Tag: Charlottesville

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Blog Wayback – Is Dr. Seuss from Charlottesville?

Dr. Seuss Charlottesville, Dr. Seuss whoville charlottesville, the grinch … every year the questions renew …Is Charlottesville the inspiration for Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”?

This is the story I wrote last year to try to help answer some of the questions:

Is the Grinch from Charlottesville?

(source)

It’s that time of the year again – for the past several years around 1 December, the searches start to show up in my blog statistics – “Grinch Charlottesville,” “Is the grinch from Charlottesville, Virginia?” “Is Charlottesville the inspiration for Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas?” “Charlottesville Whoville” and on and on ….

I’m finally responding to UVA08’s (who has since moved on to a new pseudonym, I believe) question from three years ago –

Of course Chalbemarle is the center of the universe. Whatever town can say a doctor suess story was based on their town. Seriously though, is the Grinch based on Charlottesville? Whoville=Hooville, Moutain Grinch lives on = Monticello Moutain, Insanely perfect town=Charlottesville??? Someone help me out please

Doubtful, but it’s a pretty cool little urban legend to have. Ace from C-Ville responded in 1989 – NO. And again in 2007 referencing the Lewis Mountain House –

First, Ace can tell you what it’s not. It’s not Monticello, as many a doofus tourist believes it to be. It’s also not Dr. Seuss’ house. That particular rumor started in correlation with the rumor that How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ “Hoos down in Hooville” was based somehow on a certain local university’s Hoos down in Hooville. Only problem being that Theodor Geisel—a.k.a. Dr. Seuss—spent his whole life in New England, Europe and California, and his “Hoos” were actually “Whos down in Whoville.” The fact that the story depicts Hoos/Whos as absolute saints surely didn’t hurt that particular tall tale’s traction with a student body that’s not exactly known for its modesty and perspective.

So – if it makes you feel better about Charlottesville to tell friends that Dr. Seuss’ inspiration for the green guy whose heart eventually triples in size came from Charlottesville – go ahead. It’s a neat story.

While killing Charlottesville urban legends – the HooK dispels the one about Rio Road (why the i in Rio pronounced as one says “eye” – l?t -)

“Rio,” which means “river” in Spanish, was most likely used as a name for the old mill and bridge on this road because of their proximity to the Rivanna River. But the Spanish word is pronounced “Ree-o,” some may point out. True, but locals at the time may have opted for the long “i” sound perhaps because it fit with the local pronunciation of the “RY-vanna” river. No one knows for sure, but they do know this: it was never Route 10.

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Amtrak in Charlottesville – One Person’s Experience

Thank you to Stephen Goadhouse for this guest post:


Charlottesville now has an affordable option for traveling by train to Washington, DC.  It is a new route on the Amtrak Northeast Regional service.  After my first experience with the Northeast Regional, I highly recommend it as a great way to visit the big city.  Read on for the nitty-gritty and a little soap boxing.


Let’s Have An Adventure!

For several years, I heard about this interesting attempt to bring usable and affordable rail service to Charlottesville.  It was fun to fanatasize about taking the kids to the National Zoo on a Saturday, all by rail travel.  Well, the train is real and, for now, the fantasy is gone.  The train’s weekend schedule only gives you an hour or two to spend in DC before having to come back, but if you spend the night in DC (I hear good things about using Priceline.com) you’d have about 26 hrs to enjoy there.  The weekday schedule is much more useful; you have from about 12n to 4p. So, with a desire for adventure, I decided to put my money where my mouth is and book a day trip.

 

The train station in Charlottesville is accessible by car, bus and even bike (there’s a nice bike rack next to the station).  It costs $5 per day to park your car there, which is not really that bad – its downtown afterall.  Being the cheapskate I am, I decided to park in my UVa spot instead and I took the #7 CTS bus.  Had there not been a chance of rain, I would have opted for the bike.

 

A few quick words about Charlottesville’s CTS bus service.  I’m impressed.  It’s free with a University ID but would have only been $0.75 otherwise.  How did I know which bus to take and how much it would cost?  Google maps, my dear.  Charlottesville somehow makes their bus schedule available to Google.  You simply go to Google maps and get directions.  Make sure to pick the By Public Transit option. 
Continue reading “Amtrak in Charlottesville – One Person’s Experience”

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Charlottesville Pie Fest in Crozet – 3 October 2009

You may remember the original, spontaneous Pie Down from earlier this year. Now, the Pie Down has grown to become bigger, badder and better – proceeds benefiting PACEM.

Before you go to the Crozet Music Festival, stop by the Pie Fest!

C’VILLE PIE FEST AT THE CROZET MUDHOUSE
Celebration of pie and community will benefit PACEM

WHAT:             The first-ever C’ville Pie Fest, a celebration of pie and community, will present a multiple-baker pie competition, musical entertainment from The Honey Dewdrops and a silent pie auction to benefit PACEM, the area’s winter homeless shelter.

WHO:               Judges for the pie competition include Charlottesville notables:

§         Coy Barefoot, director of communications for the Sorenson Institute; bestselling author and host and producer of WINA’s “Charlottesville Right Now.”

§         Mollie Cox Bryan, essayist, columnist, freelance writer, and bestselling author of Mrs Rowe’s Little Book of Southern Pies.

§         Jim Duncan, real estate analyst and REALTOR® with Real Central VA and RealCrozetVA.

§         Amy Eastlack, managing editor of SuzySaidCharlottesville.

§         Brian Geiger, The Food Geek, food science writer for Fine Cooking Magazine, and the current “Best Pie Maker” in Charlottesville.

§         Barbara Hutchinson, executive director of Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport.

§         Elizabeth McCullough, member of the Board of Directors at Writerhouse.

§         Delegate David Toscano, delegate for the 57th District in the Virginia House of Delegates.

§         Brian Wheeler, director of Charlottesville Tomorrow and chairman of the Albemarle County School Board.

This event is free and open to the public.

WHEN:             Saturday, October 3, 2009

                        12 noon – 2pm

WHERE:           Mudhouse

5793 The Square
Crozet, VA 22932
(434) 823-2240


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The Wrong Move for Crozet?

This seems to be exactly what Downtown Crozet does not need:

Asked to share five percent of the proceeds, Wilson decided instead to move the food pick-up point to nearby Old Trail Village which— while it may not be able to offer giant shade trees— won’t charge the Community-Supported Agriculture entity a fee.

Downtown Crozet needs to encourage more community activities in the Downtown area rather than encourage them to look elsewhere. Surely there’s more to this?

More at the Old Trail Village blog:

Beginning this Saturday, June 13th, Horse and Buggy Produce will offer farm-stand produce to subscribers and area residents from 8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. every Saturday at the Old Trail Village Center. Horse and Buggy Produce, a provider of local produce and other farm goods, has long offered subscription-based shares to Albemarle residents. They are expanding their operation to include farm stand options, allowing all area residents and visitors to purchase fresh items from Mennonite farms in the Valley of Virginia from pick-up locations such as this.

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Crozet Park Soccer Field to Close (for the Summer)

But just for a few months. In a sign of the severe lack of soccer (and other, but my passion is soccer) fields in the whole of Charlottesville/Albemarle, Crozet Park’s field is decimated annually by its overuse. For instance, last year when coaching, we had four teams practicing together – each with a quarter of the field – until Daylight Savings kicked in.

Tim Hughes with the County of Albemarle’s Parks and Rec division says:

Crozet Park is one of our “High Maintenance Level” multi use fields. It is a Bermuda grass field, which is a warm season grass. We generally close those type of fields ( Crozet Park, Henley, AHS, WAHS, etc.) around the first of June. We will then top dress and over seed those fields with Bermuda seed which will not geminate in the fall.

We chose this time of year for two reasons. First the type of grass which I mentioned above and second because the largest user group SOCA does not have league play scheduled during this time period. This allows us to re establish the turf during the hot summer months when Bermuda grass thrives and provides us with a better playing surface for the fall season.

If I can be of further assistance please let me know.

Mr. Hughes expects the field to re-open in August, but we really need two things (at least) –

1 – More fields in Crozet
2 – For Crozet Park field to be closed for long enough for the grass to really take root and establish itself. Traditionally, the field is already worn by the first couple months of the fall season. A few months isn’t sufficient. (and I say this from having played adult league soccer on every field in the County)

Update:

Will Yancey provides pictures of the potential fields.




Yancey Mills in Crozet

Originally uploaded by jimduncancville


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Crozet and Brownsville Redistricting Plan Approved

From today’s Daily Progress –

The Albemarle County School Board unanimously agreed Thursday to transfer 100 pupils from Crozet Elementary to Brownsville Elementary. The affected pupils live in the Grayrock area.

…

The proposal is part of a long-term plan to handle the increase in students in Crozet. Crozet Elementary, which has a capacity for 380 students, has an enrollment of 428.

Because there is little room for expansion at Crozet Elementary, the county is building a $10.27 million expansion to Brownsville Elementary. The expansion, which includes a new wing of classrooms, more kitchen space and a new gymnasium, is slated to be finished in the spring.

There are 402 students at Brownsville Elementary, and the additions will allow for 716, according to a school official.

The transfer of the 100 pupils will take effect next school year, Wheeler said.

In May, it was noted that only 15 people had expressed opinions about the redistricting plans.

If you are thinking about buying (or selling, really) in Crozet – check the school district yourself – don’t necessarily trust the MLS (as much as it pains me, as a Realtor, to write that).

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24 Hour Fitness is a Toy Lift Drop Off Location

I received in an email from Melody at 24 Hour Fitness –

“Just wanted to let you know that the Kids Lift Foundation is beginning to accept donations. I can imagine there is a great need this year. We are a drop off location for toys. We are actually offering people $50 off enrollment for any donations. I think right now we are the only drop off location in Crozet.”

The Toy Lift if near and dear to me, in no small part because my wife is on the Board for the Toy Lift. Please consider donating time/money/toys. More information to follow.