April 3, 2012

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The Cavalier Daily Tuesday, April 3, 2012

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Volume 122, No. 129 Distribution 10,000

City Council budget debate continues Local nonprofits request Council’s additional financial support; citizen voices concerns about Charlottesville school funding By Joseph Liss

Cavalier Daily Associate Editor L o c a l n o n pr o f it s pr e s s e d Charlottesville City Council for additional funding at Council’s meeting yesterday evening while the City continues nego-

tiations to approve its budget by April 10. T h e P a ra m o u n t T h e a t e r , Public Housing Association of Residents (PHAR) and Mountainside Senior Living, among other groups, requested increased support from the

City. Brandon Collins , a former City Council candidate, asked for at least $10,000 in additional funding for PHAR, a Charlottesville organization which aims to “support and improve public housing com-

munities,” according to its website. The group also aims to foster the community engagement of low-income youth and ex-offenders. “We would all like to see a little bit more than $25,000 in [the current budget proposal],”

Collins said. “The entire community really gets a lot out of [the Housing Alliance internship] program.” PHAR offers the Housing Alliance internPlease see City Council, Page A3

9/11 memorial installed Kaine secures Student group unveils World Trade Center steel fragment in Newcomb Hall

Democratic nod Former governor becomes party’s sole candidate in U.S. Senate contest; Modica, Lynch withdraw By Abby Meredith

Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

Courtesy Sharon Stakofsky-Davis

Former Gov. Tim Kaine last week became Virginia’s sole Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate race after potential rivals Julien Modica and Courtney Lynch withdrew from the race before petitions were due Thursday. The Democratic Party will no longer hold a primary since Kaine is the only Democratic candidate still in contention. Geoff Skelley, media relations coordinator at the University’s Center for Politics and former Cavalier Daily opinion columnist, said the departure of the other Democratic candidates from the contest is not surprising, considering Kaine’s political clout as a former governor. “When you have a former gov-

ernor, it’s an uphill battle for any candidate who want[s] to oppose him,” Skelley said. “Once he got in, anyone else who was considering running got out.” It should not be too difficult for Kaine to gain the support of Lynch and Modica’s followers, Skelley said, since only a “small number” would have voted for the other two candidates anyway. Modica and Lynch have both endorsed Kaine to replace retiring Sen. Jim Webb. “Anytime someone expresses interest in governing is always good, but we are happy to have their support,” Kaine’s Deputy Press Secretary Michael Kelly said. The Republican Party will still hold a primary to determine its Please see Senate, Page A3

The Student Association of Firefighters, EMTs and Rescue Technicians received a 15-inch piece of steel from the World Trade Center, which became the centerpiece of a September 11 memorial unveiled Sunday.

By Monika Fallon

Cavalier Daily Senior Writer Students unveiled a September 11 memorial at a ceremony Sunday in Newcomb Hall. The memorial includes a 15-inch piece of steel from the World Trade Center acquired by the Student Association of Firefighters, EMTs and Rescue Technicians. SAFER received the piece of steel from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey last September largely because of efforts by Law school alumnus Bill Baroni , said SAFER president Evan Davis, a fourthyear College student. The group originally applied for the piece of steel in November 2010, but its claim was rejected the next month. But Baroni, the deputy

executive director of the Port Authority, worked to reverse the decision. “[It is] important that a university founded by Thomas Jefferson, who wrote so much about liberty and freedom, the very values that [were attacked], have a piece of steel from the site itself,” Baroni said. He said the steel distribution program is an important means of remembering those lost in the 9/11 attacks. The memorial also includes a flag which was flown from the Capitol building in Washington in honor of 1982 College alumnus Glenn Kirwin, who died in the attacks. Ben Hedman, a Charlottesville resident and volunteer firefighter, designed the case holding the flag. Davis said the event brought

Center for Politics analyst Geoff Skelley said former Gov. Tim Kaine’s nomination is not surprising given his background as governor. As all of Kaine’s opponents have now backed out of the race, the Democratic Party will no longer hold a primary.

many different areas of the University community together. “[It was] really nice to see all aspects of the community, from students to the administration, come together to honor the victims,” he said. Davis said some money for the presentation came from Student Council, but the Office of the Dean of Students provided most of the support, helping Davis put together the ceremony and providing space for the memorial. “We worked with [Davis] on finding an appropriate place to keep [the memorial], and had our cabinetry people finish and stain the case,” Dean of Students Allen Groves said .

Will Brumas Cavalier Daily

Please see Memorial, Page A3

NEWS

IN BRIEF

General Assembly convenes special session Six representatives from the Virginia Senate and six from the Virginia House of Delegates met yesterday in a special session, aiming to resolve differences between the Senate and House versions of the Virginia budget which would last for the next two fiscal years. The Senate previously passed a version of Gov. Bob McDonnell’s original $85 billion budget proposal but increased funding for education, providing $60 million

for schools in northern Virginia to raise teacher salaries to make jobs in the education sector more competitive with other industries. “The governor’s budget was not fair to all Virginians,” said Joshua Karp, spokesperson for the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus . Karp said the budget committee is working to resolve differences in how each version of the budget funds transportation, education and welfare

programs. Transportation is perhaps the biggest divide between the House and the Senate versions of the budget, Karp said. “The House wants to take money from the general fund [for transportation projects],” Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, said. “That’s a non-starter in the Senate.” The Senate’s budget proposal includes construction on the Hampton Roads and Norfolk

area tunnels. “We have tried to come up with funding to ensure no tolls will be established until the projects are completed,” Deeds said. The budget also offers a $300 million boost to the Metrorail extension to Dulles International Airport. Karp and Deeds said they believe the budget will pass. “They are making progress; it will take a few more weeks,” Del. David Toscano, D-Charlottesville, said. Legislators hope to pass

a budget before the General Assembly reconvenes for its regular session April 18. McDonnell spokesperson Jeff Caldwell, as well as Republican state senators Walter Stosch, Ryan McDougle, Thomas Norment, Emmett Hanger and Jill Vogel, could not be reached for comment. Speaker of the House William Howell declined to comment. —compiled by Daniel Sensabaugh

Blaze damages U-Heights

Thomas Bynum | Cavalier Daily

A fire at the University Heights apartment complex about 1 a.m. Friday morning caused inhabitants to evacuate. Officials declined to disclose injuries.

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A fire in the University Heights apartment complex Friday resulted in about $30,000 worth of damage to the building, said Howard Lagomarsino, assistant chief of the Albemarle County FireRescue Division. The blaze began about 1 a.m. Residents of the complex called 911, and the police department was on the scene within five min-

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utes, Albemarle County Police Sgt. Darrell Byers said. “The first officer saw there was a lot of smoke coming from the basement,” Byers said. “It was unknown whether there was someone inside.” Byers said the apartment door was “bubbling” from the fire’s heat. “They evacuated the upper

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apartments, [and] once they had the upper apartments empty, the firefighters made entry into the apartment and extinguished the fire,” Byers said. Lagomarsino declined to comment on any injuries or hospitalizations. He said the “fire was accidental — either a candle or a small electrical appliance started it.” —compiled by Anna Milligan

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