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Sherry and John Petersik of Young House Love Photo by Matt Licari
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Bill Bevins Staff photo
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Illustration by Neal Iwan
Most Effective Politician Gov. Bob McDonnell From the House of Delegates to the office of attorney general to the state's top office, Bob McDonnell has not gathered any moss in almost 20 years. Despite a foiled succession plan, the ongoing revelations of lavish gifts from Star Scientific's CEO and cater-gate in the Executive Mansion, the governor managed to seal a $3.4 billion transportation funding deal this year and can claim some credit for wooing Amazon and the Redskins to town. 2. U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine 3. U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor Best Man About Town Shaka Smart In four seasons, VCU's men's basketball coach has produced a 111-37 record, turning the Siegel Center into the hottest ticket in town. His face is all over Puritan Cleaners' ads, and he commits his image to Virginia Commonwealth University's marketing blitz as well. But his work ethic, his smarts and his likability give Richmonders — and the young men he shepherds — something real to latch on to. 2. Andrew Freiden 3. Juan Conde
2013 Best & Worst
Best Local Celebrity Twitter Feed Gene Cox After 33 years at WWBT-12, Gene Cox took a one-year hiatus from broadcasting. He kept a public presence with his quirky Twitter feed, @genecoxrva. Now, he's a guest anchor at WRIC-8, but the Twitter hits keep coming. Cox zings almost anyone, including this July 1 jab at Gov. Bob McDonnell: "The governor's not wearing his Rolex. Do you think he lost it?" 2. Karri Peifer 3. Jack Lauterback Best Traffic Reporter Tracy Lynn You can count on the region's traffic to behave unpredictably any given day, but you also can count on the fact that Tracy Lynn will be there each morning, on WWBT-12 and Richmond NPR member station WCVE, to give you the heads-up. Somehow, a fender-bender ahead doesn't sound as bad when it's reported in that musical voice of hers. 2. Amanda Meadows 3. Raymond Hawkes Best Woman About Town Sabrina Squire Visibility? Check. Likability? Check. A pretty face? Check. In addition to those qualities that might win someone this honor, WWBT-12 anchor Sabrina Squire also has staying power and an ageless quality (see Page 93). If Squire ever teams up with the other women on this list, the trio could be a juggernaut for any cause they choose. 2. Lisa Schaffner 3. Jennifer McClellan Best Local Instagram Feed Young House Love Richmonders Sherry and John Petersik first introduced themselves in the public domain as DIY homeowners on their blog Young House Love . Today, that devotion is on display as a veritable full-time gig, and this sideline Instagram feed is a visual display of that home and family that's often blissful and funny. 2. Need Supply Co. 3. (Tie) Hardywood and RVANews Best TV Anchor Team Sabrina Squire and Curt Autry, WWBT-12 Anchor Curt Autry joined WWBT-12 in 1994, in the heyday of the "Gene and Sabrina" duo that lasted more than two decades until anchor Gene Cox's exit a couple years ago. Today, Sabrina Squire plays the senior role in a pairing that carries on the kind of staying power Richmond viewers have come to expect. Squire tips her hat to the two "excellent newsmen" with whom she's shared the anchor desk. "There's a consistency there that makes it really easy for me." 2. Heather Sullivan and Gray Hall, WWBT-12 3. Juan Conde and Christina Feerick, WRIC-8 Best Write-In Candidate for Governor Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling Last year, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling was queued up to take Gov. Bob McDonnell's place in 2014, but Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli cut the line unapologetically and, bypassing a primary against Bolling, won the GOP nomination in May. At this point, Bolling's only chance at foiling his fellow Republican is a very unlikely write-in campaign. 2. Shaka Smart 3. Mark Warner Local Politician Who Deserves the Boot Mayor Dwight Jones Mayor Dwight Jones' predecessor, L. Douglas Wilder, was much more visible in all of the wrong ways, but critics have dinged Jones for going too far in the other direction. The second-term mayor, regardless of this survey, can only improve his image between now and the end of his term in 2016. 2. Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli 3. U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor Most Embarrassing Moment in the Past Year General Assembly decisions regarding abortion/women's rights What more is there to say about state legislators' tug of war over reproductive rights? Stay tuned for 2014, and they'll tell you. If our readers' past opinions are any indication, the General Assembly may be heading for a "three-peat" in this category next year. 2. Shamrock the Block 3. Ken Cuccinelli's actions Proudest Moment of the Past Year VCU Basketball The mass euphoria Richmonders shared during the Rams' NCAA Final Four run a couple years back has lodged itself so deeply in local memory that even the mere mention of March Madness now triggers a surge of hometown pride. It's understandable, but the 2012-13 season had its rough spots — a blowout win in the NCAA second round was followed by a tough 25-point loss to Michigan. 2. Lincoln 3. Landing Redskins training camp Best Richmond-Based Tumblr Site The Images and Words of RVA On the Tumblr site "The Images and Words of RVA," life is good. It captures interesting, authentic Richmonders on the go, as well as the city in still life: a half-eaten cupcake, a slice of blue sky with a shop sign and much more. Unfortunately for those who got hooked, it was 18-year-old Maddy Mallory's short-lived senior project at St. Catherine's School. She's graduated and leaves town soon for the University of Virginia, where she'll be majoring in media studies. 2. RVA Coffee Stain 3. RVA News TV Anchor Who Never Ages Sabrina Squire When your face is your job, says Sabrina Squire, the crew of pros behind the camera makes all the difference with their great lighting and makeup magic. But even off camera, the WWBT-12 anchor appears to be living by a different calendar than most of us. "All I can say is, ‘Mama and Grandmama and Granddad, thank you so much for your genes.' " 2. Gene Cox 3. Juan Conde
2013 Best & Worst
Most Annoying Local Radio Personality Bill Bevins You win some, you lose some, and the most recognizable radio personality in Richmond has won a good many more than he's lost over the years of this survey. He still wears the heavyweight belt (see below), but this proves that sometimes even a champ needs to take one on the chin. 2. Jack Lauterback 3. Melissa Chase Best Radio Personality Bill Bevins After 21 years of this man winning the top vote in this category, it's fair to make some unabashed declarations: The people have an undying love for Bill Bevins, and he himself is a Richmond brand. Maybe it's not just the beard and the twinkle in his eye. People like something they can count on, and most mornings on Lite 98, this guy's voice is one of them. 2. Melissa Chase 3. Jimmy Barrett Best-Kept Secret Goochland Drive-In Theater 4344 Old Fredericksburg Road, Hadensville, 457-3456 Perhaps the only thing that makes the Goochland Drive-In a secret is the fact that it's tucked away in a big clearing 40 miles northwest of downtown Richmond. Otherwise, this open-air theater can pack in more than 1,000 people, many of them families who come for the community vibe and kid-friendly extras, says founder, owner and "chief executive dreamer" John Heidel. 2. James River Park System 3. Shyndigz Best TV News Reporter Ryan Nobles When people say, "That guy is all over the place," it's usually a put-down. Ryan Nobles, however, embodies the better meaning of the phrase. Originally from upstate New York, Nobles makes the rounds as a government and politics reporter for WWBT-12; anchors three news broadcasts; and shares updates freely through social media. (You gotta see his kid, Luke, sing "Meet the Mets.") That's what we mean by all over the place. 2. Rachel DePompa 3. Mark Holmberg Best Radio Voice Bill Bevins Just like a jazz musician who's playin' what he's feelin', Bill Bevins offers the full range, from warm and friendly to authoritative with a little gravitas. Seriously — why wouldn't you trust this guy to record your outgoing voicemail message? 2. Melissa Chase 3. Jimmy Barrett Most Annoying Local Radio Ad Cobb Technologies Ah, yes, that counterintuitive advertising principle: Bad is good. That annoying "Cobb It" song is memorable because it's visceral. That phrase sinks its hooks into your subconscious and won't let go. Freddie Cobb's self-styled jingles do the trick, but at least we can give the guy credit for knowing just how bad they are. 2. Schwarzschild 3. Mark Smith/Midas of Richmond
