January 6, 2025: Reids Super-Save Market on Preston Avenue to soon close to make way for new Twice as Nice location

Plus: Winter weather causes several schedule adjustments

This country we live in is big. To paraphrase the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’s entry on the universe, “really, really big.” As I write this, the place that is covered by Charlottesville Community Engagement is covered with snow. I’m Sean Tubbs, and I’m currently two latitudinal parallels to the north where the winter storm didn’t quite hit as hard. Yet, all of these places are connected but only the top paragraph of this installment is about this observation.

In today’s installment:

• A cherished and beloved grocery store on Preston Avenue will soon close to make way for a nonprofit to take over the space

• The winter storm has led to several cancellations

• Emily Dooley and Lisa Torres will run for reelection to the Charlottesville School Board

• Another look at pending legislation including one to create a Virgina rental assistance program

First-shout: Senior Statesmen of Virginia event to review 2024 presidential election

On January 8 at 2:30 p.m., the Senior Statesmen of Virginia will present a program that seeks to break down how Donald Trump won a second term and what went wrong for the Democrats. The presenter will be John Miles Coleman, Associate Editor of Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball newsletter at the University of Virgina Center for Politics.

The presentation will be held from 2:30-3:30 at The Center at Belvedere, 540 Belvedere Blvd., Charlottesville 2290. The event is free and open to the public, but please register in advance at The Center.

Reids Super Save Market to close as Twice as Nice thrift store to purchase building

An era will come to an end in a few weeks when Reids Super Save Market will close its doors for the final time as a nonprofit group seeks to purchase the property.

“Twice is Nice intends to move out of the two Preston Avenue storefront locations it currently leases, where it faces space constraints and uncertainty about future development plans, and consolidate its operations into a single larger store at the current Reid’s site,” reads a press release sent out this afternoon.

One of the owners of the grocery store said the decision to close was not made lightly.

“We tried everything, but we just couldn’t make it work,” said Sue Clements who owns the building with her sister Kim Miller. “The hardest thing for us is the impact on our employees, who we’ve always thought of as family.”

An image of Reid Super Saver Market from the city’s GIS (Credit: City of Charlottesville)

A GoFundMe campaign last spring raised over $21,000 to try to keep the operations afloat but the store continued to struggle with keeping items in stock. Clements said she would rather the building at 600 Preston Avenue be repurposed rather than demolished and redeveloped.

The building is currently owned by the Brooks Family LLC and had an assessed value of just over $2.7 million in 2024. No details were included in the press release about the terms of the purchase. The structure dates back to 1948.

Twice as Nice will move out of one of two locations on Preston Avenue it operates, keeping the other open while the building is refreshed to serve as its single location.

“While we are as sad as anyone to see an iconic local business like Reid’s close its doors, we are excited to carry on the Reid’s tradition of serving the surrounding neighborhoods by providing high quality goods at affordable prices,” said Gordon Walker, the chairman of Twice as Nice’s Board of Directors.

Do you have a memory of Reid’s that you’d like to share? Thoughts on what this means for the neighborhood? Leave a comment or drop me an email.

Snow storm shuts down Charlottesville

The first wave of a winter storm has passed through Charlottesville leaving several inches of snow and leading to many cancellations in the area.

“If you don’t need to be out, stay home and keep safe,” reads an announcement from the Charlottesville Police Department. “If you must travel, reduce speed and allow extra time for your journey.”

Image courtesy of the Charlottesville Police Department

The National Weather Service forecasts a 70 percent chance of additional snow and ice this afternoon with accumulation of up to an inch. Overnight there is another 70 percent chance of snow up to an inch.

The Virginia Department of Transportation is working to clear roads with a priority of interstates, primary roads, and high-volume secondary roadways.

“[At 1 p.m.] those roadways in Culpeper District are in minor to moderate condition which means they are passable but still have areas that are icy and slick,” reads an information release from VDOT’s Culpeper District. “Crews will begin to plow and treat secondary and residential streets when resources allow.”

Fluvanna County’s regularly scheduled FAN Mail noted accumulations were not as high as expected but still warned people to be careful.

“More of the wet, white stuff is still expected to fall,” reads the message sent out today. “Temps will remain below freezing today and tonight is going to be very cold.”

There have been no major incidents in Albemarle according to the Deputy Fire Chief for Emergency Management.

“Our team has been closely monitoring the storm, and so far, impacts have been minimal—likely thanks to many people heeding VDOT's advice to stay off the roads,” Oprandy said “We'll remain ready to respond to the community's needs as winter weather continues to move through the area.”

Charlottesville City Council has postponed today’s scheduled meeting until January 21. Charlottesville Area Transit routes will all stop at 6:30 p.m. after being on a limited schedule all day. Route 4 was already canceled.

Charlottesville City Schools will be closed tomorrow due to the possibility of additional snow adding to poor road and sidewalk conditions.

The Louisa Board of Supervisors will hold their meeting tomorrow night instead of today.

The three special elections to be held for three General Assembly positions are still scheduled to take place tomorrow according to a spokesperson with the Virginia Department of Elections.

Dooley and Torres announce re-election bid for Charlottesville School Board

Three seats on the seven-member Charlottesville School Board are up for election this fall, and two incumbents are seeking to be on the ballot.

On Sunday, both Emily Dooley and Lisa Torres announced their re-election via email.

“With a strong record of accomplishment over their past term, the two leaders are committed to continuing their work on behalf of the students, teachers, and families of Charlottesville,” reads an information release.

Torres was first elected in 2017 and Dooley was elected in 2021.

Emily Dooley (left) and Lisa Torres (right) are seeking reelection (Credit: Charlottesville City Schools)

A list of accomplishments includes approving a collective bargaining resolution, the renovation of Buford Middle School into the renamed Charlottesville Middle School, and buying out Albemarle County’s share of what is now known as the Charlottesville Area Technical Education Center. The release also points to increased staffing for students learning English and increasing salaries.

“These accomplishments reflect our unwavering dedication to the success and well-being of every student, educator, and family in our community,” Torres is quoted in the release.

“Steady, forward-thinking leadership is critical in these uncertain times,” is the supplied quot for Dooley. “We are committed to continuing the progress we’ve made and tackling the challenges ahead with integrity and determination.”

Both are seeking funding to cover the costs of the contract with the Charlottesville Education Association as well as to advance plans for an early learning center at the site of what is now the Walker Upper Elementary School.

Last week, Dashad Cooper announced his candidacy for one of the seats. So far, incumbent Dom Morse has not indicated his plans.

Second shout-out: Alliance Française de Charlottesville

The Alliance Française de Charlottesville promotes the French language and francophone culture through educational and cultural programs. Visit the Alliance Française website to learn more about group classes, private lessons, cultural events, and social activities for both kids and adults.

A look at additional legislation pending in the 2025 General Assembly

There are now two days until the Virginia General Assembly convenes in Richmond for a 45-day session and the final year with Glenn Youngkin as governor. Here is another look at some of the legislation filed so far.

• SB802 from Senator Ryan McDougle (R-26) would provide that a person accused of distributing a Schedule I or Schedule II drug that leads to an overdose would be prosecuted in the jurisdiction where the person died.

• HB1573 from Delegate Chad Green (R-69) would reduce the in-person absentee voting period for the general election from 45 days to 10 days. HB1574 would do the same for primary elections.

• HB1575 from Delegate Mike Cherry (R-74) would require that allegations of campaign fundraising during the legislative session be referred to the Virginia Attorney General.

• HB1577 from Delegate Wrenn Williams (R-47) would require the Department of Planning and Budget to create a centralized location for all Virginia localities to submit required reports and would create an Unfunded Mandate Review Task Force.

• HB1588, also from Williams, would prevent utility rate increases in the months of November, December, January, and February.

• SB806 from Senator Richard Stuart (R-25) would repeal previous legislation that gave the State Air Pollution Control Board authority to implement low-emissions or no-emission standards. The Youngkin administration is also seeking to do this through executive means as I reported last June.

• SB809 from Senator Christie New Craig (R-19) would require localities who receive resources from the Fire Programs Fund to report all emergency incidents through the National Fire Response Information System as well as the Department of Fire Programs.

• SB812 from Senator Aaron Rouse (D-22) would amend the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to increase the amount of time for a waiting period between when a landlord notifies the tenant of late rent and when a notice of intent to evict will be given. The current period is five days and this bill would extend that to two weeks. SB815 would also prohibit a landlord from taking adverse action against prospective tenants due to their legal history.

• SB813, also from Rouse, would require the Department of Elections to complete any systemic process to remove ineligible voters 90 days before a primary or general election. Last year, the Youngkin administration ordered a daily purge and lawsuits to stop this practice were successful in circuit and appeals courts but allowed by the United States Supreme Court.

• Rouse is also chief patron of SB814 which would allow the governing body of a locality required by court order to have at-large districts to transition to single-member districts. There’s likely a background for this that I look forward to hearing about.

• SB816, also from Rouse, would make adjustments to state code related to the local real property tax exemptions allowed for the elderly and disabled.

• Another bill from Rouse, SB817, would require public elementary and secondary schools to develop a cardiac emergency response plan for student athletes who experience heart failure.

• SB827 from Senator Mamie Locke (D-23) would authorize Internet gaming in the Commonwealth to be regulated by the Virginia Lottery Board.

• SB830, also from Locke, would make permanent the Eviction Diversion Pilot Program.

• Locke has also filed SB832 which would establish a rental housing assistance program within the Department of Housing and Community Development. This would be in addition to federal vouchers.

Some of the definitions related to Internet gaming as established in SB827 (Credit: Virginia Legislative Information System

Reading material:

• Charlottesville native, civil rights icon Virgil Wood dies at 93, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), January 4, 2025

• Fluvanna County reduces rental fees at commercial kitchen, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), January 5, 2025

• Residents displaced by weekend house fire, CBS19 News, January 6, 2025

The first and only wave of #788 has come and gone

I’m not entirely sure how this one came together but it did. If one does something enough times, there are efficiencies that seem to overpower any doubt. I’m going to keep this particular one short because I want to get it published so I can frame up the rest of the week.

Now that the former sponsor is gone, I’m going to just put this here as a placeholder:

Before we get into this review, some ways you can help contribute.

• Sign up for a paid subscription through Substack. There is not much premium content because my primary aim is to get information out to as many people as possible.

• Contribute through Patreon. A major goal this year is to replace this with a way to make a tax-deductible donation, but that’s not set up yet. If I had more time, I’d make more audio programs through Patreon.

• Send in a check made out to Town Crier Productions at PO Box 1754, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22902

• Ask me about advertising opportunities! Later this month, advertising will begin to appear on Information Charlottesville and I’m hoping it can have the same style as the shout-outs.

• Volunteer to design some logos because I’m very bad at graphics!

• Tell friends about the work!