If there is a theme options way to decrease the space between excerpts, I haven't found it.

I would like to cut about half the space you see now:

http://www.larchmontgazette.com/wp27/

That's the overall bottom margin for post containers

div.post {
margin: 0 0 30px 0;
}

Can be set at Atahualpa Theme Options -> Post / Page Styling -> POST Container

It applies to post containers on single post pages and page pages, too. If the sidebars are short on single post pages or page pages, you might want to keep the bottom margin below the post container. You could do this by adding a overall bottom padding to the middle column td#middle { padding-bottom: 30px } or by adding margin-bottom to post containers on single post pages and page pages only, through a CSS insert:

body.body-page div.post,
body.body-single div.post {
margin-bottom: 30p;
}

I'm keeping you busy today, dear Flynn.

OK, I made it 12px, which tightens up the headlines quite nicely. It looks fine in Firefox and Safari. I haven't tested it in MSIE yet.

I think I'll be OK without the other code, since we have ads and other widgets running in all the sidebars. They should keep the post pages long enough.

Atahualpa is an awesome theme! Have a look at what we have done so far at: aroundwellington.net

As soon as I can get with my wife (the owner) about a donation - it will be made.

I am hoping I am in the right area here. I think I am having a problem with post containers too but in the other direction - not enough space between posts. And changing the suggested variables has had no effect.

As you can see on the home page and other multi-post pages (like AW Stories of the Month), the posts are jammed together. We have been physically adding lines into the posts to create spaces between older and newer posts, but that's not a good solution.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

You should add, at Theme Options -> Post/Page Styling -> Post Container

margin: 0 0 50px 0;

or

margin-bottom: 50px;

If that does not work I'd need to see this in action

Thanks for the response Flynn. I get nothing. I even reduced the number to 0, and raised it as high a 150, and still nothing in either direction.

One thing I didn't mention: Most of the pages that are linked on the left column are static pages with a VERY Spartan individualized template assigned to each that draws the posts from the associated category exclusively. I don't know if my templates may be lacking something that permits the formatting command to work.

What can I post for you to see where the problem lies?