Left Side: Should College be Free?
Two years ago, when Bernie Sanders made “free college” a centerpiece of his campaign platform, critics on the right—as well as many self-proclaimed moderates—scoffed at his proposal. But the fact is, none of the criticisms hold up to scrutiny. The most immediate knee-jerk reaction was to cry “socialism.” To some degree, the label is fitting. [...]
Right Side: Should College be Free?
I’ve changed. I once believed … actually, let me rephrase that; I often spoke publicly with the aid of a microphone about the sanctity of the free market. I railed against the federal government meddling financially in services that weren’t a blip on the constitutional radar. I fancied myself a true, down-the-line believer of the conservative principles of [...]
Thru-hiking from Assateague Island to Chincoteague
The determination to spend a weekend thru-hiking from Maryland’s Assateague Island State Park to Chincoteague took root during my first humiliating attempt to camp in the island’s national park. The catastrophe came as the demoralizing climax of a romantic scheme I’d hatched around May 20 of 2014. Namely, to road trip the Eastern Shore and [...]
R.I.P. Off: Unexpected Death Causes Financial and Emotional Setbacks
It was the spring of 2016 when Mark got blindsided by a phone call informing him of his mother, Lisa’s death. Two months earlier, unbeknownst to him and his estranged older brother, Steve, Lisa had declined an emergency surgery that would have attempted to remove a cluster of malignant tumors lodged deep inside her brain. [...]
Tipsy Terrariums at Hinterland Trading
As someone who has never kept a plant alive for more than a few days, the idea of spending an evening carefully crafting a decorative plant terrarium and taking it home to be responsible for it was a bit daunting. But I was enticed by the promise of sangrias—and plants that survive with just one [...]
Virginia Aquarium’s Erin Bates Cares for Rescued Marine Wildlife
Photos by David Uhrin Sea turtles, sharks and other subaqueous sea critters can be spotted swimming within the waters of the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, as they capture the curiosity and wonderment of spectators submersed in the Aquarium’s oceanic exhibits. Looking beneath the surface of its aquatic displays, the Virginia Aquarium has an [...]
Steinhilber’s Serves Delicious Sips and Seafood
Tucked away in Thalia’s sprawling suburbia is a timeless, waterfront eatery whose wood paneled walls and simple décor exude an understated elegance reminiscent of the inn’s humble beginnings. Steinhilber’s Restaurant, formerly known as Robert Steinhilber’s Thalia Acres Inn, was founded by longtime restaurant worker Robert Steinhilber in 1939. After spending years in various Norfolk diners, [...]
Modern Nomads: Two Local Couples Left Their Homes to See the World
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one’s life.” —Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad Powerful words. So powerful, in fact, two Coastal [...]
SUP Guide: Stand-Up Paddleboarding in Coastal Virginia
Coastal Virginians have access to dozens of incredible waterways. From the Chickahominy River to the Chesapeake Bay, there are so many beautiful creeks, inlets and marshes to explore. What better way to experience them than on a paddleboard? Paddleboarding has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, and it is easy to see why. The activity [...]
2018 CoVa Idea House Boasts Beautiful Outdoor Living Space
When is an Idea House not an Idea House? When it is a compound. Imagine a Southern cousin of the Kennedy estate in Hyannis Port, but with an appealing twang that is more Tidewater than Boston Brahmin: understated but with undeniable pedigree. The York Lane Cottage, situated on Bay Colony’s Linkhorn Bay, rather than on [...]
Explore Onancock on the Eastern Shore
Drive the diminutive main street of Onancock, and you can’t help but feel you have landed on a movie set, near perfect as the look of a script calling for the quintessential American small town. Gingerbread trimmed and porch-embellished homes could set the story in the Victorian age. Or it could evoke the retro feel [...]
New Technology Provides Better Options for Cancer Treatment
The war against cancer continues to wage daily. As a result, doctors and researchers are tirelessly looking for new and improved ways to treat patients affected by this terrible disease, hoping to eventually put an end to it altogether. Some of those latest and greatest advances that are happening right now are available right here [...]
Seniors Use Technology to Keep in Touch with the World
You might not think that words like “technology” and “seniors” would pair well together. But several local independent living communities are coming to realize that as baby boomers are reaching retirement age and looking for better living options, technology needs to be part of the package that will draw them in. “I think the biggest [...]
CoVa Cocktail Party 2018
The CoVa Cocktail Party was held on Sept. 24 at Beachside Social in Virginia Beach. Guests tasted cocktails using Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal as the main ingredient prepared by 10 of the best mixologists from local restaurants. Attendees imbibed while enjoying appetizers and playing games, including shuffleboard and Jenga. The party also featured a cocktail [...]
Hoyt’s Luncheonette Expands Menu with After Dark Dishes
Shiptown fans were sad when Stephen Marsh closed the cherished, sea-centric restaurant. But they’re happy that the virtuoso-chef (also owner of nearby “farm-to-finer diner” LeGrand Kitchen) opened Hoyt’s Luncheonette in its stead with reimagined classics including a reuben with kimchi kraut and a beet “faux strami.” They were sad, though, that it was open only [...]
2 New Eateries Offer Enticing International Cuisine
Pabellón Arepa filled with shredded beef, plantains, black beans and cheese from Pal Carajo Arepa Lounge. Two new eateries expand Coastal Virginia’s international palate. Pa’l Carajo Arepa Lounge introduces the area to arepas, the round, unleavened maize-based bread which forms the crux of Venezuela’s quotidian cuisine. Grilled or fried, they come stuffed pita-esque with shredded beef, cod, cheese or [...]
The Naro’s Tench Phillips Leads a Life of Film
Photos by Jim Pile The name “Tench Phillips” is synonymous with the Naro Expanded Cinema in Norfolk. But there’s more to the man than the cinema. Or perhaps the world of cinema—at least as Phillips and his partner, Thom Vourlas, have envisioned it for nearly 40 years—is so encompassing that it embodies all of his [...]
The Advantages of Private School Education
Public school or private school? It’s a question that many parents have pondered, weighing the benefits of each to provide the best possible education for their children. If you’re on the fence about which way to go, here are some thoughts from area private schools on how their curriculums differ from those of public schools [...]
Outer Banks Fall Events
There is nothing quite like fall on the Outer Banks. The days are still warm but not as hot as summer; the ocean temperature is pleasant; the peak season crowds are largely gone, but there are still enough visitors to keep businesses open. And the event calendar explodes with things to do. There is something [...]
Upcoming Performing Arts Events
Frankenstein, Nov. 16 at The American Theatre Catharsis is a Greek word meaning “cleansing” or “purification.” It was used by Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle to describe how theater patrons were purged of their own negative emotions by watching tragic plays that were popular in those days. By experiencing pity, sorrow, sympathy and even laughter, play [...]
The Naked Truth About Crudo Nudo
Those who know that crudo means raw in Italian may think Eric Nelson’s new Ghent restaurant Crudo Nudo sounds redundant albeit poetic, but nudo refers to noodles (not “in the altogether”). So along with big eye tuna and scallop with pickled green strawberry and puffed grains the chef-owner sets forth house-made bucatini cacio e pepe [...]
Lolly’s Creamery & Soup Co. Delivers Frozen Treats by Bike
Inspired by his favorite Harrisonburg ice cream shop, former James Madison Duke, Joey Launi, longed to bring his own creamy creations to the beach. His passion for ice cream combined with his father’s 40-plus years in the food industry led to a revolutionary ice cream venture dubbed Lolly’s Creamery & Soup Co. Unlike the old-time [...]
Bro’s Fish Tacos Expands to Full-Service Restaurant
Serving up seriously delicious tacos to Virginia Beach residents since 2013, Bro’s Fish Tacos recently expanded its culinary operations beyond its famed mobile food trucks to a full-service restaurant. The brick and mortar taco shop on North Lynnhaven Road will feature a spacious indoor-outdoor dining room and a handful of taps dedicated to local breweries. [...]
Top Docs 2018 Reception
Photos by Holly Watters On Sept. 6, Coastal Virginia Magazine held a reception at Mercedes-Benz of Virginia Beach-A Charles Barker Automotive Company honoring the Top Docs in our region as voted by their peers. Doctors and their guests gathered in the luxury vehicle showroom, with décor provided by Premier Events, to enjoy drinks, including wine from Williamsburg Winery; catered [...]
Medical Innovations Help Patients Lead Happier and Healthier Lives
Dr. Christopher McCann and the da Vinci Robotic System As amazing as the human body is, it does have its limitations. As our longevity continues to increase, we find ourselves in need of better ways to take care of ourselves, to repair the damages we endure along the way and maybe even replace defective or [...]
Tips for Dementia Caregivers: How to Handle Stress
“It helps to remind myself that this is not the same person I knew. I have to simply accept my husband as the person he is on any given day. This isn’t easy. But I’m a nurse. Nurses are so used to caring for everyone else that we are often the last to take care [...]
How One Family Copes with Younger-Onset Alzheimer’s
It was early in the summer of 2014 and husband and wife Roger and Ann Bolen were celebrating. After 25 years working with the Virginia Housing Development Authority, Ann was retiring. Avid travelers, the Norfolk-based couple decided to mark the date with a month-long vacation to Costa Rica. There, things began to slip off track. [...]
Top 10 Foods for Brain Health
We are often told that age is but a number. We argue that beneath wrinkled skin and graying hair are brave, young souls. Although our spirits may not falter, our minds eventually slow and our bodies no longer sustain a life of risk taking and adventure. The onset of these inevitable changes, however, can be [...]
Positive Lifestyle Changes to Support Brain Health
As the world’s population ages, matters surrounding brain health have taken on a new urgency. A policy brief from Alzheimer’s Disease International estimates that by the year 2050, more than 135 million people will be diagnosed with some form of dementia. If this sounds like a global public health crisis in the making, it is. [...]
Top Doc of Neurology: Dr. Ugur Yilmaz
Fifty-two-year-old Newport News Neurologist Ugur Yilmaz is a bit of a Renaissance man. Born in the ancient, cosmopolitan city of Istanbul, Turkey, he was raised in a diverse multicultural crossroads amid a family of humanists. Surrounded by architecture dating to the Roman, Holy Roman and Ottoman empires, he was introduced to what he describes as [...]
Top Doc of Geriatric Medicine: Dr. Robert Palmer
Dr. Robert Palmer didn’t realize he wanted to go into geriatric medicine until he was already well established in his medical career. He attended the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, then left for Los Angeles after graduating. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Los Angeles County University of [...]
Top Doc of Geriatric Medicine: Dr. Jacob Almeida
Dr. Jacob Almeida of Tidewater Physicians Multispecialty Group (TPMG) has been interested in life sciences, like biology, all his life, and he’s always had an interest in helping other people. With those two things going for him, it’s no wonder he eventually decided to enroll in medical school. He completed his undergraduate studies at the [...]
3 Surprising and Creative Pop-Up Restaurants
Mangan Pop-up restaurants are simultaneously the finest and most catastrophic idea ever; finest, because they provide chefs a low-risk way to take new ideas for a spin. Catastrophic, because if you fall in love, there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to see the object of your affections again ... ever. Much like Brigadoon, the fictional [...]
