There’s been some buzz on Facebook and Twitter about a mysterious federal security presence around town—well-armored black SUVs and the like. It turns out there’s a good reason: Senate Democrats are holding a retreat at the Boar’s Head Inn. They’re meeting up with White House officials and strategists for a couple of days, and they’ll return to the Senate tomorrow. The National Republican Senatorial Committee is predictably griping about the location (“no word from Senate Democrats on why they’re holding this retreat at the posh Boar’s Head Inn outside Charlottesville”); apparently they’ve never been to the Boar’s Head which, while nice, isn’t exactly the Ritz or, indeed, Keswick Hall.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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Yeah….uhhhh…Boars Head is pretty much the Ritz. Sure, Keswick is more expensive, but that still means they are at the 2nd most $$$ in town for a contingent that size.
Did we mention they are eating at C & O? Sure they can eat at more pricy spots, but that really only means La Fluerie….
If the Dems wish to play down their tendency to spend, they need to do better than this….cause its a fail.
They have zero credibility with these choices, no matter how you wrap it up.
You dont want this type of talk, hit the Omni and Bizou.
Right, but you’re ignoring the fact that they’re in Charlottesville. They could have had a mediocre stay in Northern Virginia or D.C. for the same rate. Charlottesville is a bargain compared to places up there.
There are lots of places that are more expensive places or about the same as the C&O. The Ivy Inn, the Clifton Inn, and Fossett’s all come to mind readily.
Seriously, this is not a valid complaint. Would you like to guess some of the places where congressional Republicans have held retreats recently?
Nope. They just charge like it… which makes it that much worse.
Even as someone who has voted pretty much all Democrat in the last two elections, I think they could have made a MUCH better choice and given the Republicans nothing to talk about at all.
Your defensiveness, from the get-go, proves the point Waldo.
“ends-means” arguments mean nothing.
But let me ask you this. If you suggested to your wife a weekend at Boars Head and dinner at C& O, would her response be suggestive of your fiscal caution…or otherwise?
They may be spending a lot of money, but at least it’s at locally owned businesses. That money spent in the C’ville economy might not mean much to people who live outside the area, but even if the retreat were held in a different city, I’d appreciate knowing that locally owned restaurants and hotels were used, rather than chains.
It’ll cost you $350 to spend the night in a standard room at the Ritz properties in Tysons Corner or Pentagon City. You’d spend $145 at the Boar’s Head. A room at the Omni is $159.
I suspect I spend more nights in Virginia hotels than some of the people commenting here. Charlottesville’s hotel rates are pretty reasonable. Our rates tend to creep up closer to those in other areas for the weekends of Final Exercises and reunions at UVa.
What? If I accused you of murdering a small child and disposing of her body in a lake, would your defensiveness prove the point?
Jeannine did the math—it’s straight-up cheaper. From the perspective of the rest world, Senators leaving D.C. and having a retreat in a small town in Charlottesville looks mighty sensible and inexpensive. Charlottesville just isn’t as important as you assume it is.
You apparently aren’t familiar with the NRSC or its Democratic counterpart, the DSCC. :) All they do is complain about their opponents, no matter what they do. That’s their job! For either party to attempt to live their lives so that the opposite group won’t complain, it’s just a fool’s game. If Democrats held their retreat at the DC YMCA, Republicans would complain that the YMCA received federal dollars several years ago, and that this is just another case of Democrats feeding at the federal trough. If they held their retreat at the Hilton in Arlington, Republicans would complain that they were snubbing D.C., and is there no place in the nation’s capitol that’s good enough?
Democrats can do no right in the eyes of the NRSC, nor can Republicans in the eyes of the DSCC. It’s part of what makes national politics so stupid. Buying into their line of thinking, while common, is something one should try to avoid.
Dudes–right now, they’re wasting U.S. tax-payer money. BUT…Albemarle and Charlottesville tax-payers are BENEFITING from their spending.
Dunno ’bout you, but I’m putting this one in the WIN column.
Just a reminder that while the Boar’s Head Inn is locally owned, it’s owned by that mom-and-pop operation known as the UVA Foundation. Local doesn’t always mean small.
Am I the only conservative that’s really excited for them to be in town?
Can’t we all just agree that it’s sweet our little village gets some love? I think it’s good for them to get out of the beltway once in a while. Heck, maybe they’ll even mingle with some of us ordinary folk. :-)
An event like that needs planning, security (ask Rep. Giffords to explain), space, and more to be successful. It also needs professionals who know what they are doing to pull it off. Professionalism may cost a bit of money to get, but most likely not as much as lack of professionalism would. Really, does anyone think that an alternative like a stay at the Comfort Inn with lunch at Bodo’s could possibly work?
Stormy, is it less noble to spend at a local business because the business happens to be large? Should we only spend our money at SMALL local businesses? Does not the U.Va. Foundation employ local people and pay local taxes? (The answer to the latter is “yes”; the foundation pays property taxes, while the University itself does not.)
Who do people see the University and stuff related to it as inherently evil? As if educating people and reserching things that improve our lives is somehow bad for us?
Without U.Va., Charlottesville would be Scottsville.
“Without U.Va., Charlottesville would be Scottsville.”
With UVA, it’s in danger of becoming Fairfax.
U-Hoo, as far as I know, there’s nothing evil about the UVA Foundation or UVA. I have a degree from the school and wouldn’t be living in Charlottesville if I didn’t believe in its mission. I made no judgment as to whether it is evil; I just pointed out the Boar’s Head Inn’s ownership. With respect to the Foundation in particular, I’ve met and had great conversations with Tim Rose and I understand its purpose.
Why do some people take any comment about UVA as a slight? UVA’s caretakers are big boys and girls and can take care of themselves.
My take on the “buy local” campaign is that people frequently understand it to be supporting smaller local businesses, not the local multi-billion dollar enterprises around town.
And lastly, please spend your money however you like. That’s what I do.
I’m not normally one to blame “the media” (much less the “liberal elite media”) for all of our ills, but I don’t really see the reason why articles like the originally-linked one feel the need to get ultra-partisan groups to chime in every time they want to get the “the other side of the story”. The fact is that the location of this retreat is utterly a non-issue (other than to us locals).
Pete, I couldn’t agree more. (Which, I note, makes me a total hypocrite for repeating their criticism here.) Asking the NRSC for their opinion about the Senate Democratic caucus (or vice-versa) is like asking the KKK for their opinion about the NAACP. You know what they’re going to say. It’s not going to provide any useful information to anybody. And it certainly doesn’t provide “balance.” It’s just a waste of everybody’s time.
Oh, also—all of these Senators paid their own way. No taxpayer money was used for this.
US Senate Retreat occurred Feb 8-10, with Senators meeting at Morven and lodging at Boar’s Head.
Morven, apparently, is owned by the UVA Foundation, http://www.uvafoundation.com/morven
peace.
“Oh, also—all of these Senators paid their own way. No taxpayer money was used for this.”
Precisely.
“US Senate Retreat occurred Feb 8-10, with Senators meeting at Morven and lodging at Boar’s Head.
Morven, apparently, is owned by the UVA Foundation…”
I believe that the Boars Head is also owned by some arm of UVA. I could be wrong about that.