C-VILLE Weekly | February 15 - 21, 2023

OUR 35TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON BEGINS WITH LOVE

AND LAUGHTER!

“One of the most accomplished Shakespeare companies in the United States. The Blackfriars Playhouse...is a breathtaking evocation of a 16th- century London theatre.” (The Telegraph, Britain)

AS YOU LIKE IT

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

FEBRUARY 17–

MAY 14, 2023

Love is complicated, and nowhere more so than the Forest of Arden, where disguised lovers on the run meet cute, and happy endings including four— count them, four–weddings ensue. Catch one of Shakespeare’s most beloved romantic comedies!

VA

BY SARAH RUHL FEBRUARY

24–

MAY 13, 2023

A fresh look at a timeless love story! Dying too young on her wedding day, Eurydice must journey to the underworld, where she reunites with her father and struggles to remember her lost life. “A love letter to the world...magical” (The New York Times).

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15 –21, 2023

Fun and games

Charlottesville’s News & Arts Weekly

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EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Richard DiCicco richard@c-ville.com

NEWS REPORTER

Brielle Entzminger reporter@c-ville.com

CULTURE EDITOR

Tami Keaveny tami@c-ville.com

COPY EDITOR

Susan Sorensen

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Maeve Hayden

CONTRIBUTORS

Rob Brezsny, Amelia Delphos, Matt Dhillon, Carol Diggs, Shea Gibbs, Mary Jane Gore, Will Ham, Erika Howsare, Justin Humphreys, Kristin O’Donoghue, Lisa Provence, Sarah Sargent, Jen Sorensen, Julia Stumbaugh, Courteney Stuart, Eshaan Sarup, Paul Ting, Sean Tubbs, David Levinson Wilk

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

ART DIRECTOR

Max March max@c-ville.com

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Billy Dempsey circulation@c-ville.com

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MEMBER Virginia Press Association

Junior Golf

THIS WEEK

Hello, Charlottesville! Thank you for reading C-VILLE Weekly. For this issue’s feature story, I was a fly on the wall, so to speak, at a University of Virginia game jam (p. 21). I had been eager to cover one of these events since I started working at C-VILLE, and was thrilled to see that the UVA Student Game Developers were participating in the Global Game Jam at the beginning of this month.

You might wonder what a game jam is. Game jams are improvisational competitions where solo participants or teams aim to design a complete video game in a strict amount of time. This year’s Global Game Jam gave teams 48 hours to create a game based around the theme of “roots.” The Student Game Developers brainstormed for a night before splitting into two groups, each one working on a different game. Observing the creative process and listening to them talk about their various responsibilities on each game was exciting, as was getting the opportunity to try out the finished product. I hope you enjoy learning about what it takes to succeed in a game jam, even if you don’t play video games.

2.15.23

I’ve never done a game jam before, but I have participated in a 48-hour film festival. In that case, we had to write, shoot, and edit a short film in a weekend. I wrote the screenplay in a night and assisted with the filming (while occasionally sneaking away to take naps). Creating something within such restrictions can often lead to all sorts of new ideas and workarounds. They push you to think quicker and, in a way, can even be liberating.—Richard

SUMMER BODIES ARE MADE IN THE WINTER

LOWEST COOLSCULPTING PRICING

Through February, treat under your chin, around your bra/back, sides, thighs, and stomach at our lowest CoolSculpting pricing: $400 per cycle!

DiCicco

TWO LATEST BOOKS & MORE from local Author William A. James, Sr.

-

Seller Review: Jordan sold our home quickly and helped us select the best offer out of the 8 we received in one weekend on the market. He was wonderful and insightful in what was an extremely stressful event. His ability to market our home was impressive. It never looked better in the pictures he took. The 3D touring technology he used was amazing. Highly recommend Jordan.

NEWS IN BRIEF

On the run

As of February 13, the Charlottesville Police Department is searching for 40-year-old Demetrius Andre Brown of Palmyra, who has been named as a suspect in connection to a February 8 shooting at Wicket Hits on Harris Street, which left an adult male injured. Brown has been charged with five crimes, including malicious wounding and maliciously shooting an occupied motor vehicle. Anyone with information regarding Brown’s location should call Detective Ross Cundiff at 970-3280

CASPCA investigation

The Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA Board of Directors has hired international law firm McGuireWoods to independently review “criticisms and complaints” about the shelter, and speak with “all relevant parties,” reads a February 8 press release. After the investigation, which is expected to be completed in May, the board will “assess the results and recommendations, [and] take appropriate actions.” Since last month, a group of more than 100 current and former staff and volunteers have made allegations of internal dysfunction and animal mistreatment at the shelter, and called for the removal of CEO Angie Gunter. The group, calling itself CASPCA Concerns, wants Gunter to be placed on administrative leave during the investigation, and the law firm to reach out to them.

Shots fired

On February 12, Albemarle County police responded to a shots fired report in the Red Crab restaurant parking lot at around 11:30am. When officers arrived, they learned that an adult female had been injured, and was taken to the hospital in a private vehicle. Anyone with information about the shooting should contact Detective Garrett Moore at 296-5807.

PAGE 10

Ellis confirmed to UVA Board of Visitors

Controversial conservative businessman Bert Ellis has been confirmed to the University of Virginia Board of Visitors.

On February 7, the Virginia Senate struck down a resolution brought forth by state Sen. Creigh Deeds to remove Ellis’ name from the final list of appointees. Democratic state Senators Lynwood Lewis and Chapman Petersen rejected the resolution alongside Republicans, bringing it to a 20-20 vote. Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears broke the tie.

Since Gov. Glenn Youngkin appointed Ellis, Ellis Capital CEO and Jefferson Council president, to the board in July, UVA students, faculty, and community members have called for his removal, pointing to Ellis’ recent actions against a UVA student, and his criticism of diversity, equity, and inclusion reforms at the school.

In 2020, Ellis confronted Lawn resident Hira Azher in front of her room about a sign she put on her door that said: “Fuck UVA. UVA Operating Costs: KKKops, Genocide, Slavery, Disability, Black and Brown Life.” According to Ellis’ own account, he “was prepared to use a small razor blade to remove the [Fuck UVA] part.” (Two UVA ambassadors stopped him from cutting the sign.) In a 2021 Jefferson Council blog post, Ellis also wrote that replacing BOV members was Youngkin’s “only opportunity to change/reverse the path to Wokeness that has overtaken our entire University.”

Azher was “deeply appalled” and “infuriated” by Ellis’ confirmation.

“It is clear that he is willing to endanger students, especially marginalized students, in the name of his own deeply racist values,” says Azher. “The governor [and] Senate … have directly chosen to not

only disregard, but actually harm BIPOC students, and to continue the legacies of white supremacy at this institution.”

Though disappointed in his resolution’s failure, Deeds remains optimistic.

“We sent a message that there’s a whole lot of people concerned about Mr. Ellis’ behavior,” says Deeds. However, “I’m convinced Bert Ellis cares about the university … I know there will be conflicts, but I’m hopeful they will be worked out.”

Ellis faced even more backlash after an August Cavalier Daily article revealed that, as a UVA undergrad, he invited eugenicist William Shockley to the school for a debate titled “The Correlation Between Race and Intelligence” in 1974 during Black Culture Week, despite backlash from Black student groups. Ellis, then chairman of the University Union, also denied the school’s Gay Straight Union’s request to co-sponsor a 1975 event featuring gay rights activist Frank Kameny.

Since summer, the UVA Student Council, University Democrats at UVA, UVA Faculty Senate, Cavalier Daily editorial board, and Democratic Party of Virginia have called for Ellis’ resignation or removal.

Following Ellis’ confirmation, the University Democrats criticized Lewis and Petersen for ignoring student and faculty concerns, while the UVA Student Council Executive Board vowed to continue to stand up for marginalized students.

“The fight to make our institution a better place is not over yet,” said the Cavalier Daily’s 134th Editorial Board in a statement. “We will be watching the Board closely in the coming months.”

Ellis will serve on the board until June 30, 2026.

SAADIQ HASSAN CREATIVE COMMONS

Bert Ellis Jr.

EZE AMOS

“We mourn the loss of beautiful souls and pray for those continuing to fight for their lives. ... Another place that is supposed to be about community and togetherness shattered by bullets and bloodshed.”

—

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, mourning the three students killed and five critically wounded by a shooter at Michigan State University

Out... Hang Abode

Taking action

Local barbers aim to reduce gun violence with free haircuts

To serve students who may not have a way to get to the barber shop, the initiative leaders have partnered with CCS and ACPS to bring barbers into schools. On January 24, barbers gave more than 30 free haircuts at CHS, and on February 13, provided 30 more at Buford Middle School. Teachers and administrators have also volunteered to bring students to appointments at the shop.

“All those kids [at CHS] were looking rough and joking on each other … but as soon as those shape ups were put on them and the fades were done, they were like, ‘Oh my gosh, you look so good,’” says Garay. “Just that in itself is so important.”

To date, barbers have provided more than 150 free haircuts at schools and House of Cuts. Later this month, they will head to Albemarle High School. And next month, Lugo-McGinness Academy students will take a trip to the Corner shop.

Soon, the initiative will go beyond haircuts—in partnership with CharlottesvilleAlbemarle Technical Education Center, 100 BMOCV and House of Cuts are working to develop a barber program, which the center has not had since 2015.

By Brielle Entzminger reporter@c-ville.com

Since the fall, Charlottesville and Albemarle County have seen a significant spike in shootings—several involving juveniles. On January 23, a male juvenile was injured in a shooting in the area of Sixth and Garrett streets. Three months earlier, Charlottesville police arrested three teenage boys, ages 14 to 17, in connection with an October 15 Omni Hotel parking lot shooting that left two male juveniles injured. After a middle school student Daniel Fairley works with was shot multiple times on Hardy Drive on November 12, he and Fernando Garay wondered how they could help stop gun violence among young people.

Changing the profile

“We had just both felt that pain for the city,” says Garay, owner of House of Cuts Barber Studio, located on the UVA Corner. “[We thought], ‘What can we do to create preventative measures and an impact?’”

“[We wanted] to address the issue right here, right now,” adds Fairley, president of the 100 Black Men of Central Virginia.

After securing a large donation from the Charlottesville Alliance for Black Male Achievement, House of Cuts and the 100 BMOCV offered 100 free haircuts to Charlottesville High School students in December, aiming to provide young Black and brown men a safe space to open up

about their feelings and struggles—and receive guidance and advice from men who experienced similar challenges. Now, all Charlottesville and Albemarle County public school middle and high schoolers can come into the shop for a free cut, thanks to the over $3,000 in donations the program—dubbed the #100Cuts Initiative—has received from local organizations and residents.

“When you look clean, that really just helps you with your day-to-day life,” says Garay, pointing to young men who get teased when they don’t have their hair cut. “When you look better, you feel better. When you look cleaned up, you perform better.”

“There’s almost an air of invincibility that comes from the kids when they step out of the barber’s chair,” says Fairley, who is also a youth opportunity coordinator focused on Black male achievement for the City of Charlottesville. “When you come out of the chair, no one can do anything but lift you up.”

The free cuts have been a big help for students whose families cannot afford to take them to the barber shop—a cut typically costs $40 at House of Cuts. (Each sponsored cut costs a discounted $30.)

“Some of these students … only received a haircut previously during our free back to school bash [in August],” says Garay. “This is a need for the community—not a want for the community.”

“[The program] will allow kids to be pulled out of these circumstances [and] see themselves in a different way [and] a future for themselves,” says Fairly. “The things you think you may be wanting or getting in the streets, it’s not the same as what you can be getting legally through barbering.”

Some students who have received free haircuts have already shown interest in becoming a barber, says the initiative’s Community Engagement Coordinator Amanda Burns. A teacher shared with Burns that one student “never talked about anything that he wants to do in the future,” but after he came to the shop for a cut, “we had to start googling clipper sets.”

Longtime barber Will Jones—Garay’s mentor—will lead the new program, which will allow both high schoolers and recent grads to participate, and offer night classes “to keep kids out of trouble” after school, says Fairley.

In addition to training students to earn their barber license, the program will partner with local nonprofits to teach students entrepreneurship skills, and with Black therapists to provide them with counseling and mental health training.

“Barbers often act as confidants, and are trusted with important sensitive information from their clientele,” says Fairley. “We want to prepare them for those experiences.”

This summer, the organizations plan to start fundraising for the barber program, something that will cost between $30,000 and $40,000 to get off the ground. They aim to launch next year.

To donate to the #100Cuts Initiative, visit linktr.ee/100cuts.

“This is a need for the community—not a want for the community.”

FERNANDO GARAY, HOUSE OF CUTS OWNER

House of Cuts barbers have provided more than 150 free hair cuts to local middle and high schoolers.

EZE AMOS

While his colleague expanded vertically, an Alloy Workshop co-owner reimagined his first floor

collaborationfunky-cool between artists Abby Kasonik and Kiki Slaughter— what a bright idea!

Planning ahead

Officials walk through the city’s carbon neutrality plans

By Eshaan Sarup news@c-ville.com

The Charlottesville Climate Action Plan is 97 pages long and chockfull of graphs, charts, and infographics. While the plan will affect everyone who lives in the city, the document can hardly be considered digestible for the average resident

On February 8, the Piedmont chapter of the Virginia Sierra Club attempted to rectify this. The nonprofit hosted a Zoom meeting with city employees to help demystify the Climate Action Plan.

“The point of this presentation is not to bore you for 45 minutes with slides and talking,” said Kristel Riddervold, the environmental administrator for the city. She said her goal was to “have a productive question-and-answer session.”

The objective of the Climate Action Plan is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The plan, formally adopted on January 17, is still in its early stages. Riddervold described it as “a highlevel strategic roadmap” and a “dynamic document.”

“We are working to develop measurable success indicators for each key action,” explained Emily Irvine, climate program specialist for the city. “It’s not cut and dry … each action has a sort of different success indicator that we are trying to figure out and also learn how to share with our community because reporting and accountability is a big part of this,” she said.

Kirk Bowers inquired about tax credits from the federal government for residents who purchase sustainable products like ebikes and solar panels. “A lot of the guidelines are pending … so as soon as we know those, we want to connect people with them,” said Riddervold. “And it’s frustrating, because there was a lot of excitement built up around that these things are going to become available. Well, they kind of are, they also kind of aren’t.”

Linda Goldstein asked about the link between pedestrian safety and climate change. Riddervold said the plan “emphasizes the need for improved walkability, bikeability, and alternate transportation,” but acknowledged that she

“does not have the answer today” on how to assure personal safety.

Riddervold, who admitted there were other questions she could not answer, said she was “not 100 percent sure” when the alternate fuel study would be completed for the possible electrification of the CAT fleet. When discussing the importance of maintaining tree canopies, she emphasized there were “a number of things in the plan that are connected to the tree canopy,” but conceded “there’s only so much space, and there are so many things that everybody wants in that same space.”

Executive Director of Community Climate Collaborative Susan Kruse told CVILLE the plan is an “important step forward,” but said “there is still work to do.”

Kruse mentioned that the city still owns a gas utility and that First United Methodist Church was blocked from installing solar panels by the Board of Architectural Review.

“We want to make sure we get that rectified and remove those barriers as quickly as we can,” she said.

Matthew Gillikin, co-chair of Livable Cville, echoed that the plan is “an important step in the right direction for the city,” while noting that “it will need fine-tuning over time.”

Other outreach events are planned, including a community gathering on March 15 at Carter Recreation Center. The city is also working on publishing a condensed version of the Climate Action Plan.

Riddervold said the city will “continue to talk about what we are doing with community members, organizations, and partners, and [we] hope they can help with the education and supporting residents to take action and get involved.”

The objective of the climate action plan is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Donna Shaunesey, chair of the Virginia Sierra Club’s Piedmont Group, hosted a February 8 Zoom meeting to answer questions about Charlottesville’s 97-page Climate plan.

SUPPLIED PHOTO

SEAMUS EGAN PROJECT

Egan has inspired multiple generations of musicians and helped define the sound of Irish music today.

A

Ali Smith and Atman Smith

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

The most renowned of Oscar Wilde’s comedies, this elaborate plot ridicules Victorian sensibilities with beloved, and indeed bizarre, characters. MAR

FEB

Ali Smith

Atman Smith

Dr. Paul Harris, educator and founder of Integrity Matters, LLC

Dickinson Fine and Performing Arts Center Main Stage Theater at Piedmont Virginia Community College

122

Boxwood Court - NEW LISTING!

Open Living Space w Laundry & half bath, Blue Ridge Mountain Views, Gas Fireplace & Formal Columns enhance the design & appeal of this lovingly cared for home. Must See!

Albemarle County

This gorgeous, one of a kind, 7,000+ sq. ft. home in Bentivar features 6 Bedrooms, 5 Full and 2 Half Baths. The Grand curved staircase, archways, columns, dental molding, built - in cabinetry & woodworking throughout are easy to impress. Main level bedroom suite attached to formal office. Wraparound decking and massive screen porch overlook your private 2+ Acres. Tremendously large eatin kitchen flows to the 2nd Staircase. The upper level features 3 bedrooms, plus a Master Suite with a private sitting room, balcony & double closets. The Unfinished Walk Up 3rd Level is ready to be whatever you can imagine! All this house on a finished walk out basement... What more can you want? Bentivar is ideally located in Albemarle County on mature spacious lots. $985,000

Spacious & Ideally Located

Move right in! 5 Bedroom Earlysville Rd Ranch on a full finished basement apartment. Main level kitchen just updated with NEW Appliances & Counters. Abundant light fills this space; just off the Sun Room. Upstairs features Hardwood Flooring, 3 Bedrooms & 1.5 Bathrooms, Large Living Room with Wood Burning FP, Dining Area, Sun Room & Large Rear Deck. The Terrace Level apartment set up has a Kitchen, Full Bath, 2 Bedrooms & FP. Inspection Completed. Major Infrastructure work completed recently, including: Windows, HVAC, Electric Panel x2, Septic pump, lines & field. Deck repaired & Stained, Light Fixtures, Boot vents, chimney cap, tree removal...etc.

2431 Walnut Ridge Lane

3763 Earlysville Road

a rarity in a townhouse. Perfect location minutes from UVA, Downtown, Wegmans, & I-64. The Avinity neighborhood is a true community where neighbors know each other. Enjoy the dog park, clubhouse, playground & full gym or meet your neighbors at a wine social or weekly food truck. Come see your new home today!

$450,000

Previous model home is now ready for you to move in! This like-new home in the newly sold-out Village Oaks neighborhood is perfect for thosewanting easy, single-level living. The open floorplan with LVP floors allows the natural light to flow through the home. The upgraded kitchen with an ample diningspace includes a island with bar is perfect for entertaining. With easy access to the patio and large yard, it is ready for hosting a backyard BBQ, playing in the yard, oryour favorite canine friend. The large owner’s bedroom has an attached bath with double vanities and an adjacent large walk-in closet. Two additional rooms, full bath,and laundry room completes the inside. The two-car garage has space for additional storage. The neighborhood takes care of the lawncare, trash, and snow removal;so you can relax on the weekends or simply walk across the street to the pool on a hot day. There is also a playground and clubhouse for when you want to entertainaway from home. All of this with a quick commute to Charlottesville and I-64. Come see your new home! $350,000

The main floor boasts an open concept allowing natural light to flow through. The large upgraded kitchen with gas range and tons of cabinet andcounter space is made for the home chef. The dining area is perfectly situated for entertaining. All this opens to the large living room with fireplace. Real hardwoodfloors flow throughout the living space. Two outdoor spaces give you tons of flexibility. Walk out to your patio perfect for grilling & enjoying some privacy or chooseyour front balcony with plenty of space for drinks or dinner while enjoying your mountain view. Go upstairs to find your master bedroom suite with a walk-in closet.Your master bath has two vanities & an upgraded tiled shower. Down the hall you will find two more bedrooms & a full bath. A laundry completes the bedroom level.On your bottom floor you will find a terrific 4th bedroom which is a perfect guest suite. The room is also large enough to be a family room or rec room. The two cardriveway & garage gives you plenty of parking & storage. Your new neighborhood is great with a clubhouse, gym, playground, & dog park along with food trucks &wine socials. Just minutes to Downtown, Wegmans, UVA & I-64. Come see it now!

UNDER CONTRACT

3434 MONTAGUE STREET

2104 AVINITY LOOP 105 VIRGINIA AVENUE

If You Are Thinking of Selling Your House, Call Sharon!

ROCK QUARRY ROAD

Unique building site overlooking a quarry lake. Serene setting for a home. Gated, private entrance. Road to home site in place. 3 private properties share lake and access, sandy beach, cabana and 20 acres of common land (including a large utility barn). Convenient to Zion Crossroads and Charlottesville. $350,000

SERENITY DRIVE

Monte Sereno 5 Lot Subdivision! 4 two acre lots and 1 five acre lot. Stunning Blue Ridge Mountain views from the top of the hill to the west. Far reaching vistas define this property. Perfect for building a spectacular estate home. Create your own covenants and restrictions. High speed internet is available now. One owner is a licensed real estate broker in the state of Va. Located one mile off 29 North off of Frays Mill Rd. Less than 10 minutes for all conveniences. $1,500,000

KESWICK LANE

Dramatic, open floor plan custom built by Shelter Associates, in Keswick Estate. Thoughtfully designed large comfortable living areas, and a stunning formal dining room.The wide cased openings allow for graceful flow throughout the first floor. Gorgeous marble countertops in the kitchen with fabulous custom cabinets and lighting.The extended exterior living space sets this home apart with a sunroom and terraces. The open turned staircase leads to a full, partially finished terrace level. Set on over 3 acres, this elevated, private parcel backs up to an adjacent horse farm. Many beautiful features including: custom moldings, sunken English gardens, geothermal heating, 3 car garage and 2 master suites on the main level.

701 STONEY CREEK WEST $1,169,000 NELLYSFORD SUSAN CAMERON RERES (434) 953-5552

153 ORCHARD PL $995,000 AFTON MIKE PETERS (434) 981-3995

39 JACKS SHOP RD $425,000 ROCHELLE JAN SHIFLETT (434) 242-6057

653 IRISH RD $410,000 SCOTTSVILLE CHRISTA DEREEMER (434) 987-2165

5781 GOLF DR $899,900 CROZET KATE COLVIN (434) 996-5008

3252 MT AIRY RD $334,250 LOUISA SUSAN STEWART (434) 242-3550 168 CHESHIRE LN $279,080 WAYNESBORO BEVIN BOISVERT (434) 996-8633

1017 CEDAR GROVE RD $290,900 RUCKERSVILLE GRIFFEN HILTON (804) 393-8340

LANGDON DR LOT 3 $279,000 DYKE STEVE WHITE (434) 242-8355

1100 DRYDEN LN, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA

WWW.HOWARDHANNA.COM/ROYWHEELER

Zoning in

Will increased density really bring more affordable housing?

By Sean Tubbs

The draft zoning map for Charlottesville points the way to a dense future for the city, all in the name of providing affordable housing. But the existing zoning still provides opportunities for additional residential density for those who can pay for it. Sometimes that means removing houses.

For example, a house built in 1893 at 704 Bolling Ave. in Belmont was demolished to make way for two new structures. Construction on the first, an accessory dwelling unit allowed under existing zoning at a cost of $195,000, began before the 19th-century building was torn down.

The work description for the demolition permit, issued on December 22, stated asbestos in the home would be removed prior to demolition. The toxic material was commonly used in construction for fire protection before its carcinogenic properties were realized, and all demolition or renovation requires a certificate describing whether the material is being handled correctly.

The cost to tear down 704 Bolling is listed in the application as $43,815. The property was last purchased in June 2021 for $400,000.

While the property does not have any historic protections, it was built by the Belmont Land Company as part of one of the first expansions of Charlottesville in the last decade of the 19th century. The name Bolling comes from one of the vice presidents of that firm.

Another house at 615 Bolling Ave. sold on January 30 for $760,000, after extensive renovations, for $180,000 over the 2023 assessed value. The original house was built in 1920 and last purchased in January 2021 for $165,000, or about $50,000 under the assessed value that year. That purchaser began work, but was told to stop because the asbestos certificate had not been turned in. Only then did the owner apply for building permits for renovations of the existing house, as well as construction of a onebedroom accessory dwelling unit.

A third house on the street that was also built in 1920 will meet the same fate as 704 Bolling. A firm with the name Antsy Me

LLC purchased 922 Bolling Ave. for $322,000 on June 30, 2022, and was issued a demolition permit this month.

Under the draft zoning code, all three properties on Bolling Avenue would be zoned as Residential-A. That would allow three units on the property if the existing structure is torn down, but four if the existing structure is kept.

The current president of Preservation Piedmont says those new rules will likely result in more demolition because there are no incentives.

“There is such a desire here, as elsewhere, for upscale residential single-family construction despite the ordinance‘s stated intention to increase other types of housing,” says Genevieve Keller. “Those who can afford to buy or build right now appear to be favoring single family dwellings.”

The change could make demolitions more common, but it’s not cheap to take down a house. In the past year, the demolition of 707 Forest St. cost $10,000. The takedown of 128 Harmon St. was $25,000. Teardowns and renovations are nothing new in Charlottesville. In November 2021, a firm called Daddy Rabbit bought a house at 903 Charlton Ave. in the Rose Hill neighborhood for $160,000, and more or less gutted the structure to make way for new residents. The house sold last November for $525,000. The previous occupant had lived there since 1950, until her death in April 2021.

That particular property is also zoned Residential-A, but the Future Land Use Map classifies it as “Sensitive Communities.” That means additional rules are supposed to be written to stop displacement.

There are many who state with certainty what will happen under those new rules. The reality is, the future of Charlottesville will be built parcel by parcel, including continued removal of structures people have called home for generations.

“Our last affordable houses such as 922 Bolling are the low-hanging fruit for teardowns,” Keller says. “But even so, the loss of embodied carbon and human toil is surprising when a buyer decides to demolish a house with a brand new roof, fresh paint, and new appliances.”

Several houses on Bolling Avenue in Belmont have been demolished recently to make way for new structures.

STAFF PHOTO

BLACKBERRY HILL FARM

Impeccable country property with an attractive, well designed and self-sustaining 5,525 fin. sf residence on 38± acres with 3-car garage, barn and Blue Ridge Mountain views. A peaceful oasis easily accessible to Charlottesville and Washington DC. MLS#634846

$1,550,000 Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250

GLEAN DA LOCH

Exquisite quality Georgian home, circa 2020, 8.18 acres in a unique 2500 acre equestrian and farming community known as Bundoran Farm, 90% of land is in conservation, only 10 miles to Charlottesville. The home has many lovely antique and new architectural features incorporated into its design and is flooded with light coming through the tall French doors and windows on all sides. Lovely pastoral, water and mountain views, miles of trails, stable and paddock. Peaceful country living just 15 minutes into town! MLS#638316

$1,695,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

Private 18 acre horse farm, with 4-bedroom main residence, 1-bedroom cottage, beautiful 8-stall center aisle barn, outdoor riding ring, and several fenced pastures and hay fields. With access onto 570 plus acres of parkland with trails. MLS#632164

$1,295,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

THE WILLIS

59 acres pastures and mountain woodland, magnificent views from circa 1920 farmhouse, large barn with stalls situated in quiet rural area of Nelson County. Vineyard nearby, 7 miles to shopping. Great grazing farm, possible to grow grapes. MLS#638289

$595,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

Southern Albemarle estate with 1.5 miles of frontage on the James River with 540± acres of highly fertile, gently rolling landscape. Historic farmhouse dating to the late 1700s offers extensive views of the river. Under conservation easement with the VOF. MLS#630470

$4,865,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

STONY POINTE

A spacious and meticulously maintained 4-6-BR, 5.5-BA Manor home on 57 acres of tranquility.

Panoramic views of the Southwest Mountains and winter views of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west. Located 6 miles from Charlottesville. MLS#638292

$2,575,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

317 acre estate that has it all: location, views, water, a spectacular 5-BR residence, event center and more! The 15+ acre lake is centered among lush rolling fields of rich grass and unparalleled views. Additional acreage available. 25 minutes west of Charlottesville. MLS#631962$8,875,000SteveMcLean,434.981.1863

ASHCROFT

Lovely 3490 fin. sq. 3-4-bedroom house in Ashcroft neighborhood on private 1.6 acre lot. 2-story entrance hall leads into a sunny living room off the center island cook’s kitchen with adjacent breakfast room opening to a raised deck, formal dining room, large main floor master bedroom suite, and half guest bath. Upstairs offers 2-bedrooms and 1 full bath off of a large landing. Lower level has recreation/family room, full bath, 1 bedroom or small office and inside access to the oversized 2-car garage.

$695,000 Tim Michel, 434.960.1124

DUDLEY MOUNTAIN ROAD

Unique 88-acre property with 4-bedroom home. Property includes two-car garage, storage shed/ shop and 3,760 square foot multipurpose building. Beautiful mountain and lake views just 4 miles from Charlottesville. MLS#635483 $1,275,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

HATTON

175 acre grazing farm with 2/3 mile frontage on the James River. Impressive 4-5 bedroom, brick Georgian home, circa 2000 in excellent condition. Fertile James River bottomland for gardens, plus many recreational uses. MLS#632477 $2,670,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

RIDGE FARM

FARM

RIVER LAWN FARM

EVERGREEN HILL

PEA RIDGE FARM

SUNNYSIDE

Remarkably large parcel located convenient to Charlottesville and UVA. Exceptional Blue Ridge views, charming farmhouse (in need of restoration). Under VOF easement but with divisions into already predetermined parcels. MLS#585228 $4,400,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

RED HILL

10 miles south of Charlottesville, a beautiful 283 acres, rolling to hilly, mostly wooded tract, borders Walnut Creek Park, with lake and miles of trails. This land has pastures, trails, creeks and a river! Many homesites, NO EASEMENTS. MLS#634310 $1,995,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

SOUTHWIND ESTATES

3 separate parcels with commanding Blue Ridge Mtn. views, level building sites 15 minutes from Charlottesville. Sites have been perked, have wells, and ready for your dream home. MLS#632482 $375,000 (7.8 acres), MLS#632490 $275,000 (2.4 acres), MLS#632487 $175,000 (2.0 acres), Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700

TURKEY

33-acre property with beautifully constructed 3-4-bedroom home. Home features great room with dramatic stone fireplace and panoramic views and large master suite with private deck. Peace, privacy and tranquility unsurpassed, but close to town.

MLS#635341 $1,725,000 Jim Faulconer,434.981.0076

K’DEE FARM

Embodying the essence of country life! 214+/- acre farm with spacious main residence, 3-car garage with apartment, dependencies & farm buildings. Many agricultural & recreational uses.Easily accessible to Charlottesville, Orange, I-95 & DC region. MLS#636896 $1,975,000 Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250

BROOMFIELD FARM

29 acres fronting Blenheim Rd. a small agricultural & residential subdivision with CCR’s, but NO HOA. 2 buildable lots, with an historic red barn, silo, & an 8-stall stable. Driveway in place, underground power, well & water, & several building spots with mountain views.

MLS#624834 $495,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

CROZET AREA

Beautiful building lot -3.3 acres, fronting on a quiet paved county road. Land is mostly in pasture, some woods, creek and elevated homesite with panoramic views of mountains, pond, and surrounding pastoral area. Less than a mile to Harris Teeter at Crozet.

MLS#636349 $450,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

820 CONDO

Well-designed corner condo consisting of an exceptionally bright great room with high ceilings, ample space for both relaxed living and dining, 1-BR, 1-BA, and inviting private balcony. Views of the Downtown skyline and mountains. MLS#634496 $285,000 Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250

MURPHY’S CREEK FARM

Wonderful gently rolling parcel of land with just under 26 acres, 18 miles south of Charlottesville. The land is wooded (mostly hardwoods) with an elevated building site, stream/creek, total privacy, and long road frontage. MLS#619394 $229,500 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

LYNX FARM LANE

Great building lot in Ivy! Over 2.5 acres less than 6 miles to Charlottesville and UVA. Your future dream home could sit on this beautiful, wooded land, the perfect combination of country and city access. Murray Elementary School District. MLS#634897

$165,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

SIMMONS GAP/ ESTES RIDGE

10 acres of mature woods. Property has long road frontage and consists of two parcels being combined and sold as one. No HOA! Design and build your dream residence on this very well-priced parcel. MLS#621178 $189,000 Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250

GREENTREES

94+ acres 20 minutes from Charlottesville. Originally part of a 188-acre tract, two parcels may be purchased separately or together, with 2 developmental rights each. Mostly maturing pine and very long public road frontage. MLS#635861

$700,000 Tim Michel, 434.960.1124

SAG ROAD

DOUGLAS AVENUE

Fantastic condo at Belmont Lofts. Great location on a quiet street. Large rooftop terrace with sunrise and sunset views. Mountain views to the East. 3 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms. Condo features an open kitchen with an island, gas fireplace and large closets.

CHURCH PLAINS DRIVE

Beautiful 2.15 acre lot set in a quiet neighborhood, in the western school districts. A bright open floor plan with vaulted entrance and a turned staircase. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, full unfinished basement plus a large 2 car garage. Hardwood floors throughout the first floor. Large, bright kitchen with island, pantry, and terrific breakfast room. The kitchen looks into the family room that features a wall of windows and a fireplace. The wrap-around front porch takes in the lovely setting.The rear deck overlooks the large yard with room to play and a great place to garden.

Youdon’tevenhavetochoosesides.

Youdon’tevenhavetochoosesides.

Butyoushouldtrytosurroundyourselfwithasmuch talentaspossibleonthefield...andinyourneighborhood.Encouragingandacceptingdiversityinyourcommunity willpromoteagreatersenseofengagement,betterprepareyour childrenfortheglobalcommunitytheywillinhabit... giveusallaricherlife.Tobetterunderstandhowneighborhooddiversitywillbenefityouandyourfamily,pleaselogonto www.ARicherLife.org

Butyoushouldtrytosurroundyourselfwithasmuch talentaspossibleonthefield...andinyourneighborhood.Encouragingandacceptingdiversityinyourcommunity willpromoteagreatersenseofengagement,betterprepareyour childrenfortheglobalcommunitytheywillinhabit... giveusallaricherlife.Tobetterunderstandhowneighborhooddiversitywillbenefityouandyourfamily,pleaselogonto www.ARicherLife.org

Celebratingthe40thAnniversaryoftheFairHousingAct

Water Front 8+ Acres just 4 miles to Shopping & 15 miles to UVA!

Trout stocked river follows the entire boarder offering unique rock outcropping,pools & waterfalls. A great Silver Bamboo forest on the South East side. Beautiful large boulders on the western side with great Mountain Views… better views would be present with some clearing and an elevated homesite. This Wooded Retreat of a property has already been perc’d for a 3 Bed home.

Timber Oaks Subdivision

Timber Oaks Subdivision is a shovel ready Mixed-Use Development with a Variety of Housing types as well as 2 Commercial Blocks on Route 33.Conceptual Plans include 2 Entrances; 2 Phases & 3 Blocks. From Route 33 the Commercial block is located at the entrance followed by a Higher Density ResidentialBlock and then Lower Density Single Family Block at Pine Ridge Dr Entrance. This also includes almost 4 acres for Green Space (IE: Park; Playground; Tree PreservationArea). Opportunity Awaits!

926 Coleman Street

Keith Road Lot

122 Jefferson Hwy

Welcome

to the jam!

Video games are complicated. Even a game as deceptively simple as Pac-Man is composed of a delicate concoction of level design, character art, artificial intelligence, and audio/video signals, all powered by lines upon lines of code. Today, the biggest games in the industry, which draw revenue eclipsing Hollywood blockbusters, take years to develop and can involve hundreds of artists, designers, and programmers. The Last of Us took four years to make; a project as small as an iPhone game can take months. So when a group of University of Virginia students decided to make two games in just 48 hours, they were shooting for the moon. Continued on page 22

In just 48 hours, UVA students crafted two video games during Global Game Jam

By Richard DiCicco

TRISTAN WILLIAMS

such a daunting challenge, students were relaxed as they trickled into UVA’s Rice Hall, home of the Department of Computer Science and the computer engineering program, on a chilly Friday evening. The occasion was the 2023 Global Game Jam, and it was the first that the Student Game Developers would participate in since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A game jam can take all sorts of forms, from a massive formal competition to a creative exercise in a small office. The annual Global Game Jam, which was founded in 2008 and is managed by the nonprofit of the same name, is among the largest of its kind in the world. But no matter the size, the general idea remains the same: Game jams are about creating an entire video game in an extremely limited amount of time. It’s similar to a hackathon, or the 48 Hour Film Project held each year across the country—solo participants or teams register for the jam and are faced with a singular challenge, like a common theme, and a set deadline to submit their work.

Game jams tend to be makeshift affairs—anywhere you can plug in a laptop will do. For this year’s Global Game Jam, around a dozen UVA students gathered in a conference room with two whiteboards and a writable wall. They formed one of hundreds of sites, across more than 100 countries, with participants whose work would sit alongside thousands of others’ creations.

The Global Game Jam kicks off with the announcement of the year’s theme. This time, it was “roots.” Club president Jimmy Connors wrote the word in the center of one of the whiteboards.

How do you turn “roots” into a video game? You start, like with any creative project, by brainstorming.

So, Connors asked, what do we think of when we think of roots?

“I have no idea where to take that,” he said.

But ideas came fast from around the room: family roots, square roots, trees, plants, linguistic roots of words, root canals, hair roots, rooting for a sports team, musical roots of chords. The board filled up fast as participants played off of each other’s suggestions.

“You could do a game where you control a plant whose roots are continually growing, and you have to steer it into nutritious deposits.”

“The farther down you go, the rockier it gets and the harder it gets.”

“Well, there’s that restaurant, Roots.”

“So, trees can communicate through mycorrhizal networks, which are just root networks. So we could do some tree communication game that involves roots and networking.”

“Game that teaches you the basics of networking.”

“You control the roots of a tree and you can then discover things like fossils, like an archaeology game. You can pass by bones or discarded items.”

“A mystery deduction game where you’re trying to trace back the roots of what led to whatever event.”

“You want to guide the tree roots towards water, you want to guide them towards mineral deposits.”

“There are pollution spills that you have to steer away from.”

“And your score at the end is how deep your roots got.”

“A genealogy game?”

“The root of a computer. Think plants growing on a computer chip.”

“You have a little character that’s navigating in the computer file system, and you’re trying to get to the root of the computer so you can hack it.”

“Oh, trying to get root access!”

Connors went around the room again and again, whittling down everyone’s ideas. One by one, different roots were crossed off, until they had two promising concepts to pursue: a game about growing roots in a pot, and a game about exploring a computer as if it were a dungeon. The

group would need to split up and complete both of these games by Sunday at 5pm.

But so many questions still lingered. How are they going to manage two projects? Who in the room can program? Who can create artwork, like characters and backgrounds, for the games? Who can write background music? And, most importantly, who has time to devote to the game jam? When can people drop in over the weekend to work?

Some people had homework and exams to prepare for. Others weren’t experienced in Unity, the popular game development software the club used for the jam, which meant they’d need to spend time learning it.

There was so much to deliberate over. But first: pizza. They’d begin working in earnest Saturday morning.

Day two started with a Bodo’s run, which Connors considers crucial to the success of the game jam. “Food is big and good,” he says. “As an SGD president, sometimes it’s hard to get people to show up to make games for 10 hours on a weekend. Bodo’s helped a lot with getting people in the room.”

It was heads-down work in the conference room as the two teams set about designing and coding each game. The first, titled Overgrowth, would be about carefully drawing roots in a planter as they get longer and longer. It was inspired in

part by Snake, a game famous for coming pre-installed on Nokia phones, in which the player controls an ever-growing snake in a constrained space. The second game, Root Access, would be about exploring a maze-like computer system resembling a dungeon and cleaning out the viruses mucking up the place. This was inspired by another game jam game, The Binding of Isaac, which tasks players with navigating a procedurally generated series of rooms.

Oliver Mills, a third-year computer science student, worked on the textures for the roots in Overgrowth. This was his first game jam with the Student Game Developers, which he joined so he could learn to make his own game. “I’m working on a little self-project right now that reflects the weather, that has some realtime reflection of the weather in a game,” said Mills. “And I realized that I had no clue how to do anything with games.”

Fellow third-year CS student Ian Harvey is an officer in the club, and designed the computer terminal for Root Access, where players can input slash commands that trigger various effects. “We’re basing it around the idea of what is a computer’s structure, what the traversal may be in a theoretical world where you’re trying to get to the root of the computer,” said Harvey. A challenge his team faced was

“It’s always fun to just spend the weekend losing all my sleep and making whatever I can.”

IAN HARVEY, SGD CLUB OFFICER

TRISTAN WILLIAMS

University of Virginia students joined the Student Game Developers to participate in the 2023 Global Game Jam. They completed two games in a weekend, both based on the theme “roots.” In Overgrowth (top right), players control the roots of a growing plant. In Root Access (bottom right), players navigate an infected computer’s file system as if it were a dangerous dungeon.

in filling the game with things to interact with. “It comes down to assets, or actually making a dungeon that feels like it’s fun to traverse. Assets are one thing, being able to [code] a bunch of enemies to do specific things.”

Harvey is a seasoned game dev for an undergraduate, having directed a game in the club and worked on many others. Though he’s participated in other game jams, this is his first with the Student Game Developers. “I typically do one game jam a year in the summer,” he said. “I never do well in it, but it’s always fun to just spend the weekend losing all my sleep and making whatever I can.”

Catherine Xu, a second-year CS major, joined the event as her first game jam. On Root Access, her focus was on character movement and designing “mobs,” or mobile objects, like enemies. Some of the programming already existed for these elements; her job was then to assign them animations.

“The challenging part is trying to balance where we want the player to explore, but then also the necessary set path of actions they need to take to unlock the rooms [and] get to the destination,” said Xu. “So, we want it to be somewhat challenging, we want them to have fun exploring, but we also don’t want it to be too easy to figure out how to open doors and passwords and stuff.”

The final projects, available to play on the Global Game Jam website, reflect the project management skills, prioritization, and quick thinking of both teams.

In the finished version of Overgrowth, the player is presented with a cross-section of a houseplant as it first starts to take root. The player’s job is to click and drag the snaking roots to fill the limited space in the pot. Once each root reaches its maximum length, two more roots will sprout from it, which can also be dragged and drawn out to fill the pot. A bar rises on the right side of the screen to track the player’s progress, and at specific intervals the plant will be repotted and a new larger level will begin.

Root Access took shape as an action game, where the player navigates a virus-riddled computer as if it were a treacherous dungeon. Using the WASD keys to move from folder to folder, the player needs to eliminate bugs—represented as flies and spiders—from files. A computer terminal can be brought up with the forward slash key, where the player can input various commands that allow them to teleport to different locations or switch weapons.

Both feature all sorts of sensory flourishes, from the colorful hand-drawn aesthetic of a growing plant in a sunny greenhouse to the gritty pixel art representing an infected

computer. Pensive music accompanies the leisurely atmosphere of Overgrowth, while pounding techno thumps behind the intense gameplay of Root Access.

As president, Connors was most concerned with making sure the Global Game Jam was a fun and worthwhile event for everyone involved. But, personally, he was nervous about how developing a game as a team would play out. He’d only ever jammed by himself. How would splitting up roles work? Would the files all break each other if they were separated between different computers?

To his surprise, everything worked out fine.

“Definitely both [games] were constrained,” says Connors, who will graduate this spring. “I think that’s basically always true for game jams. You always have to cut half the stuff you thought of. … But that’s kinda how game jams are. It’s all about doing stuff quick, learning a bunch, and working with other people, doing cool things.”

You can play Overgrowth at globalgamejam.org/2023/ games/overgrowth-3 and Root Access at globalgamejam. org/2023/games/root-access-4-1.

Coping with Homesickness

dependence and plays an important role in their growth and development.

• Trust your instincts. While most incidents of homesickness will pass in a day or two, Thurber's research shows that approximately seven percent of the cases are severe. If your child is not eating or sleeping because of anxiety or depression, it is time to go home. However, don't make your child feel like a failure if their stay at camp is cut short. Focus on the positive and encourage your child to try camp again next year.

Also Check Out

• New Thinking Needed on Helping Kids Avoid or Cope with Homesickness

organization serving the more than 15,000 year-round and summer camps in the US who annually serve 26 million campers. ACA is committed to collaborating with those who believe in quality camp and outdoor experiences for children, youth, and adults. ACA provides advocacy, evidencebased education, and professional development, and is the only independent national accrediting body for the organized camp experience. ACA accreditation provides public evidence of a camp's voluntary commitment to the health, safety, risk management, and overall wellbeing of campers and staff. For more information, visit ACAcamps.org or call 800-4282267.

This summer, millions of children will get their first taste of independence at a summer resident camp. For many, it will also be their first experience with homesickness. But parents don't have to feel helpless when homesickness strikes. The prescription for camper homesickness is a simple solution of preparation and patience.

Phillips Exeter Academy psychologist Dr. Christopher Thurber studied homesickness in 329 boys between the ages of 8 and 16 at resident camp. According to his results, homesickness is the norm rather than the exception. A whopping 83 percent of the campers studied reported homesickness on at least one day of camp.

Thurber and the American Camp Association (ACA) suggest the following tips for parents to help their child deal with homesickness at camp:

• Encourage your child's independence throughout the year. Practice separations, such as sleepovers at a friend's house, can simulate the camp environment.

• Involve your child in the process of choosing a camp. The more that the child owns the decision, the more comfortable the child will feel being at camp.

• Discuss what camp will be like before your child leaves. Consider role-playing anticipated situations, such as using a flashlight to find the bathroom.

• Reach an agreement ahead of time on calling each other. If your child's camp has a nophone-calls policy, honor it.

• Send a note or care package ahead of time to arrive the first

day of camp. Acknowledge, in a positive way, that you will miss your child. For example, you can say "I am going to miss you, but I know that you will have a good time at camp."

• Don't bribe. Linking a successful stay at camp to a material object sends the wrong message. The reward should be your child's new found confidence and independence.

• Pack a personal item from home, such as a stuffed animal.

• When a "rescue call" comes from the child, offer calm reassurance and put the time frame into perspective. Avoid the temptation to take the child home early.

• Talk candidly with the camp director to obtain his/her perspective on your child's adjustment.

• Don't feel guilty about encouraging your child to stay at camp. For many children, camp is a first step toward in-

• The Secret Ingredients of Summer Camp Success, by Dr. Christopher Thurber. This DVD is every new camper family's roadmap to less homesickness and more fun.

Reprinted by permission of the American Camp Association. ©2023, American Camping Association, Inc.

About American Camp Association The American Camp Association® (ACA) is a national

Homesickness is the norm rather than the exception. A whopping 83 percent of the campers studied reported homesickness on at least one day of camp.

Saints Summer Camp is BACK!

Registration opens March 3

Camp dates: June 12 – 16, 19 – 23, 26 – 30 Learn

arts

Session 1: June 12-23

Session 2: June 26-July 7

Rising 1st-6th Grades

Contact Director Jocelyn Camarata 434-296-1303 ext. 501 spectrumdirector@tandemfs.org

Registration available at tandemfs.org/spectrum

Upcoming

summer camp guide dates: March 16th, April 13th and May 4th it's not too late to advertise your summer camp!

UVA MUSIC EVENTS

* denotes free events

Saturday 2/18, 8pm Old Cabell Hall

Friday 2/24, 8pm Old Cabell Hall

Sunday 2/26, 3:30pm Old Cabell Hall

The Roseland Quartet * Miller Arts Scholar String Quartet

Popebama * New works by music grad students

Nathaniel Lee, Trombone Part of the UVA Chamber Music Series

Tuesday 3/14, 8pm Old Cabell Hall Kaleidoscopia Trio * Violin, Viola, Cello

Friday 3/17, 1pm Music Library

Friday 3/17, 3:30pm 107 Old Cabell Hall

Saturday 3/18, 3:30pm Old Cabell Hall

Saturday 3/18, 8pm Old Cabell Hall

Making Noise in the Library * Afternoon with Carlehr Swanson

Colloquium: Nicole Mitchell Gant * A Showcase

Eugene Choo, Violin * Distinguished Major Recital

Charlottesville Symphony New World Symphony

All artists, programs and venues are subject to change. Office: 434.924.3052 music.virginia.edu Box Office: 424.924.3376 | artsboxoffice.virginia.edu

Date/Time/Place Event for more information visit music.virginia.edu/events Follow uvamusic

Subscribe to our weekly music email bit.ly/subscribe-uvamusic

CULTURE

CULTURE

FRIDAY 2/17

BELIEVE IT

Gospel musician Jonathan McReynolds isn’t a fan of church clichés and “Christian-ese.”

According to the Grammy Award winner, his albums “are about being authentic and genuine, pure and transparent.” His latest full-length, Make Room, is an exciting addition to the genre with powerful vocals and candid songwriting.

McReynolds is joined by fellow musician and collaborator DOE for an uplifting Black History

Month Gospel Concert. DOE got her start in a gospel septet before going solo and releasing the eclectic, vulnerable, neo soul EP, Brighter. Monique Steele-Griffiths and Chosen open. Free (registration required), 6:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

TUESDAY 2/21 & WEDNESDAY 2/22

PLAYING WITH TRADITION

Billy Strings’ live shows are guitar shred-filled fever dreams that feature all the improv aspects of bluegrass while totally rocking out. His 2021 release, Renewal, is an ambitious 16-song collection that infuses acoustic bluegrass with elements of heavy metal, jam bands, psychedelia, and classic rock. On Me/And/Dad, Strings leans into tradition for a collaboration with, and tribute to, his father, Terry Barber. The father and son trade memories, vocals, and licks on tunes from Doc Watson and Bill Monroe, as well as hymns and classics. $35 and up, 8pm. John Paul Jones Arena, 295 Massie Rd. johnpauljonesarena.com

SUNDAY 2/19

BEEP BEEP

Nobody’s doing it like NNAMDÏ. Mere months after releasing his genrefusing LP Brat, the Chicago-based do-ityourselfer released Krazy Karl, a brain-tingling tribute to Looney Tunes composer Carl Stalling. NNAMDÏ pays homage to Stalling’s iconic style on songs like “Coochie Cannon,” “The Lord is My Glock, I Shall Not Want,” and “Milkshake made my tummy hurt! It must be poisoned!”

NNAMDÏ took a brief period of rest before forging on to the next release, Please Have a Seat. “I wanted to be present,” he says. “Each song came from a moment of clarity.” NNAMDÏ also wrote, produced, and performed all 14 of the album’s songs. $15-17, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 First St. S. thesoutherncville.com

CULTURE THIS WEEK

Wednesday 2/15

music

Berto and Matt. Brazilian and Latin treasures will make you smile from the inside out. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com

Jim Waive. Classic country tunes from the man with a velvet voice and impressive beard. Free, 7pm. Blue Moon Diner, 606 W. Main St. bluemoondiner.net

Karaoke. Jen DeVille hosts this weekly song party. Free, 9pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com

words

Hidden History at the Battle of Trenton. Discussing James Monroe, John Sidebottom, and the hidden history at the battle of Trenton. Free, 1pm. Online. highland.org

classes

Paint & Sip: Garden of Love Wineglasses. The perfect date for you, your partner, or your pals. $50, 6pm. King Family Vineyard, 6550 Roseland Farm, Crozet. catelynkelsey designs.com

etc.

Bingo. Four games that increase in difficulty with prizes to match. Free, 6pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com

Block Night. An informal session for those interested in the art and craft of book and printmaking. Free, 5:30pm. Virginia Center for the Book, Jefferson School City Center, 233 Fourth St. NW. vabookcenter.org

It Happened One Night Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert hit the road in Frank Capra’s Oscar-winning comedy. $10, 7pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com

Rivanna Conservation Alliance Volunteer Open House. Learn about the many ways you can get involved with the watershed. Free, 4pm. Rivanna Conservation Alliance, 1150 River Rd. rivannariver.org

Tour The Paramount Theater. Dig into the historic theater’s history on a backstage tour. Free, 11am and 5pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

Thursday 2/16

music

Berto & Vincent. Wild gypsy rumba. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com

Thirsty Thursdays. Live music from Travis Elliott and Friends, and cider specials. Free, 1pm. Castle Hill Cider, 6065 Turkey Sag Rd., Keswick. castlehillcider.com

etc.

Eyes on Art. Specially trained docents engage people with Alzheimer’s in meaningful discussions about art. Free, 2pm. The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA, 155 Rugby Rd. uvafralinartmuseum.virginia.edu

The Great Migration: 20th Century African American Migration. UVA professor of civil rights and social justice, Kevin Gaines, discusses the Great Migration. Free, 3pm. Online. engagement.virginia.edu

Friday 2/17

music

Andy Tichenor. Live music, with food from Popitos Pizza. Free, 5:30pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potters craftcider.com

Beleza Trio’s Carnaval Celebration. Featuring Madeline and Berto Sales, and Matt Wyatt. Free, 6pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glass housewinery.com

Black History Month Gospel Concert. Featuring Grammy-nominated and Stellar Award-winning artist Jonathan McReynolds, with a special performance by DOE. Free, 6pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

Kai Crowe-Getty & Band. A new project of folk and rock songs. $10, 7pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com

Lint Collectors & Jameson Tank. With Beezin. $10-15, 8:30pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesouthern cville.com

dance

Silent Disco. An epic dance party featuring your favorite songs and a live DJ. Free, 10:30pm. Zocalo, 201 E. Main St., Downtown Mall.

words

Charlottesville Reading Series. Cycling journalist Chris Register and poet and performer imogen xtian smith read from their works. Free, 7pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. ndbookshop.com

outside

Playdates at the Playscape. BYO snacks and buddies and enjoy outdoor play. $20, 9:30am. Wildrock, 6600 Blackwells Hollow Rd., Crozet. wildrock.org

etc.

Fralin After Five: Art & Tasting. An evening of wine, chocolate, and jazz. Free, 5:30pm. The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA, 155 Rugby Rd. uvafralinartmuseum.virginia.edu

Saturday 2/18

music

Beleza Trio’s Carnival. Celebrate Carnival with Beleza’s funkalicious samba soul. Free, 8pm. South and Central Latin Grill, Dairy Market. southandcentralgrill.com

Thirsty Thursdays

Thursday 2/16 | Castle Hill Cider

Travis Elliott and Friends

Beneath Familiar Ground: Horace Scruggs in Concert. A multimedia learning and listening experience with personal stories woven in with spirituals, gospel, and jazz. $10-12, 7:30pm. PVCC’s V. Earl Dickinson Building, 501 College Dr. pvcc.edu

Berto’s Latin Guitar Brunch. Enjoy the sounds of Brazil, Spain, and Latin America with Berto Sales. Free, 11am. Tavern & Grocery, 333 W. Main St. tavernandgrocery.com

Her Checkered Past. Grab a glass and enjoy live music. Free, 2:30pm. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarleciderworks.com

Midnight North. The multi-instrumentalists have songwriting roots in folk and Americana. $15-18, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com

Shawn Colvin, Marc Cohn, & Sarah Jarosz. The musicians come together onstage for a special evening. $38-68, 8pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

Songwriters in the Round: Shannon Worrell, Jason Pollock, Thomas Gunn, & Terri Allard. An intimate, live music experience. $20-100, 7pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com

The Legwarmers. The ultimate ‘80s tribute. $20, 9pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com

The Michael Elswick Gathering. Jazz, blues, ballads, and Latin tunes. Free, 5pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com

The Roseland Quartet. Violinists Britney Cheung and Alex Taing, violist Isabelle Lesmana, and cellist Chris Fox present their fourth-year chamber recital. Free, 7pm. Old Cabell Hall, UVA Grounds. music.virginia.edu

Travis Elliott. A night of live music, and maybe a surprise guest. Free, 5:30pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potters craftcider.com

words

Storytime. Readings of recent favorites and classics. Free, 11am. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. ndbookshop.com

Tools for Gardening Smarter, Not Harder. The Piedmont Master Gardeners teach about handy tools for tending the yard and garden. Free, 2pm. Trinity Episcopal Church, 1118 Preston Ave. piedmontmastergardeners.org

Wajahat Ali and Fernando Valverde. The writer and poet read from their respective works. Free, 4pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. ndbookshop.com

outside

Playdates at the Playscape. See listing for Friday, February 17. $20, 9:30am. Wildrock, 6600 Blackwells Hollow Rd., Crozet. wildrock.org

Sunday 2/19

music

An Lár. An afternoon of traditional Irish music. Free, 1pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com

Carnival Celebration with Berto and Matt. An evening of Brazilian, Latin, and Spanish. Free, 7pm. South and Central Latin Grill, Dairy Market. southandcentralgrill.com

NNAMDÏ. The multi-instrumentalist and songwriter’s Krazy Karl is a full-length tribute to Looney Tunes composer Carl Stalling. $1517, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com

The Rimels. The father-and-son duo entertain with their original songs. Free, 2pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com

In writing

Singer-songwriter John Kelly pays tribute with ‘Three Bright Stars’

By Shea Gibbs arts@c-ville.com

John Kelly is a writer. Sometimes, he’s a songwriter. And with “Three Bright Stars,” he proves he’s a pretty damn good one.

Best known for his work as the Virginia Film Festival’s PR pointman, Kelly has been writing for decades—penning reams of corporate communications along with songs.

Before moving to Charlottesville in 2001, Kelly started his journeyman music career playing shows around his hometown in Connecticut and in New York. In 2000, he released his first EP, Brighter Days. It was a promising early effort, a kind of Leonard Cohen-meetsSpringsteen nugget of earthen salt.

Family life—particularly Kelly’s two children, small at the time—slowed the songwriter’s gigging through the aughts. But he never completely gave up the strings and singing lifestyle, and around 2010, he went back to it.

“Since then, it’s just been steadily building,” Kelly says. “It’s a matter of me recognizing again where that fits in my life.”

Where exactly does it fit? Like many singersongwriters dotting Charlottesville’s live music scene, it’s no longer about making it big for Kelly. He’s at a point in his life and career where if he weren’t happy making music for his own reasons, he wouldn’t do it anymore.

Since 2010, Kelly’s found more and more reasons to keep writing songs. He’s grown some critical musical relationships, played lots of shows, and consistently released tunes and tidbits on his social media channels. His second album, In Between, came out in 2020.

“I have watched the songwriting scene here evolve for a long time, and there is a great history here that we all know very well, but there are also the people that work behind the trade,” Kelly says. “I’m continually impressed with the art makers in Charlottesville and the singer-songwriters that come from so many different approaches. In this region, I think you have to speak in your own language.”

Helping rekindle Kelly’s love for making music has been local guitar legend and band shapeshifter Rusty Speidel. The pair hit it off when they met over 10 years ago and soon began discussing an album. For In Between, they went into the booth with James McLaughlin, and the result was a ringing tone and clean production under Kelly’s earnest vocals and bittersweet lyrics with spiritual underpinnings.

Kelly and Speidel have continued to collaborate in the three years since, and Kelly says he has nine songs in the bank for when they decide to record again.

“Like

“Three Bright Stars,” an ode to the UVA student-athletes shot and killed last November, is likely to be on any forthcoming John Kelly record. The pop gospel dirge, which has drawn nearly three times more streaming listens than any other track Kelly’s produced to date, tells the story of the student vigil on UVA’s South Lawn shortly after the shooting.

The song’s first verse describes the crowd arriving on the Lawn: “There had been microphones and TV lights, till the kids said take ’em down.” The second verse follows

the students on their way home: “There’s a man who sits beside the bridge—he’s there most every day and night; tonight the only thing he’s asking is, ‘Is everyone all right?’”

After arriving home himself, Kelly saw a photo of the event on social media. He said it clearly showed “three bright stars shining over the proceedings.” He had his chorus.

With the blessing of Matt Weber, UVA’s chief creative officer, who took the photo that inspired the song’s title and refrain, and Jody Kielbasa, vice provost for the arts, Kelly headed back to McLaughlin’s Mountainside Studio with Speidel, as well as Michael Clem, Chris Holden, and Richmond-based keyboardist Daniel Clarke.

They laid down the track, but Kelly felt it was missing a beat. Sensitive to the tragedies Charlottesville’s endured in the past several years and feeling his own tangential position in the student shooting, he’d had some reservations about putting “Three Bright Stars” out in the world. It was the students dealing with the tragedy whose story it was to tell, and he wanted them represented. “I asked myself, ‘Does there need to be another voice, and does it need to be mine?’” Kelly says. “I made a pact with myself to make sure I only recounted what I saw and what I experienced. It wasn’t going to make a statement about what should be done or assume any understanding of the way that these students felt or the way that these families felt.”

Kelly asked Michael Slon, director of UVA’s University Singers, to help complete the song. Slon gathered eight students to record a choral backing vocal, and “Three Bright Stars” was ready for release.

As for his own future, Kelly’s small kids have grown into young adults—and musicians themselves—and he has more time for writing these days. There’s that third album possibly coming soon, and he’s found a niche in local live performances, particularly on the winery and brewery circuit.

“I’m just really delighted to be any part of this incredible music community and to be able to release a song that seems to be resonating with people,” he says. “It was almost like it was supposed to happen in the way it did. And I feel honored that anyone is taking the time to listen.”

John Kelly penned “Three Bright Stars” after attending the vigil for the three UVA student-athletes who were killed in November.

so many of us here in Charlottesville,“ Kelly says, “I was stunned and heartbroken by the senseless violence that took those three remarkable young men and changed the lives of so many others forever.”

“I made a pact with myself to make sure I only recounted what I saw and what I experienced. It wasn’t going to make a statement about what should be done or assume any understanding of the way that these students felt or the way that these families felt.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33

Sunday 2/19

Three Notch’d Road, The Virginia Baroque Ensemble: Northern Lights. Three Notch’d Road’s musical tour of Europe continues with dance music and songs of Denmark, North Germany, Sweden, Norway, and Finland. $1025, 4pm. Grace Episcopal Church, 5607 Gordonsville Rd., Keswick. tnrbaroque.org

WTJU Vinyl Takeover. WTJU’s radio DJs spin records all afternoon, with brunch from Twisted Biscuits. Free, 1pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com

classes

Paint & Sip: Vibrant Sunset. Paint, sip, repeat. $35, noon. Tasting Room and Taphouse at Mount Ida Reserve, 5600 Moonlight Dr., Scottsville. catelynkelseydesigns.com

etc.

Reconstructed: Rebuilding African-American Communities Through Faith and Education. Musician, educator, and filmmaker Horace Scruggs digs deep into local history in his latest documentary. Free, 3pm. PVCC’s V. Earl Dickinson Building, 501 College Dr. pvcc.edu

Written on the Wind Lauren Bacall marries in haste and repents in luxury. $10, 1pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com

Monday 2/20

music

Berto and Vincent. From the flying fingers of Berto Sales to Vincent Zorn’s percussive rhythm, these seasoned musicians are making a mark with their uplifting performances. Free, 7pm. South and Central Latin Grill, Dairy Market. southandcentralgrill.com

Gin & Jazz. The Brian Caputo Trio performs in the Château Lobby Bar. Free, 5:30pm. Oakhurst Inn, 100 Oakhurst Cir. oakhurstinn.com

words

Poplar Forest: The Lost Private World of Thomas Jefferson. Travis McDonald, Poplar Forest’s director of architectural restoration, discusses the award-winning restoration of Jefferson’s plantation. Free, 5pm. Campbell Hall 153, UVA Grounds. arch.virginia.edu

Tuesday 2/21

music

Billy Strings. Two nights with the American guitarist and bluegrass musician. $35 and up, 8pm. John Paul Jones Arena, 295 Massie Rd. johnpauljonesarena.com

Red Hendrix. Blues, rock, and jam tunes. Free, 9:30pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com

Tower of Power. Funk and soul. Free, 7:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

Tuesday Evening Concert Series. Featuring Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Alessio Bax on piano. Free, 7:30pm. Old Cabell Hall, UVA Grounds. tecs.org

Vincent Zorn. Olé. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com

outside

Playdates at the Playscape. See listing for Friday, February 17. $20, 9:30am. Wildrock, 6600 Blackwells Hollow Rd., Crozet. wildrock.org etc.

Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night. Teams of two to six people play for prizes and bragging rights. Free, 8pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com

Color forms

Janet Bruce explores a nuanced palette in ‘Locus Amoenus’

By Sarah Sargent arts@c-ville.com

For artist Janet Bruce, the forced isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic was an opportunity to turn inward, to seek solace in nature and delve into a deep exploration of color. Directing her attention to the color theories of Goethe and Eugène Chevreul, as well as modern and contemporary colorists, Bruce produced over 360 color studies. This extensive foray is recorded in both a binder thick with diagrams, notes, and photographs, and the astonishing 13- by 8.5-foot installation “Color Study: On a Southern Horizon,” which features 247 of Bruce’s color analyses in a grid arrangement. These provocative artifacts are on view at Les Yeux du Monde in Bruce’s luminous show, “Locus Amoenus.” Latin for a place of safety and comfort, the title references not just a physical place—in this case, Bruce’s studio and the natural landscape she inhabits—but also a state of mind.

Hard work and introspection is evident in Bruce’s thrilling “Tree,” in which she pulls out all the stops. Bruce uses pigment and brushwork to describe the effects of light and shadow and delineate the features of the landscape, like the shape and texture of the vegetation or the crooked progress of a stream, but also to impart a sense of energy. Lavender and white zig-zagging lines buzz across the surface with fervid exuberance.

Bruce’s color choices and pairings are beautiful in themselves, but they also have a distinct veracity. This is notable in her treatment of sun versus sunlight. Low on the horizon, the sun has a golden cast, but when it hits the forest floor, Bruce adds green to yellow to achieve the peculiar, almost dayglo, effect of sun raking across moss.

“Tree” alternates between representation and abstraction. We perceive a woodland scene with foreground, middle ground, and background, while admiring the dazzling stew of pigment and gesture that roils across the surface and elevates an ordinary scene into an extraordinary painting.

The perfectly calibrated composition “All Four Seasons in One Day” draws on all of Bruce’s talent. Though a more abstract work, it shares with “Tree” a similar organization with a kind of Y shape taking the place of the central tree. Bruce balances the work chromatically with lavender passages in the upper left and lower right, and gray in the opposite quadrants. At the center, cinnamon and rosy purple converge to form the Y. A calligraphic swish of black meanders in and around its periphery, concluding in a squiggly flourish at the bottom.

To say Bruce uses pale yellow and white to compose her sun does a disservice to the complex passages she comes up with. The eye causes these mélanges of hues to coalesce into an impression of a particular color, but make no mistake, the artist’s colors are the

sum of many parts. To suggest wind-tossed branches fleetingly obscuring the sun, she adds flicks of paint—cream, pale green, and brown. Her rosy aura of rays staining the sky perfectly captures how the heavens look at sunset when it clears after rain. The pigment’s application throughout the work conveys the effects of weather and atmosphere—sheets of rain, blustery wind, raw temperature. Gray and lilac suggest a front pushing across the sky or the unrelenting gloom of heavy cloud cover.

“High Sun Day” may be a small work, but it grabs your attention. The bold, yet lyrical brushwork and nuanced palette of yellow and a tantalizing green strikes the perfect chromatic and gestural chord. Within the tangle of yellow strokes, you can see the speed of application and get a sense of brush moving paint along the surface. The areas where the pigment is more thickly applied act like highlights,

with the thinner areas appearing to dissolve into the background.

Bruce’s inspiration for her series “Four Seasons” comes from Nicolas Poussin and Cy Twombly—she embraces both the pastoral landscape tradition of Poussin and Twombly’s formal approach to materials and technique. Bruce has synthesized and distilled her seasons so that what we really get is sense memory impressions. Whether it’s winter’s frosted suspended animation, summer sun on greenery, a tawny scrawl suggestive of fall foliage, or the shimmering luminism of “Spring,” each painting summons up a distinct time of year through abbreviated means.

A handful of the artist’s “Materiali/Immateriali” prints hang in the show, but there are others available for viewing in the gallery’s flat files. These are well worth your time. Produced using color viscosity and silk aquatint (printmaking techniques), you can see the ravishing effects in the ink’s movement across the plate—drizzly in some places, vaporous in others—as well as the riveting interplay between the different hues.

Like so many of us, Bruce had very different plans for 2020. According to gallery director Hagan Tampellini, Bruce had been accepted into the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts residency program in Auvillar, France, but due to the pandemic, the program was canceled. Undeterred, she moved on to plan B: finding her locus amoenus in her own backyard.

Janet Bruce’s “Locus Amoenus” is on display at Les Yeux du Monde through February 26.

The eye causes these mélanges of hues to coalesce into an impression of a particular color, but make no mistake, the artist’s colors are the sum of many parts.

COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

WINE DOWN

WHAT’S DELISH AT LOCAL WINERIES?

53RD WINERY AND VINEYARD

2021 Cabernet Franc

This wine has the perfect balance of fruit, spice and earth with notes of cherries, red raspberries, black peppercorns, and warm leather! It’s perfect to age, but can easily be drunk now. Pair with roasted veggies, a perfectly seared filet mignon, or chocolate covered strawberries.

We are open 7 days a week, 11am to 5pm offering our 100% Virginia wine by the bottle, glass and tasting flights.  Enjoy your visit at our intimate, meadow-like setting in rural Louisa County.  we offer well-spaced indoor and outside seating and customers are welcome to bring their own picnic baskets, chairs and blankets. Children and pets are welcome, but pets must always remain outside of buildings and on a leash.  Quality wine, friendly staff at a great escape! Visit our website, www.53rdwinery.com.

Feb 18th – Live music by John Kelly and Blue Ridge Pizza Co.

Feb 25th- Taste the Future Barrel tasting (advance reservation required)

Open 7 days a week, 11 am – 5 pm

13372 Shannon Hill Rd Louisa, VA 23093 (540) 894-5474 • 53rdwinery.com

CASTLE HILL FARM CIDERY

Hewes Crab Pommeau Five Year Reserve

Our Hewes Crab Pommeau, arrested by Gold Rush eau de vie, is the result of over 5 years aging in neutral Hungarian Oak puncheons from Keswick Vineyards. Initial maturations in choice Kentucky bourbon barrels create a layered and complex profile. The appearance of light honey and amber when poured, gives way to subtle tears and gentle legs upon swirling. Delight in a spirituous kiss of bourbon on the nose followed by a gentle lift of caramel, toffee and vanilla. Savor each sip and explore complex flavors, layer by layer. Best served chilled.

Visiting Castle Hill Cider

Our expansive cider barn features a variety of ample seating including Adirondack chairs overlooking the rolling countryside and lake; farm tables for larger parties; as well as bistro seating and cozy couches for smaller groups. Inside the Tasting Room, you’ll find bistro seating and a roaring fireplace. Outdoors, there are a variety of options including patio and firepit seating available year-

round (weather permitting), and plenty of green space to walk the grounds or throw a football.

Castle Hill Cider welcomes all guests! We offer non-alcoholic beverage options and a delicious food menu. Well-behaved dogs on a leash are also welcome both indoors and outside. Dogs must remain leashed and with their owners at all times.

Feb 17th - Wine & Cider Maker

Panel Event

Hours:

Thursday 1-8pm

Friday 1-7pm

Saturday 11am-5pm Sunday 11am-5pm

6065 Turkey Sag Rd. Keswick, VA 22947

Tasting Room Text/Call: 434.365.9429 www.castlehillcider.com

CROSSKEYS WINERY

Fiore

A lustrous pink rosé of Cabernet Franc and Chambourcin with fruit flavors and aroma. Delicately pressed and fermented cool to preserve aromas of raspberries, grapefruit, and a hint of strawberry. Refreshing and light when served cold but bold enough to pair with a variety of dishes when lightly chilled. Soft cheeses, rich seafood dishes, or herb rubbed poultry will show off the complexity of the wine.

CrossKeys Vineyards is a family owned and operated winery located in the heart of beautiful Shenandoah Valley. Our approach is to grow, by hand, the highest quality fruit using careful canopy management and yield balance to achieve 100% estate-grown wines that are truly expressive of the varietal and soils here at CrossKeys. Our first vines were planted in 2001 and we have only grown since then. Our 125acre estate currently houses more than 30 acres of vines with plans for more planting in the future. We currently grow 12 varietals of grapes all used to produce our one of a kind

award-winning wines.We offer wine tastings throughout the day. Our knowledgeable tasting room associates will guide you through tasting our wines whether you are a novice or a seasoned veteran. We love large groups and want to make sure your experience at CrossKeys Vineyards is extraordinary. We request that large groups call the vineyard 48 hours in advance to set up a reserved group tasting. The group will have a reserved table, staffing, and a cheese plate included with price.

Mondays through ThursdayWinery Tours (by reservation only) at 12:30 pm

Feb 18th – Salsa night! (table reservations recommended)

Open Daily from 11- 7pm

6011 E Timber Ridge Rd, Mt Crawford, VA 22841 (540) 234-0505

https://crosskeysvineyards.com/

DUCARD VINEYARDS

2021 TANA Chardonnay

Produced exclusively from our TANA vineyard, this “Mȃcon” style wine shows aromas of green apple on the nose and pleasing minerality on the palate, with a hint of oak on the finish. This wine just received a gold medal in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

Our uncrowded rural Madison County area has mountains, streams and plenty of beautiful views along scenic back roads. The tasting room is near hiking and biking trails along the Shenandoah National Forest and is a perfect respite after your day out! Enjoy some peace and quiet relaxation in this challenging environment. Sit on our lawns and sip or pick up a bottle or three of our award-winning wines to take home. Reservations available and recommended (especially for Saturdays). No reservation fee or minimum purchase. Walkups accommodated on a spaceavailable basis. To order wine for local delivery or UPS shipping,

visit our website!

Open daily – Mon-Thurs. 12-5 pm Fri. 12-9 pm Sat/Sun. 12-6 pm

Weekends (Fri-Sun) - Live music Friday-Sunday all month long. Check out our website for details and the musical artist lineup!

40 Gibson Hollow Ln • Etlan, VA 22719 (540) 923-4206 www.ducardvineyards.com

email for more information: info@ hortonwine.com

Open Daily from 10 am – 5 pm

Feb 14th - Valentine’s Day wine dinner at the The Inn and Tavern at Meander in Locust Dale, Va. $85 per person, call for tickets: 540672-4912

Feb 25th- Winter Wine Weekend, hosted by Hotel Madison, visit our tasting booth!

6399 Spotswood Trail, Gordonsville, Virginia (540) 832-7440 • www.hortonwine.com

REVALATION VINEYARDS

2020 Ta nnat

HORTON VINEYARDS

Sparkling Trio! Knots&Shuttles, Erotes, and Súil are the perfect sparkling trio to help you with your Valentine’s Day needs!

Súil: 100% Early Pick ViognierAged on the lees since 6/2016 disgorged 3/2020 is crisp, complex, dry, sparkling with notes of brioche and green apple. Hand riddled and hand disgorged. Erotes: Touriga

Nacional Rose sparkling on the lees for 9 months has raspberry flavors throughout with a crisp finish. hand riddled and hand disgorged. Knots and Shuttles: Sparkling Tannat the big blackberry notes are bridged by the petit Manseng dosage to the huge tannic finish.

WE ARE HIRING!

Want to work in a fun and unique industry? Come visit us at Horton! We’re looking for tasting room staff to help make memorable experiences for our guests, build our local wine club, and so much more. Give us a call or

Made from 100% Tannat grapes, the nose of this wine features almond, cherry, raspberry, toast, mint, black pepper, and tomato juice aromas. The mouthfeel is round, elegant, and has a good length with soft tannins. The wine will become more expressive and complex if allowed to breathe for 30 minutes.  Virginia is for Wine Lovers! Starting this May, Revalation Vineyards will host a Virginia Varietal Comparative Tasting Series to highlight how different terroir, cultivation practices and winemaker techniques contribute to the flavor, aromas and mouthfeel of wines that are all made from the same grape. Guests will be able to taste each wine and enjoy it alongside expertly paired small plates. Our first event features Tannat on Saturday, May 20th. Tickets will be available on our website, starting April 1st. www. revalationvineyards.com

Hours

Nov. 1 – Apr. 30 Hours: Friday 12 –sunset, Saturday/Sunday 12pm to 5pm

All Month – Vibrant paintings by Kim Gardner are being exhibited until the end of February.

Feb 17th - Book Club @ The Vineyard

2710 Hebron Valley Road, Madison, VA 22727 540-407-1236

www.revalationvineyards.com

Complete the grid so that every row, column, and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

#1 solution

#1 #4

#2 solution

#3 solution

#2 #5 #4 solution

Itsy Bitsy Spyder

BY DAVID LEVINSON WILK

ACROSS

1. Spanish painter Francisco

5. Audibly astonished

10. Tiara go-with

14. Unlock

15. ____ buddies

16. Hathaway of “Ocean’s 8”

17. Smallest product from a popular winter apparel brand?

20. ____ de plume

21. Memoir that led to the movie “What’s Love Got to Do With It”

22. W illow used in basket-weaving

23. Mete out

25. Charades players, e.g.

26. Last word of a famous FDR quote

28. Steakhouse order

30. Tiny arachnid

31. “____ you clever!”

32. About 98% of Antarctica’s surface

35. Something worn when stealthily pursuing a popular brand of tractor?

39. “It’s c-c-cold!”

40. Accomplishing

41. The “C” of BBC: Abbr.

42. Inits. that often precede “+”

43. Doozies

45. Celestial circles

48. Von Trapp daughter who sings “Sixteen Going on Seventeen”

49. “What a kidder!”

50. Elbow room

52. Clunker

55. Advice given to someone antagonizing a popular brand of paint?

58. Adjective for a “shoppe”

59. Very, in music

60. Cause of ruin

61. Bring up, as a child

62. Eco-friendly

63. Put in the overhead bin, say

1. Enter

DOWN

2. Vision: Prefix

3. Genie’s affirmative

4. Vague amount

5. Some, but not much

6. “Duly noted”

7. Org.

8. Bean used to make miso

9. 10 Downing St. residents

10. “I do, that’s who!”

11. MacDowell of “Groundhog Day”

12. Draco Malfoy expression, often

13. Mannheim misters

18. Send an invoice

19. Ballet position on tiptoe

24. Creepy look

25. Title whose name comes from the Greek for “alone”

26. Website that lets users assign movies up to ten stars (except for “This Is Spinal Tap,” which goes to eleven)

27. Level

28. Sedative, for short

29. E.U. country where Hoegaarden beer is brewed

31. Fighting

32. “Not hungr y, but not not hungry either”

33. Vendor’s vehicle

34. Omar of “Love & Basketball”

36. Gradually increase

37. Has a good cr y

38. Some HDTVs

42. Riot opportunist

43. ____ FrisÈ (dog breed)

44. Extra-wide shoe spec

45. “Game of Thrones” character who only says his own name

46. “I need that like I need ____ in the head”

47. Carter who portrayed Wonder Woman

48. St arbucks offering

50. Candy bar with a Nordic name

51. Soccer great nicknamed “O Rei”

53. “Hmm ... I doubt that”

54. Bob’s successor on “The Price Is Right”

56. “That. Did. Not. Just. Happen.”

57. Projectiles from a pellet gun

What’s the first game you remember playing?

Board game— Operation. Any game—tag.

TERRI ANNE DI CINTIO/FACEBOOK

Candy Land, circa 1950-51.

JUDITH MARYMOR/FACEBOOK

War!

@RISHIBALTIMORE/INSTAGRAM

Peek-a-boo.

DEWEY CORNELL/FACEBOOK

Candy Land.

DAWN ALEXANDER SHIFFLETT/ FACEBOOK

Memory.

@AER8M/INSTAGRAM

Hide and Seek.

@QUIRK.GALLERY.CVILLE/ INSTAGRAM

First board game? Probably Stratego with my mom. Still my favorite game of all time though, as a player of modern games, there are LOTS to choose from now. But that nostalgia...

WILHELM NIELSON/FACEBOOK

Stay tuned for more back page content, including HotSeat, The Big Picture, and You’ll be Happy to Hear. To respond to the Question of the Week, submit HotSeat suggestions, feel-good stories, or The Big Picture images, email arts@c-ville.com

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