On May 8th, 2026, I published a special report at The Lookout entitled, “Chimbo Playground patrons piqued by perplexing pétanque proliferation.” It details how and why the Department of Parks and Recreation suddenly and without warning bulldozed a bunch of Chimborazo Playground earlier this week to make more courts the obscure French bowling game favored by Les Boulefrogs Pétanque Club of Virginia, a long-running but small local club.
In the piece, I reported (emphasis mine):
City Council President and longtime 7th District representative Cynthia Newbille did not respond to a request for comment.
After publication, neighborhood organizers hoping to halt the controversial construction happened to encounter Newbille on the street in Church Hill. “[S]he assured us she is looking into it,” wrote Erika Stanley and Will Jordan-Cooley in an update to signatories to their Community for Chimbo Playground petition sent Friday evening.
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This has been The Cynthia Newbille “No Comment” Corner, a new recurring feature highlighting the press availability—or lack thereof—of the 7th District’s longtime councilmember. If you come across a “no response” or a “no comment” from Newbille or her office in a media report, please submit it for consideration to The Lookout. All submissions anonymous!
