Best Cup of Java ... | Best of Virginia Nonprofit News | Most-read story of the week
Saturday August 19, 2023
The Results Are In, and the Best Cup of Coffee Is at …
Unlike last week’s questionnaire on the best pizza in town, this competition wasn’t close. In fact, the winning coffee shop more than doubled up the vote total of its nearest competitor.
Which coffee shop has won the heart of the ‘Burg? Without further ado, the winners are:
6) Katora Coffee. “Funky.” That’s not our word to describe Katora, it’s the coffee shop’s word. And it fits. Organic coffees, a vegan and vegetarian menu, and “a safe space supportive of recovery, mental health, LGBTQ+, the arts, and music,” according to its website. Visit Katora at 615 Caroline Street downtown.
4 - Tie) The Italian Station. Located at 620 Caroline Street in Fredericksburg, the Italian Station features both signature and seasonal drinks, a compelling line of baked goods and sweets, and of course a great cup of coffee.
4 - Tie) Curitiba Art Cafe. Co-owners Cori and Megan have created a special environment at Curitiba, where great music; craft cocktails, and a great cup of coffee are always available. There are also long tables and plenty of chairs, perfect for group conversations or just popping open the computer and getting some work done. A gotta-try shop at 919 Caroline Street. (Full disclosure - in addition to great coffee, Curitiba is where we weekly record the New Dominion Podcast in the upstairs room. You gotta see it to believe it. And yes, it’s available to rent.)
3) 25 30 Espresso. The first shop on the list NOT on Caroline Street, 25 30 Espresso is a favorite of commuters who ride the VRE and the shop’s surrounding neighborhood. From specialized blends to single-origin coffees, those with a refined coffee palate will find plenty to choose from. Visit this craft coffee shop at 400 Princess Anne Street.
2) Agora Downtown Coffee Shop. Located at 520 Caroline Street in the city, Agora is the place to go if you need a good used book to go with that hot cup of java. In fact, Agora is something of a general store - anything you’ve ever liked about a coffee shop rolled up into one of the oldest buildings in Fredericksburg. Ya gotta give this one a shot.
1) Coming it at No. 1 is a Fredericksburg institution - Hyperion. Located at 301 William Street, Hyperion is known for its array of sweets and treats, and wide range of hot and cold coffees, special cold drinks, and teas. We could add a lot of flowery words, but why? In the minds of our readers, Hyperion is best summed up this way: “The Best.”
BEST OF VIRGINIA NONPROFIT NEWS
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Cardinal News: Restoring Jefferson’s country retreat was Travis McDonald’s life’s work. Retirement hasn’t changed that.
For more than three decades, Travis McDonald led restoration efforts at Poplar Forest in Bedford County. He retired recently, but he’s already planning his next book, this one about the decades-long project.
The Best-read Advance Piece of the Week
It was a week of great pieces at the Advance - but one came away the clear favorite with readers. In case you missed it yesterday, here’s this week’s best-read piece in the FXBG Advance
ANALYSIS: The Pressure Is Building in Spotsylvania
by Martin Davis
FOUNDER AND EDITOR
In mid-July the FXBG Advance (then called F2S) published a piece exposing potential problems with the Petitions of Qualified Voters submitted by two candidates for local office - Nic Ignacio (running for clerk of court) and Steve Maxwell (running for sheriff).
As we explained then:
In our review of Ignacio’s and Maxwell’s Petition of Qualified Voters submissions, which Spotsylvania County Director of Elections and General Registrar Kellie Acors has certified, we found that at least 16 of the 128 signatures Ignacio collected, and 37 of the 144 that Maxwell collected, were dated January 1.
Both Ignacio and Maxwell needed 125 certified signatures in order to appear on the ballot. If those dated January 1 were to be deemed invalid by the Department of Elections, this could leave both candidates short of the 125 threshold. Ignacio would have only 112 registered signatures; Maxwell 107.
Since that story ran, the NAACP has moved to put pressure on Spotsylvania County Director of Elections and General Registrar Kellie Acors to have these candidates removed from the ballot.
In a letter dated August 10, the president of the Spotsylvania NAACP branch, Mo Petway, wrote:
The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the Spotsylvania NAACP has been made aware of and provided the "Virginia Petition of Qualified Voter Forms" submitted by Nick Ignacio, Steve Maxwell, and Jordan Lynch. These forms contain several clear violations of the Virginia Election Code. Had these violations been included by your office all three of these prospective candidates would have been disqualified from being certified for placement on the 2023 ballot because they do not meet the requirement for 125 valid petition signatures. Therefore, we are requesting your office review the data we have provided related to their ballot sheets and take action to disqualify and remove their certification from the 2023 election ballot.
Note that Jordan Lynch, who is running for school board in the Chancellor District) is named alongside Ignacio and Maxwell.
Since our story in mid-July, Lynch’s Petition of Qualified Voters file has come to light, and it, too, has significant issues.
Most troubling are four - possibly five - signatures that carry a date of August 11, 2023. The problem with that date is it’s almost two full months after the primary and after the date carrying the notary public’s signature.
Unlike the issue with the January 1 dates we explored in mid-July, there is no legitimate way to defend certifying votes that are dated after the date attested by the notary public.
The Advance spoke with Petway, on Thursday evening.
Asked if Acors had responded to his letter, he replied that Acors informed him an answer to his letter was coming via snail-mail.
“We’re waiting to get a response from the local registrar’s office,” Petway said. “Then we’ll inform the state and seek guidance.”
Turbulence gathering
In addition to the move by the NAACP to request Ignacio, Maxwell, and Lynch be removed, other storm clouds are gathering.
The Advance asked Sen. Bryce Reeves if he knew of other actions to have Ignacio removed. He said:
“Ignacio has his endorsement removed” by the Spotsylvania County Republican Party.
We reported this on July 31, as well as the additional troubles Maxwell is facing.
He recently received notification that he was in violation of the Hatch Act, which sets strict limits on federal employees’ political activities.
Over the past eight years, the Republican Party has made an issue of election integrity. That people can trust their vote is counted, however, is a less concerning issue than that voters know the people who run for office are following the same guidelines for getting on the ballot.
There is no substantial evidence to suggest that election vote counts are compromised or inaccurate. But there regularly are issues with the process candidates must follow to get on the ballot. (See Markus Schmidt’s recent piece in Cardinal News.)
Given the chaos that has been unleashed in Spotsylvania County by the Tea Party over the past two years, making sure that the candidates who are on the ballot deserve to be there, matters.
The county’s election officers have a responsibility to ensure that happens.
Help Support Local Journalism
The FXBG Advance is off and running, but we can’t do this without your help. You can support local journalism here in Fredericksburg by donating $8 a month. Your dollars will go toward hiring journalists so that we can broaden our reach and strengthen our coverage.
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Help us bring aboard the journalists who will elevate our coverage and strengthen the community we all share.
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Thank you for reading and supporting FXBG Advance.
-Martin Davis, Editor
Poplar Forest is a wonderful place to visit. The Cardinal News article made me want to go again and see it now that I know the back story. Thanks for including it!