C-VILLE Weekly | August 9 - 15, 2023

C-VILLE crossword maker (and TV writer) launches name-guessing game PAGE 11

Ann Beattie's new book of short stories revisits Charlottesville during COVID PAGE 29

THE BOTTOM FALLS OUT

How Champion Hospitality Group went from winning to losing, and who got knocked out along the way

Charlottesville’s News & Arts Weekly CIRCULATION: 20,000 WEEKLY

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EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Richard DiCicco richard@c-ville.com

CULTURE EDITOR

Tami Keaveny tami@c-ville.com

NEWS REPORTER

Catie Ratliff reporter@c-ville.com

COPY EDITOR

Susan Sorensen

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Maeve Hayden

INTERN

Nicole Milanovic

MAGAZINE EDITOR

Caite Hamilton

CONTRIBUTORS

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

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

ART DIRECTOR

Max March max@c-ville.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Tracy Federico designer@c-ville.com

ADVERTISING

advertising@c-ville.com

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Gabby Kirk (434) 373-2136 gabby@c-ville.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Lisa C. Hurdle classyexec@c-ville.com

Brittany Keller brittany@c-ville.com

DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & MARKETING

Stephanie Vogtman

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Faith Gibson ads@c-ville.com

BUSINESS

PUBLISHER

Anna Harrison anna@c-ville.com

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Debbie Miller debbie@c-ville.com

A/R SPECIALIST

Nanci Winter (434) 373-0429

CIRCULATION

C-VILLE

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MEMBER Virginia Press Association

THIS WEEK

Hello, Charlottesville! Thank you for reading C-VILLE Weekly. Our local restaurant scene has been shaken to its core on more than one occasion. The lockdowns triggered by COVID-19 shuttered many area eateries, both temporarily and permanently, during the first few chaotic years of the pandemic. And now, a recent wave of closures across downtown has left even more restaurants empty—from newer spots like Passiflora and Siren to pre-pandemic businesses like Brasserie Saison. Former restaurant employees and patrons alike want to know what caused the dominoes to fall this time, and in our feature (p. 22), we offer what I consider a comprehensive answer.

T he major common denominator among each of the closed restaurants was an affiliation with Champion Hospitality Group, run by local businessman Hunter Smith. Smith’s initial claim to fame was Champion Brewing Company and the related Champion beers. But when he spun out into the restaurant world, he forged a lot of partnerships and made a lot of promises that didn’t always turn out in anyone’s favor. When things crumbled, they crumbled hard—employees claim they’ve gone unpaid, owners say they owe thousands in unpaid rent, and rumors swirled on social media. Shea Gibbs and Catie Ratliff teamed up this week for an investigation into how it all fell apart.

T he dissolution of CHG has been a story the Charlottesville press has followed for some time. Most recently, C-VILLE published a piece looking at Siren’s closure and the allegations made by its owner against Smith. I expect we’ll follow up this week’s feature with more coverage as the story develops, so stay tuned.—Richard

DiCicco

NEWS IN BRIEF

Soul of Cville

The third annual Soul of Cville festival will be held August 11-13 at Ix Art Park. The familyfriendly, free event celebrates Black excellence in central Virginia and will feature area talent and businesses, with highlights including live music and performances, food from local Black businesses, fashion shows, games, a skate event, a community mural project, and a panel discussion. WVAI 101.3 Jamz DJ Jaquan Middleton says, “Please come out and join us … for a weekend of love, peace, and soul.”

Dine and dash

If you see a 14-foot black trailer with the license plate 318429TM serving food, contact local authorities, because you’ve found Khadija’s Kitchen’s stolen food truck. Owner Khadija Hemmati says it was last seen at Seminole Square Shopping Center on July 27. The single mother from Afghanistan is currently raising funds on Instagram (@ khadijas_kitchen_) to purchase new equipment so she can keep working.

Local leader honored

Daniel Fairley, president of 100 Black Men of Central Virginia, has been selected for the Obama Foundation’s Leaders USA program. In an August 1 press release, 100 Black Men of Central Virginia said Fairley, who was chosen for the inaugural class of the program from thousands of applicants, was honored “for his unwavering dedication to serving boys and men of color in the Charlottesville community.” Beyond his work with 100BM, Fairley serves as a corporate board member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Virginia and is a founding member of the University of Virginia Equity Center.

Pet project

On August 3, the Charlottesville Albemarle SPCA announced it hired Outcomes for Pets Consulting to improve its shelter operations. Leading the effort will be Kristen Hassen, whose plans to help the shelter include surveys, focus groups, and individual interviews. Part of Hassen’s time will also be devoted to mentoring leadership on “pathway planning practices, organizational culture, volunteer and foster program best practices, and shelter operations,” according to a CASPCA press release.

Shaping up

On August 5, the Southwood community celebrated the dedication of Village 1, the first section of the resident-led redevelopment effort.

Charlottesville residents showed up in droves on a sweltering Saturday for the dedication ceremony, which highlighted those moving into the mixed-income village. Speakers included community development and nonprofit leaders, and local celebrities. Speeches were given in English and Spanish, with translation provided for those not fluent in English.

For both residents and project organizers, the dedication was a triumph. “It’s a huge accomplishment,” says Angela Guzman,

communications and annual giving manager for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville. “But really, it’s about the families and the residents who’ve been here. And who’ve redesigned this community, this park that you’re standing in, they designed this and to be able to say that, and then to be able to say to other people, this is a new way of doing things, perhaps a better way.”

“It feels great to be a first time homebuyer and what we all had to do to become a first home buyer,” says Southwood resident Theresa Brock. After living in the community for more than 45 years, Brock is purchasing a

Relocating resale

home in Village 1 through HFH. “It’s just a dream come true.”

Although most of Village 1 is complete, HFH homeowners and renters can’t move in until key grants are received. “There are a number of Habitat homes that are finished, and we’re just waiting for that grant component to finish up before we can close,” says Dan Rosensweig, president of HFH of Greater Charlottesville. “But by the end of this calendar year, everybody who will live here will be in their homes.”

With a mix of affordable and marketrate housing, Rosensweig believes that Southwood “is going to be a neighborhood kind of unlike any other.”

Nonprofit thrift store Twice is Nice announced on August 7 that it will be leaving its Preston Avenue location for a proposed new development on Cherry Avenue.

According to a press release, the move was “precipitated by ownership changes to the Preston properties, and the new landlord’s intention to redevelop those sites,” presumably referring to the Dairy Market expansion.

While the location of the nonprofit may be changing, TIN will continue to support local seniors in need with its “donation-based resale boutique.” By partnering with developer Woodard Properties, the shop will own its new location outright.

“We love the Preston Avenue neighborhood and our community of donors, shoppers, and volunteers, and we are excited to continue serving them in close proximity to our current locations,” says Gordon Walker, chairman of the TIN board of directors. “By owning our space and consolidating into a single, larger store, we’ll be able to offer our shoppers an even more rewarding, eclectic experience.”

“The days surrounding the predicted ‘peak,’ August 12-13, are the best time for viewing. But I would recommend going outside any clear night from August 10 to August 15 or so.”

— Matt Pryal, UVA assistant astronomy professor, on the annual Perseid meteor shower

Wordplay

C-VILLE crossword puzzle maker develops new name game

By Richard DiCicco

The new browser-based game Initial Instinct hinges on a simple and elegant premise: Assign famous names to two random letters and rack up points under a time limit. Though the game is perfectly suited to an internet-connected smartphone, the idea for Initial Instinct actually dates back to designer David Levinson Wilk’s high school days. The creator of C-VILLE Weekly’s reader-favorite crossword puzzles (see page 33) says he and his friends would play a penciland-paper version of the game “constantly.”

“It became an obsession,” he says. “I’m fairly certain there were kids who cut class when there was a game going on in the hallway that they wanted to join.”

Today, Wilk is head writer on ABC’s “The $100,000 Pyramid” and “The Chase,” and he’s carried the game with him through his career, getting co-workers in the television world hooked on it, too. It wasn’t until a year ago that he discovered the potential to convert this childhood game to a digital experience through the website peoplebyinitials. com. The searchable database of “notable people via initials” takes any monogram and quickly draws up lists of names with corresponding Wikipedia pages. It seemed like the perfect system to power Wilk’s game, so he reached out to the programmer who built the website—the mononymic Enzo.

“I originally created this website to generate 100 initials for the Dominic number memory system,” says Enzo, in reference to a memory training system inspired by author and “memory champion” Dominic O’Brien. “David contacted me from that site and asked if I would be interested in developing a game with him based on the database of people.”

With Enzo on board as programmer, Wilk needed someone to handle the graphics. For that, he turned to his peers in television. Paul Stack, who builds games and graphics for “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Co-

hen” on Bravo, had been introduced to Wilk’s name game during his own time at “The $100,000 Pyramid.”

“David laid out the bones of how he wanted the game to play,” says Stack. “He had this idea to have dials, similar to ones on a briefcase, at the center of the letter choice. Taking that idea, I started working on visual layouts and timing.”

Wilk loved Stack’s minimalist designs.

“When he first sent me a mockup of the spinning dials, it was thrilling,” says Wilk. “He made the site look clean, inviting, and supremely user-friendly.”

But what looked great as a visual design turned out to be a challenge on the programming side. Enzo says the most difficult thing to accomplish for Initial Instinct was taking the 3D spinning wheel animation video files and converting them to web code like HTML and JavaScript. The animation videos were

smooth and included lighting effects that just didn’t translate well to the web without additional coding.

“We ended up using the Adobe [After Effects] videos, one video for each letter and left-right combination,” says Enzo. “Mobile devices, especially the iPhone try to delay playing or loading video in the background to save battery, so playing the animations exactly on time with the game timing was tricky.”

Of course, getting the 1.4 million names to pop up in the correct format—with the right occupation for each famous person— was its own challenge.

Wilk, Enzo, and Stack developed Initial Instinct over email, beginning with a prototype and building on consecutive versions.

“I quite like the iterative approach to development,” says Enzo. “I think this works well for a game where you can have many iterations of playing and improving.”

Ultimately, the team decided that Initial Instinct would work best as a web-based application rather than a downloadable mobile app. This enables phones and desktops to play the same game. Which means you won’t be getting the game off the App Store anytime soon.

“I have no desires, as yet, to develop an app,” says Wilk. “To me, getting people to enjoy Initial Instinct is really all about accessibility and, as it exists currently, anyone can play it at any time. … I think it’d make a very good game for a room of people for trivia night.”

For now, Wilk is busy on the picket lines, thanks to the Writers Guild of America strike, which began in May and escalated when SAG-AFTRA went on strike in July.

“While it’s no fun and not a single writer wants to be on strike,” says Wilk, “we have to do this now or the majority of us—and an even greater majority of future writers— won’t be able to have sustainable careers in TV and film.”

“I think it’d make a very good game for a room of people for trivia night.” DAVID LEVINSON WILK

David Levinson Wilk, TV writer and creator of the C-VILLE crossword puzzle, partnered with a programmer and graphic designer to create a new web-based game, Initial Instinct, which you can play at initial-instinct.com.

Music By Alan Menken,

Lyrics By Howard Ashman & Glenn Slater

Book By Doug Wright

The annual United Way Caring for Community Awards recognize exceptional community service, support, and work by individuals and organizations.

Shine a light on local unsung heroes.

Voting open through September 1.

Another day, another Olympian

UVA women’s swim team adds Olympic medalist to its roster

By Claudia Gohn

Olympic silver medalist Claire Curzan recently announced on Instagram that she was transferring to the University of Virginia, joining a women’s swim team that has won three consecutive national championships.

In April, Curzan, who just finished her first year of collegiate swimming at Stanford University, said she’d be an “Olympic redshirt” during the 2023-24 season. (Athletes who redshirt maintain their spot on the roster, but cannot compete for the team. Olympic redshirting indicates a focus on training for the Olympics.) In July, she entered the transfer portal, officially indicating her intention to join a new team. By the end of the month, she’d committed to UVA.

It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, according to Curzan, and was influenced by her reflection on what she wanted this upcoming Olympic year. “Just knowing that I would be able to drive down to my parents whenever I wanted or they could come up and visit me, and also being a part of a really dominant swim program. I think it was just kind of a decision that I was able to make pretty quickly, and luckily things fell into place,” says the North Carolina native.

UVA Head Coach Todd DeSorbo says the amount of transfers, both at Virginia and across the entire NCAA, has increased since the onset of COVID-19. Because the pandemic affected the NCAA season, swimmers who competed that year were granted an additional year of eligibility. DeSorbo says this fifth-year opportunity “has opened up doors a lot because a lot of people are using that fifth year to do a grad school program. And that’s been advantageous to the athletes.”

While Curzan won’t compete for Virginia in the upcoming season, her past NCAA performance is promising. At the March women’s NCAA Division I championships, she earned 51 points—the fifthmost (three Hoos were ahead of her)—and was the meet’s 200-backstroke winner.

Curzan’s transfer follows a resume of high-profile competition in and out of the United States. At the Tokyo Olympics, she placed 10th in the 100-meter butterfly and helped team USA earn silver by competing in prelims for the women’s 4x100-meter

VIRGINIA CONSORT AUDITIONS

Join

medley relay. Curzan was also a gold medalist at both the 2022 World Championships and the 2022 Short Course World Championships. She joins a growing list of UVA’s international performers, including Olympic medalists Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh, as well as Gretchen Walsh and Maxine Parker—all of whom also competed at this summer’s World Championships.

This won’t be the first time DeSorbo coaches Curzan. During the delayed 2020 Olympics, DeSorbo, an Olympic assistant coach, worked with her. “It’s gonna be a pretty easy and seamless transition for her because she knows me and our coaching staff already really well,” he says. “She knows our team really well.”

Curzan has already been teammates with several UVA swimmers. She swam with Alex Walsh and Douglass, as well as 2017 grad Leah Smith and Emma Weyant (now at the University of Florida), as part of Team USA during international competition. During the 2022 World Championships, she and Douglass were both on the 4x100-meter freestyle relay that won bronze.

“It puts me at ease knowing that I’m joining a program where these girls are at such a high level that hopefully I’ll be able to rise to it. And Todd’s obviously great at cultivating excellence,” Curzan says. “So I think it’s definitely an exciting decision to make, and it eased my worries of transferring to a new program.”

Auditions

Adult Choruses

Deke Polifka, Music Director

August 25-28, 2023, by appointment only. Contact thevirginiaconsort@gmail.com.

Youth Chorale

For area High School Students

Victoria Redfearn Cave, Director Contact vrcteach@gmail.com

Children’s Choruses

First Step Choir (grades K-3) and Prelude Choir (grades 4-8) Donna Rehorn, Director Contact firststepprelude@gmail.com.

Claire Curzan transferred from Stanford to UVA, where she’ll swim for the reigning national championship team.

Majestic Blue Ridge Mountain views in highly sought-after Somerset, Virginia. Come see this four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath home that is move-in ready and sitting on 6.786 Acres just 6 miles to Orange and 20 miles to Charlottesville Airport. Main-level living features include the primary bedroom and bath, a spacious walk-in closet with a storage organizing system; a home office or hobby room; a great room for formal dining, and a living room area with a brick hearth, wood-burning fireplace and panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains; a half bath conveniently located off the great room; eat-in kitchen perfect for gatherings; laundry room/ mud room; and large pantry area. Upstairs offers a second ensuite bedroom and bath with a walk-in closet plus two additional spacious bedrooms and a third full bath. The full-size, walkout basement has a fourth full bathroom and plenty of room for storage or future space for a family rec room/bonus living area. Loads of outdoor space for gardening and entertaining. Enjoy a coffee and a good book on your covered front porch in the mornings and off your back patio relax as you soak in the sun setting on the Blue Ridge Mountains in the evenings. Total sq footage including the basement is 5,257. $950,000

Donna Waugh-Robinson 540-661-2263

donna@dewrmedia.com

Welcome to Village Oaks! This spacious 4 Bedroom, 3 full bathroom home boasts main-level living, with an open -concept design, and includes additional living space or an in-law suite apartment on the lower level. The main level offers you 3 carpeted bedrooms, and 2 full bathrooms, including the spacious owner’s suite with a walk-in closet, living/dining great room with a gourmet kitchen area, island, maple cabinetry, GE stainless steel appliances, granite counters, and luxury vinyl plank flooring, beautiful Trex deck built off the kitchen with steps leading down to the fenced backyard. The attached 2 -car garage is also located on the main level and is wired to charge your car. The fully finished lower level is a one-bedroom, one-fullbathroom space with a large family room, full kitchen, laundry room, and home office. The family room opens to a covered patio. There is also a hobby room located in the basement. Need extra space for your family, don’t miss out. Tired of mowing your grass? The HOA takes care of it, including the grass inside the fence. You’ll love walking down the street to the private clubhouse and pool. Village Oaks is just minutes from I-64, shopping, medical facilities and more. $419,000

John

Faulconer 540-661-7923 johnfaulconer65@yahoo.com

Bev Nash 434-981-5560

• End of row townhouse

• 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, 2 half baths

• 1,386 sf of living space plus a 493 sf basement

• Family room with a fireplace and glass doors

• Rear screen porch looking across a creek to woodlands

• We are freshly painted with new basement flooring

HOME

Dan Corbin 434-531-6155

• 24 Beautiful Wooded Acres

• Long paved state road frontage

• Land has a sweet running creek

• Perc site identified, electric on

Bev Nash 434-981-5560

• Over 5,000 sf of quality living space

• 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, sunroom

• Cul de sac location backing up to a fairway

• Granite and Cherry kitchen, stainless appliances

• Hardwood floors, jetted tub, fireplace Basement, garage, home theater

1105

Rachel Burns 434 760-4778

• Commercial property in the heart of Belmont. Property consists of three city lots, .31 acres with a 3420 sq ft commercial building on lots 1 and 2. Zoned B-3 currently, slated as CX-3 in the draft of the new city zoning ordinance. There is three phase electricity to the building. The main level is currently a workshop and storage space. The second floor has been finished with a kitchenette, conference space and office.

Candice van der Linde 434-981-8730

• Renovated & Move in Ready Ranch on 4 Acres.

• HUGE 24 X 31 Garage with LIFT; steel exterior, concrete foundation 8” deep under lift & 5” deep elsewhere. Separate 120 AMP to garage

• Creek runs through the property from a natural spring.

• Three bedrooms plus office two full baths

A DREAM

IS GREAT, BUT THE RIGHT ONE IS BETTER. Let an agent who knows guide you.

CARLTON AVE

NEAR ALBEMARLE HS NOW $314,900

FLUVANNA $399,000

Deadline looming

Clock’s ticking for Planning Commission to act on zoning code

By Sean Tubbs

The Charlottesville Planning Commission has until mid-November

to hold a public hearing on new rules for development within the city’s 10 square miles. Council was expected to vote August 7 to officially refer the new zoning ordinance to the appointed body for a recommendation, even though no one but staff and consultants have seen the final version.

The city embarked on a thorough update of its building policies in early 2020 as part of the Cville Plans Together initiative. So far that’s included adoption of a new Affordable Housing Plan as well as a Comprehensive Plan that calls for more residential density to support more opportunities for affordable housing.

The components of the zoning code have been released in three modules. The first increased development rights for all singlefamily residential lots, though councilors indicated support for reducing the maximum number possible. The final details won’t be ready until the new draft is finished, sometime this month.

The staff report for the August 7 vote states, “there has been extensive community engagement over the entire time period of the Cville Plans Together process as well as specifically in relation to the Zoning Ordinance.”

One neighborhood leader says the recent outcry about the third phase of the Dairy Market development on Preston Avenue is a sign that the city hasn’t done enough to explain the overall vision for a more dense Charlottesville.

“What is proposed there is something the current draft zoning ordinance would allow to happen by right,” says Kellytown Neighborhood Association’s Len Schoppa. “In my own neighborhood of Kellytown, there is support for ending [single family residential] R-1 and allowing more ADU’s [accessory dwelling units] and townhouses, but all of the engagement has yet to hear residents in this area say they want 12-story apartment buildings on single-family lots.”

Schoppa says he is also concerned about the city’s ability to handle the additional traffic that will come with more density. The current draft proposal under review has called for no parking requirements for new development.

The first year and a half of the Cville Plans Together initiative took place during the era of virtual meetings. Becky Calvert of the Greenbrier Neighborhood says many people didn’t pay attention until recently.

“I think there’s been engagement, but how much of that was the city and how much was just neighbors in an uproar over any changes is easily debated,” Calvert says.

Much of the purpose of Charlottesville’s land-use reform is to increase opportunities for wealth building and to ensure equity. The president of the Fifeville Neighborhood Association says she’s not sure if the city has fully hit the mark.

“I am sure a lot of community engagement has been done, but not sure that it has reached a majority of minority folks,” says Carmelita Wood. “Also there are a lot of elders who do not have internet or are handicapped and not able to get out to the events, so those voices are not heard.”

FOX RUN

Keswick Estate Exquisite Albemarle County Country Estate set on 10 wooded acres. Gracious Manor Home offers peace and quiet! Home features 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, multiple wood burning fireplaces and a spacious 2.5 car garage. Fabulous kitchen features custom Jaeger & Ernst cabinets, Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, expansive island, corner wet bar and a built-in Miele coffee maker. Beautiful primary suite with granite fireplace, custom walk-in closet and en-suite spa bathroom with a walk-in shower and marble tile floor with radiant heat. Extensive outdoor living area; gated courtyard, patio with wood burning fireplace and a 30’x15’ screened in porch with audio/visual hookup. Property features a stunning heated pool. Additional property available. $1,750,000

MONTE SERENO

13.68 ACRE PARCEL. Five approved lots ranging from 2 to 51/2 acres. All surveying, engineering, plots, and paved road completed. Stunning Blue Ridge views to the west. Far reaching vistas define this property, Monte Sereno. Perfect for building a spectacular estate home on a total of 13.68 acres or a unique subdivision, with your own covenants and restrictions. High speed internet available. Located in Northern Albemarle. Less than 10 minutes to all conveniences. One owner is a Virginia licensed real estate broker. $1,500,000

Annie Gould Gallery

Fifeville Neighborhood Association President Carmelita Wood says she worries that not everyone’s

rezoning

LAND

AUG 13 from 1-3 PM

1967 Asheville Dr | Charlottesville

Well-cared for townhome in Pavilions at Pantops has an open light-filled main level with pristine hardwood floors, a three level Morning Room Extension, and a gourmet kitchen. 1-car garage. 5 mins. to Downtown and hospitals.

$423,500 | montaguemiller.com/643223

Ruth DeLong | 434.987.8783

2370 Saddle Hollow Rd | Crozet

Beautiful Custom Built Cedar Home on 15+ acres with Spectacular Mountain & Valley Views! Spacious home features 5 BR, 3½ BA, expansive open kitchen, Great room with fireplace, Sunroom and Panoramic views.

$789,000 | montaguemiller.com/644101

Doug Burke | 434.996.6791

5017 Heming Way | Charlottesville

A rare find in Albemarle County, an exclusive Farmette, just minutes from town! Affordable 10.94 acre current Horse Property. Offering a garage/run-in barn. Paddock and pastures, with tons of riding trails throughout.

$450,000 | montaguemiller/643739

Carol Costanzo | 434.962.1419

2042 Wyatt Mountain Rd | Dyke

Beautiful Mountain Retreat situated on an idyllic 30-acre private site in Greene County. Drive up the mountain and enjoy a gorgeous wooded landscape with attractive 2-story farm house boasting spacious front and side porches.

$419,000 | montaguemiller.com/643722

Pat Sury | 434.760.2999

1088 Killdeer Ln | Crozet

Developmental Land for Sale includes both Lot 070D0 and 070F0 for a total of 2.25 Acres in the Heart of Crozet. 3,504 sq.ft. house includes 5 bedrooms, and 2½ baths.

$1,990,000 | montaguemiller.com/644110

Jessica Saadut | 434.981.9968

250 Willis Ford Lane | Madison

$324,500 | montaguemiller.com/VAMA2001264

Carrie Brown | 540.948.6655

NORTHWOODS

Magnificent 16.5 acre estate with stately circa 1860 main house. Renovated in 2017 with stunning kitchen remodel. Complemented by cottages and 5-bay carriage house. Gracious porches, terraces, and retaining walls. MLS#642190 $4,950,000 Court Nexsen 646.660.0700

MILL HOUSE

Former house of noted local architect Floyd E. Johnson, the Miller’s House has been renovated and expanded. On the banks of Totier Creek, which runs through the property, the house was originally the home of the miller of Dyers Mill. The 5-BR, 3 full and 2 half BA home offers cozy rooms, numerous FPs and modernday kitchen and baths. Guest house, 2-bay garage, pool, equipment shed plus 130 acres of open and wooded land. MLS#639196 $2,745,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

LAFAYETTE

Keswick estate on 92 acres with first floor suite and five additional bedrooms. Gourmet kitchen, great room, home theater, and covered porch with fireplace. Oversized garage with guest suite.

MLS#643578 $3,195,000 Court Nexsen, 646660-0700

PEA RIDGE FARM

317 acre estate that has it all: location, views, water, 5-BR residence, event center and more! 15+ acre lake is centered among lush rolling fields of rich grass. Additional acreage available. 25 minutes west of UVA. MLS#631962 $7,865,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863 or Court Nexsen, 646.660.07000

MEADOWLARK FARM

22-acre equestrian property with renovated 8,575± fin. sf home overlooking pool and Mechums River. Views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and only 12 miles from Charlottesville. MLS#640137 $3,195,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863 or Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700

BELMONT LOFTS

This 3-BR, 3.5 BA condo features extra high ceilings, a modern & open floor plan with huge windows and doors, and a large rooftop terrace with views of the Downtown Mall all the way around to Monticello. MLS#634149 $1,790,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

POUNDING CREEK ROAD

104 Woodland Acres in Batesville. Blue Ridge views and a 12-minute drive to Crozet. This is an opportunity to build one’s home or occupy and find recreation in uncommon seclusion for Western Albemarle. MLS#644102 $1,290,000. Will Carr, 434 981 3065

WOODLANDS ROAD

Stunning 4-BR, 4.5-BA home with 4,115 fin.sq.ft. of immaculate living space situated on over 2 pristine and landscaped acres only 5 miles west of the City of Charlottesville. This property has been improved with top quality upgrades and finishes throughout. Home features 12 ft. ceilings, ample room space across the flowing floor plan, impressive master suite, fully loaded kitchen and so much more. Huge, detached garage with room to finish above. MLS#641366 $1,295,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076 or Will Faulconer, 434.987.9455

STONY POINTE

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 $2,395,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

GREENFIELDS FARM

212 acres with stately 1904 residence, extensive equestrian facilities, 25 miles from Charlottesville and UVA. Purchase with 753 acres at $6,295,000. Tranquil setting with creeks, pond. MLS#640175

$2,850,000 Steve McLean,434.981.1863 or Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700

10 miles south of Charlottesville, a beautiful parklike 283 acres, rolling to hilly, mostly wooded tract, borders Walnut Creek Park, with miles of hiking and bike trails, a large lake with beach and fishing. Many homesites. NO EASEMENTS. MLS#634310

$1,995,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.007

MILLINGTON ROAD

Free Union home features living room, open kitchen, mud room, 3 BR, full BA, and laundry room. Basement with family room, full BA, and utility room. Oversized garage, 3 smaller outbuildings. 5 acres in Western school district. MLS#643158 $399,000 Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700

10 miles from town, near Free Union, 100+ acres, division rights, NO CONSERVATION

EASEMENT! Spectacular Blue Ridge views from many homesites, several barns, stable, 2 ponds, creeks, FANTASTIC offering! MLS#638858

$4,400,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

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

MISSION HOME ROAD

146.88 ac. in Albemarle & Greene County. Privacy & protection adjacent to the Shenandoah National Park! Full division rights & multiple home sites. Extraordinary timberland. Views of the mountains, along with easy access to trails & Skyline Drive. MLS#620276

$1,100,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

WEST MAIN STREET CORRIDOR

Investment/Assemblage opportunity between University of Virginia and Charlottesville’s dynamic Downtown Mall. Property is being targeted to be classified to RX-5 in the new city zoning ordinance. MLS#30850340 $875,000 Tim Michel, 434.960.1124

GIBSON’S HOLLOW

Ivy area! A 249 + acre hidden, private Arcadia controlling its own little valley up to the mountain ridge top building sites. Multiple parcels and subdivision rights make it a conservation easement candidate. MLS#634183 $3,250,000 Tim Michel, 434.960.1124 or Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

MEADOW FARM

436+ acres in Southern Albemarle! 4 division rights; complete privacy; lush, gently rolling terrain; long road frontage; stream; 3-acre lake; 125-135 acres of open land; mature hardwood forests. Under conservation easement. Owner/agent. MLS#634139

$2,985,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

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

Just outside Charlottesville near Earlysville. This 21 acre lot is situated at the end of a cul-de-sac that provides privacy and a quite setting among towering hardwoods, and is convenient the CHO airport and ample shopping of various kinds. MLS#640231

$269,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

11.73 acre, buildable lot in Western Albemarle! One of a kind location and a rare opportunity to purchase a large lot in an estate neighborhood 10 minutes to town. 2 division rights and is gently rolling with a small stream bisecting the property. MLS#628219

$795,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

5-acre lot with mature hardwoods. Great opportunity to build with no HOA. Private building site amongst beautiful woods. Located between Free Union and Earlysville but so convenient to Charlottesville & UVA. MLS#621177 $119,000 Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250

HIDDEN FOX FARM

RED HILL

FRAYS GRANT

GARTH ROAD

SIMMONS GAP ROAD

When Champion Brewing Company announced on social media that June 30 would be its “last day of operations” just two weeks before the scheduled closure, the post’s comments—from both fans and company owner Hunter Smith— made it clear that “last day” referred to that of Champion’s Sixth Street brewpub.

With few other details available, news outlets ran with the top line: Champion Brewing would cease operations.

But the truth was more complicated. Jonathan Cross, a private equity fund manager Smith hired last year to be Champion’s chief financial officer, said simply, “The record is straight,” while Smith offered more detail.

“We have plans to retain the facility on [Route] 29, where all the equipment still is. And we are actively negotiating terms for that space,” Smith said at the time. “We have every intention of brewing and continuing the brand.”

The wave of bad news for Smith and Champion Hospitality Group had not yet crested. A news story quoting Smith about his plans for the future complicated matters. Champion’s landlords in the building on Route 29 told him the publicity—highlighting the hundreds of thousands CHG owed them—put the deal in jeopardy.

Then on July 19, CHG’s most vocal critic from behind the scenes jumped in front of the camera. Laura Fonnner, award-winning local chef and owner of seafood restaurant Siren (previously co-owned by CHG), had been cryptically criticizing Smith and his restaurant group on social media for almost a year. This time, Fonner left nothing to the imagination. She posted an image of herself, two middle fingers raised, standing next to a note announcing Siren’s closure. The note placed all blame squarely on Smith.

Fonner wasn’t finished. In a lengthy interview with C-VILLE Weekly, she laid out everything she believed CHG had done, from the ignorant to the neglectful to the outright illegal, to bring about her beloved restaurant’s downfall.

Smith forcefully denied any intentional wrongdoing.

So what’s the truth behind the he-said-she said? And more importantly, why did Charlottesville’s most well-known brewing company, and Smith himself (who’s now struggling to find a way forward both personally and professionally), so swiftly crash and burn?

Understanding CHG

Smith says his goal today is simple: “a return to focus.” He says he has “zero plans to get back into restaurants.” His side of the story? He’s made mistakes but deserves a chance to move ahead as an entrepreneur.

The other side comes from various parties—not just Fonner, but CHG’s employees, partners, and investors in Passiflora, Brasserie Saison, Gordonsville Icehouse, Champion Grill, and Champion’s Lynchburg and Richmond brewpubs. In other words, all the restaurants opened under the CHG umbrella, each now closed, most with unsettled balance sheets.

Smith and Cross now admit CHG’s downfall was a long time coming. Cross says Champion Brewing Company “never really made any money because everything was cannibalizing everything else.” That may not apply to the earliest days, he clarifies, when Champion produced and sold beer only out of its Sixth Street taproom. But Champion began to expand quickly, scattering would-be cannibals across Central Virginia.

Champion and Smith were foundational in Charlottesville’s second wave of modern craft beer growth. While South Street Brewery and Starr Hill came first, Champion exploded onto the scene in 2012, a time when craft beer was booming across the country in a way it never had before. In Virginia Beer, historian Lee Graves writes, “Hunter Smith chose to name his brewery’s flagship IPA after a missile; turns out that has been an apt symbol for the company’s growth.”

Graves’ argument relied on Champion’s footprint expansion—its 30-barrel Missile Factory, which opened in Woolen Mills only a few years after launch, its Richmond brewpub, and a slew of restaurants—as well as its distribution growth. At its height, Champion’s flagship beers like Missile IPA could be purchased off shelves as far from home as Chicago.

A mythos quickly came to surround Champion. Tucked in its nook behind the Belmont Bridge and across the street from the affordable housing complex formerly known as Friendship Court, the Sixth Street pub grew to be a clubhouse for hipsters, hosting concerts for bands with nowhere else to play and other off-the-wall events. It was an ideally situated headquarters for Smith’s own social justice projects. Affordable housing in Charlottesville became his passion, along with his long-held loves: beer and music.

But breweries and brewpubs operate on slim margins even during good times, according to Smith. “Working in a tough business like craft beer, even before we ever heard of COVID, was still really hard,” he says. The Sixth Street taproom “struggled the whole time.”

Despite the slim margins, Smith decided to expand from brewing into restaurants.

In 2017, Champion opened its first eatery. Brasserie Saison seemed like the perfect concept for a brewpub-led hospitality group. Offering mostly Belgian-style beers like its eponymous saisons and European-esque fare like mussels and pâté, it was the apple of patrons’ and critics’ eyes.

Will Richey was a key early partner for Smith and Champion. As Brasserie Saison co-owner, he brought significant experience as a restaurateur. Through his Ten Course Hospitality group, he now owns and operates seven restaurants, a number that’s ebbed and flowed over the years, and consults on an ever-changing set of projects. In an August 2018 interview, Richey said: “Not to pat myself on the back, but I think [Brasserie Saison] is one of the finest restaurants in town.”

Speaking about his work at Brasserie, Richey says “[it] was a two-year contract, after it ended I handed over our creation and did not stay on the project. The brewery had not been built by that time. … That is the only work I ever did with Hunter. He did not form a hospitality group until later. We opened Brasserie in 2017 and I left the project in 2019 I believe.”

Teaming up with Richey turned into a sort of template for CHG. Smith and his group weren’t restaurant folks. They were beer folks. So while they wanted to go into the restaurant business—in part to sell more beer—they didn’t want to make all the crucial decisions that allow an eatery to function day-in and day-out. By partnering with more established restaurateurs, CHG was able to expand rapidly, despite the group’s inexperience.

THE CHAMP F ALL S

When Smith had an idea for a late-night concept, for example, he connected with Jay Pun, who’d been successfully selling banh mi sandwiches as a special at his restaurant Chimm.

“It was a nice meeting. He was very respectful,” Pun says. “He listened to my ideas and, ultimately, we just didn’t meet again. In retrospect, I’m glad I didn’t do it, not just because of what is going on, but at that time, I was reserved about reopening after COVID.”

When CHG opened Champion Ice House in 2020, Smith teamed with area barbecue celeb Craig Hartman to give the chef a vehicle for his renowned fried chicken. Today, the restaurant known as Gordonsville Ice House has a message posted all over its website: “Gordonsville Ice House has no affiliation to the Champion Brewing Company and/or Hunter Smith.”

Laura’s song

Like Hartman, Fonner is one of Charlottesville’s most wellknown chefs. After 21 years working in restaurants and 17 years climbing the ranks to executive chef at the acclaimed Ivy restaurant Duner’s, 2020 brought major change to Fonner’s life.

That’s the year she won the Tournament of Champions on Food Network’s “Guy’s Grocery Games.”

That’s also the year COVID-19 cut a swath through the nation’s restaurant and hospitality business.

And that’s the year Fonner started her partnership with CHG and Smith.

Fonner had known Smith through their connection to the food and bev biz for years. The two were friends. When Fonner decided she wanted to leave Duner’s and go out on her own, she met with several potential partners, including Richey, Smith, and others. Smith stood out, she says. Of all the partners and investors she met with, he was the only one who asked, “What can I do for you?”

The partnership started slowly. With COVID-induced closures racking the restaurant industry, Smith and Fonner decided to launch a food truck business. Dumplin’ would focus on a dish Fonner had made during her first appearance on “Guy’s Grocery Games.” The food would be driven by Fonner; CHG would provide administrative and financial support.

The truck and its savory dumplings were well received, but the business didn’t operate for long. The truck itself was reportedly in disrepair, and Fonner moved into a consulting role for CHG, contributing to locations like the Ice House and Brasserie Saison, while Smith and his team sought a buyer.

One potential buyer was Pun, who recalls discussing the deal with Fonner.

“I knew it was not in the best shape, but we needed something,” Pun says. “The night before we were going to cut a check to buy it … something tickled my inner conscience and I emailed Laura. She goes, ‘Do not buy it.’”

Fonner describes her time working in the truck as “probably the worst job [she’s] ever had.”

“It was a rinky-dink truck with electrical issues. It blew my face up; it lit on fire at King Family Vineyards,” she says. “There were so many issues with it. They never would get it fixed.”

Exhausted with the food truck and consulting, Fonner decided it was time to forge ahead with her passion project, Siren. “I sat Hunter down and told him that I was going to open a restaurant up and I would do it with or without him, and if it was without him, then consider it my notice,” she says.

Smith told her he was with her. Siren would be part of the CHG family. According to Fonner, she was in charge of Siren’s in-house operations, while CHG managed the restaurant’s marketing, accounting, bookkeeping—everything beyond the day-to-day.

During Siren’s renovation process, Fonner started to uncover red flags when several businesses were hesitant to work with her due to CHG’s involvement. She says she paid workers directly during the reno, but then things changed. “As soon as we opened the doors in December, nobody got paid,” Fonner says. From that point on, Siren’s financial situation spiraled.

“In January or February … I got a letter saying that we were $40,000 behind in rent,” Fonner says.

Financial issues continued to pop up while CHG managed the new restaurant’s accounting. With more than five accountants managing Siren’s finances over one year, numerous bills went unpaid, according to Fonner. “We’ve had our gas turned off twice, we’ve had the electric turned off, we’ve lost our health insurance,” she says. “I had the City of Charlottesville come here and tell me we didn’t have our business license.”

When she confronted CHG, Fonner alleges that Smith suggested she stop opening the mail addressed to Siren. Smith denies the allegation.

While it was the accounting department managing Siren’s financials, Fonner ultimately believes Smith is responsible for CHG’s disorganization. “At the end of the day, they are Champion employees, which means that it’s Hunter’s responsibility [to oversee] that they’re doing their job correctly,” Fonner says.

Smith agrees, though he says none of the mismanagement was intentionally deceptive. Things were so disorganized, he says, that it was impossible even for him to see an accurate picture of CHG’s financials. What’s more, Smith says Siren was never as successful as its positive critical reception and booked weekend nights might have suggested. “It is easy to think that all is going well, when sometimes it’s not,” he says.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

How Champion Hospitality Group was toppled, and who it took out on the way down

BY SHEA GIBBS AND CATIE RATLIFF

While Hunter Smith remains passionate about brewing, he has no plans to return to the restaurant industry.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

“That doesn’t do anything to take away from the fact that I feel personally like we let Laura and Siren down.”

After dealing with months of messy accounting work and repeated breakdowns in communication, Fonner wanted out of her partnership with Smith and CHG. Smith agreed to end the relationship, and the two partners sat for a meeting in October 2022. Fonner says she believed Smith was genuine when he apologized for Siren’s troubles and discussed her moving forward as sole owner. But it took months of negotiation for Fonner to gain full ownership of the restaurant.

On December 1, 2022, Fonner became sole owner of her flagship restaurant. But Siren’s financial woes were not over.

Despite opening the restaurant with minimal debt, Fonner and her General Manager Erin McGowan claim they uncovered bungled financial reports and more unpaid bills when they took over Siren’s accounting. Combing through sources of potential debt was stressful, as a seemingly unending wave of unpaid bills accrued during the CHG partnership continued to arise.

“I need to know what else is out there, because these surprises can’t keep happening,” McGowan said in her initial meeting with C-VILLE.

Less than a week after that first interview, Fonner and McGowan say they were blindsided again, this time with unpaid unemployment taxes from 2021 to 2022. Fonner ultimately made the decision to close Siren on July 18.

“I’m just so angry right now. I’ve never been this angry,” Fonner said after the closure. “This place was supposed to be my safe space.”

Internet rumor and reality

It all initially hit the fan for CHG on Reddit. On December 14, 2022, Reddit user 0urL0veF0rTheW0rld dropped a post that became the talk of the local hospitality industry. CHG wasn’t paying its employees, the anonymous poster alleged. The same went for vendors and landlords.

Smith and CHG Vice President of Food and Beverage Stephen Kelly were at fault, the Reddit poster said. Smith’s response today, after all the dust has settled? It was all true—although he is mostly willing to take the blame himself.

At the time of the post, firing back seemed counterproductive. Smith says he was like a duck trying to stay afloat: calm above water, but paddling like crazy below.

“What can I say?” he says. “It’s extremely disappointing to everyone involved, and it is really hard to be in that scenario. To address the social media stuff head on, I was not going to get in there and get in a firefight with everything people said. The challenging thing was, I started working with Mr. Cross behind the scenes since the beginning of the year to create a solution, and we haven’t been ready to talk to folks … until we had that solution finalized.”

Cross has since confirmed the late payments to employees and vendors. In a June 21 interview, the CFO said he was finalizing a loan to distribute CHG’s final paycheck. The loan would also take care of some creditors, he said at the time, and a brewing equipment sale would satisfy some more.

“For many, many years, there have been missed and late paychecks and so on and so forth,” Cross says. “It was unfortunate, but it was poorly managed. The strategy was poor. I am not talking behind Hunter’s back. The rumors are true. Everything has been run kind of slipshod, and there is a lot of creditor money still to be paid.”

Indeed, Fonner and Siren are far from the only folks reeling from CHG’s downfall. Employees at nearly every restaurant operated by CHG have alleged at some point that they went uncompensated.

On June 30, a group of the workers banded together outside the shuttered Brasserie Saison in protest of the missing payments. At the time, more than 50 former employees reported at least one missing paycheck.

Speaking to CBS19 at the protest with her son acting as interpreter, Yolanda Hernandez told the outlet that her family needed the money for “rent, food, everything.” For families living paycheck to paycheck, Cross’s claim that the company is working to send workers their money is little consolation.

Several vendors are also still in arrears with CHG. Although details are scarce, at least seven active civil cases are pending against LLCs connected to CHG—including Champion Brewing Company and 422 Champs—in the Charlottesville and Albemarle Circuit Court. Smith is directly named as a defendant in multiple suits. Passiflora, CHG’s Mexican restaurant on the Downtown Mall, is engaged in one of the lawsuits.

Dozens of individuals involved in CHG’s restaurants, from employees to investors, have declined to comment as the situation has played out. But many of those same folks continue to circulate rumors and accusations about Smith’s actions, not to mention his own finances. They suggest he’s been fueled by family money, gotten over-leveraged on loans, and pocketed proceeds that should’ve gone to taxpayers, employees, or vendors.

Still, no concrete evidence has emerged that points to outright deception or illegal activity on Smith’s part. It is clear that CHG was mismanaged, and that mistakes were made with respect to who to pay, who not to pay, and when. But Smith maintains that any claim that he did anything intentionally to defraud stakeholders and pad his own pockets is “hogwash.”

“As far as any insinuations or outright comments about our wrongdoing, there is nothing there,” he says.

Back to beer

One of the more baffling episodes in the CHG saga involves Reason Beer. Smith maintains that restaurants—and specifically, opening restaurants during a global pandemic—was almost entirely at fault for bringing down his empire. He and his team are beer folks, he repeatedly says, and they can be successful as long as they stick to beer.

In November 2021, Champion and Reason announced they would merge, a major development in the closely watched Charlottesville beer scene. At the time, both brands were calm ducks above water—indeed, they seemed like two of the most resplendent ducks in the flock. Maybe CHG had opened too many restaurants in the face of COVID, but the company was still garnering critical praise for its beer and food, and a year out from

As she finds her footing following the closing of Siren, Laura Fonner continues to fault CHG’s mismanagement for the restaurant’s downfall.

EZE AMOS

any public accusation of wrongdoing. Reason was ascendent. With a head brewer hailing from the acclaimed Maine Brewing Company, the small firm had burst onto the scene and quickly acquired a faithful following among beer geeks.

Then, Reason unexpectedly closed in December 2022, just one year after the merger.

Many in the local hospitality industry viewed the shortlived merger—which left both brands essentially untouched as standalone entities but coupled the beermakers’ production capacities—with skepticism. As with so many in the CHG circle, legal entanglements have kept most interested parties from speaking openly about the falling out. Smith says the merger stumbled out of the block.

“I can only give my perspective, but I think that our facility merger at the beginning of last year was so snake-bitten from the start when it comes to lead times and supply chain issues unbeknownst to us going into it,” he says. “It was a project that was supposed to take a quarter to a half of a year, and it took all of last year. It was a major drain.”

Reason Marketing Director Patrick Adair and his partners have been mostly positive about the relationship, which was intended to widen Reason’s distribution and increase production capacity.

“We had a great partnership with Champion,” Adair says. “But as they changed their direction, we decided on a conscientious decoupling.”

According to Adair, the companies were well aligned during their year-long collaboration, and the divorce was amicable as the two parties decided who went away with what. And behind the scenes, the Reason team has been

planning a rebirth. The process of divorcing from Champion and moving forward is taking longer than anyone expected, Adair says, but Reason is “staying the course.” The course will be navigated, though, without one of Reason’s key contributors. Mark Fulton, the beer industry darling who’d come over from Maine Brewing to launch the brand, has announced he’s opening Högwaller Brewing, with none other than Will Richey.

When talking about the Reason breakup several months ago, Smith was likewise optimistic. Looking back now, he calls the first six months of 2022 the most intense part of CHG’s downfall, a time when he was “executing that brewery merger while giving up alcohol personally.” Indeed, sobriety has been something Smith has been public about over the last year and a half.

The former Reason location is no longer central to the way forward for CHG, if one still exists. Champion Brewing had entered into a contract with distribution platform Bevana to distribute its beer in December 2022. Smith wanted to use that arrangement to keep chugging along and making beer. Out of the small brewing facility on Route 29, he hoped to satisfy demand from Bevana and contract out the rest of the brewhouse’s capacity.

Now, Smith says the deal for the facility is officially off.

This is the way

Smith admits electing not to address CHG’s troubles and his internet detractors early on “fanned the flames.” And while he and Cross have both publicly recognized how hard it is to turn a profit at a brewpub, Smith can’t help but wonder if the bad publicity surrounding his restaurants contributed to Champion’s Sixth Street taproom’s struggles.

Cross is a straight shooter, and Smith has put a lot of faith in his ability to help him turn his embattled brand around. For Cross, it’s a simple project: sell off assets, pay off creditors.

“Hunter is going to stay out of the restaurant business and stay in the brewing business,” he says. “We want to reemerge the brand—that is the only thing left of value because there is so much owed to tax authorities and creditors.”

To keep the brand solvent, Cross wants Champion to liquidate its assets outside of bankruptcy. Smith says there is still considerable debt to address. And while that’s put a lot of people in difficult positions, he insists he too has no cash to show for his efforts.

Cross is optimistic the group can find a way out. “People are already reaching out to us,” he says. “My firm’s expertise is M&A. We do turnarounds. We are shopping the assets. I spoke with the landlord at Passiflora. He already has other buyers and other tenants that would like to move in. And at Brasserie, there are certainly other people looking at that location … I think there is a possibility we could move things very quickly.”

While Cross is new to the craft beer market, he believes it’s entering an upcycle. The coming years will offer a respite if Cross is right.

“John and I are still putting together and finalizing our business plan, and we have shared everything with the Champion investors,” Smith says. “We are working on a second opportunity for everyone. Where that is based and exactly what we are doing are still TBD. There is still a lot

in the works [but] we are still working on a private equity-backed craft beer play.”

At any rate, Smith says Champion will no longer operate in this city or be “run like a Charlottesville mom and pop.” That characterization is one that Smith’s detractors would likely take issue with. Fonner says she was deceived, swindled out of her dream restaurant. Others out there, silent due to active lawsuits and their own reasons, likely feel the same way.

Pun, who’s highly plugged into the local restaurant scene, says he believes the idea that the financials simply spiraled out of Smith’s control. “He seemed to be in a mindset where the more things opened, the more his product would sell, and that’s a good thing,” Pun says. “But I think it just kind of grew and grew so fast, and he had his hands dipped in so many things, and it was too hard to take care of. We don’t know how it works when something like that is happening … but the first and foremost thing is, we have to take care of one another.”

Plenty of social media lurkers have offered their own questions for Smith. Why didn’t he take care of his employees first? Why didn’t he dip into his own pockets to make sure no one else was hurt by CHG’s mismanagement? And why hasn’t he come forward to take the blame for what he did head on?

While many questions remain unanswered, Smith says he’s ready to accept his share of the blame.

“I feel bad … I want to take as many arrows as is appropriate,” he says. “But I draw lines between where Champion made mistakes and where Hunter did things for my own personal benefit.”

“It was unfortunate, but it was poorly managed. The strategy was poor. I am not talking behind Hunter’s back. The rumors are true. and there is a lot of creditor money still to be paid.” Everything has been run kind of slipshod, —JONATHAN CROSS, CHG CFO

Although he never worked directly with CHG, local restaurateur Jay Pun believes that quick expansion was part of the company’s downfall.

Since being brought on as Champion’s CFO, Jonathan Cross has been working to address the brand’s substantial debts.

LINKEDIN PHOTO

JACK LOONEY

CULTURE

FRIDAY 8/11

GO TO WORK

Get ready for a night of headbanging with indie rockers Work Wear. The three-piece makes ’80s-inflected garage rock, and is known for enmeshing poetry readings, piercing guitar solos, and psych influences on songs like “Refrigerator Eyes” and “One Day Away.” Work Wear coheadlines with acts from New York—folk-rock power trio The Big Net, and “achy breaky” country singer Nico Hedley. Free, 8pm. Dürty Nelly’s, 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellyscharlottesville.com

TUESDAY 8/15

STAGE CANVAS

FRIDAY 8/11

IT’S A JOKE

With his Southern charm and edgy wit, it’s hard not to laugh along with Winston Hodges. The comedian is from a small town outside of Farmville (he would know you if you were from there), and is known for his energetic takes on everything from growing up in a Christian home to working with children who have special needs. His releases include an album, Already Aware, and a special, “Grieving Productively,” where he tackles losing his father, death, and funeral arrangements. With Amber Hendrix, John Rademacher, and Yusuf Goal. $15, 8:30pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 First St. S. thesoutherncville.com

Delve into the life and work of Serbian conceptual and performance artist Marina Abramovic´ at a screening of her retrospective, Marina Abramovic´: The Artist Is Present, presented as part of The Fralin Downtown film series. Abramovic´ uses her own body as a vehicle to challenge, shock, and move audiences in performances that incorporate sound, video, installations, and more. The 2012 film includes performances of previous exhibitions, and follows Abramovic´ as she assembles an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. $11–13. 7pm. Violet Crown Cinema, 200 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. violetcrown.com

CULTURE THIS WEEK

Fridays After Five: Isabel Bailey Band

Wednesday 8/9 music

Hard Swimmin’ Fish. Wednesday night acoustic blues. Free, 6:30pm. The Whiskey Jar, 227 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thewhiskeyjarcville.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

Open Mic Night. Charlottesville’s longestrunning open mic night. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. 234-4436

Karaoke. Have a drink—it will sound better. Free, 9:30pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com

classes

Healthy Living Series. Discuss mindset and mindfulness with Katherine Craig, a local RN. Free, 6pm. JMRL Central, 201 E. Market St. jmrl.org

The Art Of Cocktails. An afternoon of mixology, education, and, most importantly, tasting. $25, 4pm. Quirk Hotel, 499 W. Main St. quirkhotels.com

etc.

Have You Got It Yet? The Story of Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd Cult icon, enigma, recluse... the life of Syd Barrett, founding member of Pink Floyd, is full of unanswered questions. Until now. $12, 7:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

The Toxic Avenger He used to clean up the health club; now, he’s cleaning up the town. $10, 8pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com

Trivia. Show off your trivia knowledge and win prizes, including gift cards, merch, and free drinks. Free, 7pm. Dairy Market, 946 Grady Ave. dairymarketcville.com

Wind Down Wednesdays. Unwind with acoustic music and a stunning view of the sunset. Free, 6pm. Carter Mountain Orchard, 1435 Carters Mountain Trl. chilesfamily orchards.com

Wine Down Wednesdays. Wind down the work day with live music, wines, eats, and sunsets over the vineyard. Free, 5pm. Keswick Vineyards, 1575 Keswick Winery Dr., Keswick. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

Thursday 8/10 music

Berto & Vincent. Good times and tunes. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com

Jacob Paul Allen. With Rebecca Porter. $1240, 8:30pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com

Rivanna Roots: Mariana Bell with Jen Tal & The Huzband. A night of music under the stars. $14-16, 5pm. Rivanna River Company, 1518 E. High St. frontporchcville.org

Vibe Fest Presents: Lupe Fiasco and Talib Kweli. With special guests Jaewar & Vibe Riot. $39, 7pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jefferson theater.com

classes

Paint & Sip. Create a one-of-a-kind acrylic painting. $35, 7pm. Pikasso Swig Craft Bar, 333 Second St. SE. pikassoswig.com etc.

Tailgate Thursdays. Live music by The Pollocks and freshly shucked oysters by Oyster Catcher Sea Farms. Free, 6pm. Stinson Vineyards, 4744 Sugar Hollow Rd., Crozet. stinsonvineyards.com

Thursday Evening Sunset Series. Bring lawn chairs and blankets, and enjoy live music, food trucks, drinks, and a stunning view of the sunset. $10, 6pm. Carter Mountain Orchard, 1435 Carters Mountain Trl. chiles familyorchards.com

Friday 8/11 music

Fridays After Five: Isabel Bailey Band. Rock, folk, and blues, with Palmyra. Free, 5:30pm. Ting Pavilion, 700 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. tingpavilion.com

John Kelly. Performing in the barn. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmand winery.com

Juke Joint Revival featuring the Eli Cook Band. Blues, rock country, and a gritty voice. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. 234-4436

Local Dead People. A Grateful Dead tribute. Free, 10pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com

Friday 8/11 | Ting Pavilion

SUPPLIED PHOTO

The Midnight Buzz Band. Rock into the weekend with a blend of acoustic and electric classic rock from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Free, 6pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com

Wavelength. Late night tunes. Free, 10:30pm. The Whiskey Jar, 227 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thewhiskeyjarcville.com

Work Wear / The Big Net / Nico Hedley. Local indie rockers Work Wear host NYC power-folk acts. Free, 8pm. Dürty Nelly’s, 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellys charlottesville.com

stage

Urinetown: The Musical In the not-sodistant future, a water shortage caused by a 20-year drought has led to a government ban on private toilets and a proliferation of paid public toilets. $10-20, 8pm. Four County Players, 5256 Governor Barbour St., Barboursville. fourcp.org

words

CreativeMornings. A breakfast lecture for the creative community. Free, 8:30am. Location TBA. creativemornings.com

classes

Sober Cville No Blackout Night Out. Music and crafts. $40, 6:30pm. Pikasso Swig Craft Bar, 333 Second St. SE. pikassoswig.com etc.

Ix Flix Summer Film Series: Soul Movie night under the stars. Free, 8pm. Ix Art Park, 522 Second St. SE. ixartpark.org

Krush Groove In this movie based on the life of Russell Simmons, young record producer/manager Russell Walker has all the hottest acts on the record label Krush Groove Records. $8, 4 and 7:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

LYAO Stand Up Comedy: Winston Hodges. Featuring Amber Hendrix, John Rademacher, and Yusuf Goal. $15-50, 8:30pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com

Sunset Soirée. Live music by 180 band and food from Salty Bottom Blue. Free, 6pm. Chisholm Vineyards at Adventure Farm, 1135 Clan Chisholm Ln., Earlysville. chisholmvineyards.com

Saturday 8/12

music

Cake Fight. Playing a little of everything from Motown and classic rock to modern pop. Free, 1pm. Chiles Peach Orchard, 1351 Greenwood Rd., Crozet. chilesfamilyorchards.com

Cartwheels. Live music and cannabis. Free, 4:30pm. Grow Depot, 1147 River Rd. @cvillecannamarkets

FarAway. Featuring Brian Franke and Sara Davenport. Free, 5pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glass housewinery.com

Porch Dogs. Rock, pop, oldies, and country. Free, 1pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

Runawayz. Rock ‘n’ roll. Free, 9pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapture restaurant.com

Starry Nights. Music under the stars from The Significant Others. $15-250, 6pm. Veritas Vineyards and Winery, 151 Veritas Ln., Afton. veritaswines.com

Stewart Chapman with New Horizon Band. A tribute to all three eras of Elvis Presleys’ career. Free, 7pm. Pro Re Nata, 6135 Rockfish Gap Tpke., Crozet. prnbrewery.com

CULTURE INTERVIEW

Regarding home

Ann Beattie returns to Charlottesville in new book

By Lisa Provence arts@c-ville.com

It’s been a busy publishing year for Ann Beattie, with her 22nd and 23rd books both coming out in 2023. Her most recent, Onlookers, is set in Charlottesville during the pandemic, and it’s chock-full of local references: The Pointe, Timberlake’s, Orzo, and of course, those statues.

Onlookers is a collection of six stories, with some recurring characters. Each story makes a reference to the statues, either General Robert E. Lee and Traveller, who died from tetanus after stepping on a nail, as one character relates a couple of times in “The Bubble,” or the statue of Lewis and Clark and Sacagawea on West Main Street, visible below other characters’ condo in the Lewis and Clark building in “Nearby.”

Beattie came to Charlottesville in 1975, her first job out of grad school, before she’d published her first novel, Chilly Scenes of Winter, and before there was an MFA program at UVA. “That was started later, by Gregory Orr, who remains a dear friend and who also came to Charlottesville the same year I did,” recalls Beattie in an email interview from Maine.

She returned to UVA in 2000 as the tenured Edgar Allan Poe professor of English and creative literature and taught until 2013, when she resigned after disagreeing with the direction of the university and after a 2010 sabbatical request was denied, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Earlier this year, More to Say, a collection of essays published between 1982 and 2022, came out.

She was in Maine during the Unite the Right rally in 2017, and followed the violent events that unfolded here through newspapers, radio, and TV. However, she says the massing of white nationalists, fascists, and neo-Nazis six years ago did not inspire Onlookers, whose characters mostly are on the periphery of those dark days in Charlottesville history.

“It was not a preconceived idea,” says Beattie. “None of my books, stories or novels, have ever been that. Having lived in Charlottesville for many years, on and off, I still consider it home, in a way, and of course I was deeply troubled by what happened at the Unite the Right rally.”

Beattie weathered the pandemic in Maine, and most of the stories were written in Staunton, where she also has a home.

“It’s interesting to me, though, that when I’m not living in a place and it exists largely in my memories and my imagination, I find it easier to write about that place when I’m in a different geographical location.”

She loves the cover of Onlookers, which pictures the Lee statue being hoisted off its pedestal. “Throughout the book, the statues are a refrain, sometimes employed when they’re still in place, other times when they’re gone,” she says. “I think I do see somewhat different meaning, personally, in the statues I mention, though I don’t superimpose my personal thoughts on this very complex issue.”

Beattie is married to artist Lincoln Perry, who endured his own calls for the removal of panels in his Old Cabell Hall mural, “The Student’s Progress,” because of what some considered salacious content. Did being married to a sculptor influence her thoughts about removing the statues?

“I feel that they had to go,” she says, but agrees with Perry that statues shouldn’t be destroyed. “The statues of Lee and Jackson (1917-1919) were intended to reinforce Jim Crow segregation; rather than admitting Secession was about white supremacy, they framed the Civil War as a noble lost cause,” she writes. “Perhaps they were sometimes ‘seen through,’ not just ‘seen,’ in 2017 by some of those who nevertheless felt insulted and diminished by them, which I understand.

“The thought of destroying, not just removing, any artwork makes me unhappy, though. I agree that they should not have stayed where they were. It seems to me that the Lewis and Clark, Sacajawea statue was a different matter, because she was their guide and tracker. Should she have been left out? That would have been a travesty.”

As the title suggests, the characters in the book mostly are onlookers to that tumultuous time, not participants.

“I know people who were there when Heather Heyer was killed,” says Beattie. “I know others, who in turn know others. My book doesn’t really address the rawness and horror of that moment and so many other traumatic moments preceding and following the Unite the Right rally, but if I’d been in the crowd, I’m sure it would have.”

She’s just happy to have Onlookers considered literature. “There are a lot of allusions and motifs in the book, and (to me) that raises questions about why they’re there, and how they work,” she writes. “Many things in the book have their counterpart elsewhere, sometimes for ironic effect, sometimes because life is complicated, and there aren’t easy answers.”

As a veteran of many interviews since being called the voice of her Boomer generation in the ’70s, are there any questions she finds tedious?

“I don’t usually get questions I hate, but I find it boring to be asked supercilious ones like, ‘How do you type with those fingernails?’ Though I’ll even take that, rather than seeing an interview in print that misspells my name.”

“Throughout the book, the statues are a refrain, sometimes employed when they’re still in place, other times when they’re gone.”

Ann Beattie’s book of short stories, Onlookers, features Charlottesville post-A12.

LINCOLN PERRY

CULTURE THIS WEEK

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

Saturday 8/12

stage

Urinetown: The Musical See listing for Friday, August 11. $10-20, 8pm. Four County Players, 5256 Governor Barbour St., Barboursville. fourcp.org

words

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

classes

Paint & Sip: Blue Ridge Sunrise. Paint, sip, and repeat. $35, 1pm. Chiles Peach Orchard, 1351 Greenwood Rd., Crozet. catelynkelseydesigns.com

etc.

Butterfly Hike. Explore native butterflies and how to identify them. Free, 10am. Ivy Creek Natural Area and Historic River View Farm, 1780 Earlysville Rd. ivycreekfoundation.org

CB4. Chris Rock stars in this spoof of rap stars and life in the hip-hop fast lane. $8, 8pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

Charlottesville City Market. Shop seasonal local produce, homemade baked goods, authentic cultural foods, wares from artisans of various disciplines, and more. Free, 9am. Charlottesville City Market, 100 Water St. E. charlottesville.gov

Chess. All ages and skills welcome. Free, 10am. The Center at Belvedere, 540 Belvedere Blvd. thecentercville.org

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Harry, Ron, and Hermione uncover the evil force behind strange goings-on at Hogwarts. $10, 11am. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com

Sunday 8/13 music

Meg McRee. After attending Vanderbilt University on a full ride, Meg McRee traded her newly earned degree for the pursuit of an unpredictable dream as a songwriter. $12-40, 8:30pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com

Second Sunday Bluegrass Jam. All levels, ages, and instruments welcome. Free, 1pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com

The Jazz Connection. Jazz quartet playing standards and originals with occasional guest performers. Free, 6pm. Kardinal Hall, 722 Preston Ave. kardinalhall.com

Willie DE. Solo acoustic. Free, 2pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com

stage

Urinetown: The Musical See listing for Friday, August 11. $10-20, 2:30pm. Four County Players, 5256 Governor Barbour St., Barboursville. fourcp.org

classes

Paint & Sip: Cherry Blossoms. Paint, sip, and repeat. $35, 2pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwood farmandwinery.com etc.

Dunkirk Director Christopher Nolan’s gripping look at one of the most important—and surprising—battles of World War II. $10, 4pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com

Heathers Brunch. Winona Ryder and Christian Slater team up to take down the queen bees of their suburban high school in this classic satire. $10, 11:30am. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Double Feature. It’s 1990’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and 1991’s The Secret of the Ooze back to back. $10, 6pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com

Monday 8/14

music

Berto & Vincent. Fiesta. Free, 7pm. South and Central Latin Grill, Dairy Market. south andcentralgrill.com

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

outside

Little Naturalist. Bring your 3– 5- year-old, introduce them to nature, and explore the trails. Free, 10am. Ivy Creek Natural Area and Historic River View Farm, 1780 Earlysville Rd. ivycreekfoundation.org

Tuesday 8/15

music

Cville Band. Performing Summer at The Paramount: American Songs. Free, 7:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

Thunder Music Karaoke. Show off your singing skills or just enjoy the show. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. 234-4436

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

Vinyl Night. BYO record to play and get $1 off pints. Free, 4pm. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market, 946 Grady Ave. dairymarket cville.com outside

Historic River View Farm Tour. Learn about the lives and work of the Carr/Greer Family and their contribution to the local community. Free, 5pm. Ivy Creek Natural Area and Historic River View Farm, 1780 Earlysville Rd. ivycreekfoundation.org

Three Notch’d Run Club. Log some miles and enjoy a $5 post-run beer. Free, 6pm. Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen & Brewery, 520 Second St. SE. threenotchdbrewing.com etc.

Family Game Night. Games for all ages, including corn hole, Jenga, and board games. Free, 5pm. Dairy Market, 946 Grady Ave. dairymarketcville.com

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

Go for Beginners. Learn about and play the ancient strategic Chinese board game Go. Free, 2pm. The Center at Belvedere, 540 Belvedere Blvd. thecentercville.org

The Family Plot A phony psychic’s getrich-quick scheme leads her into real danger in Alfred Hitchcock’s final film. $7, 7pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com

The Fralin Downtown Film Series—Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present A film series on the arts. $11–13, 7pm. Violet Crown Cinema, 200 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. violetcrown.com

New places for familiar faces and drinks all around

“It’s been a thrill to have someone who’s interested in the business and interested in food and cooking,” says The Ivy Inn’s Angelo Vangelopoulos about his line cook Noel Hayden’s departure for The Dabney in Washington, D.C.

Wisdom from the grill

If you’ve visited The Ivy Inn in the last two years, chances are lead line cook Noel Hayden had a hand in preparing and plating your dinner. Hayden began his culinary career at age 14 at Greenwood Gourmet Grocery, and joined The Ivy Inn’s close-knit staff in 2021, training under chef/owner Angelo Vangelopoulos. Hayden is about to take his culinary journey to the next level at Michelin-starred restaurant The Dabney in Washington, D.C.

Hayden is quick to give credit to Vangelopoulos, whose lessons are grounded in a history that includes culinary school, time spent working with a French master chef, and more. Those lessons have contributed to the training of many young chefs—including The Dabney founder Jeremiah Langhorne.

“With Noel, he was so moldable … and he learned really fast, and I’ve probably said it a thousand times now but he’s really good with his hands, and the other things he likes to do [rock climbing] make him have some skill and dexterity which you don’t always get,” says Vangelopoulos.

Passing on wisdom to the next generation and getting young people excited about cooking is how local restaurants that take food seriously—like C&O, Fleurie, and The Ivy Inn—have been able to stand the test of time, says Vangelopoulos. “It’s the perfect time for him to go somewhere new and exciting, and if he wants to continue his culinary journey, there’s maybe no better place for him right now because it will teach him, and wake him up to what’s out there.”

More reasons to eat out

The Monsoon Siam family continues to grow, with the addition of Maple Pine Thai Kitchen on Pantops. The lunch and dinner joint joins Coconut Thai, Pineapples Thai,

and the downtown flagship location, making it easier than ever to get your fix of simmering curry and spicy noodles.

With the opening of Al Basha, Iraqi food is officially on the menu at Dairy Market Owner Omar Al Shaban is serving up family-style, made-from-scratch sandwiches and platters with fillings like chicken shawarma, falafel, and hummous.

Sip on this

After closing its doors in 2008, Oakencroft Farm & Winery is back in business. The farm is committed to environmental conservation, regenerative farming, and solar power. The tasting room is open by reservation, and serves a rotating selection of wines from Virginia and around the world. Something’s brewing on High Street, and it’s a new venture from restaurateur Will Richey and Reason Beer co-founder Mark Fulton. Högwaller Brewing will fill the vacant space at 1518 E. High St. left by The Pie Chest and Lone Light Coffee, and will eventually produce its own beers, paired with a menu of burgers, barbecue, and more.

Spirit Lab Distilling’s new brew is sure to put a pep in your step. The coffee whiskey is a collaboration with Snowing in Space, and was left in the barrel for an extra year. The amber elixir is stronger than espresso, and pairs perfectly with a scoop of vanilla in an affogato.

A final toast

Recently, we’ve toasted toodle-oo to some favorite eateries. Due to Champion Hospitality Group getting in the financial weeds (see page 22), Passiflora, Champion Brewing Company, Brasserie Saison, and Siren have shuttered their doors. Baccio Mediterranean Cuisine in Crozet fried its last falafel, and after 11 years Meriwether Springs Winery & Brewery has bottled its final bevvies.—Maeve Hayden

Charlottesville’s zero-waste refill store

Reduce your waste and keep single-use plastics from the landfill when you refill with us!

Tuesday-Friday 9-6 Saturday 10-5

• Sunday 11-5

• Laundry Detergent & Soda

• Dishwasher Gel & Powder

• Dish Soap

• Hand Soap

• Hand Sanitizer

• Multipurpose Cleaner

• Floor Cleaner

• Glass Cleaner

• Castile Soap

• Shampoo

• Conditioner

• Body Wash

• Lotion

• Sunscreen

• Deodorant

• and more!

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

In the loop

BY DAVID LEVINSON WILK

ACROSS

1. Botanist Gray and actor Butterfield

5. Fly (by)

9. Counterpart of butch

14. Hay storage area

15. First-rate

16. Folklorist/musicologist Alan

17. What an express train won’t slow down for

19. One end of a battery

20. Cheri of “Liar Liar”

21. Nurses a cocktail

23. Architect Koolhaas

24. “Let’s suppose ...”

26. It t akes a licking

29. How a toddler eats

31. Cheap booze

32. Superlative suffix

33. “We try harder” car rental company

36. They may follow booms

37. 2011 #1 hit for BeyoncÈ

40. Go back for more salsa

43. Give the cold shoulder

44. Palindromic sib

47. Sorkin of “Days of Our Lives”

49. Dangerous place for a leak

52. Steakhouse order

55. Band’s hired hand

56. Canonized people: Abbr.

57. “Despacito” singer Fonsi

59. Mike of “Shrek”

60. Mr., Mrs. or Mx.

63. Well-informed ... and a description of 17-, 26-, 37- and 52-Across’ central letters

65. Approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface

66. Boo

67. ____ occasion (never)

68. DEA figures

69. Navy VIPs

70. What’s left to cartographers?

DOWN

1. “If I may ...”

2. Placates

3. Bills are found in it

4. Kicks off

5. Is in the past?

6. Have the ____ for

7. How some popcorn is popped

8. Youngest of the Marx Brothers

9. Its airports include TPA and JAX

10. Practically forever

11. In online gaming , games with large numbers of players

12. Fared

13. Lets off the hook

18. 10% of DXXX

22. 35mm camera t ype

25. Rapper with a clock necklace, familiarly

27. WNBA All-Star Rebecca

28. Words after break or shake

30. French name pronounced “eve”

34. Charged particle

35. Cozy

37. Bank holding

38. Crude-shipping grp.

39. Way up the slope

40. Purina partner replaced by Nestlé

41. Spicy fare?

42. Celebrit y ... but just barely

44. Where to find “Yellow Submarine” on the album “Yellow Submarine”

45. Like some dungeon denizens

46. Iconic phrase in old “Dick and Jane” stories

48. Org . for Penguins and Ducks

50. A handful of

51. Keep out of sight

53. Mystic’s board

54. Ached (for)

58. Originate (from)

61. Fond du ____, Wisconsin

62. Low-ranking naval officer: Abbr.

64. “48 ____” (1982 Eddie Murphy film)

Community & MISC. Notices

Group Psychotherapy

Groups may be the way to go in trying to deal with the challenges and cost of finding someone for psychotherapy. Groups are affordable. They place you with a trained professional therapist. Groups provide best friends who you only see in group. They will join with you struggling with intimate personal issues. People are surprised how comfortable they are and able to share.

Dr. Lewis Weber and Associates 434 963–0324 ext 2 weberpsychotherapy.com

STATEWIDE CLASSIFIED AD NETWORK AUCTIONS

ATTN. AUCTIONEERS:  Advertise your upcoming auctions statewide and in other states. Affordable Print and Digital Solutions reaching your target audiences. Call this paper or Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, HYPERLINK “mailto:landonc@vpa. net” landonc@vpa.net

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Our Story

It all started with an injured crow. Our founder, Nathou Attinger, earned her rehabilitator's permit in 2004 and cared for hundreds of wildlife patients over the next decade. What began as a one-woman show has grown into a staff of 10, a standalone modern facility on 22 peaceful acres, and over 50 outdoor enclosures that can cater to most native species.

(434) 263-4954 Give wildlife a second chance

Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary

501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

P.S. HOTSEAT

Vibin’ out

Few people know how to curate good vibes like Jaewar King. The hip-hop artist is getting ready to drop his seventh annual Vibe Fest, a lively celebration with good music and good people. This year’s fest pays homage to 50 years of hip-hop, and celebrates music as a powerful force for change and connection. Lupe Fiasco and Talib Kweli headline, with a special set from Jaewar & Vibe Riot, King’s acid jazz collective. viberiot.com/vibe-riot

Name: “JAEWAR” King.

Age: 288 in human years.

Pronouns: He.

Hometown: It’s complicated: Born in Brooklyn, New York; raised in Virginia Beach, 10 years married to C’ville, but also in an ethically open relationship with RVA.

Jobs: Artist, emcee, program manager, entrepreneur, engineer.

Worst thing about living here: The income disparity across demographics, and the resulting void of a variety of diverse cultural experiences.

Best thing: The beautiful mountain views and the farm fresh foods!

Favorite restaurant: MarieBette or maybe Pearl Island … but Common House is so good too. There are so many!

Where do you start and end a night out: It depends on the day, but THIS Thursday, August 10, I’ll start with Vibe Riot, Talib Kweli, and Lupe Fiasco at The Jefferson Theater and let the vibes take us where they may!

Where are the best vibes in C’ville: With Vibe Riot at Vibe Fest duhhh! Also at The Bridge PAI, The Jefferson

School, Ix Art Park, and with the Tonsler League. Honestly, it’s wherever our community gathers. We have great fantastic natural and human-made spaces in and outside our beautiful city, and when those spaces open up to our brilliant community leaders, creative directors, and artists it’s a good funking vibe.

Who is your hero: My parents, Nikki Giovanni, my mentors, my partners, my fantastic friends, Malcom X, Black Thought, Quest Love, Nas, and Jay-Z. Best advice you ever got: To thyself, be true—Momma King.

Proudest accomplishment: Simultaneously being a part of an award-winning team working to support and inspire our community, being a part of a team that’s about to bring low-cost insulin to our country, and being a part of the supremely talented Vibe Riot crew that’s rocking the stage

with two hip-hop legends during the 50th year of hip-hop in Lupe Fiasco and Talib Kweli. When I look at my life in the proper perspective, my biggest problems seem a little smaller.

Describe a perfect day: Acki and salt fish, plus banana for breakfast, powerlifting or football (“soccer”), meditation time, organic farm-fresh foods for lunch, studio session with some jazzy azz musicians, organic farmfresh food for dinner, then ending the night with an afro beat-reggae-discofunk dance party with water involved (pools, hot tub, beach), dancing until we drop—all with my favorite people and their favorite people.

What’s something about yourself that people would be surprised to learn: Hmmm... then it wouldn’t be a surprise.

If you could be reincarnated as a person or thing, what would you be: A warlock.

If you had three wishes, what would you wish for: Time travel, a life-sized undo button, the ability to see 80 hours into the future.

Do you have any pets: No, but I fostered a hound pit named Symbah, and I visit.

Most embarrassing moment: I forgot. Favorite movie/show: Too many good ones, but “Beef” and “Copenhagen Cowboy” are on my list to check out.

Favorite book: I just started The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin.

What is music to you: Music is poetry in motion. It’s all around me at all times.

Favorite musician: Bob Marley, Black Thought, Mos Def, Outkast, Prince, Lauryn Hill, Nas.

What are you listening to right now: The Roots.

Go-to karaoke song: “Peace of Mind”—Vibe Riot.

First concert: Nas & Damian Marley. Who’d play you in a movie: Snoop Dogg.

Celebrity crush: Erykah Badu.

Most used app on your phone: Spotify.

Last text you sent: “True”

Most used emoji: Subject that causes you to rant: The “normal” and toxic frameworks that we still operate within and haven’t eliminated.

Best journey you ever went on: Colombia, Jamaica, Italy, and L.A. Next journey: One of the above or maybe France, Spain, or Puerto Rico.

Favorite word: “True.”

Hottest take: You are 100 percent responsible for how you feel, even though others may be accountable at times.

What have you forgotten today: To do laundry; thank you!

Put another dime in the jukebox, baby.

C-VILLE Weekly is amped to celebrate all of Charlottesville’s rock stars: the best people, places, and things in our town.

Fringe your tank top and grab your leather jacket to party like a rock star at this year’s Best of C-VILLE blow-out: Four hours of live back beats, bridges, and bass riffs by DJ Double U, DJ FlatLine, DJ Sheen, DJ Treework and more, plus food, drinks, and unplugged excitement to celebrate our city’s chart-toppers.

This is a private event for winners, runner ups, sponsors, staff and guests—no tickets will be sold in advance or at the gate. No scalpers—you must have an Eventbrite boarding pass with a unique QR code to enter!

A limited number of corporate and individual invite sponsorships are available. Email anna@c-ville.com for details.

21+ event, no dogs or “Freebird” requests allowed.