The I Love CVille Show With Jerry Miller! - '26 Is 50th Anniversary Of The Downtown Mall; CVille Has 4 Months To Put Anniversary Plan Into Play

Episode Date: August 25, 2025

The I Love CVille Show headlines: 2026 Is 50 Year Anniversary Of The Downtown Mall CVille Has 4 Months To Put Anniversary Plan Into Play What Should City Do To Celebrate 50 Years Of DT Mall? Alakazam Toys Closing On The Downtown Mall What Does Alakazam’s Closing Say About The Mall? Judge Worrell Agrees To Hear Merits Of City’s Case Livable CVille Trying To Influence Downtown Intersection Exec Offices For Rent ($350 – $2000), Contact Jerry Read Viewer & Listener Comments Live On-Air The I Love CVille Show airs live Monday – Friday from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm on The I Love CVille Network. Watch and listen to The I Love CVille Show on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, iTunes, Apple Podcast, YouTube, Spotify, Fountain, Amazon Music, Audible, Rumble and iLoveCVille.com.

Good Monday afternoon, guys. I'm Jerry Miller. Thank you kindly for joining us on the I Love Seaville Show. It's great to connect with you guys through the I Love Seville Network on a beautiful Monday in downtown Charlottesville. Had the pleasure today of touring some real estate in downtown Charlottesville. and had the pleasure today of just kind of feeling the pulse of the most important eight blocks in this 300,000-person region we call Central Virginia in the greater Charlottesville metropolitan area. The 50-year anniversary of the Charlottesville downtown mall next year.

milestone to say the least, 50 years for the Charlestville downtown mall. The Charlottesville City Council and Charlottesville City Hall have tremendous responsibility and quite a bit on their plate as we approach a milestone anniversary. There's four months in change. change left in this calendar year. And in these final four months, City Hall and City Council are going to try to cram as much into their agenda, as much on the dais, as much in public comment portion,

as much in action, as much in policy as possible to make this anniversary one to remember. I'm going to ask you, the viewer and listener to this question, as we have approached the 50-year anniversary of East Main Street's conversion into a pedestrian mall, a mall designed by landscape architect Lawrence Halperin in 1976. We're going to talk history of these most important eight blocks. We're going to put in perspective the closing of Al-Qazam over the weekend, a toy store that was institutional. I think we can add this to the list of I Love Seaville icons that have closed in the last 12 months.

Al-A-Kazam, would you agree with me as an icon locally? Definitely. Would you agree with me, viewers and listeners, that Al-Qazam is institutional in the same category as a blue-moon diner, a Moose's by the Creek, and Eljo's traditional clothes, a Reed's grocery store, a Guadalajara-on-Fontein, a Mel's Cafe, a Lumpkins, a Little Johns, a 10,000 villages, an end-zone pizza, a Belmont pizza, a Tubby's restaurant, that have all closed in the Charlottesville area in the last 12 months, would you agree?

That Al-Qazam should be on that list. What does the closing of this iconic and institutional toy store suggest or influence city council and city hall of what they need to do in the next four months to make these most important eight blocks of the region even better as they approach the 50-year anniversary? Does the closing of this toy store suggest something about shopping patterns in Charlottesville where parents of young children, parents of young children, just like me and my wife,

are hesitant to potentially bring their sons and daughters to shop at a toy store where they can see, feel, touch, play, and enjoy with toys prior to purchase. We'll talk about that today. We'll talk on today's show. Goodness gracious, a household name. named Judge Warow, a man who is teeter tottering, teeter tottering with a gavel in his hand, teeter tottering with a, what do you call the judge jacket on his hand, the robe, the judge robe, draped over his shoulders, teeter tottering from his perch atop a local courtroom,

now saying a new zoning ordinance law, suit can move forward. Judea Wickhauer, Goodness gracious, can the man make his mind up? Hmm. Is it a new lawsuit? Same one. Saying deadline, you know what? Let's let him move forward, despite this misfiling deadline. We'll talk about that today.

We'll talk livable Charlottesville doing their best to try to influence and goodness gracious infiltrate. Charlottesville taxpayers with their message, Livable Charlestville now wants to say, what to do with a downtown intersection, and they're using organization, they're using strategy and mobilization to try to get what they want. Are we live on the group? Let's see. We'll talk about that on today's program. A lot we're going to cover on the show. Did you see over the weekend that's the Stanford Cardinal football team? This is UVA's opponent on September 20th in Charlottesville. Stanford Cardinal lost its season opener to Hawaii, 23 to 20. on a walk-off field goal.

Hawaii was down 10 to nothing to start the game, and still, Hawaii found a way to beat the Cardinal. Goodness gracious, great balls of fire. Virginia football and Tony Elliott has a very good opportunity, ladies and gentlemen, this calendar year, this football season, to start the year off undefeated

with a monumental matchup in Scott Stadium against the Florida State, Seminoles. The season opens this Saturday with the Coastal Carolina, Shanna Clears hit in Scott Stadium for a 6 o'clock kickoff on the ACC network. Then you travel to Raleigh to face the Wolfpack at high noon and week two. You got the William and Mary Tribe in week three. You got the Stanford Cardinal who just blew a 10-point lead in week four. Could Tony Elliott's team start the season four and O going into a matchup against the Seminoles on the last Saturday, the last Friday, excuse me, the last Friday night in September, a 7 o'clock ESPN nationally televised ball game and goodness gracious, what would that do for Charlestville,

Almore County, Central Virginia, and our local economy, a 4-0 football team with Florida State coming in for a Friday night ESPN televised broadcast. Goodness gracious, that would have an impact. A lot we're going to cover on the program. Charlestful Sanitary Supply. The Vermilions are five generations Judah in Almaro County. John Verminians. John Verme million and his family are five generations strong in Almaro County. Their business, Charlestful Sanitary Supply, is three-generation strong. John and his son, Andrew, on High Street, run an honest, straightforward, communicative, education-based business called Charlestful Sanitary Supply.

If you want your swimming pool looking like the Miller Swimming Pool, crystal clear blue, or the house smelling as beautiful and as well, House could smell, despite a German Shepherd and two maniacs under seven years old, seven and under. It's Charlottesville Sanitary Supply, ladies and gentlemen. Love the Vermillion family. Ginny Who has got this comment. Her photo on screen about Al-Qazam closing the doors.

I'll read the statement from the owner in a matter of moments. She says, I haven't been to Al-Qazam in years since a homeless man outside yelled at me for offering him the pizza I had just purchased rather than cash. thank goodness my parents have the kids inside the store shopping but we have not been back since bill mchesney logan wells claylo john blair your thoughts on this over the weekend the owner of ala kazam that lower third on screen offered this statement dear friends it's with a mix of gratitude and bittersweet emotion that i share some news after many wonderful years our time and alaqazam toys is coming

to a close. We've loved being a part of this community and sharing in so many moments of joy, curiosity, and play. In a world that can often feel challenging, I've always believed in the power of small moments that spark wonder, laughter, and connection. That kind of joy is healing. It's the medicine we all need in dark times. I can honestly say that my time-owning Al-Qazam has been one of the hardest and very best things I have ever done to celebrate everything we've built together. Our closing sale begins today. This is a chance to find your favorite toys, games, and treasures at special prices while supplies last. We hope these items continue to bring delight and inspire little moments of joy in your homes.

Thank you for welcoming us, welcoming us into your lives, for your support, and for being a part of this journey. We will always cherish the moments we made together with high fives and heartfelt gratitude, Ellen and the Alakazam team. Judah Wickhauer, on a two-shot, a trusted voice in this community we call Central Virginia. I saw the closing announcement over the weekend and was flooded with emotions. Our oldest son is in second grade. He's seven. Our youngest son is almost three. We have enjoyed more memories than I can count in this toy store. Touching and feeling and playing and laughing, sometimes crying because they can't buy everything they want. a respite and a refuge from the downtown mall

during times of rain, cold, heat, at times when a seven-year-old and a three-year-old need to get an air condition. When they come to visit Dad on the downtown mall, Al-A-Kazam is one of the things they mention. To say this is institutional and iconic is an understatement. No doubt. To add them to a list on

I Love Seville, and you can find this online. Iloveceville.com forward slash closed. That is now 13 icons closed in the last 12 months. Saddens me. I can relate to Allen, the owner, saying this, I can honestly say that my time owning the store has been one of the hardest and very best things I've ever done. Owning a business is the best, hardest thing you will ever do,

the longest, shortest thing you'll ever do. Oating a business is akin in a lot of ways to parenthood. A business needs to be fed just like our children. A business needs to be nurtured just like our children. A business has highs that are undescribable. and lows that feel like you are at a point of depression and downtroddenness that you never want to experience ever again. To close your doors and to make that announcement on social media and an announcement that went viral, I can assure you is one of the most challenging things

the proprietor ever had to do. Yeah, no doubt. Now I have to ask you a straightforward question. respond and react to the closing announcement and does the closing of Al-A-Kazam is it an indication of some of the challenges and headwinds we currently face on the downtown mall?

Yeah, I think it definitely is an indication of challenges faced by businesses both on the downtown mall and around Charlottesville in general. I think it's also I think it also may just be a fact of, you know, this being a business that's been around for a long time. Businesses do choose to shutter their doors. Obviously, there are, there are extraneous circumstances. Circumstances that involve, you know, I'm sure the, I'm sure the tariffs are,

not helping any businesses, particularly a toy store where not all of the, I'm sure not all of the toys are produced in the United States. It's just a fact of production these days. And as you mentioned, and as Ginny mentioned, there are challenges ongoing on the downtown mall, considering some of the people on the downtown mall, considering some of the people on the downtown mall, some of the issues with paint handlers, issues with people using the alleys between some of the blocks as bathrooms. Certainly, I can understand reticence in parents bringing their children to the downtown mall. Not everybody feels the same way, but you can't discount a parent's, you know,

protective nature towards their children. Ladies and gentlemen, we live in an era. We're selling a commodity on a shelf is as difficult as it's ever been, maybe since the Great Depression. I make that statement, and I don't want you to think it's hyperbolic in any capacity. I'll say it again. We live in an era. We're selling a commodity on a shelf

may be as challenging as it's ever been since perhaps the Great Depression. For obvious reasons, Amazon, Digital, Walmart, Target, you name it. Compounding those challenges, macro headwinds tied to tariffs, of course, compounding those challenges, micro-headwinds tied to inaction from local government.

I, along with my wonderful wife, who is the rock of our family, have two maniac children, a seven-year-old, and a soon-to-be-three-year-old. And if it was not for the fact that their father owns real estate and I, operates a business in downtown Charlottesville, my wife would be reluctant for our boys to come to these eight blocks. Do I feel safe? Absolutely. Does Judah Wickhauer feel safe? Of course. Would my wife feel safe if she and I were walking up and down the mall on date night or post-date night for some cocktails or enjoying a concert at the Jefferson or at the Tink Pavilion? Yes, she would. Would my wife patronize the downtown mall by herself? No, she would not.

This past weekend, one of her oldest friends visited downtown Charlottesville for a wedding at Pippin Hill. They stayed at the Omni. She, my wife's, one of her oldest friends, remembers visiting Charlottesville in 2017 when my wife and I got married. They stayed in 2017 at the same hotel. And in 2017, one of my wife's oldest friends, she remembered a downtown that was full of life, vibrancy, and economic vitality. This past weekend, she saw a downtown mall that included four lease signs, an overwhelming number of houseless individuals, and a mall that lacked the chutzpah and the heart and pulse that had had prior to COVID.

Al-A-Kazam's closing is as much about selling a commodity in a digital age as it is a lack of action, a lack of stewardship of these most important eight blocks by City Hall and City Council. City Hall and City Council, past and present, are culpable and accountable for Al-Qazam's closing. You cannot sell bouncy boys and trains. You cannot sell puzzles. You cannot sell toys. When you don't feel safe bringing your kids downtown.

That's going to impact your population, your customer base. And the interesting thing is, we are now four months removed from the 50-year anniversary of the pedestrian mall. In 1976, East Main Street was converted into a pedestrian mall designed by landscape architect Lawrence Halprin. In 2007, Charlottesville planned a comprehensive rehabilitation and renovation of the downtown mall. Construction on the mall renovation began on Sunday, January 7, 2009, and was completed later that summer. In 2017, a terrorist rammed his Dodge Charger deliberately into a peaceful protesting crowd, leading to the death of Heather Heyer.

Portions of the mall and adjacent streets were listed and have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The downtown mall is one of the longest pedestrian malls, not in the Commonwealth, not on the East Coast, but the entire United States of America. It runs from 6th Street, Northeast, to Old Preston Avenue, where it extends to Water Street for a total of eight blocks. It was laid with brick and concrete, and it's home to an array of restaurants, shops, offices, and art galleries.

On Fridays, the mall buzzes with excitement for Fridays after five. You have a concert venue of talented attracting proportions and smaller venues that attract some of the best up-and-coming talent or back end of their career talent in the country. City Council and City Hall have four critically important months before the 50-year anniversary of this mall. And in those four critical months, starting with September, and one of the first meetings they have in September, City Council and City Hall will have an opportunity

thanks to an executive order from President Donald Trump to clean up these eight blocks by approving the repossession of houseless possessions on the mall. If you can't on the mall, Charlottesville has an opportunity to take your possessions, if approved, thanks to this executive order autonomy.

And I'm going to say this again, and I want to say this loud and I'm going to catch some arrows in the chest for this but I'm going to take the heat I don't mind the heat there's an institution locally and it's called the haven

the haven has become an epicenter for the houseless locally and movers and shakers tie to this entity ladies and gentlemen, have tremendous influence over what's happening down here. And my hope is, my hope is, that these movers and shakers behind the Haven, my hope is that their efforts are truly philanthropic and from the heart.

And my hope is that these movers and shakers with the Haven are not utilizing the houseless in a way to drive value for any asset or holding they have in downtown Charlottesville. My hope is it's philanthropic and pure. My hope is that it's coming from a good place. And I certainly don't want to hear or I certainly hope to God it's not.

You want this cleaned up, this is the number to exit. 50-year anniversary is four months away. Derek Bond is watching the program. Do we have a photo for Derek Bond, a business owner that I have tremendous respect for the owner of the melting pot and mows on Ivy Road. He says perception is the issue downtown. He says downtown is fine,

but the general public perceives it as an issue. 100% right. 100% right. Conan Owen, the owner of Sir Speedy of Central Virginia. Judah, if you have a logo and you need to scale that logo with signage, with window decals, with stickers, any kind of call-to-action, tangible marketing collateral, like direct mail, this step-and-repeat banner behind me, pamphlets, trifolds, lanyards, and badges, Conan Owen and Sir Speedy of Central Virginia are who you call.

He says it's far from fine. or a constant problem, and the monthly gunplay is unacceptable. Suicide this past weekend on Market Street. Did you read that? I heard about it. Had a conversation with my mentor this morning in his office. Both of us lamented the loss of life. And then the follow-up to that was, in a lot of ways,

the suicide is way better than a murder. someone taking their own life as opposed to someone taking someone else's life. James Watson watching the program, his photo on screen. Where can a mom and a pop afford to rent a retail space that has parking and make a profit in Charlottesville nowadays? Ladies and gentlemen, I'm in that world. I'm in that world as a real estate owner. I'm in that world as someone that helps folks find spaces to do business within.

I'm in that world as a guy that's paid an hourly wage. to consult on how businesses can gain market share and improve top line revenue. I'm in this space. They are fewer and further between affordable spaces for rent. Neither you nor I, viewers, and listeners want a world where the locally owned and operated businesses are strictly social media pages and e-commerce stores.

That's not a world I want to live in. Martha Freeman, welcome to the broadcasts. Print radio and television watching the show. Print radio and television. You need to be covering this in your news cycle. I'm talking about you Daily Progress. I'm talking about you Charlottesville Radio Group, you Monticello Media, you CBS19,

UCVille Weekly, UCVille tomorrow. You need to be covering the 50-year anniversary for the downtown mall. It's four months away. It's four months and change away, and you need to be covering it from the angle, what is City Council and Sam Sanders of City Hall doing

to make them all in perfect form and format to celebrate a milestone anniversary? Daily Progress, NBC29, CBS19, C-Ville tomorrow, Charlottesville Radio Group, Monicello Media, and C-Vo Weekly. If you're not covering that, you're not doing your job as media in this community. the 50 year anniversary is four months away

and you should be asking city council and sam sanders to their faces what are you going to do to take these eight blocks that are downtrodden and depressed and make them vibrant and full of economic vitality juda wickhauer jump in comments coming in quickly do you think they're going to have it right at the beginning of next year i would give them an extra month or two i would imagine that once the planning gets started, they'll try to find a time that's not, you know, the 50-year anniversary of the downtown mall is not going to include planning that happens

on the actual year of the 50-year anniversary. The 50-year anniversary planning happens well before the 50-year anniversary. Yeah. I don't plan for outcomes in my 20-26 business model in 2026. Right. I'm saying, do you think the actual celebration? will be at the very beginning of next year. I think the celebration, 50-year,

is going to be an extended celebration that goes much of the calendar year. Do I think this 50-year celebration is going to be in the dog days of January when credit card bills are due and it's cold and snowy outside? No. But I think once we start seeing some dandelions

and some sunflowers and some pretty foliage and some spring weather, you're going to see a 50-year anniversary that's going to extend much of the 20-26 calendar year. And that happens, ladies and gentlemen, right around March in these parts. John Blair watching the program, his photo on screen. Jerry Miller, I am so sorry about Al-A-Kazam, John Blair says.

My wife and I always patronize them and shenanigans for toys for our own son and for birthday gifts. They will be missed. If you recall when Tubby's closed, I said there would be two more major local businesses to close. I suspect you have an idea of the other major local business that is rumored to be closing soon. I hope it does not happen. But viewers and listeners should not be surprised if another landmark

closes in the next few months. John, I've hearing similar rumors. In fact, I've heard three very big time names are on the brink of closing their doors. This comes in via Facebook message, someone asking for discretion. Our family used to frequent the mall as often as possible. For all the issues you have discussed many times, we simply do not go to the mall anymore. Our kids used to love going to the mall, but no longer enjoy it. We love strolling the streets in uptown and downtown Manhattan, but not in downtown Charlottesville. We use West Main, we use Belmont, and other places for unique dining. And while we are beyond the toy stage as parents, we certainly visit shenanigans on West Main Street instead of dealing with the trouble in downtown Charlottesville.

he disagrees with you, Conan Owen, but in the comment section, Derek Bond says, however, I do need your services at Moes for the next week or so. Conan Owen, small business owner, Sir Speedy of Central Virginia, Derek Bond, small business owner, Moes, and Melting Pot. I hope you guys connect on some fantastic marketing collateral. When we're walking downtown, our kid, he's seven, and our soon-to-be three-year-old, They don't hold our hands anymore. You know what's crazy is our seven-year-old?

He's too cool for school. Won't hold our hand. Won't hold my hand. My Soon-to-be three-year-old still kind of holds my hand. But when he sees Big Brother not wanting to hold his hand, he mimics Big Brother because Big Brother's his idol. That means our Soon-to-be-three-year-old who no longer fits in the strollers, too big for a stroller.

And our seven-year-old second grader, they're running a muck on the mall. And generally, running a muck on the mall is fine. There's no vehicles. It's a pedestrian mall. Close to traffic. But you're running amok now in an area where there's points of concern everywhere. Philip Dow, welcome to the broadcast. William McChesney, welcome to the broadcast.

50-year anniversary of downtown Charlottesville. In September, they will have an opportunity, city council, to vote, contemplate, put into action whether this localized form of government is willing to have the balls, the courage, and the chutzpah to clean up the most important eight blocks by taking the possessions of those who are sleeping perhaps not illegally,

but certainly unwelcome in the heartbeat of Central Virginia. and they're put into office because these are the decisions they have to make. JC on YouTube, Al-Qazam is great, but over the last few years when visiting our kids, it often smelled like weed in and around there. That's JC on YouTube. I walk up and down the mall and... that's less of a concern for me

now that now that it's legal it's you know it's not always a a questionable element that you that you catch a whiff

of marijuana from but that's every day though and you also have you also have you know at least what at least to see I'm torn on that

I'm torn on that because I have been on this program, and you guys know this, incredibly pro-cannibus. Incredibly pro-cannibus. And my past prolific enjoyer of cannabis.

Now, no time. Grinding constantly. Kids, life. Have to be on point. 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. when I crash. I understand the health and medical benefits.

I understand we live in a free market and a free world where folks choose to make a living and business out of it. And I'm like, go for it. Love what David Trekirichie is doing at Skuma Boutique dispensary. But then there's the parent side of me. The parent side of me walking up and down the mall and our oldest who's very in tune with everything, extremely in touch with everything, asking me, what's that smell? Smells like skunk.

What's that smell? There it is again, Dad. What's that smell? Smells like skunk. What are those guys doing, passing back and forth? Get that question all the time. How do you answer that?

Good question. How would you answer that? Dad, what are those two guys next to that really large flour pot next to Christian's pizza, smoking back and forth, passing back and forth to each other? I'd probably use honesty, but I'd probably be honest about it. So what would you say to a seven-year-old? Just out of curiosity.

How would you answer that question? I'd say that's what marijuana smells like. Okay. You'd say to a seven-year-old, those two guys outside Christian's pizza son are smoking reefer. The hippie lettuce, the chiba, the weed, the cannabis, the marijuana, the green. the shrubbery I'd probably simplify it for

for kids but yeah essentially you'd say they're smoking doby sticks they're burning a bowl are you asking if I would actually use that word what would you say to a seven year old

genuinely I'll be what would you say to a seven year old I would say they're smoking marijuana it's a drug I didn't you would say they're smoking marijuana it's a drug

yeah see I wouldn't say that I said, son, they are smoking something that you shouldn't because it could potentially hurt your body and your health. Yeah. And then what do you think that did? That elicited more questions. Yeah.

Hurt your body, how? What exactly are they smoking? Why does it smell like that? Why do they keep tapping it? Why does sparks fall off it when they tap it? Why does it look like they can barely have anything in their fingers when they're smoking it? Why'd they throw it on the ground? And at that point, we got our calzone, our pepperoni pizza, our sausage pizza, our Coca-Cola's and said, you know what?

Let's walk this way. My wife's sitting there giving me the side eye, the evil eye. I know what she was thinking. She didn't have to say it Don't experience that at Dairy Market Pro Renata Vivachi Motelisa pasta

I'd say there's a chance you'd encounter that anywhere with outdoor seating Come on Kate Sharts watching the program Queen of Ivy her photo on screen My eight-year-old, I'd say, maybe there is a skunk, we should walk faster. To my 11-year-old, I'd use an opportunity to talk about it. There's a mom of four, and someone I respect and trust tremendously.

Mom of four, 11, and under. I know her 8-year-old. Her 8-year-old is awesome. 11-year-old's awesome, too, but goodness gracious, her 8-year-old's got some vibrancy. Never met a stranger. She said, my 8-year-old, I'd say, maybe there's a skunk, we should walk faster.

My 11-year-old, I'd use it as an opportunity to talk about it. I have a 7-year-old who's asking about it. A 7-year-old. Yeah. 50-year anniversary, ladies and gentlemen, the downtown mall is in 2026. We are four months away. To say that there is pressure and a need for priority

for Juan Diego Wade, Brian Pinkston, Lloyd-Sinuk, Natalie Oshron, and Michael Payne is an understatement for incoming council member Jen Fleischer is an understatement. For city manager, Sam Sanders, is an understatement. What is the action plan for city council and Sam Sanders to celebrate and champion a 50-year anniversary of one of the most established and longest running downtowns, pedestrian, and the entire country? I want to know that answer. I would say they need to set aside the funds for what they think they're going to be doing.

They need to, I don't know, if elect is the right word, but set up a board or a, what would you call it? Action group, a committee. Yeah, a committee that will do the actual planning. I don't think it's really within the realm of what city council should be doing to be making all the plans for this, whether it's bringing on musical artists, setting up action. acts, setting up, you know, all the different stuff that goes into, I mean, same kind of thing with First Night Virginia. That's not the kind of thing the city council should be wasting a lot of time on. So I think it would, you're right. They do need to come up with an action plan

sooner rather than later. But I believe most of that should be figuring out who's going to do the actual planning, figure out what kind of hierarchy you have to ensure that there's There's, what would you call it? Experience boots on the streets that can execute a vision that comes from the dais and actually materializes into reality on the most important eight blocks of the Charlottesville metropolitan area. Agree with everything that you just did. I need to emphasize this. No action plan is worth a dam if there is

the perceived or actual mall at its state right now. And it starts with the houseless. It starts with the haven. And it potentially could finish with this executive order from the Trump administration down to local jurisdictions that empowers them to clean up streets. And there's nothing wrong with the offer of a hand up.

But these handouts at the extent, expense of the al-Qasams, these handouts at the expense of the tool jewelers and the raptures, these handouts at the expense of the 10,000 villages, these handouts at the expense of the peti-poise and the zocaloes and the banks and the local businesses that are navigating, unchartered, unsafe territory of houseless and drug infestation, that time is long gone. That time should be long gone. Deep throat, number one in the family. My kids are the one who tell me, don't go down that alley.

It's full of hyperdermic needles. Kids. Kids, folks. Jenny who says that's a lot of synonyms for the wacky tobacco. No doubt. And she says it's still not legal to smoke it in public. The law simply isn't enforced.

Part of the problem, this is a perfect segue into the next headline. Livable Seaville and co-chairs Matthew Gilliken and Stephen Johnson are up to their own tactics again. on Next Door sent to me by a viewer and listener that I trust She says this is over on the neighborhood app next door Livable Seville is giving people the information on what to do with VDOT and West Main

VDOT and the city are considering design changes to the intersection of West Main, Ridge, South, and Water Street which are obviously one of the most important intersections in the city. Livable Seville has a survey and action items of what voters and taxpayers and constituents can do to voice their opinion before city council. So is this about the plinth? This is about the overall look, feel, navigation of a critical entryway. Interesting.

I'm going to say this again. again, and I'll take arrows in the chest for this, and I don't care about this. I'll take arrows in the chest for this. The time is long gone to pay attention to this group. This is the same group that is protesting and politicking against school resource officers in our hallways. The same group that politicked and protest against metal detectors at the entryways to our school. The same group that pushed this radical new zoning ordinance through that has yielded absolutely nothing. The same group that's infiltrating Al Morrow County with its politics to drive up real estate tax rates and encourage the boards of supervisors to tax you and me

average Joe's and average Jennifer's out of more of our money to fund affordable housing. it's time to ignore these people it's a small group that seems big and call them out for their their BS what has come positive from what they've done maybe some bicycle and pedestrian safety certainly not housing affordability

and if someone uses the word road diet again come on and speaking in the lawsuit what's up with the judge as you put the lower third on screen what's up with the judge judah i think he's given this i think

uh he knows what's up he knows he knows he's he knows whatever happens here he's giving the uh he's giving the plaintiffs a uh a massive gimme the judge reconsiders his june 30th summary judgment.

That means the city gets its wish of White v. Charlottesville being decided on its merits. Potentially. What happened between a misfiling deadline and this past Friday? I think like the headline says, he's giving them a chance to, to argue the case on its merits rather than have this, you know. So we live in a world now where high dollar attorneys can miss filing deadlines and then they can get grace periods from judges and second chances. I would argue that there's no guarantee that he is going to rule in their favor at the end of this.

I think he wants to hear the merits of the case. Now, obviously, that puts some of this in an odd situation, potentially problematic situation, because he's essentially saying that the plaintiffs have to bring more money into this. He puts himself in a terrible situation. He's a city homeowner that owns a house. He puts his wife in a terrible situation, someone who doesn't use his last name, on social media, and through her activism for the new zoning ordinance, his wife. A new zoning ordinance activist, he puts her in a bad position.

He's in a bad position. The plaintiffs are going to have to fork over more money. The city's going to have this dragged out even more. It puts the entire situation into zoning purgatory, even more uncertainty. The plaintiffs better go balls to the wall with challenging, the judge with conflict to interest keeping this in legal purgatory.

This wishy-washy with the judge terrible look. Deep throat offers comments. He says, you want a good livable Seville story? They are fake

advocates for pedestrians. They did not support a crosswalk on Second and Elliot. In fact, Stephen Johnson sent an email to the city staff tattel-telling on Kevin Cox. That came out via FOIA. Wow. They are staff-adjacent bootlickers. The pedestrian stuff is a smoke screen. The only things they care about are killing zoning and the police.

He says, in regards to the zoning, I think Judah is right. he thinks this case poses interesting questions. Also, think if you look at his decision, he sort of hints at the fact that the brief arguments on the merits seem to favor the plaintiffs. I think the biggest challenge for the plaintiffs is funding a full trial. Exactly.

But no developers are going to go forward until this trial goes forward unless their projects conform to the old zoning. Yeah. crazy times yeah i think what uh i think what allowing the case to go forward does despite the fact that we uh that we all know that the uh the lawyers on the case i mean saying they drop the ball is a massive understatement massive understatement but the fact of the matter is if the trial doesn't go through. There's always going to be a question surrounding, you know,

surrounding the outcome. Were the plaintiffs in the right? Was the city in the right? I think by allowing this to go forward, he does not have to give, he does not have to give equality to the two sides. In his mind, I would imagine there is a massive demerit on the side of the city and their lawyers. But I think allowing both sides to be heard is, I think it's a good thing. It takes away that uncertainty of who's right and who's wrong. Like Deep Throat said, it may actually give the, it may actually give the plaintiffs an arrow or two in their quiver to continue to

to bargain with the city, which is what they've wanted to do. They said it themselves. I believe Van Dorn went on somewhere or other and basically said, look, we told the city what we want, and they basically said, no, we don't care. I think with an actual, with the actual result from this, they may have a better place to bargain with the city. because I don't think they want, they're not trying to, like, screw everyone over. Anyone that thinks that they're just, you know, just angry old people trying to, like,

trying to stop change from happening, I think severely is misrepresenting what's going on here. 100%. The angry, wealthy, old people that are just trying to stop change from happening that are going against popular vote is the narrative. pushed by livable seaville. Livable Seaville is monikering the nine plaintiffs as nothing but wealthy,

angry, bitter homeowners who lost the popular vote and are trying to find loopholes to keep change from happening. And that's not true. What the plaintiffs are doing is utilizing

the form of government that we live within and operate under. The law. The law. The plaintiffs are doing. law. It's another, as Judas said, a gross misrepresentation from livable Seville, who continues to be as... And others. And others, okay. Mr. Bowie. Jamel Bowie, the New York Times columnist. And these gross misrepresentations are far too frequent. So it keeps me from taking them at their word of this urbanist advocacy group that wants what's best for Charlottesville. That's bogus.

Jason Noble saw the post on Nextdoor from the co-chair Matthew Gilligan and said that post was obnoxious and I commented on that chain. And he said it was absolutely pathetic. Georgia Gilmer's photo on screen in regards to livable Seville, they did tell folks on next door how to respond to the survey and there were lemmings who thanked them. Livable Seaville is the fastest way for Charlestville to turn into Fredericksburg. I'll say that again. Livable Seaville is the folks that will turn Charlottesville into Fredericksburg. I don't know enough about Fredericksburg.

Fredericksburg. Have you driven through the heart of Fredericksburg? It is a disease. I believe I've been there. Is it? A disease. Ryan Hughes. Thank you for watching the program. Print, radio, and television, thank you for watching the show.

That's the Monday edition of the program. If you, viewer, and listener need office space of any capacity from an entry point of about $400 a month, all the way up to $3,000 or $4,000 a month, text me, email me, DM me, call me, reach out to me. There's no one locally in Charlottesville, Almaro, Central Virginia, who has more of this office space at his disposal. 400 a month, 3,000, 5,000 a month, whatever your needs.

We could match make on your behalf. Judah Wickhauer, Jerry Miller, the I Love Seville Show, the water cooler of content and conversation in Charlottesville. and Central Virginia. So long. Thank you.