BREAKING: NRHA Settles St. Paul’s Lawsuit
(A copy of the agreement) BY JIM MORRISON, Correspondent The Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority and the city have settled a lawsuit brought by residents of three public housing projects in the St. Paul's area near downtown who said demolishing their homes...
757 Rugby Academy Inspires Youths
(Francois du Cluzel instills encouraging value of rugby into young player. Photo by Stephanie Davenport.) By Jim Roberts The 757 has turned into an incubator for world-class athletes, producing famous personalities in football, basketball, baseball, boxing and a...
OPINION: Rushing to Judgment
By Tom Robotham As the holidays approach, I find myself thinking about my all-time favorite movie for the season—Holiday Inn (1942), starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, which I’ve loved for nearly 50 years. The movie’s biggest claim to fame is that it...
Holiday Happenings in the 757
(Get out and enjoy the spectacular Million Bulb Walk at Norfolk Botanical Garden through January 2. ) HOLIDAY LIGHTS & PARADES Million Bulb Walk Norfolk Botanical Garden November 12 through January 2 5-9:30 PM Nightly NBGlights.org Get out and enjoy the...
The Beauty of Baseball
(THREE GENERATIONS OF FANS: My father's boyhood baseball glove from the 1930s, holding a ball signed by my son's Little League team, which I coached. Photo by Tom Robotham) By Tom Robotham The one constant through all the years has been baseball. ~ Terence Mann,...
VIEWPOINT: AFGHANISTAN: Lessons We Should Have Learned
By John L. Horton Come September 20, I shall celebrate my 81st birthday. As such, I am a 30-year (October 15, 1958 – November 1, 1988), retired, Marine sergeant major, 100 percent disabled, Vietnam combat veteran. Come September 11, 2021, America...
Legacies of 9/11
By Tom Robotham On the evening of September 10, 2001, I was watching Band of Brothers with my then-8-year-old son. At one point, he asked me if I’d ever been to war. “No,” I told him. “I was lucky. I missed the Vietnam-War draft by just a couple of years. I...
Small Charities Benefit from Millers Bikes & Brews
(Jeff Miller of Millers Energy tests his bike out at Benchtop Brewing Company) By Jeff Maisey What better way to reacquaint yourself with the scenic Elizabeth River Trail than by participating in Millers Bike & Brews 2021? The bicycle ride begins at 2 PM on...
Monarchs Ready to Roar
(Head Coach Ricky Rahne stands ready to reestablish ODU’s football program as a winner. Photo by Jeff Maisey) By Jeff Maisey Faster, stronger, now. When the Old Dominion University Monarchs return to the football playing field in September, they’ll do so with a new...
Beach Vacation v. Climate Vocation
(An elevated view of the Intercoastal Waterway with Holden Beach barrier island sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean. Writer Skip Stiles and family vacationed here during the summer. Photo credit: NC’s Brunswick Islands) By Skip Stiles Bursting at the seams, back...
PREVIEW: Dave Koz Continues Smooth Jazz Holiday Tradition
By Jeff Maisey Newport News’ Ferguson Center for the Arts has become a traditional stop for Grammy-nominated smooth saxophonist Dave Koz during the holiday season. This year, Koz and Friends — Jonathan Butler (guitar), Rick Braun (trumpet), Richard Elliot (saxophone),...
PREVIEW: Christmas Rolls On with Mannheim Steamroller
By Jim Roberts In 1984, when Chip Davis released his first Christmas album, music industry “experts” told him it would end his career. They couldn’t have been more wrong. Thirty-seven years—and 31 million album sales—later, Davis is the best-selling Christmas...
Scrooge Adaptation is Holiday Highlight
(Beatty Barnes plays the iconic role of Scrooge.) By Jerome Langston “It’s good to be back producing,” says Tom Quaintance, Virginia Stage Company’s Producing Artistic Director. “And I’m excited to go into rehearsal for this show on Tuesday.” The show that Tom is...
MUSIC PREVIEW: A Triplet of Trios from The Feldman
(Horszowski Trio is set to dazzle a Norfolk audience.) By Montague Gammon III Early December’s Feldman Chamber Music Society concert at the Chrysler Museum’s Kaufman Theater showcases three piano trios: a mid 20th Century masterpiece by the under recognized...
Mae’s Everglow Shines Again
(Mae performing live during a recent concert. Photo by Jim Morrison) By Jim Morrison In their nearly 20 years, Mae has managed to navigate the twisting and turning labyrinth of the morphing modern music industry, rebounding from one whiplashing change to another They...
Virginia Symphony’s Marsalis, Mozart & Mahler, Beamish & Brahms
(New Virginia Symphony Orchestra Music Director Eric Jacobsen in rehearsal with saxophone great Branford Marsalis. Cell phone photo by Kristen E. Bennington.) By Montague Gammon III Virginia Symphony’s Music Director Eric Jacobsen kicks off the conducting part of...
Torggler Fine Arts Center Dazzles
By Betsy DiJulio A sparkling new gem has taken its rightful place on the jewel box campus of Christopher Newport University (CNU). With its cadences of colonnades, pristine pediments, balustraded balconies, and dynamic domes, the campus is a love song to the...
STAGE: Anastasia Will Be Visually Captivating
Lila Coogan (Anya) and the company of the National Tour of ANASTASIA. Photo by Evan Zimmerman, MurphyMade. By Jerome Langston “It’s a blessing,” says actor Bryan Seastrom, who is about to perform tonight, with the rest of the cast, at the Embassy Theatre in Fort...
One More for the Road: James Taylor & Jackson Browne
By Jim Morrison Aging as a rock 'n roll songwriter and performer is a tricky journey. It's a balancing act between the desire to continue to create while acknowledging that your fans – or most of your fans -- are encased in a time warp of your peak years, that...
Exploring the Success of Jae Sinnett Trio’s “Altered Egos”
Jae Sinnett Trio (L-R) is bassist Terry Burrell, pianist Allen Farnham, and drummer Jae Sinnett. By Jeff Maisey In late summer, jazz group Jae Sinnett Trio released “Altered Egos,” a 10-song album that absolutely cooks. Throughout, Sinnett (drums), Terry Burrell...
TRAVEL & DRINK: Sixteen Days in Belgium
(Wife and husband beer writers Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones at Cafe Den Obelix in Hall, Belgium. Photo by Kate Keese.) By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones When you’re sitting there in your silk upholstered chair and thinking about your next beer-focused “Vayca,”...
Get a Taste of Smithfield at Red Point Taphouse
A welcoming sign in Smithfield: (L-R) Nick Hess, Julie Hess and Tim Ryan. Photo by Diane Catanzaro By Chris Jones and Diane Catanzaro Farm-to-table dining AND craft beer brewed on premises in a small-town historic building? Yes, please! If this sounds good to...
Prepare for 757 Battle of the Beers
The Garage Brewery won the last Battle of the Beers event. Photo by Eye of the Storm Photography courtesy of Beach Ambassadors. By Jeremy Bender More than 30 regional breweries will vie for this year’s 757 Battle of the Beers crown. The event is held on the grounds...
Suffolk Surprises with Superb Suds at Nansemond Brewing Station
(Sample a variety of beer styles in scenic downtown Suffolk at Nansemond Brewing Station. Photo courtesy of the brewery.) By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones Locals may know the Nansemond River, that the Nansemond Native American tribe lived along the river, or that...
Still Tasty After All These Years
TASTE OF SUCCESS: (L-R) Peter and Jon Pruden have enhanced and expanded the specialty gourmet food brand known for its delicious sandwiches, prepared food items, and spot-on wine selection By Marisa Marsey As nightmarish as the past year and a half was, Hampton Roads...
RESTAURANT NEWS: 1608 Crafthouse Rebounds
(1608 Crafthouse’s Bacon Cheeseburger is a popular menu item.) By Jeff Maisey Kevin Sharkey was prepping for the fifth anniversary of his 1608 Crafthouse on Pleasure House Road in Virginia Beach when the pandemic struck in March 2020. He’s been battling ever since...
Fountain Flows into 757
By Jeff Maisey There’s a new hard seltzer in town — Fountain. Made in New York City, this new, upstart brand is fun — from the well-carbonated bubbles, zesty citrus and berry flavors to the eye-catching packaging — screams fun. After enjoying a few cans over a recent...
Driving You to Drink: Beer Touring in Hampton and Newport News
(Members of the Hampton Roads Brewing & Tasting Society gather for a pre-beer photo. Photo courtesy of Diane Catanzaro.) By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones Who is ready to get out of the house and visit a bunch of breweries? We’ve put together a little beer tour...
RESTAURANTS: Local Brands Expand
(Owner Bob Roberts has Redwood Smoke Shack expanding with a new Virginia Beach location. Photo courtesy of Redwood Smoke Shack.) By Marisa Marsey Some of our favorite homegrown eateries are expanding – opening a new location, introducing a new concept – making us...
A Coterie of Charcuterie
(Katie Huger, owner of Long Board Charcuterie, curates exquisite, customized boards to celebrate special events as well as every day.) By Marisa Marsey There’s a joke circulating at fromageries: “How do you irritate a cheesemonger? Ask for a charcuterie board with no...