Tuesday, October 18
Got my MoJo working— somewhere else
Today City Hall bid farewell to communications director Maurice Jones, who is leaving the City’s employment after six years to go help UVA’s Miller Center raise money. Besides crafting press releases and offering quotes to reporters, Jones—a former television news sports guy—produced and starred in “Inside Charlottesville” on Govern-ment Access television.
Wednesday, October 19
Green is good
Today, Charlottesville Waldorf Foun-dation hosted a daylong symposium at the Doubletree Hotel on why green buildings matter. Dozens of educators, developers, policy-makers, environmentalists and curious community members gathered to hear from leaders in the field about the importance of building green, what’s new in green products and techniques, as well as how to build green on a shoestring budget. Lucia Phinney of UVA’s School of Architecture kicked off the event, saying, “Green building offers us a chance to understand how we’re living in the world—and make a lighter footprint on the environment.”
Thursday, October 20
City finds 3,494 people
Mayor David Brown an-nounced today that Char-lottesville fought the Census Bureau and Charlottesville won. The 2004 Census estimated the city’s population at 36,605, a drop of 3,494 residents since the 2000 count. “I think everyone who lived around here looked around and scratched their heads [at the news],” said Brown. Thus, the City submitted a challenge to the U.S. Census
Bureau under the Department of Com-merce in late September. The Bureau accepted the challenge and re-estimated the city’s population at 40,745. Brown said he was pleased with the news because it confirmed that people continue to move here.
Overeducated know-it-all wows local libs
Thomas Frank, author of the New York Times best seller, What’s the Matter with Kansas? How Conservatives Won the Heart of America, spoke in the mezzanine of the UVA Bookstore tonight. The UVA Center of Politics hosted the event, and Center director Larry Sabato said that Frank, a 1987 UVA alum, has written a “fascinating book” that shows how Democrats can “turn red states blue…or if not blue, then purple.” An animated public speaker, Frank explained how Republicans have stoked unwinnable “culture wars” to cement a political alliance between “Joe Six-Pack” and corporate CEOs, while casting liberals as know-it-all pains in the ass, “like me.”
Local architect cooler than we thought
Not only does local architect William McDonough pitch eco-friendly design ideas to the likes of Ford and Nike, but he also has Cameron Diaz’s number. Students in McDonough’s environmental design class at Stanford, where he is a consulting professor, were surprised today when Diaz delivered a surprise lecture as part of an MTV program called “Stand-In.” On the program, celebrities teach college classes. “He’s very charismatic, captivating,” Diaz reportedly said of McDonough, who owns a firm in Charlottesville.
Friday, October 21
Clinton stumps for Kaine
God’s gift to liberals, the one, the only William Jefferson Clinton was in town today raising money for Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Tim Kaine at a private party hosted at a Keswick estate. Press were not allowed inside the event, but the presence of Albemarle police, Secret Service, numerous valets, and representatives from the coordinated campaigns made it clear this was a big to-do. With just one week to go before the election, Kaine and his chief opponent, Republican Jerry Kilgore, are in a virtual dead heat, according to polls.
Lock your doors
There’s a robber on the loose. Today police announced that there have been 11 robberies in the Belmont and Rose Hill neighborhoods since Wednesday. Jewelry, electronics and cash have been swiped. In most cases the burglar came in through an unlocked door or window, and in one incident, a resident who was being burgled confronted a suspect. Police describe this suspect as a 20-year old black male, approximately 5’6", medium build and wearing a gray sweatshirt.
Saturday, October 22
Wahoo euphoria short-lived
One week after their miraculous victory at home over Florida State sent UVA to a No. 23 national ranking, the Cavaliers went down like chumps to unranked North Carolina. The UVA offense that scored 26 points against FSU could only muster a field goal and a safety in their 7-5 loss against the Tarheels in Chapel Hill.
Sunday, October 23
Hi, welcome to jail
The Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional jail held an open house this afternoon, only the second open house it has hosted in the past five years. The public was greeted by smiling guards, cookies, punch, candy and display tables featuring everything from prisoner art (think detailed pencil drawings of Pamela Anderson) to information on jail-sponsored G.E.D. and art classes. Visitors also had the option to go on an hour-long tour of the jail that included visits to the segregation area, the medical offices and the mailroom. According to Sgt. Monte Dean about 60 people filed by throughout the day.
Monday, October 24
The Saga continues…
Saga Communications continues its march into the Charlottesville radio market. On October 5, Saga applied for permission from the Federal Communications Commission to buy 1450 AM, and Saga expects ap-proval in early November. Last year, Saga purchased Brad Eure’s local radio empire, although so far the new owners have made no changes to the format at the three stations (1070AM, 95.1FM and 97.5FM). Dennis Mockler, general director of Saga Communications in Charlottesville, said it was premature to discuss any plans for 1450. Saga owns radio stations in 26 markets across the United States.
Written by John Borgmeyer from staff reports and news sources.
Just the fats, ma’am
Your ass could save a life
How cool would it be if it turns out that our love handles and saggy butts could someday save our lives?
Lots of people are starting to get interested in the work of Dr. Roy Ogle, a UVA scientist studying ways to use stem cells from fat tissue to heal injuries and cure disease. Ogle and his colleague, Dr. Adam Katz, are pioneers in this new technology, which could deliver on the promise of using stem cells to repair blood vessels, heart muscles, nerves and bones while also dodging the ethical impasse surrounding stem cells harvested from human embryos.
A quick science lesson: stem cells are essentially “blank” cells that can divide and grow into any of the various other specialty cells that make up each part of the body. Political controversy swirls around the practice of harvesting stem cells from human embryos, usually collected from fertility clinics. Stem cells can also be harvested from adult tissue; adult stem cells are less likely than embryonic cells to develop tumors as they grow, but adult stem cells don’t last as long in storage.
In a modest lab deep within the labyrinthine hallways of UVA’s Medical Center complex, Ogle is searching for the “magic cocktail” that will cause stem cells from fat to grow into specialized tissue. Eventually, Ogle wants to develop a substance that doctors would inject directly into a wounded area; the injection would cause the body’s own stem cells to migrate to the injury like bees drawn to a flower. The stem cells would then repair the damage without surgery.
Biotechnology firms are hovering around UVA, hoping to snap up patents to whatever Ogle and Katz come up with. Meanwhile, Ogle is a vocal opponent of political efforts to restrict stem cell research. Conservative Christians believe that human life begins at conception, and they contend that destroying human embryos for stem cells constitutes murder. Scientists like Ogle, however, argue that pregnancy actually begins when a fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus; besides, the embryos are taken from fertility clinics that will throw them out anyway. In May 2003, Ogle voiced his concerns personally to the U.S. Senate.
UVA is one of the 16 labs in the U.S. with federal permission to study embryonic stem cells, but Ogle’s work focuses on adult fat. Given the enormous promise of his work, Ogle wants Virginia’s General Assembly to start spending money on stem cell research. With the hu-man skull on his bookshelf overlooking his cramped laboratory, Ogle says that California, for example, recently set aside $3 billion for stem cell research. His main competitor at Stanford just received a $39 million grant, and Ogle could easily find a better place to do his research.
“Every day someone calls and asks if I’m interested in moving,” says Ogle, who has been at UVA since he was an undergraduate. “It’s a test of how much I like Charlottesville.”
He holds out some hope for pro-gress. Some conservatives, such as U.S. Senator Bill Frist (R-Tennessee), are breaking party ranks and supporting fewer restrictions on stem cell research. On the state level, some leaders want to create a warehouse of stem cells that could be used to treat mass casualties in the event of a terrorist attack. Last week, staff attorneys for the General Assembly and officials from the Virginia Department of Health visited Ogle’s office to discuss the project.
“As people learn more about stem cells, I think they’re going to become more open-minded,” Ogle says.—John Borgmeyer
Classical gas
Conservatives fire back in rumble over UVA architecture
It’s been nearly two months since two dozen members of UVA’s architecture faculty printed an open letter in The Cavalier Daily decrying the lack of modern architecture on campus. Now proponents of classical architecture have printed their own open letter in The Cav Daily.
News of the faculty’s letter made its way to “tradarch,” a listserve for classical architects sponsored by the University of Miami—which, along with the University of Notre Dame, is a stronghold for classical architecture in America. Classical architects greeted the UVA faculty letter as a call to arms.
In a post entitled “architectural barbarians,” for example, Seth Weine, a member of the Institute for Classical Architecture, called the UVA faculty and other modernists “enemies of civilization…Gengiz [sic] Kahn & Co., riding into our towns and campuses armed with a design vocabulary that looks like shrapnel and tumors.” Posters organized an online petition to support classical architecture at UVA and drafted the letter that was “affirmed” by dozens of architects from around the country.
Entitled “Common Sense Architecture,” the letter accuses the modernists on UVA’s faculty of having “taken secluded refuge in the academy.” The letter argues that modern architecture is ugly and that classical architecture is a “shared source of beauty and hope.”
Local architect and UVA prof Kenneth Schwartz, who helped organize the faculty letter, said that up until the late 1980s, UVA, too, was a bastion of conservative, classical-style architecture. Schwartz says he has not read the classicist letter, but he says, “We wanted to open up a dialogue, and it’s opening up.”
Meanwhile, UVA Architect David Neuman says the controversy didn’t have much influence on his decision to select Moore Ruble Yudell Architects, a California firm, to design UVA’s huge “South Lawn” project. The modernist-classicist pissing match “was in the mix,” says Neuman, “but I don’t think it had a particularly strong influence on our choice.”—John Borgmeyer
The road not taken
VDOT differs with locals on transportation planning
Last week, the Virginia Department of Transportation re-leased three new local projects proposed for the agency’s six-year plan. While the State is willing to drop $125 million for new road projects in the area, the chart below shows that VDOT’s priorities differ quite a bit from local wishes. Local transportation goals are outlined by the UnJAM 2025 plan, which the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission has been formulating with citizen input. Not only does this sample of UnJAM’s priorities differ from VDOT’s, the projects cost $80 million less.—John Borgmeyer
Today is a Wood day
More shopping centers for Wendell Wood
Another day, another shopping center on Route 29N for Wendell Wood. On Tuesday, October 18, the Albemarle Planning Commission granted Wood’s United Land Corpora-tion a site plan approval for a 200,000-square-foot office and commercial complex called North-town Center to be built on Route 29N across from Lowe’s.
Environmental concerns over steep slopes on the site halted Wood’s attempts to build a Home Depot on the 16-acre parcel in 2000; Wood unsuccessfully sued the County Board of Supervisors over their decision. Wood’s new plans seem to solve that issue, but disgruntled neighbors are still trying to derail the project.
Several residents of the adjacent Carrsbrook and Woodbrook neighborhoods opposed the project during the meeting. Dean Wenger, President of the Carrsbrook Homeowner’s Associa-tion, acknowledged that the modified site plan includes landscaping and underground pipes designed to divert streams and send runoff to a holding pond.
“What we saw was a significant difference than paving the whole thing,” he said, “But 85 percent of the critical slopes will be disturbed. Downstream a way of life is being threatened.“ Wood plans to include significant tree buffers, and plastic retaining fences will help keep the soil in place during construction.
“Everyone has the right to develop but not at the expense of their neighbors,” said another resident, Ash Gobar, after the decision. “How many shopping centers do we need?”—Jay Neelley
Spared the worst
Accused wife-killer won’t get the death penalty
The City Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office announced on Monday, October 17, that in the case of Anthony Dale Crawford, the prosecution will not be taking advantage of Virginia’s notoriously fry-happy mentality. In a filing with the Charlottesville Circuit Court, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys Jon Zug and Joseph Platania said that when the trial starts in May, they will not seek the death pen-alty for Crawford. The Manassas man is charged with capital murder, first degree murder, abduction, rape, grand larceny and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. All the charges are in connection with the murder of his estranged wife, Sarah Louise Crawford.
Zug and Platania had no comment. Neither did Crawford’s defense attorney, Fred Heblich.
Sarah Crawford’s dead body was discovered at the Quality Inn on Emmet Street on November 22, 2004. At the pretrial hearing in March, Zug said Crawford had “unceremoniously dumped [her], nude and dead” in Room 118, then hightailed it to Florida, where authorities picked him up a week later.
Crawford comes with a history of domestic violence. Sarah filed two affidavits for preliminary protective orders against Crawford—one before they were married, one three weeks before her body was found. In each, Sarah mentioned Crawford’s drug problem and enumerated injuries she suffered at his hands. In the statement filed just before her death, she wrote that Crawford had said he “understands why husbands kill their wives.”
In the filing, Zug and Platania allow that while Crawford is eligible for the death penalty, “limited availability and/or the potential inadmissibility of evidence… coupled with the lack of previous criminal convictions” would make it hard to win in court. They also cite that Sarah’s mother does not, under any circumstances, support the death penalty.
When it comes to the death penalty, there’s no official protocol regarding the wishes of a victim’s survivors, according to Steven Rosenfield, a local attorney and mem- ber of the Executive Board of Virgin- ians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.
“Each prosecutor’s office gives family members different weight,” he says. In one case a family may want the death penalty but the prosecutors will decide there’s not enough evidence; in another case, the family might be opposed to the death penalty, but “prosecutors will trump that.”
Virginia has executed 94 people since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976—more than any other state except Texas. There are currently 28 people on death row, none from Char-lottesville or Albemarle. Dorian Lester, Patricia Kluge’s former bodyguard, was the last Char-lottesvillian to get the death penalty. He was convicted in 1998 of robbing and murdering a local jeweler.
According to Zug, the prosecution initially intended the death penalty for Craig Nor-denson, who in 2001 murdered two people, and had a shoot-out with police before he was finally apprehended. After consulting with the victims’ families, however, they decided to pursue life in prison instead. Nordenson is now serving time in State prison in Suffolk.—Nell Boeschenstein
C-VILLE’s ultra-sweet voter’s guide
STATE ELECTIONS
GOVERNOR
Jerry W. Kilgore
Party: Republican
Previous Elected Office: Elected Virginia’s 42nd Attorney General in 2001. Prior to his election as Attorney General, Kilgore served as Secretary of Public Safety for Governor George Allen, managing 11 State agencies, including the State Police, the Department of Corrections and the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Selling Points: Kilgore aims to provide greater access to higher education, job expansion and economic growth through the Kilgore Higher Education Initiative, and plans to keep the streets safe through the Kilgore Anti-Gang Initiative.
Favorite Snack: Dairy Queen Blizzards
Timothy M. Kaine
Party: Democratic
Previous Elected Office: Elected Lieutenant Governor in 2001, served seven years as City Councilman and Mayor of Richmond.
Selling Points: Plans to curb real estate tax hikes, further Virginia’s economic progress by bringing jobs to every part of Virginia, and hopes to improve Virginia’s transportation system.
Favorite Snack: Trail Mix
H. Russ Potts, Jr.
Party: Independent
Previous Elected Office: Serving his fourth term as Republican Senator from Virginia’s 27th Senatorial district, chairs the Senate Education and Health Committee.
Selling Points: Potts plans to lead Virginia out of its “transportation crisis” by establishing better evacuation routes and eliminating gridlocks. Potts hopes to preserve and improve the general quality of life of all Virginians.
Favorite Snack: Popcorn
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
William T. “Bill” Bolling
Party: Republican
Previous Elected Office: Bill Bolling represents the 4th Senatorial District in the Virginia State Senate. Bolling was elected to the Senate in 1995.
Selling Points: Wants to continue to create a pro-business environment in Virginia, make certain that health care is available and affordable to all Virginians, preserve Virginia’s natural resources and promote smart industry growth, and hopes to reduce class sizes while demanding performance-based results from public schools.
Favorite Snack: Malo Cups
Leslie L. Byrne
Party: Democratic
Previous Elected Office: Senator Leslie Byrne was elected to the Virginia State Senate in 1999 to represent the 34th District. In 1992, she was elected to Congress as the first representative from Virginia’s 11th district and as the first woman ever elected to Congress from Virginia. Before going to Congress, Byrne was elected four times to the Virginia House of Delegates, and served from 1986 through 1992.
Selling Points: Plans to improve Virginia’s transportation system through a new Virginia Rail Authority, by reducing trucks on I-95 and I-81, and obtaining additional State transportation grants for sidewalks, pedestrian bridges and bike trails. She hopes to increase State funding for school construction and renovation, create a consistent and dependable State funding stream for education and provide State guaranteed salary bonuses for all National Board Certified teachers.
Favorite Snack: Chocolate
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Robert F. “Bob” McDonnell
Party: Republican
Previous Elected Office: Bob McDonnell has represented the 84th District of Virginia in the House of Delegates since 1992.
Selling Points: Protection of private property rights, protection of children from sexual predators, terrorist threat protection by permanently establishing The Office of Commonwealth Preparedness by statute, increased accountability of Homeland Security funds and the expansion of the Meth Watch program to target methamphetamine distribution.
Favorite Snack: M&M’s
R. Creigh Deeds
Party: Democratic
Previous Elected Office: In 1991 Deeds won a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. In 2001, he won a special election to fill the Senate seat of the late Emily Couric.
Selling Points: Deeds promises to create after school opportunities for at-risk youth, assemble a working group of political leaders to secure more homeland security money for Virginia’s ports, use GPS technology to locate sex offenders, prevent ID theft and fraud through a 21st Century Crimes Division.
Favorite Snack: Fresh fruit (especially peaches and strawberries)
HOUSE OF DELEGATES
25TH DISTRICT
Steven “Steve” Landes
Party: Republican
Previous Elected Experience: Landes was elected to the House of Delegates in 1995 and was re-elected in 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2003.
Selling Points: Landes remains unchallenged for
another two years as a Delegate.
Favorite Snack: Oatmeal cookies
HOUSE OF DELGATES
57th DISTRICT
Thomas W.McCrystal
Party: Republican
Previous Elected Office: None
Selling Points: Wants to create a Virginia Community College Trust Fund as well as establish electronic toll systems to improve transportation.
Favorite Snacks: Cheetos
David J. Toscano
Party: Democratic
Previous Elected Office: Toscano was a City Councilor from 1990 to 2002, and served as mayor of Charlottesville from 1994 to 1996.
Selling Points: Increase
support for historic preservation and provide funding for public transit.
Toscano opposes efforts to eradicate abortion rights. He supports the “Access UVA” program.
Favorite Snack: Chocolate-covered coffee beans
HOUSE OF DELEGATES
58th DISTRICT
Robert B. Bell III
Party: Republican
Previous Elected Experience: Bell has been a member of the Virginia House of Delegates since 2002.
Selling Points: Bell has passed popular bills to toughen State laws against drunk driving and bullying in schools.
Favorite Snack: Peanut butter sandwiches
Stephen H. Koleszar
Party: Democratic
Previous Elected Experience: Was elected to Albemarle County School Board in 1995 and won re-election in 1999 and 2003.
Selling Points: Koleszar aims to establish a rail service between Charlottesville and Washington, create greater school board accountability for educational achievement, and will support an amendment to the Virginia Constitution that requires nonpartisan redistricting.
Favorite Snack: Peanuts and chocolate chips
HOUSE OF DELEGATES
59th DISTRICT
Watkins M. Abbitt, Jr.
Party: Independent
Previous Elected Experience: Abbitt has been a member of the Virginia House of Delegates since 1986.
Selling Points: As usual, Abbitt is running unopposed.
Favorite Snack: Lucky Charms cereal
CITY ELECTIONS
COMMONWEALTH’S ATTORNEY
Warner D. “Dave” Chapman
Party: Democratic
Previous Elected Office: Has served as Commonwealth’s Attorney for 12 years without enjoying a single delicious snack.
Selling Points: Chapman is running unopposed.
Favorite Snack: Chapman said this question was “completely inappropriate.” Man, somebody get this guy a snack!
SHERIFF
Cornelia D. Johnson
Party: Democratic
Previous Elected Office: In 1976 Johnson became the first female African-American police officer for the City of Charlottesville and remained the only female black officer until 1998 when she was elected as Sheriff.
Selling Points: Johnson is running unopposed and until someone can match this Harvard-educated Sheriff, she will most
ikely keep her position on lockdown.
Favorite Snack: Sweet potato pie
COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE
Raymond Lee Richards
Party: Democratic
Previous Elected Experience: None
Selling Points: Richards is running unopposed.
Favorite Snack: Apples… he eats about four a day
TREASURER
Jennifer J. Brown
Party: Democratic
Previous Elected Experience: Since 1994, Brown has served three terms as City Treasurer and has worked for the City of Charlottesville for 30 years.
Selling Points: Once again, Brown runs unopposed and will continue to faithfully slip your checks in Charlottesville’s piggy bank.
Favorite Snack: Carrots
SCHOOL BOARD REFERENDUM
Question: Shall the method of selecting the school board be changed from appointment by the governing body to direct election by the voters?
A “Yes” vote means: Charlottesville would begin voting for school board members in May 2006. The U.S. Justice Department must approve the change, but most observers consider the federal approval to be a formality.
A “No” vote means: The City school board would remain as is, with City Council continuing to ap-point school board members to serve three-year terms.
ALBEMARLE COUNTY ELECTIONS
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
JACK JOUETT DISTRICT
Christian J. Schoenewald
Party: Republican
Previous Elected Experience: None
Selling Points: Schoenewald is an avid supporter of private property rights as well as the Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development.
Favorite Snack: Pepperidge Farm Goldfish
Dennis S. Rooker
Party: Independent
Previous Elected Experience: Rooker was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2001. He is currently the board chairman.
Selling Points: Rooker served on the County’s Planning Commission and has been a leader in managing Albemarle’s growth.
Favorite Snack: Blueberries
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
SAMUEL MILLER DISTRICT
Sally H. Thomas
Party: Independent
Previous Elected Experience: Thomas was elected onto the Board of Supervisors in 1993 and was re-elected in 1997.
Selling Points: Thomas has strong opinions on all hot-button topics: education, transportation, waste man-agement, you name it. She aims to preserve the character of Albemarle County as it continues to grow.
Favorite Snack: Hot cup of tea
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
RIO DISTRICT
Gary Wayne Grant
Party: Republican
Previous Elected Experience: Served on the Albemarle County School Board for four years.
Selling Points: Grant promises that, if elected, individual voices will be heard and that it’s all about you, you, you.
Favorite Snack:Popcorn
David Lee Slutzky
Party: Democratic
Previous Elected Experience: None, but Slutzky did serve as a Senior Policy Advisor to the White House.
Selling Points: Slutzky supports the Neighborhood Model for development, exploring alternate transportation strategies, and is opposed to the Western Bypass.
Favorite Snack: Cheese crackers
Tom “Dr. J” Jakubowski
Party: Independent
Previous Elected Experience: None
Selling Points: Jakubowski wants to reduce taxes within the county, shows support for County employees, particularly teachers, and also supports growth that would bring more jobs to the area.
Favorite Snack: Brie and crackers
SCHOOL BOARD
JACK JOUETT DISTRICT
Diantha H. McKeel
Party: Independent
Previous Elected Experience: McKeel has been an Albemarle County School Board member since 1997 and is running for her third term.
Selling Points: McKeel runs unopposed, but with a resume that includes experience in police work, teaching and nursing, she’ll be tough to beat.
Favorite Snack: Slim Jims
SCHOOL BOARD
RIO DISTRICT
Pamela R. Moynihan
Party: Independent
Previous Elected Experience: Moynihan was elected to the School Board for a four-year term beginning in January 2002.
Selling Points: Ah, well, as the only candidate, she knows it’s up to her to make the schoolhouse rock.
Favorite Snack: Popcorn
SCHOOL BOARD
SAMUEL MILLER DISTRICT
Jon Stokes
Party: Independent
Previous elected Experience: None
Selling Points: Unopposed
Favorite Snack: Fig Newtons