Yesterday’s elections saw a mixed bag of results, with Republicans perhaps benefiting the most. The uncontested 57th House and 25th Senate races left both Democrats untouched, and the also-uncontested 58th and 25th House race left Republicans Steve Landes and Rob Bell in place. (Half of all Virginia House races were uncontested, largely because of the recent redistricting.) In the 59th, incumbent Republican Watkins Abbitt fended off Democrat Allen Hale for a sound victory, while in the 24th Senate district, incumbent Republican Emmett Hanger had a very strong victory over Democrat Steve Sisson. Albemarle had a number of interesting elections. A pair of Republicans defeated Democratic challengers for two open Board of Supervisors seats: in White Hall, David Wyant defeated Eric Strucko on what seemed be opposition to urbanization of Albemarle, while in Rivanna, Ken Boyd defeated Peter Hallock on the promise of reducing the 2.2% unemployment rate to help increase county revenue. In Scottsville, conservative Democrat Lindsay Dorrier retained his seat after being challenged by a write-in candidate. On the school board, Brian Wheeler barely won the at-large seat, Sue Friedman the Rivanna seat, and Barbara Massie the White Hall seat, with Scottsville incumbent Steve Koleszar having just managed to retain his seat. Finally, beleaguered sheriff Ed Robb retained his seat with a minority of the votes, while unchallenged commonwealth’s attorney Jim Camblos. Albemarle turnout was at 32%, while Charlottesville’s two uncontested races resulted in just 12% turnout. The Progress has a series of stories and the full statistics in today’s issue, with the Board of Supervisors, school board, and sheriff’s articles available on their website. For the raw Albemarle results, see the State Board of Elections’ website.
Archive for November, 2003
A study of their enrollment by Piedmont Virginia Community College has shown that enrollment by blacks has fallen by 13.6% in the past year and that 43% of the student body is under the age of 22, which is apparently a greater percentage than previously. The reasons for these changes aren’t clear, although the weakened economy and the skyrocketing cost of college education has led many students to enroll in a community college for two years before transferring to a four-year institution, which may explain the age shift. Kate Andrews has the story in today’s Progress.
The disappearing and reappearing Gordonsville police officer has been fired. Last Thursday, the Gordonsville Town Council voted to fire Officer Emerson Brown as a result of his not-wholly-explained three day absence. Brown, who joined the force less than a year ago, maintains that he was robbed of his service weapon by two people to whom he had given a ride, and from there his tale becomes somewhat more murky, involving a multi-day manhunt in Fredericksburg in an effort to retrieve his weapon. Olympia Meola has the story in today’s Progress.
Jim writes: Best Buy opens today at the traffic-starved intersection of Route 29, Angus Road and the 250 interchange. The City is still combating VDOT on their placement of a new traffic light on 29 (three within 100 yards) and the throngs are poised to strike for deals on electronics, gadgets, etc. if you have an unbridled urge to witness chaos’ inception, walk on down to Best Buy around 5:30 this afternoon. 11/08 Update: In today’s Daily Progress, Elizabeth Nelson writes: “Lines of cars stretched from the brand-spanking-new, just-opened, Best Buy electronics store next to the U.S. 250 Bypass all the way up U.S. 29 to Seminole Square Shopping Center for much of Friday.”
Acountyguy writes: After two Republicans, Boyd and Wyant, were elected to the board of supervsiors, the next day the Daily Progress had a story that Dennis Rooker wants to look at cutting property taxes rate by 2 cents in preparation for next year’s budget. Sally Thomas and David Bowerman voted no. Rooker states that real estate values have increased enough (10%) to warrant a reduction in the real property. Is this heartfelt, or the start of the 2005 race for supervisors?
Following an argument near the Corner Saturday morning, 22-year-old Walter Sisk of Free Union is dead, and 21-year-old UVa student Andrew Alston is being held on charges of second degree murder. Alston, a third year, is accused of stabbing Sisk. Although the first murder in Charlottesville in 2003, Sisk, if found guilty, would be the third UVa student to have killed someone, the first being the guy who famously shot John Davis in 1940, and Jens Soering, who nearly as famously killed his girlfriend’s parents in 1985. Liesel Nowak has the story in today’s Progress.
If there’s any truth to an internal University Transit Service e-mail, UVa is polluting Meadow Creek, and has been knowingly doing so for years. The author of the e-mail, a fourth year student (whose name I have kept anonymous), writes that the Millmont facility’s lot “drains directly into the little creek behind Bodo’s,” and that the drainage is “about half rainwater and half toxic crap like diesel, oil, and [transmission] fluid.” He goes on to write that “the problem is especially bad when we spill a hundred gallons of diesel and it washes down the drain, which has happened.” The good news is that, according to the author, UVa has begun a semester-long construction project intended to reduce the spillage and runoff. Keep reading for the text of the e-mail. 11/11 Update: Jason Amirhadji has a story in today’s Cavalier Daily that provides more information and clarifies a few points.
From:
Date: Sun Nov 9, 2003
Subject: b: The Bus Lot
If you’ve been to the UTS bus lot in the past couple days, you’ve noticed the nice orange construction barrels, hay bales, and rock piles right in the middle of the lane that we drive buses down. These are part of an environmental construction project that will be going on for pretty much the rest of the semester. I think the basic idea was that since UTS is screwed already, why not try to make things a little bit worse?
Anyway, our lot drains directly into the little creek behind Bodo’s, and since that drainage is about half rainwater and half toxic crap like diesel, oil, and tranny fluid, we pollute that creek worse than dining hall food pollutes your tummy. The problem is especially bad when we spill a hundred gallons of diesel and it washes down the drain, which has happened. So we’re being forced to take “measures” to protect the “environment.”
These measures include the installation of “awnings” over the gas pumps and of an “oil-water separator” somewhere beneath the bus parking area. My understanding is that the awnings, along with being gorgeous, will keep rainwater from falling on fuel spills and washing them down the drains before they can be contained. The oil-water separator will catch all the runoff from the Lot Rut in the parking spaces and keep the oil from draining into the creek. The piles of rocks surrounded by hay bales and barrels are covering up the drains during the project so that junk doesn’t go down there while they’re trying to put in the system.
–> WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: The lot will be virtually unusable during the construction, which will be at least the next three weeks. The South Gates will be closed for a while beginning very soon, meaning that buses will have to enter and leave through the North Gates and make some kind of turn-around inside the lot. Needless to say, there will be no swinging. Then, we’ll get the South Gates back… and promptly lose the North Gates. The bus parking spaces will be affected somehow, but we’re not sure how at this point. Basically, just follow the sups’ instructions and try not to hit stuff.
Hey, if we had electric buses, we wouldn’t have to do all this.
ALSO - It’s cold. Please try to plug in your buses if you can park near one of the fancy roll-up plugs. Paradoxically, the lot construction may make this more difficult.
And there’s still one open spot on the charter tonight, 17.15-21.30, Omni - Rotunda, easy.
Thanks for reading.
Shortly before dawn this morning, a fire gutted the Clifton Inn in Shadwell, killing two guests and seriously injuring a third. Several people had to leap from the windows in order to escape. The cause of the fire is unknown. The Clifton Inn is well known for their fine prix fixe dining and has long been a popular upscale retreat for visitors from out of town. WINA has the story.
Man@Work writes: I have been commuting to C’ville for 5 years coming in from Interstate 64 West. Coming off the ramp onto 250 up to Pantops has never been enjoyable during rush hour. Now however, with the new traffic light at Peter Jefferson Place area the traffic is a complete nightmare. This morning I sat for ~20 minutes waiting to get off the exit ramp onto 250. Once on 250 and past the lights at Peter Jefferson’s traffic light the traffic evaporated. I cannot be the only commuter that has witnessed this, nor the only one put out by traffic tie up as a result of this new light. How does one open a dialogue with the county about this traffic nuisance?
When I drive back into town from Blacksburg, that’s how I usually get off of 64, and I have been similarly baffled by the placement of this light.
City Council has given preliminary approval to a long-overdue overhaul of the regulations that govern vendors on the Downtown Mall. Responding to merchant complaints that downtown comes to look like an overcrowded flea market around Christmas, the new regulations increase the annual cost for a vendor’s license from $120 (if memory serves) to $400, and charges $2 per square foot in rent. Smaller changes include prohibiting open flames, unapproved clothing racks, and require table coverings to be black. Final approval is expected at the next City Council meeting in two weeks. Elizabeth Nelson has the story in today’s Progress.
The Albemarle County Planning Commission has rejected, by 4-2, the request by the would-be developers of North Pointe to rezone 269 acres to permit the construction of the development. The $250M, 664,000 square foot development has been in planning for nine years now, and its creators hope to gain approval through following the county’s new urbanist neighborhood model. Developer Charles Rotgin argued that North Pointe met the standards of the model, but the planning commission argued that the project “is as far from the neighborhood model as possible.” This will go to the Albemarle Board of Supervisors who, particularly with the recent election of one (or possibly two) pro-development members, will likely override the Planning Commission’s decision. David Dadurka has the story in today’s Progress.
Twice in the past few months, the Cavalier Daily has fired writers after it was discovered that they plagiarized substantial portions of articles, according to a November 5 editorial. One undergraduate, Tonya Dawson, wrote seven separate movie and music reviews that took entire paragraphs from publications like the Boston Globe, the Dallas Morning News and Entertainment Weekly. The other student, Demetra Karamanos, used “significant portions” of a Slate article about low-rise jeans. The Honor Committee, by policy, would not comment on whether either student is the subject of an investigation. Kate Andrews has the story in today’s Progress.
Cecil writes: According to a Cav Daily article, some folks are in the mood for a good old-fashioned picket at UVa Hospital. Apparently a manager used the “n” word within earshot of some subordinate employees. Read the Cav for the details, such as they are.
Gordonsville police officer Emerson Brown, who disappeared for a few days in October, has been indicted on embezzlement and drug possession charges, having been accused of going on a “cocaine bender” by the city prosecutor. Brown, who was fired from the force earlier this month, claimed that he had gone on a manhunt to Fredericksburg in order to recover his stolen service pistol. He’s now accused of having travelled to the city and traded his gun for drugs. Reed Williams has the story in today’s Progress.
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