’t allowed to attend college in her native Russia. So she devised a workaround: a marriage of convenience with a man who helped her leave the country and gain the freedom to study in Germany. There she eventually became the first woman to earn a doctorate. Inspired by her example, I encourage you to consider creative strategies for obstacles that seem immovable. What indirect routes might lead you to your goals better than frontal assaults? Be willing to zigzag toward your destination.

Aquarius

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Most of us have been cursed. The sources of the bad mojo have rarely been

(Aug. 23-Sept.22): Master chefs say that diners first taste food with their eyes. The visual presentation is key to the whole experience. But the beauty must arise from craftsmanship rather than empty decoration. I believe you Virgos are in a VIRGO phase when this is an important metaphor. Your outer style and inner substance are ready to become better collaborators. Some suggestions: Wear clothes that influence you to feel vividly alive. Relax your face and posture. Beautify your workspace. Polish your presentations. And please make sure the dazzling appearances reflect equally nourishing contents. evil sorcerers who cast literal spells. Rather, they were harsh pronouncements about our worth or our future, spoken by people we loved or trusted. For example, when I was 20, my astrology teacher dropped an alarming verdict on me: “You will never be seen and appreciated for who you truly are.” That ugly decree became a jinx I spent years struggling with before I finally banished it. Do you carry a comparable hex, Aquarius? Maybe mommy or daddy proclaimed you would never amount to anything. Maybe an ex declared that you would never again find real love. Whatever it might have been, here’s the good news: You now have the power to at least partially dissolve that old scourge and glide into the future less burdened by it.

Pisces

(Feb. 19-March 20): Ravens often cache shiny objects and interesting novelties that seem to possess no immediate practical value. They apparently delight in collecting intriguing possibilities. I recommend you channel your inner raven in the coming weeks, Pisces. Assemble an array of quirky treasures and raw materials without immediately deciding whether or why they might be useful. Like what? Like fun ideas, memorable quotations, odd facts, provocative images, curious fragments, and fascinating stories. In ways you can’t imagine yet, your playful cluster will inspire imaginative innovations and delightful breakthroughs.

Aries

(March 21-April 19): Cheetahs are the fastest land animals, but they can maintain top tempo for only about 20-30 seconds before overheating. When they’re hunting, they

usually get just one speedy dash to catch their prey. They must spend far more time stalking and positioning than running. The velocity is sensational, but their patient and prolonged strategy is even more essential. In the coming weeks, Aries, I urge you to be like the cheetah as you pursue want you need and want.

Taurus

(April 20-May 20): The dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov said that true mastery means performing with complete intensity while making the movement appear effortless. Behind the grace lies years of disciplined practice. Is there an aptitude or practice you cultivate that fits this description, Taurus? I hope you’re ready to showcase it, flaunt it, and use it to your maximum benefit. It’s time to capitalize bountifully on skills at which you excel. Your well-deserved rewards are more likely to arrive than usual.

Gemini

(May 21-June 21): “Dear Oracle: I have contracted a severe case of too-many-tabsopen. My brain has 19 windows running at once, and it’s hard for me to determine which thoughts are the truly important ones. Everything seems equally urgent and equally trifling. Any tips on how I can better figure out what actually matters the most?—Overstimulated Gemini.” Dear Overstimulated: The secret to fixing this dilemma is to consult your body. Focus your attention on your gut and ask it to send you sweet clues about which yearnings it resonates with most. Check in with your feet and seek their wise counsel about C-VILLE.COM

which direction they want to lead you. Pat yourself lovingly on the butt a few times and request its loving guidance about what will make you feel most grounded.

Cancer

(June 21-July 22): For some people, laughter is like a spiritual practice. A lot of them are Leos, Aquarians, and Sagittarians. They crack up more often and for longer stretches than most, and they tend to howl at ironies everyone else takes too seriously. I bring this to your attention, dear Cancerian, because you’re in a time when you could and should laugh often in wild, liberating ways. I invite you to explore the weirder areas of your sense of humor and work earnestly to expand what you find funny. P.S.: There’s credible evidence that laughter can reduce stress physiology, ease anxiety, lift mood, strengthen social connection, and even raise pain tolerance.

Leo

(July 23-Aug.22): The astronomer Johannes Kepler spent years trying to prove that planetary orbits were perfect circles because he believed the universe should behave that way. Once he abandoned his cherished assumption, he discovered the truth: The planets travel in ellipses. That revision transformed astronomy forever. With this in mind, Leo, I will ask you: Is there an elegant belief you have outgrown? A theory that was once fun and interesting but now limits your vision? The coming weeks will favor corrections. Changing your mind will show you that reality is even more interesting C than you previously understood. Expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text message horoscopes: RealAstrology.com, (877) 873-4888

September 9 – 15, 2026

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ORDER OF PUBLICATION Case No. JJ042116-05-00; 06-00; 07-00 VA. CODE § 1-211.1; 8.01-316, -317, 20-104 Charlottesville Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Charlottesville Dept. of Social Services v. Ashley O’Brien, Daniel Wilson Sr., Daniel Ray Wilson, Izel Nelson, and Unknown Father The object of this suit is to approve a petition for permanency planning hearing with a foster care plan with a goal of adoption and terminate the residual parental rights of Ashley O’Brien, Daniel Wilson Sr., Daniel Ray Wilson, Izel Nelson, and Unknown Father of a boy child (D.W.) born to Ashley O’Brien on 7/19/2025. It is ORDERED that Ashley O’Brien, Daniel Wilson Sr., Daniel Ray Wilson, Izel Nelson, and Unknown Father, appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before November 4, 2026 at 9:15 a.m. 8/26/26 DATE

$16-$18 per hour

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VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE

To see a complete job description for each position, visit arcpva.org/careers Offering competitive compensation, paid training, and - for full time staff - an attractive benefits package including paid leave, health, dental & vision insurance, as well as life & long-term disability insurance.

THOMAS B. SCOTT, III, ET AL V.

Case No. CL26-l 106

GWENDOLYN WARD PUBLICATION ORDER The object of this lawsuit is to partition Gwendolyn Ward’s latent, fractional ownership interest in the real estate known as Albemarle County Tax Map No. 12000-00-00-032A0 and 6806 Porters Road, Esmont, Virginia 22937. By October 1, 2026, Gwendolyn Ward must make an appearance in this case by notifying the Court that she intends to protect her interest in the real estate before said interest becomes forfeited. This Order shall be published in the C-Ville Weekly for four consecutive weeks. ENTERED this 12 day of August, 2026

The Arc of the Piedmont is an Equal Opportunity Employer

September 9 - 15, 2026

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I ASK FOR THIS: J. Addison Barnhardt VSB#83132 GRISHAM & BARNHARDT PLLC 240 West Main Street, Suite 100 Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 Telephone: (434) 293-2939 Email: jab@grisham-bamhardt.com

Judge: Cheryl V. Higgins

P.S. THE HOTSEAT Speaking volumes September marks Pride Month in Charlottesville, and as part of its celebration, The Beautiful Idea on the Downtown Mall will host a joint reading by authors Charley Burton and, via Zoom, Steve Majors at 6:30pm September 10. Burton is the chair of Equality Virginia and a contributor to Charlottesville Tomorrow. His new book, The Boy Beneath My Skin, is a memoir of his journey through childhood, getting sober, and transitioning at age 50. You can learn more about it at charleyspeaks.com. We put Burton in the HotSeat to see where he’s headed next. Age: 66

What was the easiest? Writing the book. It’s taken from over 75 hours of videos I sent to my therapist. What do you hope people who read your book will take away from it? Both of my books are not only for the trans community, but also for parents and allies. I am not unique. The trans community is going through the same things I did, or worse. I hope they see hope and perseverance. You’ve talked about sneaking into the back of the Gordon Avenue Library at age 10 to find books that reflected you. If you were to meet that child in the stacks today, what would you say to him? Keep reading and keep living in books. They are a great escape.

Pronouns: He/him Hometown: North Garden Job(s): Retired, but working part-time at On Our Own. [It’s] a drop-in center where people come in all day. They can get food, they can play games. There’s writing exercises. There’s meetings, and I help facilitate the meetings and just be in the house. There is support for someone who’s going through a difficult time or just needs connection. It’s a great job. You know, I’ve got 20 years of sobriety, so basically, I feel like I’m being of service.

What book would you give him? The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss. It teaches about accepting differences in appearance. There are a lot of debates right now about the right or wrong way to be a man. What does masculinity mean to you? What kind of man do you want to be? There is no wrong way to be a man. For me, masculinity is being a man of [my] word. Standing firm and strong in my faith.

What’s the strangest job you’ve ever held? Selling water coolers. Most interesting job? I retired after 20 years of management in [the] janitorial field, and my last gig was the Virginia Guesthouse. It was magnetic. We were on fire. We were anxious to get it open, and every day was some type of adventure. … It was hard to leave, because I felt like I was leaving family. But I also have my sights set on doing a lot more service work within the trans community, so I just decided to retire.

What are you working on next? The [annual Trans Futures] conference in November, by my nonprofit Transforming Futures.

What’s the best advice you ever got? Walk slowly and drink a lot of water. What’s the best part of living in Charlottesville? The small-town feel, especially North Garden, where I was born and raised. The worst? Lack of diversity. What’s your favorite place in Charlottesville? My favorite place in North Garden is my home. Favorite dish at a local restaurant? Believe it or not, I would have to say Guadalajara and their taco salad. It’s crunchy. You see the layers, and you get down to the layers with the sour cream— yeah, that’s probably one of my favorite foods. Favorite movie? Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

What’s your proudest accomplishment? Getting sober.

Favorite song? “Never Gonna Break My Faith” by Aretha Franklin

What’s your favorite word? I am a lover of words, so all words are my favorite.

Who’d play you in the movie of your life? Octavia Spencer

What’s your favorite meal to cook? My mother was known for her sweet potato pie, and so that’s

What was the hardest part about writing your new book? Editing, reliving some of the past.

what I love to do, bake the sweet potato pie. I remember the first time that I made it, I was so proud that they came out and didn’t burn up. You know that I had my mother taste it. Of course, she wasn’t going to tell me to my face that it tastes almost like hers, but she told my sister that it did, and I was so proud to know that I followed her recipe. She always said anybody can cook as long as they can read a recipe. I was so nervous taking the pie over there because I was like, will it live up to her legend? And it did. I just continued to perfect it, and I just love baking.

Describe a perfect day for you. Waking up, having time to sit on my porch and listen to the sounds that my Higher Powers are creating.

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