I grew up on Main Street in Harrisonburg, back when it was still a mix of mom-and-pop businesses and buildings that didn’t ask much of you. I’d walk down to A&N and ogle the Sauconys that lined the back wall. Stop at Dave’s for a house salad with ranch (and a side of fries). Browse the beads and incense at A Touch of the Earth (before remembering I don’t really like incense).
Today, just a few blocks up from my old house, is the subject of heated debate: a proposed student housing development, a funeral home that may or may not be replaced, neighbors who feel blindsided and angry, and a city caught between growth and restraint. It’s a familiar tension in college towns— and it’s why this week’s cover story (p.18) feels so resonant.
Charlottesville’s West Main has always been a corridor shaped by larger forces: railroads, cars, urban renewal, student demand, tax revenue. What’s different now is the speed—and the scale. New zoning laws allow taller buildings by right, raising questions about who West Main is for, what it should look like, and how much say the community has as the skyline evolves.
What emerges from Sean Tubbs’ reporting isn’t a simple pro- or anti-development argument. It’s a portrait of a city wrestling with competing needs: housing shortages and displacement fears, public revenue and neighborhood pressure, long-term planning and short-term consequences. Like the Main Street I grew up on, what happens next will say as much about our values as it does about our buildings.
Hey,
These
Towns Ackerman
Susan Albert
Mary Allen
Catherine Anninos
Jim & Gwen Baber
Lori Balaban
Timothy Bambury
Catherine Barnes
Julie Basic
Susan Battani
John & Nancy Baum
Josh Baumann
Jennifer Beachley
Mayanna Bean
Terry Belanger
Susan Bender
Denise Benson
Anne Bergamesca
Rebecca Berlin
Kim Biasiolli
Patrick Bird
Paddy Bowman
Olivia Branch
Paul Brewer
Susan Brickman
Claudia Murray
Brindle
Colette Brown
David Brown
Jack Brown
Sumner Brown
Kate Buford
Cathleen Burgess
Carol Burger
Patricia Burkett
David Calhoun
Michael Callahan
Linda & Pat
Canzanelli-Dantona
Brian Carlton
Helen Cathro
Janelle Catlett
James Clark Jr.
Diane Cluck
Karen Collins
Lorraine Collins
Beth Croghan
Margaret Crone
Emily Currier
Genny Dalton
Maria-Eugenia
Dalton
Charles Dassance
Pam & Peter Dennison
Nancy Dettor
Martha Donnelly
Helene Downs
Vincent Draddy
Charlotte Drummond
Louise Dudley
Lee Elberson
Jane Elmore
Karen Emmitt
Ken Engebretson
Elizabeth Engle
Rosa Ellen English
Gail Esterman
Joe Ethier
Tom & Anna Ferrell
M. Fife
Jon Fink
Lavonne Fitts
Kevin Foley
Barbara Fornoff
Joan Forrest
Amy Gardner
Georgia Garrett
Thomas Garrison
Greg Gelburd
Gerald Giammatteo
David & Janna Gies
Donna Goings
Stephanie Goodwin
Trice Gravatte
Andrew Greeley
Jennifer Grover
Cara Hall
Kendra Hall
Jeremy HarrisMcDonnell
Wiliam Harvey
Madeleine Hawks
Ann Marie Haynes
Mary Haynes
Elain Heffelfinger
Chris Hellings
Stephen Herrick
John Heyser
Ezra Hitzeman
Katherine Hoffman
JoAnn Hofheimer
Lisa Hogan
Gina Hogue
Laura Horn
Christina Horton
Robert Inlow
Deb Jackson
Garth Jensen
Nina Johnston
Nicole Jones
Diane Jones
Janet Jospe
Jane Kamensky
Brian Kelly
Trish Kenney
Tom & Sue Kirk
Kathryn Kluge
Julie Lacy
Marcia Langsam
Jacalyn LaPierre
Aaron Lawrence
Eric & Diane Lawson
Elizabeth Lawson
Frances Lee-Vandell
David Lemon
Linda Lester
Sean Libberton
Angeline Lillard
Peppy Linden
Jessica Lino
Julia Rubarth
D. Little
Phillip Long
Rob Lynch
Catherine Maguire
Greg Mallard
Jeff Martin
Virginia Masterson
Jeanne & Bob Maushammer
Erin Mayer
Kieran Mcdowell
Mary McIntyre
Gretchen McKee
Ruth McWilliams
James Mernin
Nicolas Mestre
Tim Michel
Parthy Monagan
Linda Monahan
Vic Monti
Hilary Moorman
Michael Morency
Harold E. Morgan
Michael Moriarty
Catherine Moynihan
Jim Mummery
Karen Myers
Monica Newby
Sandy Newhouse
Kathy O’Connell
Dennis O’Connor
Diane Ober
Cynthia Van Osch
Annette Osso
Laila Ouhamou
Annette Owens
Timothy Palmer
Michael Pantano
Dashton Parham
Susan Payne
Amanda Peacock
Joe Peacock
Elizabeth Perdue
Joann Peters
James Peterson
Damon Pettitt
Andrew Pevsner
Elayne Phillips
Sandra Pollock
Robin Powell
Anne Price
Ernest Pugh
Harry Purkey
Leslie Quenichet
Frances Racette
T. Radsky
Scott Ransom
Sarah Ratcliffe
Stots Reele
Marjorie Rein
Jonathan Rice
Cindy Richards
Kevin Richardson
David Robinson
Diane Rosin
Tim Ryan
Carol Gilbert Sacks
Audrey Sarate
Claudia Scenna
Joan Schatzman
Sandra Schmidt
Eric Schultz
Karen Schuyler
Wendy Seay
James Seitz
Angilee Shah
Elaine Shaw
Chuck Shelton
Paul Shettel
Vaden Shields
John Smith
Kristina Smith
Rod Smith
Meredith Smoot
Mickey Speck
Maria Spence
Jim Spencer
David Stackhouse
Mariah Steele
Rod Stoner
Robert Strickland
Deborah Strong
Nichole Taylor
William Terrell
Emily Thiede
Reid Thompson
W. McIlwaine Thompson Jr.
Prue Thorner
John Titus
Jessica Tobin
Erica Toy
Rose Trapnell
Jill Trischman-Marks
Susan Uland
Rick Vergot
Christina Walker
Steven Ward
David Waters
Chris Waugaman
Phoebe Weseley
Kelly West
Gary & Anne Westmoreland
Richard Wiedemann
John Whitlow
Jay Wildermann
Marcia Wilds
Andrew Wolf
Natalie Yancey
Suzanne Yeaman
Nura Yingling
Kelly Zalewski
Kathleen Zenker
Sean Tubbs moved to Charlottesville in 2002, and has sought to understand why development occurs the way it does. Since 2005, he’s helped innovate information gathering to try to help people know they belong and how they can have their say. Read his work on pages 13, 14, and 18.
Kristie Smeltzer is a writer, writing coach, and teacher. Her fiction has been published by Scribes*MICRO* Fiction, MonkeyBicycle, and Atticus Review. Smeltzer earned her MFA in creative writing at the University of Central Florida. Read her work on page 29.
Adam Kirsch is a poet, literary critic, cultural commentator, and senior editor at The Atlantic. He is the author of numerous books, including two books of poetry and several non-fiction books, including The Revolt Against Humanity: Imagining a Future without Us and, most recently, The Z Word: Reclaiming Zionism. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Times Literary Supplement, The New Yorker, Slate, Poetry, and Tablet.
★ www.blueridgecafe.com BIG STAR?
IN THIS ISSUE
9 City of Promise navigates tricky political waters.
12 Local company has more than $3 million in ICE contracts.
13 Patrick McNamara sues CPD; Council looks at affordable housing requests.
14 Real Estate: Case made for upholding original Belvedere vision.
CULTURE 25
27 Feedback: Lettuce serves up jazz-funk at the Jeff
28 Stages: Old Cabell hosts Schuyler Jackson (and his bassoon).
29 Tried it in C’ville: Merrily she rolls along.
32 Sudoku
33 Crossword
35 Free Will Astrology
38 The Big Picture
ED I TORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Caite Hamilton editor@c-ville.com
ART DIRECTOR
Max March max@c-ville.com
CULTURE EDITOR
Tami Keaveny tami@c-ville.com
SENIOR NEWS REPORTER
Nathan Alderman news@c-ville.com
NEWS REPORTER
Catie Ratliff reporter@c-ville.com
NEWS CONTRIBUTOR
Sean Tubbs
ASSOCIATE CULTURE EDITOR
CM Turner arts@c-ville.com
COPY EDITOR
Susan Sorensen
DIGITAL EDITOR
Tristan Williams
CONTRIBUTORS
Rob Brezsny, Dave Cantor, Matt Dhillon, Carol Diggs, Shea Gibbs, Mary Jane Gore, Maeve Hayden, Andrew Hollins, Erika Howsare, Matt Jones, Sarah Lawson, Lisa Provence, Sarah Sargent, Kristie Smeltzer, Jen Sorensen, Julia Stumbaugh, Jake Solyst, Paul Ting, Eric Williamson
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Bill Chapman, Blair Kelly
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UVA MUSIC EVENTS
III
SATURDAY, JANUARY 31 PHIL HANLEY
FEBRUARY 13-ON SALE NOW "MIGHTY MARLEY CELEBRATION" WITH MIGHTY JOSHUA JUST ANNOUNCED!
FEBRUARY 22-ON SALE NOW TANAEL JOACHIM THE ALIEN EVERYWHERE TOUR
01-31| THE SOUTHERN DRAG SHOW 16+ 02-01| TOBACCO ROAD WITH HASH + LAST CALL 02-05| JOE JORDAN
02-06| JACK STEPANIAN WITH MICHAEL & THE MISDEMEANORS
02-07| DOGWOOD TALES/EUPHORIA AGAIN WITH NABEEL PRESENTED BY WNRN 02-09| DAR WILLIAMS WITH SETH GLIER SOLD OUT 02-12| TIM 0’BRIEN WITH JAN FABRICUS 02-14| IMMODEST OPULENCE: VALENTINE'S DAY BURLESQUE 18+ EARLY SHOW AND LATE SHOW 02-19| J RODDY WALSTON AND THE AUTOMATIC BAND
02-20| THE JACK WHARFF BAND SOLD OUT 02-21| DIRTY GRASS PLAYERS
02-24| BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT WITH GLASSING
02-25| LAUNDRY DAY WITH SATCHEL SHURE
02-26| KENDALL STREET COMPANY WITH SHAGWUF 02-27| FULL MOON FEVERTOM PETTY TRIBUTE 02-28| JOE PUG
03-04| AN EVENING WITH THE LARRY KEEL/JON STICKLEY DUO
03-07| NIGHT TEACHER WITH DIANE CLUCK
Date/Time/Place
Friday, 01/30, 7:30pm Old Cabell Hall
Friday, 02/06, 8:00pm Old Cabell Hall
Saturday, 02/14, 7:30pm Old Cabell Hall
Sunday, 02/15, 3:30pm The Paramount
Saturday, 02/21, 8:00pm Old Cabell Hall
Sunday, 02/22, 3:30pm Old Cabell Hall
Saturday, 03/14, 3:30pm Old Cabell Hall
Sunday, 03/15, 3:30pm Old Cabell Hall
Saturday, 3/21, 3:30pm Old Cabell Hall
Saturday, 3/21, 7:30pm Old Cabell Hall
Sunday, 3/22, 3:30pm MLK Performance Center
Event (* Denotes free events)
Schuyler Jackson bassoon recital * with Elizabeth Roberts, bassoon & John Mayhood, piano
Special guest, Val Jeanty * composer & percussionist
Cellist Adam Carter with Jeannette Jang (Violin) & Jeremy Thompson (Piano)
Katherine Tang's 4th Year Recital * Two Hands, One Breath: Where Air Meets Keys
Robert Costa
Speaker Nancy Pelosi
‘Big swings’
City of Promise takes a nontraditional approach to public education funding
BY CATIE RATLIFF
EDUCATION NEWS
With the Virginia legislature and governor teed up, City of Promise Executive Director Price Thomas says now is the time to take “big swings” in public education.
Founded in 2010, the Charlottesville nonprofit aims to tackle generational poverty by improving education outcomes through social interventions. Charlottesville students spend more than four times as many hours each week outside school as in it. City of Promise partners with Charlottesville City Schools to remove barriers to achievement during that non-school time, including food pantries and a pilot program to turn Trailblazer Elementary into a hub where families can obtain other vital community services.
While other organizations have been hit hard by congressional cuts, CoP has a strong base of philanthropic support and hasn’t recently received federal dollars. But the families, communities, and partners CoP works with have still been impacted by Trump administration policies and budget-slashing.
“I count us probably among a relatively lucky few who were not tangibly affected by that level of weirdness,” says Thomas. “It doesn’t mean that the threat of food stamps not hitting doesn’t affect our population of people. … It does affect the people who we’re working with dramatically.”
“There’s all these things that touch education. The stability of your housing, your food, your access to capital, your access to the internet, these extracurriculars—there’s a cost provision to all of these things,” Thomas says. “Our ability to look at that and to encourage robust investment in our kids and in our families as it pertains to their educational outcomes is really important.”
At the federal level, there’s no immediate shakeup in sight that would increase investment in education. The state level is an entirely different story, though, with the inauguration of Gov. Abigail Spanberger and Democratic control of the Virginia legislature.
City of Promise Executive Director Price Thomas says public education is underfunded, but “I don’t think our schools are underfunded. ... If we are constantly putting the money where the kids aren’t, it doesn’t feel like a particularly well-thought-out investment.”
On her first day in office, Spanberger issued an education-focused executive order that didn’t explicitly allocate funds, but reflected the governor’s campaign promise to “get schools the funding they need.”
Rather than just schools, City of Promise is calling for an investment in public education more broadly—at the state and local level.
Charlottesville has “the largest literacy pass rate gap in the state. We have the second-lowest minority literacy scores in the state. … We have the second-highest cost per pupil in the state,” says Thomas. “At
some point, you have to look at that sort of objectively, and say, ‘Okay, there’s something happening here that’s not catching.’”
But the work, and the funding, need to extend beyond schools themselves, according to CoP. Thomas argues that spending more money directly on underserved communities, rather than the schools that serve them, will more effectively fix issues like the literacy gap.
“I think public education is underfunded. I don’t think our schools are underfunded,” says Thomas. “If we are constantly putting the money where the kids
aren’t, it doesn’t feel like a particularly well-thought-out investment.”
The nonprofit more thoroughly interrogated the relationship between literacy and family finances in a joint research effort with the University of Virginia. Their Economics of Education report found connections not only between economics and race in Charlottesville, but also household and community finances and literacy. It further concluded that the “school-first” funding approach has contributed to an achievement gap for economically disadvantaged students.
“It’s not whether we should fund schools. It’s not whether we should invest in teachers. It’s not whether we should have quality curriculum in safe places. Everybody wants that,” Thomas clarifies. “Once you’ve achieved that, where are the marginal dollars going? … [City of Promise doesn’t] put that money anywhere that doesn’t make its way back into those buildings, in the form of families, in the form of kids, in the form of preparedness.”
CoP has doubled its staff to 12 people over the last two years, allowing Thomas and others to pursue more legislative action in addition to the nonprofit’s grassroots efforts. Amid local and state budget conversations, CoP is heading to Richmond on January 29 to speak to legislators (weather permitting). City of Promise isn’t backing any specific legislation or budget requests yet, but Thomas’ ideas range from a third-grade reading gate, requiring students pass a literacy assessment before moving to the next grade, to more expansive afterschool and summer programming.
“For us, this is a first foray into this arena. It’s a learning experience to get a feel for what goes on during session, how to interact with information and lawmakers, and make sure we are operating with robust and thorough information,” says Thomas. “The hope is we learn more about the process and can meet some folks who we can build relationships with at the state level. No specific agenda… yet. But I’m confident we’ll get there.”
NEWS GOVERNMENT
Steal our hearts
Enter C-VILLE’s annual Haikus from the Heart contest
Capture the beauty, agony, or mystery of love with your best haiku. The top 10 will be published in C-VILLE's February 11 issue, and the first-place winner will earn a Valentine's Day prize package, including dinner for two at a local restaurant.
Entries must:
❥ Be in haiku format (three lines total, five syllables in the first and third lines, seven in the second line).
❥ Be original and unpublished.
❥ Be PG-13.
❥ Be submitted by February 2.
Sponsored by:
Orders followed
Looking deeper into a Charlottesville business fulfilling ICE contracts BY NATHAN ALDERMAN
Arecent map of federal contractors working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement included one company from Charlottesville, drawing local attention on social media amid ICE’s brutal actions in Minneapolis and other American cities.
On January 16, the news site Sludge mapped every U.S. company that has begun or expanded contracts with ICE since President Donald Trump’s January 20, 2025, inauguration. Using data from USAspending.gov, the map listed more than $3 million in ICE contracts for Charlottesvillebased GovSmart, Inc.
CEO Brent Lillard cofounded GovSmart with CFO Hamza Durrani in 2009. Lillard says the company handles more than $500 million in orders from local, state, and federal agencies each year, and regularly contributes to a host of local and national charities, including a $13,000 donation in 2021 to help clients at The Haven obtain ID documents.
“We resell widely used, commercial offtheshelf software used every day by private companies, hospitals, universities, and civilian agencies,” Lillard says. GovSmart’s ICE contracts include licenses for Tableau data dashboards, AutoCAD architectural design software, real estate management software, Splunk databases, and Smarty address verification.
GovSmart bids for federal contracts under a “multiaward vehicle.” Contractors preapply to join a large pool of bidders for government orders. When agencies request items, contractors like GovSmart compete to provide them. Most of the money contractors receive goes toward purchasing the requested products. “We only win when we are cheaper than all of the other contractors,” Lillard says. “Our average [profit] margin is very slim, similar to a credit card fee.”
USAspending.gov data shows that as of January 25, GovSmart received more than $232 million from 981 federal contracts in fiscal 2025 and 2026. Contracts from ICE, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services totaled nearly $39 million, with roughly $38.3 million awarded after Trump took office.
In that period, USCIS was the largest source of GovSmart’s federal contracts by dollar amount, at $33.8 million. The agency processes applications for visas, citizenship, asylum, and refugee status. ICE represented GovSmart’s 18th largest source of contract funds, at $3.19 million. CBP ranked 25th with $1.97 million.
Twelve of GovSmart’s 34 contracts with these agencies began under the Biden administration, and nine began before Trump’s November 2024 reelection. Only one contract, for a directional radio antenna, did not involve offtheshelf computer software or hardware.
USAspending.gov lists another Charlottesville business, Bluestone Analytics, as an ICE contractor. But its four open contracts for software or services to track cybercrimes all appear to have been fulfilled before fiscal 2025. Per government records, Bluestone has received no funds from ICE in fiscal 2025 or 2026.
In the 1930s, IBM, via a German subsidiary, leased early computers and customized punch cards to the Nazi government. The data that technology gathered on Germany’s Jews and other minorities enabled the Nazis’ later campaign of mass imprisonment and murder. “It’s a deeply flawed analogy,” Lillard says, when asked about potential parallels. “We do not control how agencies architect their systems, what data they ingest, or how that data is used. The appropriate debate is about public policy and oversight—not equating suppliers of generalpurpose software with historical actors who knowingly supported crimes against humanity.”
When asked his opinion of ICE’s actions in Minneapolis, Lillard declined to comment. “My personal views are my own,” he says, “and it would be inappropriate—and potentially harmful—to conflate those views with the positions of the company or the people who work here.”
Posts on Lillard’s public Facebook page include praise for libertarian Congressman Thomas Massie, and criticism of both Republicans and Democrats, usually regarding expansion of or lack of oversight for government spending.
Lillard says his company cannot cancel ongoing contracts without severe penalties. “A termination for default or debarment can prevent a contractor from ever doing business with the federal [government] in the future,” he says, “and, in our case, result in the loss of 90plus jobs and community investment.”
Going forward, Lillard says GovSmart won’t decline to bid on contracts from any given agency. “We do not take positions on policy, nor do we selectively engage based on the mission of a particular agency,” he says. “When competition lowers costs or improves performance, the public benefits. That principle applies uniformly across the federal government.”
DEVELOPMENT NEWS
Suit up
Almost two years after being falsely arrested for assault, Patrick McNamara filed suit against members of the Charlottesville Police Department, including Chief Michael Kochis, on January 13, 2026.
The federal lawsuit alleges CPD violated McNamara’s civil rights by withholding key video evidence for almost three months. He was arrested on January 18, 2024, and erroneously charged with an assault that occurred near the Free Bridge underpass of the Rivanna Trail.
Surveillance video from Cosner Brothers Body Shop shows the victim and someone the Commonwealth identifies as McNamara passing through the area. A different man wearing a white puffy jacket appears later in the footage.
While the city’s January 12, 2024, news alert of two assaults on the Rivanna Trail includes a description of the suspect “wearing a brown puffy jacket in one incident and black pants and a sweatshirt in the second,” court filings state that the victim described the assailant as “wearing a white puffy jacket with a dark hooded sweatshirt underneath, which was pulled up over his head.”
Charlottesville police obtained the footage on January 22, 2024. Neither McNamara’s lawyer nor the Commonwealth learned of its contents until April 9, 2024. Both filed motions to dismiss the charges on April 11, 2024.
The Commonwealth’s motion to dismiss notes the video was not properly documented by the individual who collected it, who then “told the case agent that nothing of value was captured on it.”
McNamara did not respond to C-VILLE’s request for comment. Charlottesville Public Information Officer Kyle Ervin declined to comment.
At press time, a hearing date had not been set.—Catie Ratliff
Adding up
Council supports several requests for affordable housing interventions BY
SEAN TUBBS
In its efforts to increase and preserve Charlottesville’s affordable housing, City Council took a first look at several requests on January 20 before its scheduled approval votes on February 2.
One request asks for a note guaranteeing $3.77 million for a partnership between the Piedmont Housing Alliance and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville to redevelop 1025 Park St. into 86 affordable units, classroom space, and eight market-rate homes.
“The funding will be used for property acquisition, construction, and projectbased rental assistance for five apartments for five years,” said Brenda Kelley, Charlottesville’s redevelopment manager. “Construction is expected to start in the fall or winter of this year.”
Council agreed to a request from PHA to expedite approval of this request so all the funding is in place before the partnership closes on the property this January.
PHA is also developing 501 Cherry Ave. in a partnership with Woodard Properties and the Fifeville Neighborhood Association. Council has previously committed $3 million to the project.
“It aims to deliver 71 affordable rental units as well as commercial space,” said Madeline Metzler, Charlottesville’s acting housing manager. “That commercial space will be used by the Music Resource Center, a local nonprofit, as well as ... a community grocery store.”
However, PHA needs to close a $1.7 million gap by April. Council agreed to spend $700,000 from a capital contingency fund and provide an additional $1 million in tax abatement.
“This additional investment will allow the project to proceed on schedule with completion expected in 2027 and full occupancy by 2028,” Metzler said.
The $700,000 will build out space for the grocery store. Sunshine Mathon, executive director of PHA, said an agreement with Cville Food Co-Op to occupy the space was almost complete, but some of the details had to be worked out.
“We’re going to be strong partners with them and committed to working with them to try to get that to happen,” Mathon said, pointing out that this funding will allow the co-op to focus on getting a store running rather than paying for construction.
Mathon told Council the entire project would unravel if it didn’t grant this latest funding request. Council’s agenda for
IN BRIEF
All the news you missed last week (in one sentence or less)
February 2 includes a second reading for this proposal.
Elsewhere, Council appears to favor a $390,000 request for a pilot program to help some residents of Kindlewood pay their rent.
“Arrears have reached over $450,000, creating financial strain for PHA and increasing eviction risk for residents,” Metzler said. The plan is to use $220,000 specifically for back rent and $170,000 to hire a counselor for two years to work with households on financial literacy.
Council also updated an agreement with SupportWorksVA that governs $936,722 in funding for the Vista 29 project currently under construction at the site of the former Red Roof Inn on Holiday Drive. Albemarle County has contributed $3.1 million for the project, which will consist of 80 studio apartments.
Ballot boxing GOP-led efforts to shrink Virginia’s early voting period from 45 days to 15 get snuffed out in the state Senate. Doing shots UVA holds clinic to vaccinate students against flu as Grounds cases rise. A negative Regional Red Cross requests more blood donations after supply drops 35 percent amid flu outbreak and winter weather. Hospital swamped A January 21 sprinkler-head malfunction temporarily closes seven suddenly waterlogged operating rooms at UVA Hospital. Vested interest Departing Gov. Glenn Youngkin awards state grants to 88 Virginia special events, including Foxfield, Tom Tom, the Charlottesville Marathon, and Crozet Arts & Crafts Festival. Ground swell Albemarle property tax base up 6 percent this year as assessed values for homes and businesses rise. Explosive temper When the Bojangles on Pantops got his order wrong, an Albemarle man allegedly threatened to blow up the restaurant, receiving a side order of arrest and a bagful of charges.
The property at 501 Cherry Ave. will have 71 affordable rental units, as well as commercial space that includes a community grocery store.
Annie Gould Gallery
NEWS REAL ESTATE
Come back
Decision deferred on Belvedere proposal to add 128 more units
As one of her first acts in office, Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed an executive order to create a task force to recommend ways to reduce barriers to building houses.
“Slow permitting, outdated zoning, labor shortages, and paper-based processes are driving up costs and delaying housing across the Commonwealth,” reads the order to create the Commission on Unlocking Housing Production.
One of the barriers to building more housing in Virginia is a legislative process that allows members of the public to weigh in before developers can amend previously approved plans. That was the case on January 13, when Greenwood Homes requested that the Albemarle Planning Commission allow changes to a rezoning from October 2004 that cleared the way for the Belvedere community.
“The original neighborhood model was approved for 775 units,” said Rebecca Ragsdale, a principal planner with Albemarle County. But Greenwood Homes wants to remove a condition from the original zoning reserving a parcel of land along the railroad tracks for a once-planned, nowdiscarded extension of the John Warner Parkway. Ragsdale said the developer seeks to build 128 townhomes in that space for a total of 903 units.
At the public hearing, current residents asked the Planning Commission to uphold the neighborhood’s original vision.
“It featured a town center with shops, a civic core with neighborhood amenities and architecture,” said Denise Kirschner, who built her home in Belvedere in 2010.
“The original covenants and codes and development, which were last updated in
BY SEAN TUBBS
2014, do not support the rows of townhouses that dominate the newer acquired blocks being developed.”
Terry Bossford, another Belvedere resident, said the reserved land currently satisfies the original developer’s promise of having every home within 250 feet of green space.
“As currently proposed, it will be an unbroken line of hyper-dense horizontal development of over 150 units replacing the existing green space,” Bossford said, suggesting Greenwood Homes construct fewer units.
Chris Schooley, vice president of land development for Greenwood Homes, said the new proposal would expand the amount of greenspace by adding land for a greenway.
Planning Commissioner Karen Firehock said she usually supports additional density because of the need for additional units, but said this proposal is too much.
“It just feels like it’s really packed in there,” Firehock said.
Planning Commission Chair Luis Carrazana supported the reuse of the reserved land for building space but did not feel the proposal was ready.
“It’s a development worth doing,” Carrazana said. “I just don’t think they have it quite right yet.”
As Firehock moved to recommend denial, Schooley appeared to request a deferral.
“We think there is an opportunity for us to find the right plan moving forward,” Schooley said.
Firehock encouraged Schooley to enter into dialogue with neighbors.
“This area is slated to be developed in some way,” Firehock said. “We just want to see a better project that can hopefully have community support.”
A unique art gallery located in the heart of historic Gordonsville.
$1,860,000
RETRIEVER RUN
Top Quality, custom home in Ivy, set on 5 acres w/ mountain views. Extended living space w/ swimming pool and full size tennis/sport court. Covered terrace pavilions overlook the expansive lawn. Bright, expansive interior spaces.Vaulted great room opens to the gourmet kitchen and breakfast room. 2 primary suites on the 1st floor.The upper floors feature 3 additional suites and a billiard room.Terrace level features a family room w/bar, movie room, craft/ hobby room, home office and a full bath. Mechanical room houses a Geothermal system w/ room for storage. Home also includes a central vacuum system, irrigation system and an invisible fence. $2,350,000
CABELL AVENUE
Terrific university area rental! Main level offers a living room, dining room as well as 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Terrace level has a bedroom, bathroom, large living area and kitchen. Washer and dryer in each unit. Excellent condition. $650,000
RAVENS PLACE
Wonderful floor plan. Great, nearly flat yard. Many updates and improvements include: 2025 new roof, refrigerator, dishwasher, range, microwave (all stainless steel) 2020 shed remodeled, new front door and shutters. Primary suite remodeled with walk in shower. $480,000
HATTON FERRY LANE
Fabulous renovation of a 1880 gem in Albemarle County. Hatton on The James is an historic estate, set on 13.9 acres fronting on the James River. Lovingly & authentically restored. The 500 sq. ft. wrap- around porch extends the living area. Light pours in through the banks of windows. The open, double staircase leads from the center hall to the second floor landing. Extensive gardens and walkways. Numerous perennials and hardscapes made of flagstone, brick, soapstone terraced parterre & mature gardens. Property includes a charming one bedroom guest house, gardener’s shed and a writer’s studio. Easy access to Water activities. $1,895,000
Advocates seek limitation of tall buildings, while
West Mai n
others support recently adopted rules BY SEAN TUBBS
n in
Since the University of Virginia held its first classes in 1825, West Main Street has served as an important thoroughfare between town and gown. The buildings and structures constructed along the major roadway between the two spaces since then reflect the changing economies as both Charlottesville and UVA grew. But in the absence of solid development plans from the city, amid housing conflicts between the needs of locals and UVA students, the corridor’s future has yet to be mapped out.
Yesterday and today
Hotels sprang up with the arrival of the railroad in the 19th century, and with the rise of the automobile in the 20th century investors built many buildings to service the ubiquitous vehicle. West Main reflects the difficult social policy of urban renewal that resulted in the destruction of the Vinegar Hill neighborhood.
The early 21st century has seen a shift toward student housing, a lucrative business that has helped bring in revenue for an ambitious city government while raising the ire of some in the community who want the city to stop two more apartment buildings along West Main Street.
“The only people who can afford to live there are the rich mommies and daddies of mostly white students,” said Wendy Gao, an organizer with the Public Housing Association of Residents at the January 20 meeting of City Council. “I can tell you who is not living there: the single Black mother working two jobs in the gig economy making less than $30,000 a year—and neither is the average registered nurse at UVA.”
Gao made her comments after City Council held a work session on technical reforms to the city’s new Development Code related to where student housing can be built. She and PHAR have led the charge against an 11-story apartment building at 843 W. Main St. and a seven-story building called The Mark at 208 Seventh St. NW, a block away from West Main.
A new zoning ordinance adopted in December 2023 generally allows structures to be built without getting permission from City Council, as opposed to rules enacted in 2003 that required developers to get a special use permit first.
One of PHAR’s concerns is that the building at 843 West Main will overpower Westhaven, the city’s first public housing development, built as a replacement for the homes at Vinegar Hill that were razed in 1964.
Under the new zoning, the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority is moving forward with plans to double the number of units on the 9.9-acre Westhaven property from 126 to 266. City Council is contributing $15 million to the project, the latest contribution from Charlottesville taxpayers to help CRHA build a new generation of housing units.
West Main as a place to live?
City Council upzoned West Main Street and other corridors in large part to make more efficient use of land. The 2003 rezoning was influenced by a December 2000 study that suggested ways the city could reverse declining revenues, a trend that had some calling for Charlottesville to revert to a town in Albemarle County. The city hired a team led by the architectural firm Torti Gallas + Partners to suggest ways to increase density to bring in more tax revenue.
“The goal of the City of Charlottesville should be to eliminate or mitigate the obstacles that currently limit development within the City,” reads a portion of the Charlottesville Commercial Corridor Study. “This requires a clear and consistent development plan, as well as a deep and frequently updated understanding of market trends and development obstacles.”
The Torti Gallas study identified the Downtown Mall and West Main as the top two areas where the city could generate additional revenue. The study’s vision called for the roadway to become a “live and work destination for high-tech users” and paints a picture of what West Main was like at the turn of the 21st century.
“The corridor ranges from a physically intact retail street to open parking lots and abandoned auto-oriented service facilities,” reads page 70 of the study, the beginning of several pages devoted to ideas for what was then the future.
The Torti Gallas study suggested housing was in high demand on West Main Street, and the 2003 rezoning created the ability for developers to ask for additional height and density through a special use permit process that required public hearings and gave Council the chance to negotiate for each individual project.
Since 2012, three student housing buildings, three new hotels, an apartment building at 600 W. Main St., and the UVA children’s hospital have risen along West Main. Two of those projects incorporated structures protected by an architectural design control district using adaptive reuse techniques.
Thanks to those changes, the additional revenue suggested by Torti Gallas materialized.
In 2014, the 2.24-acre Flats @ West Village property had an assessed value of $6.77 million, which yielded $64,275.10 in property taxes. A year later, the assessment for the 595-bedroom building jumped up to more than $35.5 million and has continued to increase.
In 2025, the city assessor put the fair market value at $92.1 million, bringing in tax revenue of $903,258.16. In October, The Scion Group acquired the property for $107 million. Scion also manages the 342-bedroom Lark on Main student apartments. The undeveloped property’s 2015 tax bill of $26,433.25 grew to $587,817.72 in 2025.
In October 2025, a new ownership group took over the Standard at 853 W. Main St. and rebranded it Yugo Crestline. In 2016, the property was home to an office building and a former grocery store, with a tax bill of $63,164.55. After the Board of Architectural Review approved a request for demolition, those properties were torn down to make way for a six-story, 612-bedroom building that generated $979,144.46 in real property taxes in 2025.
Changing the rules?
A first set of changes to the city’s development code is making its way through a review process. Next, the city intends to study changes to how the zoning code treats student housing.
City Councilor Michael Payne wants to make more radical changes. He said allowing
“The only people who can afford to live there are the rich mommies and daddies of mostly white students. I can tell you who is not living there: the single Black mother working two jobs in the gig economy making less than $30,000 a year—and neither is the average registered nurse at UVA.” WENDY GAO
11 stories on West Main would put pressure on both Fifeville and 10th and Page.
“Our primary goal should be trying to stop displacement and economic harm done in those core neighborhoods,” said Payne on January 20. “Investors are going to say, there’s a ton of students there. Let’s make every business cater toward student preferences because that’ll be the highest and best use.”
Payne said Council made a mistake when it upzoned areas still recovering from urban renewal. He wants the Planning Commission to study ways to expand protections currently in place for sections of Cherry and Preston avenues, where height is capped at seven stories. Even then, Council has to approve a special exception for projects in the Core Neighborhood overlay.
“We as City Council just have to decide, do we view seven to 11 stories of student housing in those neighborhoods as a good policy that we want to continue, or is it a problem we want to address?”
Other councilors supported the study of an overlay district for student housing, but they were less supportive of adding new regulations in areas where developers have the right to build what is allowed in the zoning. Staff said such a study would take longer.
“We would have to look at the potential legal ramifications of essentially down zoning what is currently allowed by right to lower heights,” said NDS Director Kellie Brown.
Staff will come back to Council in the near future with some potential alternatives.
At least one real estate professional is concerned that changing the rules would send the wrong message to those who want to build out the rest of West Main. “The zoning code explicitly states that dense development on downtown central corridors is desired,” said John Pritzlaff, senior vice president at Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer.
“Yet, when a development group implements this plan, the response is emotional and contradictory to the code that has just been created at great cost to the city.”
Pritzlaff warns that changing the rules again would send the wrong message.
“The move would signal to developers of all kinds that Charlottesville is not a place that adheres to its own guidelines,” Pritzlaff said. “Developments cost millions of dollars in study, design, and up-front costs before a shovel goes into the ground.”
In mid-December, the BAR exercised its discretion and denied a request for the Mark to incorporate two historically protected properties. Council will hear an appeal sometime in the near future.
Tracking commercial on West Main Street
Meanwhile, several businesses continue to operate on West Main Street with no specific trade organization and limited attention from city government. The Office of Economic Development tracks retail vacancies in six areas of the city, but not the area in between UVA and downtown.
When Council approved special use permits for the three student apartment complexes on West Main Street, the developers were required to reserve the ground floor space for commercial use under the 2003 zoning code. But they weren’t obligated to finish out those spaces or secure tenants for them.
The building formerly known as The Standard has four empty retail spots on the ground floor; only one has ever been occupied. Three of the storefronts are covered up, hiding that the spaces are unfinished.
“I’ve looked inside there, and those buildings don’t even have plumbing or concrete on the floors,” says River Hawkins, co-owner of Mejicali across the street. “And for anybody who knows what it costs to invest in that, millions of dollars just to lay the floor
and the plumbing, you know, I think that keeps people out of this.”
Hawkins and his partner John Ornelas opened Mejicali in late 2024 in a space that lay dormant for several years after a chain restaurant petered out. Hawkins wants more longevity.
“What we’re hoping to do here is kind of be an anchor business,” says Hawkins, who is also known for opening The Bebedero and starting the Milkman’s Bar in Dairy Market. Hawkins suggests one way the city or some other entity could help would be to get the sites ready for someone else to move in.
The city has other requirements as well.
The BAR said developer Jeff Levien had to retain two protected structures in front of a six-story apartment building at 600 W. Main St., which was completed in late 2019. He has approved plans to construct another structure next door but is waiting to see how the zoning code might be changed.
“I am bullish on West Main,” Levien says. “It has become its own walkable mixed-use submarket which is continually growing.”
One of those buildings housed the former Blue Moon Diner and will soon be home to a new restaurant. The other is an upscale wine store called the Bottle Shop.
Around the same time the three student housing buildings were being built, developer Mark Green converted an automotive repair shop at 1001 Main St. into a retail center with four spaces that cater to students and UVA employees. Though there have been vacancies, he’s been able to keep the space filled thanks to a steady stream of foot, bus, and bike traffic.
“The hospital keeps growing, the east end of the university keeps growing, and it seems like that additional traffic benefits the businesses on West Main,” Green said.
Another new business soon will open at 919 W. Main St. to serve as a rental office for a 12-story student housing building under construction at the intersection of JPA and Emmet Street adjacent to central Grounds. Plans had been filed for this to be a donut shop, but it never materialized. Instead, the space will handle leasing for the Verve.
Others continue to make investments despite the zoning uncertainty.
The former Greyhound Bus Station at 310 W. Main St. sold for $1.5 million in July to an entity controlled by Woodard Properties. No plans have yet been filed.
“I think West Main should feature more residential living options for year-round residents, not just students,” Woodard said. “There are a couple sites that have tremendous potential to further activate West Main and contribute to residential supply, which would help the West Main businesses and Charlottesville economy as a whole.”
Woodard said one of those sites is the surface parking lot between First Baptist Church and Union Station. The 1.75-acre site is now owned by Allen Cadgene, a San Francisco-based developer who converted many former automotive properties on West Main Street into new purposes, including Main Street Market and the lot that now houses Oakhart Social and Eloise.
Cadgene is also part of Union Station Partners, which owns 820 W. Main St. That site doubles as the Amtrak station and includes restaurant space that closed in June 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are no public plans to develop either site.
EZE
The early 21st century has seen a shift toward student housing. Since 2012, three student housing buildings, three new hotels, an apartment building at 600 W. Main St., and the UVA children’s hospital have risen along West Main.
City Councilor Michael Payne says radical policy change is needed: “Do we view seven to 11 stories of student housing in those neighborhoods as a good policy that we want to continue?” he says. “Or is it a problem we want to address?”
An evening with
SongWriter
featuring Bruce Holsinger + The Golden Hours
Where: THE GUILD at Vault Virginia
When: Saturday, February 21, at 6pm
Tickets: www.theguild.social cville
In a live recording of the SongWriter podcast, bestselling author Bruce Holsinger will read a new short story about a troublesome cat, and The Golden Hours (with members of David Wax Museum) will perform a new song written in response. Dr. Jennifer McQuiston will discuss animal intelligence with host Ben Arthur and the artists, and the audience will be invited to interact.
“Jordan
“Jordan
My name is Jordan Hague and I created Equity Saver USA in 2008 to offer a better, more affordable service to disrupt and challenge what I personally experienced to be an outdated and flawed approach to Realtor compensation at the expense of sellers and buyers.
My name is Jordan Hague and I created Equity Saver USA in 2008 to offer a better, more affordable service to disrupt and challenge what I personally experienced to be an outdated and flawed approach to Realtor compensation at the expense of sellers and buyers.
In 2024 the National Association of Realtors settled a billion dollar lawsuit related to inflated Realtor commission practices. This monumental settlement opens the door for true free market competition and innovation to thrive. I’ve successfully sold homes using a 1% model for nearly 2 decades proving the old “6% legacy” commission model is a waste of money and does nothing to help promote affordable housing. Contact me direct to arrange a no obligation meeting to learn more.
In 2024 the National Association of Realtors settled a billion dollar lawsuit related to inflated Realtor commission practices. This monumental settlement opens the door for true free market competition and innovation to thrive. I’ve successfully sold homes using a 1% model for nearly 2 decades proving the old “6% legacy” commission model is a waste of money and does nothing to help promote affordable housing. Contact me direct to arrange a no obligation meeting to learn more.
Ben
Jerry and
Sam
THURSDAY 1/29
BEAT BY BEAT
In an awe-inspiring performance full of fire, athleticism, and pageantry, renowned Japanese group Drum Tao brings The Best to town. Blending traditional Wadaiko drums with modern energy and theatrical flair, the show features vibrant costumes, dramatic synchronization, and choreographed movement accompanied by traditional Japanese instruments, including flutes and harps, alongside the massive drums. $41.25–68.50, 7pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net
CULTURE TO-DO LIST
Wednesday 1/28
music
Mood Ring: Queer and Trans Open Mic Night. Share your original music. Mic, speakers, and a keyboard provided, please bring your other instruments. Free, 7pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com dance
Weekly Swing Dance. Beginner-friendly swing dance lessons teach the Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa, and blues. No partner needed, stay for social dancing after the class. $10, 7pm. The Front Porch, 221 E. Water St. frontporchcville.com words
Adult Book Club: Dragons, Werewolves and Droids, Oh My! A speculative fiction book club for fans of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. Free, 6:30pm. Northside Library, 705 W. Rio Rd. jmrl.org
etc.
Rapture Karaoke. Hosted by Thunder Music. Free, 9pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com
Thursday 1/29 music
Berto and Vincent. A night of wild flamenco rumba and Latin guitar. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com
Doug Bethel. Jazz standards and surprises from a trombonist and his band. Free, 7pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com
Susto Stringband 2026 Winter Tour. A compelling blend of rock, folk, and psychedelia, with vivid country-esque storytelling. $25, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com
Thomas Gunn. A longtime staple of the Charlottesville music scene performs solo. Free, 7:30pm.
THURSDAY 1/29
SU-SU-SUSTO
A compelling blend of rock, folk, and psychedelia with vivid storytelling floods the stage when Susto Stringband brings its 2026 winter tour to town. From an early age in the rural community of Puddin’ Swamp, South Carolina, frontman Justin Osborne was inspired by gospel, bluegrass, and folk. In addition to leading the stringband, Osborne has fronted indie-rock/Americana band SUSTO since 2013, when he formed a collective of musicians and artists in coastal Charleston before launching his current project in 2022. Country singer and “American Idol” alum Freddie McClendon performs in support. $25.65, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com
FEEDBACK CULTURE
The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com stage
Drum Tao: The Best Exploding on stage with a captivating performance of powerful and athletic drumming full of flash and fire. $41–68, 7pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net words
A Conversation with Poet Adam Kirsch. UVA Jewish Studies hosts the noted poet, author, and literary critic for a conversation as part of the Being Jewish in America Today series. Free, 5:30pm. The Rotunda, UVA, 1826 University Ave. rotunda.virginia.edu
classes
Quilling 101. Learn some basic quilling techniques. All tools and materials provided. Ages 11+. Free, 6:30pm. Northside Library, 705 W. Rio Rd. jmrl.org etc.
Brewery Puzzle Hunt. An escape room meets a pub crawl. Visit the Preston Avenue breweries, crack codes, unravel riddles, and sample Charlottesville’s best brews. Players get $1 off pints at each brewery. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com
Music Bingo. Listen to your favorite music, match the songs to the titles on your music bingo cards, and win great prizes. Free, 6pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarm andwinery.com
Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. Like an escape room but at a winery. Crack codes and unravel riddles while sampling Charlottesville’s best wine, beer and cider. Play when you want and go at your own pace. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com
Friday 1/30
music
Bent Mountain Trio. Serving up a mix of old-time bluegrass and roots music they like to call cocktailgrass. Free, 7pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com
Cumberland Road: ’90s Country Party. Faithful renditions of the biggest ’90s country hits, with tight harmonies, top-tier musicianship, and authentic country energy. $23, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com
Loudon Wainwright III x Chris Smither. A co-bill featuring Wainwright’s six-string tragicomedy and Smither’s folk-blues stylings. $50–68, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com
Matthew O’Donnell. A modern energy to traditional drinking songs, sea shanties, Irish jigs and reels, timeless folk favorites, and original songs. Free, 5:30pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com
Prabir Trio x Free Pony. Some of the best original indie rock. Free, 8pm. Dürty Nelly’s, 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellyscharlottesville.com
Sue Harlow. An Americana-folk singer-songwriter whose haunting vocals delve into the depths of what makes people real. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarm andwinery.com
The LockJaw. Covering fan favorites spanning the decades from the ’60s through the ’80s, and beyond. Free, 6pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com
Funk fit
New Lettuce record blends music varietals and wine, too
BY DAVE CANTOR
Having a pair of Berklee College of Music-educated parents with two drum sets in the basement likely didn’t hurt Adam Deitch’s love of music—the drummer has been writing songs since he was 10 years old.
That early access to instruments—and wading through his parents’ record collection, replete with Earth, Wind & Fire and Tower of Power albums—shaped the drummer and producer’s decades-long career as he’s bounded from funk and jazz to hip-hop.
Forming a relationship with the members of funk-jazz instrumental outfit Soulive fed into Deitch’s developing the band Lettuce, and he credits them for helping solidify the band early on, though he says Lettuce has become a sturdier, self-sustaining endeavor during the past decade.
Even as Deitch led Lettuce through a steady stream of self-produced recordings, he remained ensconced in a range of other projects. He’s toured with Wu Tang Clan’s GZA and recorded with an eponymous jazz quartet and an organ trio, Deitch Teitel Fribush, which issued its debut in 2025.
“For every project, I have my hand in a lot of the production,” the bandleader says, add-
ing that each endeavor, regardless of genre, leads him back to Lettuce. “Every record that I do, it’s not like I just go in and play drums and leave. A lot of thought goes into it.”
Like Deitch, Lettuce has pulled from a tapestry of sounds as it’s developed: P-Funk is legion and New Orleans funk isn’t far behind, but the 2019 album Elevate included references to electronic music and hip-hop on opener “Trapezoid” and “Purple Cabbage,” respectively—the latter coming off like the backing track to a lost G-funk classic.
For the group’s latest studio album, Cook, Lettuce conceptually connected the recording to trumpeter Eric Bloom and saxophonist Ryan Zoidis’ wine company and partnered with Aquila Cellars to release two distinct blends of vino—a Crush Red and a Crush Orange coferment.
Like its earlier recordings, the ensemble wades through the history of instrumental funk and its related musics. Cook’s opener, “Grewt Up,” could be mistaken for a Daptone track, the stuttering horn line set up perfectly by bassist Erick Coomes and Deitch locking in and referencing go-go for just a split second. “7 Tribes” recalls slinky, Levantine efforts while still making certain to
hit a truly heroic chorus. And seven tracks in, “Gold Tooth” cultivates a Funkadelic vibe while showcasing guitarist Adam Smirnoff’s wah-wah skills.
For those inclined to more laid back moments, “Storm Coming” and the closer, “Ghost of Yest,” make passing references to dub.
That wide berth isn’t an accident. As Deitch discusses a recent Lettuce collaboration with the Colorado Symphony, he details a love of string accompaniment, tossing out names of pertinent ’70s soul stalwarts and mentioning an unyielding respect for arranger David Axelrod, who worked with everyone from Cannonball Adderley to The Electric Prunes. His encyclopedic understanding of the music’s history started in the basement with his parents’ drum kits, moved through their funky record collection, and on to the stage.
“We’ve been dialing in our songwriting and getting the mixing process [down],” says Deitch reflecting on the band’s development, and specifically mentioning his work on Elevate as a time of notable studio advancement. “We’re just moving in the right direction and getting better at what we do.”
Lettuce brings its jazz-funk masterclass to The Jefferson Theater on February 3.
CULTURE STAGES
Schuyler Jackson
Idon’t know about you, but when I think of chamber music, the bassoon is not the first—nor the second or third—instrument that comes to mind.
A standard string quartet, or some sevenpiece collaboration among instrumentalists seated around a piano, captures what I imagine most of us would anticipate for a highbrow Friday evening. Maybe it’s just less common to hear the big bastards (bassoons are usually upwards of 4 and a half feet fully assembled) absent of their orchestral brethren.
So while any symphonic masterwork usually requires at least two bassoonists—with many productions wrangling three or four— you’ve got to hand it to Schuyler Jackson for his belief that there’s a big enough audience to sit down for 90 minutes to listen to his instrument of choice.
The instrument has range and expressiveness that’s long been credited with its ability to draw comparisons to the human voice … but still.
The assistant principal bassoon for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra since the start of its current season, Jackson’s been with BSO since 2014. Having recorded and performed widely, he’s bringing his bassoon
SATURDAY 1/31
around for a free recital at UVA’s Old Cabell Hall. He’ll be joined by two UVA faculty members, fellow bassoonist Elizabeth Roberts and pianist John Mayhood. Though the actual works look to be a surprise, the composers have been revealed.
Twentieth-century names feature prominently in the program. Expect pieces by the inimitable Henri Dutilleux, popular Brazilian folk interpreter Francisco Mignone, prolific Hungarian figure Ferenc Farkas, and Peter Schickele, the four-time consecutive Grammy Award-winner for Best Comedy Album. (Schickele, who’s known for his parodies and jokey works penned under the name P.D.Q. Bach, was a bassoonist himself and part of a rock trio named Open Window.)
Stepping further back in time, the program also includes music by unstable German composer Robert Schumann, a Romantic-era star in the first half of the 1800s who failed at suicide (he was saved by fishermen from drowning himself in the Rhine).
UVA’s Old Cabell Hall Friday 1/30
Whatever Jackson has on tap stands to be of interest to open-minded music lovers. Really, when was the last time you heard someone complain, “I can’t believe I have to listen to this bassoon song again!”?—CM Gorey
Friday 1/30
stage
Stand Up For Palestine! Stand-up comedy, poetry, and personal storytelling in support of the people of Palestine, featuring political satire, and a first hand account of growing up in Palestine. Free, 8pm. Visible Records, 1740 Broadway St. visible-records.com
words
Author Event: Domnica Radulescu. Radulescu reads from her new novel, My Father’s Orchards An audience Q&A follows. Free, 7pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. newdominionbookshop.com
Ruffin Distinguished Visiting Artist Lecture: iris yirei hu and Paula Wilson. A conversation with the UVA Department of Art’s 2026 Ruffin Distinguished Artists-in-Residence, moderated by Elena Yu, Ruffin Gallery program manager. Free, 3:30pm. Campbell Hall, Room 160, 110 Bayly Dr. art.as.virginia.edu classes
Ultrasimple Upcylcing: You, Yourself and You. Re-think what you may have lying around and make something beautiful, fun, and/or unique. Ages 10+. $10, 4pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com etc.
Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, January 29. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com
Paramount On Screen: Taxi Driver A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action. $11, 7:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net
Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, January 29. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com
Saturday 1/31 music
Angelica X. Existing stylistically somewhere in the space between avant-garde jazz and indie rock. $10, 7pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com
Anthony Semiao. Taking classics from any genre and stripping them down for acoustic guitar. Free, 12:30pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com
Love Story: A Taylor Swift Tribute. A night of Swift’s biggest hits and love stories. Brought to you by Beau and Blair, a husband and wife duo, with a five-piece backing band. $20–25, 7pm. Pro Re Nata, 6135 Rockfish Gap Tpke., Crozet. prnbrewery.com
CANADIAN CRACK UP
A favorite on the late-night TV circuit, comedian, actor, and writer Phil Hanley began his stand-up career performing at open mics around Vancouver. The Oshawa, Ontario, native has become a staple of the New York City comedy scene, uniquely blending material and crowd interaction in unpredictable, reflective sets dispatched with sharp observation. He’s delivered his comedic stylings on “The Tonight Show,” “Late Night,” “The Late Late Show,” and the self-released comedy special Ooh La La—viewable on his YouTube channel. $38–50, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com
Mirabelle & Matty. Father-daughter duo entertains with fabulous and fun sing-along tunes. Free, 2pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com
Robert Jospé Quartet. Celebrating its new studio album The Night Sky, the quartet brings its distinctive style to the Main Stage Theatre. Free, 7:30pm. Piedmont Virginia Community College, V. Earl Dickinson Building, 501 College Dr. pvcc.edu
Trick Dawg Live. Classic rock ‘n’ roll and blues. Free, 5:30pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com
Zuzu’s Hot 5. Hot jazz. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarm andwinery.com
stage
DEI Plants Do Comedy. Featuring some of the funniest humans the DMV has to offer, including the notorious Chris Alan. Marilyn Hajj hosts. $15, 8pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com
Phil Hanley. A favorite on the late-night TV circuit, Hanley is a stand-up, actor, and writer who is a staple of the NYC comedy scene. $38–50, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com
words
New Dominion Storytime. Readings from recent storybooks and the classics kids know and love. Rain or shine. All ages welcome. Free, 11am. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St. newdominionbookshop.com
classes
Starting Plants from Seed. Improve your success rates by learning basic seed-starting techniques and the special needs of some seeds. Seed swap event follows class. Free, 10am. James Monroe’s Highland, 2050 James Monroe Pkwy. highland.org etc.
Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, January 29. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com
Met Live in HD: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay Added due to popular demand, the Met-premiere production of Mason Bates’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay arrives in cinemas, recorded live earlier this season. $27–32, 1pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net
St. Brigid’s Eve Celebration. BRIMS celebrates the Celtic holidays of St. Brigid’s Day and Imbolc, which signal the start of spring in the Celtic cycle of the seasons, with crafts, music, stories, and more. Free, 6:30pm. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarleciderworks.com
Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, January 29. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbeecom
Sunday 2/1
music
Mirabelle and Matty. The talented Metcalfe father-and-daughter duo perform fabulous and fun tunes. Free, 2pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com Winter Jazz Matinee. Live jazz fusion by GootGenuG. Free, 1pm. Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com
classes
Crochet for Beginners. Learn the basics of crochet. Leave with a crochet hook and a small crocheted washcloth. Ages 12+. $25, 11am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com
D.I.Y. Friendship Bracelet Making. Get ready for Valentine’s Day by making friendship bracelets for your pals and loved ones. All materials are provided. Ages 9+. Registration optional. Free, 1:30pm. Central Library, 201 E. Market St. jmrl.org
Oil Painting for Everybody: Still Life Edition. Learn oil painting in an approachable and organized format by rendering a still life composition. Ages 14+. $45, 2pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com
Watercolor Florals: A Guided Painting Experience. A relaxing and creative watercolor class where you’ll paint a beautiful vase of flowers from a predrawn outline. No prior experience needed. Ages 12+. $30, 11am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com
etc.
Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, January 29. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com
Silent Book Club. Read in quiet camaraderie. No assigned reading, no obligations. Bring your own book of choice. Free, 12:30pm. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarleciderworks.com
Spades Night. All levels welcome, with designated tables for varying skills. Free, 5pm. Ethos Wine & Tea, 817 W. Main St. ethoswineandtea.com
Tuesday 2/3
music
LETTUCE. Funk, soul, jazz, rock, and hip-hop come together in one rich, flavorful dish. $50, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com
Open Mic Night. Hosted by The Open Mic Music Exchange and Nicole Giordano. Free, 9:30pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapture restaurant.com
Tuesday Jazz with Jeff Massanari. The jazz guitar virtuoso is joined by a rotating cast of great players. Free, 6:30pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com etc.
Geeks Who Drink Trivia. Good trivia, good times. Teams of two to six people compete to win prizes like gift certificates and pint glasses, plus bragging rights. Free, 7pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com
VAFF Year Round: IMMUTABLE. Students from the Washington Urban Debate League navigating the challenges of life while striving for competitive excellence. A discussion with co-directors Charlie Sadoff and Gabriel London follows. $11–13, 7pm. Violet Crown Cinema, 200 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. virginiafilmfestival.org
TRIED IT IN C’VILLE CULTURE
Skatin’ like it’s 1986
Picture it: 1980s upstate New York, a roller rink awash in the purple-blue glow of blacklights, my ocean-wave of bangs—hairsprayed as though my life depended on their height— to protect my head if I fell as we skated to hair metal, synth pop, and Madonna—oh, the Madonna! After hours of skating alone in my basement, the roller rink felt like the place I’d always been missing. While nostalgia adds a brighter glow to that memory than the blacklights did, the reality as it was still felt pretty great. I longed to feel that sense of freedom and fun on roller skates again.—Kristie Smeltzer
What
Skating at Greenwood Community Center’s open skate night.
Why
To take my skates out somewhere nice (and out of my garage).
How it went
The only things missing were my reversible black and purple satin skating skirt and Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer.”
As I drove to the Greenwood Community Center, excited butterflies moshed in my stomach. During the worst of the COVID times, I bought myself a new set of roller skates (pink suede with multicolored glittery laces and light-up wheels) that I spun around the garage on a few times. This was to be their debut to the world!
The center offers public skate nights on Saturdays from 6 to 8pm. Arriving around 6:15,
the place already looked busy from the outside. Skaters’ heads zipped by the windows lit by festive white and multicolored string lights. Inside, I joined the line to pay. It’s cash only and $3 per person if renting skates, $2 for those with their own. Rollerblades are also welcome.
After gearing up, I readied to enter the flow of skaters rolling around the 40-footby-80-foot room. The center’s skate nights are family-friendly, and groups with younger children made up most of those in attendance, with some teens and adults flying solo or in small packs.
My mission was simple but important: Don’t fall and injure myself—and do not trip over a skater in front of me and squish them. The latter ended up taking more energy than the former, but that turned out perfectly, because the pace enabled me to acclimate to skating with so many others.
With the music thumping and bright lights dancing on the walls, we settled into joyful circuits around the room. Just when the floor started to feel a little too busy (and when I
felt confident to try going faster), a staff member began calling out different skates and, golly, did that transport me back to my youth. First it was girls-only, followed by boys-only. Then a series of different agedefined skates were called. Y’all, I opened up my flashing, light-up skates on the floor with the 14-and-older group, and I felt young again. Roller skating feels—with a little speed—like I imagine flying might.
While this roller skating experience wasn’t an exact replication of the rink visits of my childhood (I mean, that place had a carpeted wall in ’70s decor), it scratched a similar itch. The center’s wood floors were far superior to the cement in my garage, and it felt good to enjoy the activity with others. Every person I bumped into, literally or figuratively, behaved nicely and seemed to be there for fun.
In addition, I can attest—as I write this with sore muscles—that skating counted as exercise, too. The skating space is available for party rentals, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to planning my next birthday there.
FOR FUN PUZZLES
SUDOKU
#1
#1
#4
#3
#2 #5
#4
to Einstein 43. Right behind in line
State of dread 45. “The Time Machine” leisure class
47. Pacers’ st. 48. Disco, early punk, funk, etc. 55. Foe of Frazier and Foreman 56. Place to pamper poodles, perhaps
57. ___ el hanout (Nor th African spice mix)
59. “The Hobbit” hobbit Baggins
61. Like the circled letters in the long entries (or the clustered groups)
64. Actor’s parts
65. Barrett who cofounded Pink Floyd
66. Smar t group
67. Bothered
68. Sweet suffix
69. Pamphlet
DOWN
1. Wheel edges
2. Message from a server
3. Soup ser ver
4. Questionnaire topic
5. Archery bow wood
6. Scottish island with a namesake whisky brand
7. Outdated
8. Network with LeVar Burton hosting “Trivial Pursuit”
9. First half of a suspenseful decision-making phrase, maybe
10. Plastic follower?
11. A weepy movie often has one
12. “Dallas” surname
13. Descar tes and Lacoste
18. “Deal ___ Deal”
22. Awaiting the pitch
25. Not much
26. Slangy term for COVID-19
27. Means (to)
30. Car grille protector
31. Suggestion, casually
32. Nor th Carolina city home to the Biltmore Estate
33. Soreness
By Rob Brezsny
Pisces
(Feb. 19-March 20): I foresee a dose of real magic becoming available to you: equivalent to an enchanted potion, a handful of charmed seeds, or a supernatural spell. But owning the magic and knowing how to use it are two different matters. There’s no promise you will instantly grasp its secrets. To give yourself the best shot, follow a few rules: 1. Keep it quiet. Only share news of your lucky charm with those who truly need to hear about it. 2. Before using it to make wholesale transformations, test it gently in a situation where the stakes are low. 3. Whatever you do, make sure your magic leaves no bruises behind.
Aries
(March 21-April 19): In 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal became the first climbers to trek to the summit of Mount Everest. They both said later that the climb down was as important and challenging as the ascent. The lesson: Achievement doesn’t end when you reach the peak. Aries, you may be nearing or have just passed a high point of effort or recognition. Soon you will need to manage the descent with aplomb. Don’t rush! Tread carefully as you complete your victory. It’s not as glamorous as the push upward, but it’s equally vital to the legacy of the climb.
Taurus
(April 20-May 20): Aurora borealis occurs when highly charged particles from the sun strike molecules high in the Earth’s atmosphere, causing them to glow. The display that looks like gorgeous magic is actually our planet’s invisible magnetic shield and upper atmosphere lighting up under the pressure of an intense solar storm. Dear Taurus, I think your life has a metaphorical resemblance. The strength you’ve been quietly maintaining without much fanfare has become vividly apparent because it’s being activated. The protection you’ve been offering and the boundaries you’ve been holding are more visible than usual. This is good news! Your shields are working.
Gemini
(May 21-June 20): “Nothing in excess” was the maxim inscribed on the ancient Temple of Apollo at Delphi. “Moderation is a chief moral virtue,” proclaimed the philosopher Aristotle. But I don’t recommend those approaches for you right now, Gemini. A sounder principle is “More is better” or “Almost too much is just the right amount.” You have a holy duty to cultivate lavishness and splendor. I hope you will stir up as many joyous liberations and fun exploits as possible.
Cancer
(June 21-July 22): When sea otters sleep, they sometimes hold each other’s paws to keep from drifting apart. This simple, instinctive act ensures they remain safe and connected.
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY FOR FUN
(Jan 20-Feb. 18): In ecology, there’s a concept called “keystone species.” This refers to organisms that have a huge effect on their environment relative to their abundance. Remove them, and the whole ecosystem shifts. I bring this up, Aquarius, because I believe you are currently functioning as a keystone species in your social ecosystem. You may not even be fully aware of how much your presence influences others. And here’s the challenge: You shouldn’t let your impact weigh on your conscience. You don’t have to sacrifice yourself as you carry out your service. Instead, ask how you can contribute to the common good while also thriving yourself. Ensuring your well-being isn’t selfish; it’s essential to the gifts you provide and the duties you perform.
I suggest making their bond your power symbol for now, Cancer. You’ll be wise to formulate a strong intention about which people, values, and projects you want to be tethered to. And if sea otters holding hands sounds too sentimental or cutesy to be a power symbol, you need to rethink your understanding of power. For you right now, it’s potency personified.
Leo
(July 23-Aug. 22): To be healthy, we all need to continually be in the process of letting go. It’s always a favorable phase to shed aspects of our old selves to make room for what comes next. The challenge for you Leos is to keep showing up with your special brightness even as parts of you die away to feed new growth. So here are my questions: What old versions of your generosity or courage are ready to compost? What fiercer, wilder, more sustainable expression of your leonine nature wants to emerge? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to stop performing the hero you used to be and become the hero you are destined to become.
Virgo
(Aug. 22-Sept. 22): The Haudenosaunee people practice “seventh-generation thinking”: making decisions based on their impact seven generations into the future. You would be wise to incorporate the spirit of their visionary approach, Virgo. Here’s the problem: You’re so skilled at fixing what needs urgent attention that you sometimes neglect what’s even more important in the long run. So I will ask you to contemplate what choices you could you make now that will be blessings to your future self. This might involve
ripening an immature skill, shedding a boring obligation that drains you, or delivering honest words that don’t come easily. Rather than obsessing on the crisis of the moment, send a sweet boost to the life you want to be living three years from now.
Libra
(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Are you open to the idea that new wisdom doesn’t always demand struggle and strain? In the days ahead, I invite you to move as if the world is deeply in love with you; as if every element, every coincidence, every kind pair of eyes is cheering you forward. Imagine that generous souls everywhere want to help you be and reveal your best self. Trust that unseen allies are rearranging the flow of fate to help you grow into the beautiful original you were born to be. Do you dare to be so confident that life loves you?
Scorpio
(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Psychologist James Pennebaker did studies showing that people who write about traumatic experiences for just 15 minutes a day show improved immune function, fewer doctor visits, and better emotional health. But here’s a key detail: The benefits don’t come from the trauma itself or from “processing feelings.” They come from constructing a narrative: making meaning, finding patterns, and creating coherence. The healing isn’t in the wound. It’s in the story you shape from the wound’s raw material. You Scorpios excel at this alchemical work. One of your superpowers is to take what’s dark, buried, or painful and transform it through the piercing attention of your in-
telligence and imagination. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to do this.
Sagittarius
(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In Jewish mysticism, tikkun olam means “repair of the world.” This is the idea that we’re all responsible for healing what’s broken. But the teaching also says you’re not required to complete the work; you’re only asked to not abandon it. This is your message right now, Sagittarius: You don’t have to save everyone. You don’t have to heal everything, and you don’t even have to finish the projects you’ve started. But you can’t abandon them entirely, either. Keep showing up. Do what you can today. That’s enough. The work will continue whether or not you complete it. Your part is to not walk away from your own brokenness and the world’s. Stay engaged.
Capricorn
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The Talmud teaches that “every blade of grass has an angel bending over it, whispering, ‘Grow, grow.’” I sense that you are now receiving the extra intense influence of your own guardian angels, Capricorn. They aren’t demanding or threatening, just encouraging. Please tune into their helpful ministrations. Don’t get distracted by harsher voices, like your internalized critic, the pressure of impossible standards, or the ghost of adversaries who didn’t believe in you. Here’s your assignment: Create time and space to hear and fully register the supportive counsel. It’s saying: Grow. You’re allowed to grow. You don’t have to earn it. Just grow.
Expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text message horoscopes: RealAstrology.com, (877) 873-4888
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P.S. THE BIG PICTURE
Bad ice
Both the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County declared a state of emergency ahead of the weekend’s winter storm, which was expected to drop anywhere from eight to 12 inches of snow, a blanket of ice, and temperatures in the teens. In actuality, it left behind around six inches of snow and sleet and, as of press day, stole (at least) two school days in both districts.
