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Articles by Dan Goff
Our Classics: 1989 Citroën BX DTR
At the wheel: Dan Goff Owned since: October, 2018 Current condition: Concours de l’Ordinaire eligible Hands-on or hands-off? Hands-off; the car’s been fault-free Dan Goff is Client Service Advisor Manager for Hagerty. He owns a matching 1980s shellsuit to complement his BX, and can be found wearing it with pride at the Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional. 3 February, 2021: Alternative comedy Let’s address the elephant in the room first shall we?
On the rise: Police chief calls on community to take action against gun violence - C-VILLE Weekly
In light of a recent increase in local shootings, Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney held a press conference to call for the community to help prevent future acts of violence. PC: City of Charlottesville Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney held a press conference Thursday afternoon to address what the department is calling an “unprecedented” rise in gun violence in the city.
Looking up: Laura Wooten's 'View from the Ridge' offers 99 visions of hope - C-VILLE Weekly
“Ochre Stillness” is one of 99 different paintings of the same “View from the Ridge” by Laura Wooten. Courtesy of the artist She paints the same view day after day, recording the subtle and great changes of hour, season, and weather. Her subject is both profoundly familiar to her and constantly changing.
Not over: Activists reflect on Black Lives Matter protests, next steps in 2021 - C-VILLE Weekly
Protesters march through Charlottesville in July. PC: Eze Amos While the coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color this year, Black people have been dealing with “a pandemic of racism” in the United States for centuries, as Black mental health advocate Myra Anderson told C-VILLE over the summer.
A shot in the arm: Vaccine distribution begins for local hospital workers - C-VILLE Weekly
Nearly one year after the first coronavirus cases were reported in the U.S., UVA hospital and Sentara Martha Jefferson have received their first shipments of the Pfizer vaccine, and begun vaccinating employees who come in direct contact with coronavirus patients. PC: Sanjay Suchek Last Tuesday, UVA hospital’s ICU director Taison Bell became one of the first people in Charlottesville to receive the newly approved coronavirus vaccine.
If you build it: Despite pandemic, land use projects moved forward in 2020 - C-VILLE Weekly
City Council agreed in October to contribute $5.5 million in a forgivable loan to support the first phase of the Piedmont Housing Alliance’s redevelopment of Friendship Court, the 150-unit downtown public housing complex that was built in 1978. PC: Grimm + Parker Architects In a year where many of us followed guidelines to stay at home, the skies of downtown Charlottesville were marked by cranes building new spaces for the 21st century.
In brief: Hope for the holidays - C-VILLE Weekly
A scene for Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church’s “Christmas in Crisis” video is filmed underneath the Belmont Bridge. PC: Courtesy Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church COVID-19, like the Grinch, has threatened to stop Christmas. But Dr. Alvin Edwards, senior pastor at Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church, says, “We decided early on we weren’t going to let this crisis drive us, we were going to make it work.” Jonathan Spivey, Mt. Zion’s minister of music worship, agreed.
Snacks, tracks, and acts to relax with - C-VILLE Weekly
There’s no better clan than the Muppets to prop you up when you’re feeling down. This week, our arts and living columnists share the culture that has helped them survive the pandemic. Something with soul Music has always been cathartic for me—as a child, I’d entertain myself (and anyone who would listen) for hours, singing off-key versions of Fleetwood Mac and Janis Joplin classics into my sparkly purple hairbrush.
Under pressure: Reflecting on the most stressful semester on record - C-VILLE Weekly
Nicole Ruzek, director of UVA Counseling and Psychological Services, says the university began offering support groups for students concerned about COVID, as well as those in isolation or quarantine. Photo: John Robinson By Caroline Challe Mountains of reading, devilish final exams, finding your way into adulthood—college can be stressful under the best of circumstances.
C-B-Deal with it: Marijuana isn’t legal yet, but C’ville offers plenty of weed-adjacent de-stressing options - C-VILLE Weekly
Greener Things’ Ross Efaw says hemp flower is one option for consuming CBD. If you’re anxious about trying CBD for anxiety, you’ve got reasons to chill. One, there’s now sky-high piles of evidence that the stuff works. Two, the governor’s on your side. Ralph Northam announced on November 16 that he supports legalizing marijuana—and CBD, a less potent derivative, has been federally legal since 2018.
Holiday in hiding: Happiest Season is a missed opportunity to kick open the closet - C-VILLE Weekly
Mackenzie Davis and Kristen Stewart star as lovers who hide their relationship when they visit family for Christmas. Photo from hulu A new relationship during the holidays is a recipe for hilarity and high jinks. There’s meeting the family, heavily enforced traditions, and all sorts of other religious and historical wrenches to throw into the spokes of what could be cozy couple time. Happiest Season takes on all of these elements, plus the added layer of hidden identity—with mixed results.
PICK: Miracle on 34th Street - C-VILLE Weekly
PICK: Wreath Making Workshops By C-VILLE Writers | Making it bright: As the seasonal celebrations begin, the wine and painting classes take a backseat to making wreaths.
Campaign pain: Joe Biden talks about Charlottesville a lot. Charlottesville isn’t sure he’s listening. - C-VILLE Weekly
Area activists wonder why Joe Biden, who’s made Charlottesville a central part of his campaign, hasn’t visited the city.
Now serving Tex-Mex and Turkish - C-VILLE Weekly
The latest addtion to the Downtown Mall’s dining scene is Champion Hospitality Group’s Passiflora, offering a refined combo of Tex-Mex and Baja Mediterranean cuisines. Photo by Eze Amos Tacos in the sky As the season turns, the Downtown Mall is also seeing some turnover, starting with Champion Hospitality Group’s just-opened culinary venture, Passiflora, which offers Tex-Mex and Baja Mediterranean cuisine.
PICK: Moules Frites at Home - C-VILLE Weekly
PICK: Creative Mornings By C-VILLE Writers | Perfect plans: Ebony Walden describes her skills as a mix between creative catalyst and community builder. The urban planner, consultant, and facilitator, who has been transforming communities for over a decade, will speak on the theme of transit at the next Creative Mornings gathering.
Brewin’ through it: Oktoberfest is canceled. Autumn beers are not. - C-VILLE Weekly
Devils Backbone’s O’Fest Lager has a 5.9 percent ABV, and will appeal to beer drinkers who find other festbiers too light. Sadly, the largest and most famous Oktoberfest celebration, held annually in Munich, Germany, has been canceled this year due to COVID-19. Oktoberfest traditionally begins in mid- September and continues into October.
PICK: The Festy - C-VILLE Weekly
Publicity Photo The fest of us: The Festy made its name by pairing killer music with killer views, and this time around the organizers have reinvented it in a beautiful setting where strict COVID safety measures can be taken. The musical experience is spread out through socially distanced small-group seating and a series of show dates, with a variety of headlining acts including Sierra Hull (above) & Justin Moses and Keller Williams, and a promise of more musicians to come. Through 10/24.
PICK: Zoiree - C-VILLE Weekly
PICK: Tuesday Evening Concert Series with David Shifrin By C-VILLE Writers | Listen to the wind: When considering Mozart’s vast body of work, the clarinet may not be top of mind. Yet, in 1789 the composer “had the wonderful idea of combining a clarinet with a string quartet.
PICK: Save the Music with Beleza - C-VILLE Weekly
Musical mash-up: Tired of your quarantine playlists? Then it’s time to spice things up with some samba, funk, soul, blues, bossa nova, jazz, and Spanish flamenco—the livestreamed Save the Music with Beleza embodies it all. Madeline and Berto Sales take you to a Brazilian paradise with their musical and marital harmonies: Madeline sings in Portuguese, English and Spanish, while Berto skillfully strums his guitar to blend the sounds of North and South America. Proceeds benefit The Front Porch.
Sound Choices: New projects break through the noise - C-VILLE Weekly
A. D. Carson i used to love to dream (University of Michigan Press) A.D. Carson has made a career out of breaking boundaries. As a Ph.D. student at Clemson University, his dissertation was an album called Owning My Masters: The Rhetorics Of Rhymes & Revolutions. Across the project’s 34 tracks, he examined identity politics, and even challenged the university to look inward on “See the Stripes,” which points to John C.
Fresh take: Get Duked! confirms the genius of director Ninian Doff - C-VILLE Weekly
About halfway through Get Duked!, there comes a moment when you realize this silly little comedy about a group of city-dwelling teenagers in the Scottish Highlands became a bold experiment in instinctive filmmaking. Right when it seems like things are about to fly off the rails, it’s clear that it was slowly evolving into a lawless social satire the whole time. The film hasn’t betrayed our trust by breaking its own rules, as many madcap comedies often do.
Turning the tables: Supper at the Superette, Bashir’s Taverna closing - C-VILLE Weekly
Bashir Khelafa says he will close his Downtown Mall restaurant in September. Image: Jackson Smith When Brasserie Saison reopened for dinner service in late July, it did so with a new general manager: Stephen Kelly, who came to Charlottesville from the highly acclaimed New York City restaurant Eleven Madison Park (see the August 12 C-VILLE issue for more on Kelly).
PICK: Fall Gardening and Seed Starting - C-VILLE Weekly
Inside look: Photographers turn their cameras toward home for virtual exhibition By Julia Stumbaugh | Photographer Derrick Waller has spent the last several months on the streets of downtown Charlottesville, capturing the raised fists and interlocked arms of the local Black Lives Matter movement.
PICK: Create & Critique - C-VILLE Weekly
Rediscovering history: Local documentarians explore our hidden past in PBS series By Shea Gibbs | When Field Studio founders Hannah Ayers and Lance Warren went to cast a leading man for their historical documentary series “The Future of America’s Past,” they knew just who to put in front of the camera.
Eyes to the sky: Young birders build their skills - C-VILLE Weekly
The Blue Ridge Young Birders Club gets kids into the woods and sets them on a path to a lifetime of exploring. Dusk. A cold fitful breeze. Quiet except for our footfalls on dry leaves. Far above, a hawk glides, dark against the twilight sky. “Cooper’s,” says Theo after a swift glance. Theo is leading our group along the Rivanna Trail in search of woodcocks. It’s sunset in spring—courting time. Theo picks a spot on the border between a large cut hayfield and the woods.
Hallelujah. What's next?: The defeat of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline is only the beginning - C-VILLE Weekly
On July 5, my family and I were in the car together when we had a media experience that feels old- fashioned and rare these days. All of us, at the same time, heard the headline on the radio: The Atlantic Coast Pipeline has been canceled. There followed a few seconds of disbelief, then many minutes of celebration.
In their own backyards - C-VILLE Weekly
The USA National Phenology Network enlists citizen scientists to help gather information about climate change through the observation of plants budding, blooming, and dropping seeds, and the connections to insect and animal migration patterns. “Phenology” might not be a word you use in everyday conversation, but it’s one of the keys to tracking climate change. The term refers to the study of timing in the natural world—the dates when plants flower, leaves emerge, seeds drop, and animals migrate.
Good company: Easy-drinking Virginia wines suited to the season - C-VILLE Weekly
From rosé to vermouth, locally produced wines can take the heat off this summer. Image: Virginia Hamrick As summer temperatures rise, happy hour thoughts turn to wines that refresh. How best to quench your thirst on the deck or by a pool?What to pair with afternoon picnics or early evening cookouts? Here are a few recommended local options to help you keep drinking well through the rest of the summer.
PICK: You Don’t Say! Happy Hour - C-VILLE Weekly
Get happy and win prizes with Wintergreen Music’s virtual trivia game. Getty Images. Can’t beat it: Learning is a side effect during Wintergreen Music’s (drinking) game show, You Don’t Say! Happy Hour: Musician Trivia & Humor.
Kudzu defies no-trespassing warning - C-VILLE Weekly
Unchecked, the rapacious kudzu vine creates a landscape of green mounds called “kudzu sculptures,” which smother the trees and plants underneath. What do you do when “the vine that ate the South” takes up residence in your neighborhood—and your neighbor doesn’t get rid of it? One concerned Crozet resident pulled up some vines in a nascent kudzu infestation last year on property owned by the Rockbridge homeowners association—and was reprimanded by the HOA president for her trouble.
PICK: The Crozet Car Show - C-VILLE Weekly
Musical journeyman By Tami Keaveny | The range of guitarist Miles Pearce’s talent is as breathtaking as his euphoric playing.
Pick: Zoom Comedy Hour - C-VILLE Weekly
Pick: Treasure Trunk Mini Camps By C-VILLE Writers | Short camps for a long summer: Want to avoid throwing that Disney movie on again so you can get some work done at home? With the prospect of a long summer ahead, Live Arts has good news for parents of small children.
PICK: Andy Thacker and Brennan Gilmore - C-VILLE Weekly
Culture Pick: Meet the artist By Tami Keaveny | The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection is checking in with its artists to see how they are faring through the pandemic, what they’re working on, and how their artistic and cultural perspectives shape their experiences in this strange new time.
Writer and a fighter: Larry Kramer’s normal heart - C-VILLE Weekly
Playwright and LGBTQ rights activist Larry Kramer appears twice at the Virginia Film Festival on November 8 to discuss his life’s work. Photo: Courtesy of Virginia Film Festival Reposted from 2015. Larry Kramer died from pneumonia on May 27, 2020. Playwright and LGBTQ rights activist Larry Kramer appears twice at the Virginia Film Festival on November 8 to discuss his life’s work.
Making it work: Distance learning is a big challenge for special-needs students - C-VILLE Weekly
Since distance learning began in March, Marybeth Clarke has discovered many new things about her 14-year-old daughter, Elle, who is in seventh grade at the Virginia Institute of Autism’s James C. Hormel School. PC: Zack Wajsgras To the relief of local teachers, parents, and students, this school year is almost at an end.
Fighting insomnia in the age of COVID - C-VILLE Weekly
Trouble sleeping lately? You’re not alone. Since the onset of the pandemic, many people who used to drift off the second their heads hit the pillow are now struggling to fall—and stay—asleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation. For advice on how to get better rest during this stressful time, we spoke with Joanna Ajex, a licensed professional counselor at The Women’s Initiative, which offers free and low-cost mental health care to women.
In brief: Masked melons, summertime sadness, and more - C-VILLE Weekly
Cooling off in the city’s splash gardens is a thing of the past, thanks to a recent announcement that all Charlottesville pools and spraygrounds will be closed this summer. PC: Ron Paris Goodbye, summer Monday is Memorial Day, the traditional start to summer, but this year, much of the city’s outdoor recreation space will be off limits. Last week, Charlottesville Parks & Recreation closed all city pools and spraygrounds for the summer, and canceled camps.
Tough call: Some local businesses reopen, while others hold off - C-VILLE Weekly
Three Notch’d Brewing Company was one of the area establishments that welcomed back customers May 15, under Phase One of Virginia’s reopening. “We’ve really been preparing to do this for eight weeks,” says Scott Roth, the brewery’s president. PC: Sanjay Suchak On Friday, May 15, a number of Virginia businesses got the green light to reopen (with restrictions), as part of Phase One of Governor Ralph Northam’s plan.
How coronavirus has changed the college admissions process - C-VILLE Weekly
Rebecca Hill is the executive director of the Better Future Foundation, which is currently providing college counseling to a group of low-income students at Charlottesville High School. While schools are closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, districts across the country have adopted alternative grading policies for the remainder of the academic year.
PARTING SHOT: Advocate for the arts, and for advertisement
As an English major and student journalist, I’m no stranger to writer’s block. I’ve had my fair share of deadline-related stress — from my first article for Arts and Entertainment four years ago to the first draft of my thesis just a few weeks ago. None of it, though, compares to what I’ve felt while trying to write this parting shot. I don’t think I’m unique here.
Cut off: UVA Health furloughs hundreds of employees - C-VILLE Weekly
Furloughed patient care assistant Erik Hancock says he is shocked that UVA Health is reducing staff “at a time like this.” PC: Eze Amos COVID-19 has stripped the pockets of businesses all around Charlottesville, including one of the city’s biggest: The University of Virginia Health System. Since the onset of the pandemic, the health system has lost $85 million per month due to a sharp decrease in surgeries and clinic visits.
Credit check: UVA students protest new grading policy - C-VILLE Weekly
Rachel Hightman worries that graduate schools will assume UVA students did poorly in a class if they chose to not receive a letter grade PC: Eze Amos With courses moved online for a significant portion of the spring semester, colleges across the country have had to decide on the fairest way to grade students in the midst of the ongoing pandemic.
PICK: Kid Pan Alley - C-VILLE Weekly
PICK: Shelf Life By Tami Keaveny | Beach bound: When uber-popular mystery writer Tana French calls your debut novel “a subtle but relentlessly unsettling book,” you know you’ve got what it takes to thrill readers.
Cut the check: BRACE grants bring relief for some businesses - C-VILLE Weekly
Atlas Coffee’s Lorie Craddock was disappointed when she did not receive a BRACE grant, which would have helped pay fixed expenses at the temporarily shuttered shop. PC: John Robinson As the coronavirus epidemic has devastated small businesses nationwide, many local shops and restaurants have sought federal relief. But the City of Charlottesville has also rolled out several of its own assistance initiatives this month.
Managing mental health during COVID - C-VILLE Weekly
Elizabeth Irvin PC: John Robinson For some people, quarantine has given them the opportunity to spend more time with their family, catch up on their favorite TV shows, or finally learn how to bake bread, among other things. But for those struggling with anxiety and depression, this time may be very difficult, especially if they live alone.
Coping with confinement: Stuck inside, senior living residents reflect on crises past - C-VILLE Weekly
Ross Thomas is the leader of Westminster Canterbury’s residents’ association. Photo: Zack Wajsgras “I was a boy during the Cuban missile crisis, and we felt we were going to be blasted off the face of the Earth,” says David Speedie, who now lives in Westminster Canterbury, a large senior living complex on Pantops Mountain. Though the Cuban missile crisis was shocking, Speedie says it wasn’t as disruptive as what’s happening now. “That only lasted five or six days.
ARTS Pick: Virtual tour at The Fralin - C-VILLE Weekly
ARTS Pick: Documentary Workshop with Ricardo Preve By C-VILLE Writers | Working the web: Documentary filmmaker Ricardo Preve is a former Crozet resident who’s stayed connected to the local community through his work.
ARTS Pick: Documentary Workshop with Ricardo Preve - C-VILLE Weekly
Album reviews: MC Yallah X Debmaster, Various Artists By Nick Rubin | MC Yallah X Debmaster Kubali (Hakuna Kulala) The most frenetic moment of Kubali comes right at the top, like an intimidating bouncer. Once you get past the brief jabbery pattern of vocables, percussion, synthesizers, and unidentified sonic objects, Kubali just swaggers and bumps.
Busted budget: Schools, housing initiatives among programs affected by coronavirus crash - C-VILLE Weekly
Mourning in isolation: Hospice workers prepare families for grieving in the time of coronavirus By Ben Hitchcock | For decades, Betty Pittman was a U.S. history teacher at Lane and Charlottesville high schools. “My mother taught half of Charlottesville,” says her daughter, Cookie Ferrier. But when Pittman was dying, of pancreatic cancer, no one was allowed to visit.
Mourning in isolation: Hospice workers prepare families for grieving in the time of coronavirus - C-VILLE Weekly
For decades, Betty Pittman was a U.S. history teacher at Lane and Charlottesville high schools. “My mother taught half of Charlottesville,” says her daughter, Cookie Ferrier. But when Pittman was dying, of pancreatic cancer, no one was allowed to visit. While the casualties from COVID-19 continue to mount, the virus is changing even the way those who aren’t infected are experiencing death, says Ron Cottrell, CEO of Hospice of the Piedmont.
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