Though Democratic candidate Tom Perriello declared victory Friday in his Fifth District congressional race against Republican incumbent Virgil Goode, the official outcome of the race remains unknown. According to Jessica Barba, Perriello’s communications director, the Virginia State Board of Elections will post results of the race Nov. 24.

Currently, Perriello leads by 745 votes, but, as Barba noted, he cannot officially be declared the winner until all votes have been processed.

Virginia voting law requires, explained James Alcorn, policy advisor for the Virginia State Board of Elections, that if the winner has less than a 1-percent lead, the loser of the election can request a recount of the votes after the results are released. The election process does not simply stop after Nov. 4, he pointed out, as “election officials work [on data] several weeks after the election.”

The Board of Elections has received the ballots submitted by the 134 localities in the commonwealth and is going through the results to check for anomalies and any errors, Alcorn said.

“The word as far as we know and stand … is that the canvasses are complete,” Barba said, adding that the summary of votes for each district have been sent to the Board of Elections to be processed.

Jerr Rosenbaum, a spokesman for Goode, said the congressman’s office is “still waiting for the results from the Virginia State Board of Elections.” In the meantime, Rosenbaum said, Goode has been spending time working in his congressional office.

In the case that a recount is held, Barba said Perriello’s campaign would be open to such a request, although “it’s unlikely that the recount will change anything significant.”

Alcorn noted that a recount “is very similar to the process that we’re going through right now.”

While Perriello waits for the final results, his campaign has already begun to prepare for what appears to be a coming victory, Barba said.
“We are moving ahead with transition plans, assuming that this result will hold,” she said. “As you know, there’s a lot of work to be done by the incoming Congress, and we have no time to waste.”

She noted that Perriello’s transition efforts will be led by former congressman L.F. Payne, who held the Fifth District seat in Congress before Goode. New members of the transition team will be announced in the coming days, she added.

The Albemarle Housing Improvement Program honored Madison House, the University’s student volunteer center, with the 2008 Housing Hero Award last Thursday.

The award is given annually “to highlight families or organizations or individuals within the community that embody the spirit of AHIP’s vision or have someway promoted what it means to be a good neighbor in our community,” said Jennifer Jacobs, director of resource development at AHIP.

Jacobs noted that Madison House was recognized for its decades-long relationship with AHIP, the latter of which grew out of a University volunteer group formed in response to the destruction caused in 1969 by Hurricane Camille.

Madison House Executive Director Kelly Eplee described the two organizations as being “umbilically connected,” adding that, “literally AHIP began in the shed that stands in the Madison House parking lot to this day.”

While Madison House no longer houses AHIP, it still supplies the non-profit with volunteers every year, Eplee said.

Jacobs said of the nearly 200 volunteers that worked with AHIP this past year, 81 were University students coordinated through Madison House. Students spent about three hours per week volunteering for AHIP, working on various building projects within the community including improving substandard housing, doing emergency repairs and demolition work, constructing handicap accessible ramps and adding roofing and siding to homes, she said. Volunteers also offered to supply maintenance work and tutor students at the Park’s Edge Apartment complex, which offers 96 units of affordable rental housing.

Jacobs recognized the importance of such volunteers, who allow AHIP to save money that would have otherwise been spent on labor and use it toward essential purchases such as building materials. Eplee, meanwhile, also said the volunteers themselves also benefit from participation with AHIP, noting that students “get to meet members the community that they would not have otherwise met.”

Madison House is the second recipient of the Housing Hero Award. Last year, AHIP presented the award to a family that gave a life estate to a family that had been evicted from its home.

Albemarle County Supervisor David L. Slutzky is contemplating whether he will run against four-term incumbent Del. Rob Bell, R-Albemarle County, in 2009, and local transportation issues are playing heavily into that potential decision as the two local leaders have taken opposing sides about whether to support a transportation plan involving higher taxes.

Slutzky said the Virginia General Assembly has been neglecting some of its responsibilities — chief among these the Assembly’s responsibility to give local governments funding for transportation.

“Bell is my representative, and he’s been one of the leading forces in Richmond and yet the General Assembly is not funding their obligations,” Slutzky said. “I’m getting fed up with it and am therefore seriously considering running.”

Slutzky noted that transportation is one of the main problems Albemarle County residents currently face and said Charlottesville and Albemarle residents need additional funds to pay for transportation projects. He said the current representatives at the state level have not done enough to address such issues.

One of the ways Slutzky thinks this problem can be solved is through tax increases, he said, noting he hopes to get permission from the Assembly to propose a referendum to county residents to determine their opinions about possible tax increases to support transportation.

“We’ve asked for a separate enabling authority to allow us at the local level to hold a referendum and ask our citizens if they would like to have an increase in local taxes, and if they do, we’d be allowed to impose those taxes,” Slutzky said.

The tax increases could come in one of two ways, Slutzky said. The first option would be to increase the local sales tax by one cent and the other would be to tax gasoline. Although Slutzky said he thinks Bell should support the referendum, Bell said he does not yet know enough about the issue to support it one way or another.

“He hasn’t told us what’s in it yet — all that I know right now is that it contains tax increases,” Bell said. “They have not pinned down what the tax increases will be or what they will pay for.”

Slutzky, however, said there are already planned transportation projects that could receive funding from the possible tax increases. Some of these projects would work to expand the transportation system and improve the transportation infrastructure, Slutzky said.  

While he did not want to give an opinion about a proposal that he believes is not yet complete, Bell said, he is cautious about the idea of tax increases in general because of the current status of Virginia’s economy.

“I’m very skeptical that we should have a tax increase at this time when [the] Virginia economy is struggling like it is,”  he said. “But I didn’t want to comment on a proposal that wasn’t complete.”

One alternative Bell suggested to increasing taxes for transportation is to re-allocate transportation funds. He said he does not oppose the idea of improving Virginia transportation but noted that the means for doing so must be clear and viable.

“The transportation budget has grown; primarily the road budget has doubled in last 10 years.” Bell said. “If we want to allocate some of the primary road money to secondary roads that is something we can do, but the tax burden on the average Virginian has gone up over last decade, and I think we should look to allocation issue before we look to another tax increase.”  

Although Slutzky said he has not made a concrete decision about running against Bell, his frustration continues with the General Assembly.

“I was elected in part because of my life’s work on protecting the environment and transportation problems,” Slutzky said. “I would like to continue that work, but I may need to do it in Richmond … It’s a tough decision.”  

Bell said if Slutzky does make the decision to run next year, he is prepared.

“I always presume there will be a contest every two years and I’m proud of my record,” Bell said. “I’ve had an eight-year run where we’ve had some significant legislative accomplishments, and I am prepared to defend that record next year.”

Since his election to the House of Delegates in 2001, Bell has not faced significant opposition in any re-election bid. Slutzky has served on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors for three years and faces re-election should he decide not to challenge Bell in 2009.

The Department of Education announced plans to expand the department’s ongoing loan purchase program Friday in the hopes of continuing to stabilize the credit market for college students and families seeking education loans in light of the current economic crisis.

“This is sort of the student loan bailout program,” University Financial Aid director Yvonne Hubbard explained. “The federal government is basically buying the loans from the banks so they have more credit to give to students.”

Conwey Casillas, managing director of public affairs for student loan provider Sallie Mae, said the federal government will either loan money to private lenders or give these lenders the opportunity to sell their loans to the government to generate capital. This program has been in practice since May 2008, Casillas said, but for the 2009-10 school year, the government expanded the program so the private sector could sell loans initiated as long ago as 2003 to get the necessary capital to fund new student loans.

“That should give us the necessary certainty for students, parents and schools to know that student loans will be available through 2010 and beyond,” he said, noting though, that Sallie Mae does not anticipate the government will need to step in and purchase its loans.

The loan buyback program, however, is not without drawbacks, Casillas said, because there are some negative implications associated with the government’s intervention in the student loan market. In the past, third-party lenders such as Sallie Mae or Bank of America were able to offer incentives to borrowers such as lower interest rates. Under the expanded program, Casillas said, the government only will buy back loans similar to those the federal government offers.

Casillas noted the loan-buying program ensures the long-term viability of college loans but makes it more difficult for lenders to offer the same kind of interest rates seen just several years ago.

These borrower benefits have all but disappeared in today’s market, Casillas said, and more schools are moving away from these private lenders toward a system of direct lending from the government.

Tim Ranzetta, founder of Student Lending Analytics, said while only 19 percent of schools participated in a direct lending program for the 2007-08 school year, about 30 percent are taking that route this year.

Hubbard noted that student loans are more expensive this year since the buyback program was initiated than they have been in the past, adding, “We just have to go day by day in today’s economy.”

According to a press release issued by Semester at Sea’s Institute for Shipboard Education, which is academically overseen by the University, Kurt Leswing, a 21-year-old student participating in the program, was fatally struck by a driver while visiting Hong Kong last week.

The driver, who was intoxicated, was arrested immediately on Friday morning, the release stated. The Institute for Shipboard Education is now investigating the incident along with the U.S. Consul General in Hong Kong.

Lauren Heinz, director of communications for Semester at Sea, said other students participating in the program are currently able to receive support services from professional grief counselors and shipboard staff if needed in the wake of Leswing’s death.

Leswing, from Milwaukee, Wisc., was a student at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. According to the press release, Semester at Sea staff described Leswing, “as a gentle, kind, and easy-going person who cared about others and had a thoughtful and consoling nature.” Leswing is survived by his parents and twin brother.

Jack Van De Water, executive dean of the fall 2008 voyage, stated in the release that Leswing’s death “reminds us of the value of every human life and how fragile it is. Each of us who knew Kurt must try to remember him in a way that honors his life and the contributions he made to our community.”

—compiled by Tom Christensen

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D), a 1983 University Law graduate, has been named to the advisory board of the Obama-Biden Transition Project.

“Governor Napolitano exemplifies the Virginia ideal of the citizen lawyer,” University Law School Dean Paul Mahoney said regarding the alumna’s appointment. “She has devoted her career to public service, and we are delighted that the new administration will have the benefit of her advice.”

Mahoney added that an appointment such as this illustrates the training that the Law School attempts to provide its students.

“It just reinforces the message that this law school does an exceptional job of training students for future public service,” Mahoney said.

If Napolitano were to assume a larger role following the transition process and forgo her governorship, Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer (R) would replace her. A representative from Napolitano’s Arizona office was unavailable as of press time.

—compiled by Emily Poe

The Virginia volleyball team finished a dual-match weekend cleanly when it spiked N.C. State Saturday night at Memorial Gymnasium.
After a four-game losing streak, the Cavaliers shut out the Wolfpack (9-21, 3-12 ACC) with a score of 3-0 (25-19, 26-24, 25-18) as they enter their last five regular season matches.

Virginia (14-13, 6-9 ACC) had a tough night Friday, losing to North Carolina (17-9, 11-4 ACC) in a close contest. The team came up short by not efficiently executing its game plan collectively, though individual performances were strong.

Freshman outside hitter Simone Asque continued to develop on the court as she topped out with a team-high 16 kills. Fifth-year senior outside hitter Beth Shelton completed a season-high 21 digs to pair with her 15 kills for the night. At the net, sophomore middle Sydney Hill blocked six attacks, a high for the match, while senior middle Shannon Davis added five blocks of her own.

After falling behind 0-2, the team forced North Carolina into a fifth set but could not keep the Tar Heels from the 3-2 (25-23, 25-20, 25-27, 22-25, 15-7) victory. The close scores reflect the Cavaliers’ diligence through each point, though at times the team struggled to stop North Carolina scoring rallies. In the first set, the Tar Heels led 18-10 before Virginia rallied to bring the score to 24-22. Tied at 17 in the second set, North Carolina went on a 6-1 run, ultimately taking the game 25-20.

“One of the things that was really important for us tonight [Saturday night] as opposed to last night versus North Carolina was that we challenge the team to have a more competitive response, and to not give up consecutive points, which has been a trend,” coach Lee Maes said. “If we’re going to be competitive, we’re going to have to challenge them and say, ‘enough is enough and we’re going to do something about it.’”

With the Tar Heel 12-2 fifth-set lead fresh in their minds, the Cavaliers did something about it: Virginia swept the Wolfpack 3-0 behind a strong collective effort, which included playing through tight moments in the second set when N.C. State threatened. The two squads tied 11 times and traded the lead seven times in the second frame.

With 19 kills, Shelton leveled with a previous career high, boosting her kill percentage to .417, a season-best. Junior defensive specialist/libero Brittani Rendina also added a match-high 18 digs. Sophomore setter Kelly Irvin and senior setter Marlow Bruneau teamed up to lead Virginia in assists with 18 and 16, respectively.

As her performance this weekend has demonstrated, Asque, who added 12 kills against the Wolfpack, has made quite a name for herself offensively during her first season of collegiate play.

“She’s a wonderful dynamic athlete, and she’s continually improving on the fundamentals,” Maes said. “We’re asking her to do a lot of well-rounded things in all facets of the game. She’s continually learning to be more efficient, and that’s the biggest thing we’re looking for her to be whether it’s offensively or just how she handles the rest of the game. We want her to limit unforced errors and continue going out there and doing her job.”

Asque’s success this season can be partly attributed to Davis’ tough love and constant good example. Davis has been a fixed model of the type of player the coaches expect and she persistently drives her teammates to reach the same plane both on and off the court.

“When I came in as a first-year, [Shannon] intimidated me a little bit,” Asque said. “Sometimes she will take command and kick you in gear, but I don’t take it personally because I know she’s helping me and I need that. She really takes control and pushes us forward to be better.”

Refreshed after ending a four-game losing streak, the team will push harder than ever to reach the level of competition they expect from themselves on a match-to-match basis.

“Our goal is to win every match,” Maes said. “You play this game to win, and our mentality needs to be that way. It doesn’t matter who the opponent’s going to be — we’re playing to win and we have to prepare and train as if that’s our expectation.”

When Curt Flood sued Major League Baseball for the right to be a free agent in 1970, he opened the floodgates — unoriginal pun most definitely intended — for what would grow into the most exciting offseason in all major sports: MLB’s “Hot Stove,” the annual winter pursuit of free agents. Sure, the NBA and NFL drafts are captivating and draw many viewers once each year, but MLB free agency is a few months’ worth of fun rumors and huge contracts.

I wanted to write about some of the big free agents this year, but because of limits on how long this column can be, I could only write about three. Noticeably missing from this list are Mark Teixeira, A.J. Burnett, Ben Sheets and Derek Lowe. But, for those players I did write about, here’s why I think they do, or don’t, deserve the big bucks they certainly will be commanding. Listed in parentheses next to their names is how much each player earned last year.

Manny Ramirez ($20 million with the Red Sox and Dodgers)

The Dodgers have until Thursday before other teams can negotiate with Ramirez, and if they don’t give Manny what Manny wants, they would be making a huge mistake. Ramirez put fans in the stands and made the Dodgers all sorts of money last year by increasing ticket, concession and merchandise sales. He also carried them into the playoffs with his ridiculous numbers after the trade from the Red Sox, hitting .396 with 17 home runs and 53 RBIs in 53 games for the Dodgers.  

But, considering the Dodgers already made an offer of only two years (albeit for $45 million guaranteed), I don’t see Manny staying in Los Angeles when he can make more money — and get the longer contract he desires — elsewhere. His agent, Scott Boras, already told the Dodgers that two years isn’t long enough, even though Ramirez is 36 years old. Expect Manny to leave LA-LA land for the Big Apple and sign with the deep-pocketed Mets unless the Dodgers can up their ante.

CC Sabathia ($9 million with the Indians and Brewers)

Sabathia is the other player the Yankees have been salivating over, and they will possibly make him the highest-paid pitcher of all time. Fellow lefty Johan Santana received a six-year, $137.5 million contract from the Mets last year, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Sabathia get a contract of similar length for between $21 and $23 million per year, especially after his 11-2 record, 1.65 ERA and seven complete games (including three shutouts) in 17 starts for the Brewers last year, almost single-handedly pitching them into the playoffs.
Joining Sabathia in the Yankees rotation could be aging free agents Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte, who made $11 million and $16 million last year, respectively. Both could return to the Yankees for somewhere near a combined $24 million, as Pettitte is expected to take a pay cut, while Mussina could earn a similar number to last year in what could be his final season.  

Francisco Rodriguez ($10 million with the Angels)

Rodriguez set the Major League record for saves in a season with 62 this year, and many teams will be throwing huge offers in his direction. He will likely command about $15 million per year, which is how much the highest-paid relief pitcher in the majors (Yankees closer Mariano Rivera) currently makes. And, at 26 years old, Rodriguez is young enough to sign a contract of four years or more, which would give him the most lucrative deal for a reliever in Major League history. Many baseball insiders predict Rodriguez will end up with the Mets, and I would have to agree, because they have plenty of money and need a closer badly. And when I say badly, I mean badly. Consider this: The Mets bullpen last year had a 4.27 ERA, and blew 28 saves. Enough said.

One other thing to note: Brian Fuentes, who made $5.05 million as the closer for the Rockies last year, could join Rodriguez in New York if he is willing to accept the role of highly paid setup man. Or, if Rodriguez signs elsewhere, expect the Mets to offer the closer job to Fuentes (though for less money than they would offer Rodriguez). Either way, one of these guys will be replacing Charlottesville-resident Billy Wagner as the Mets’ closer.

Looking for some of the nation’s best men’s soccer action? Look no further than this week’s ACC Tournament, which will feature the No. 1 team in the nation, two other ranked teams and a host of solid programs.

The Virginia men’s soccer team (9-7-1, 4-4 ACC) will head to Cary, N.C. tomorrow to begin play in a conference tournament in which Virginia earned the fourth seed and will face the conference’s fifth seed, Duke (10-6-2, 3-3-2 ACC) tomorrow night at 8 in quarterfinals action. The Cavaliers will try to resurrect their offense in an effort to advance to the conference semifinals.

“I feel like it’s a new season,” coach George Gelnovatch said. “We haven’t played at full strength since Boston College, but we will get [junior forward Matt] Mitchell back and [freshman forward Brian] Ownby back. We played the No. 1 and No. 4 team in the country and played well against them and on a different day could have won.”

Virginia heads into the ACC Tournament riding a bit of a rough streak. The Cavaliers have lost their last two games, although both losses came at the hands very strong teams in No. 1 Wake Forest and then-No. 4 Maryland. Virginia’s offense, though, has really suffered. The Cavaliers have only managed to put up two goals in their last five conference games.

The problem has not been creating scoring opportunities, but finishing those chances. In several losses this season, Virginia has significantly out-shot its opponent yet failed to come away with a win. For example, in Virginia’s recent home loss to Maryland the Cavaliers took nine shots compared to three Terrapin attempts and controlled the ball for most of the game. Virginia only managed to connect for one goal while Maryland scored two. If Virginia is to move on in the ACC Tournament, it will need to find a way to capitalize those opportunities; otherwise, the Cavaliers may find themselves leaving North Carolina early.

Duke, on the other hand, has enjoyed considerable success this season even though it only earned the fifth seed. As late as a week ago, Duke held the No. 25 spot in the national rankings and had posted several quality wins. The Blue Devils knocked off Boston College, Virginia and played Wake Forest to a scoreless tie, which remains the only blemish on Wake Forest’s otherwise immaculate record.

In their last meeting, the Blue Devils defeated the Cavaliers 1-0 in overtime  in Durham, N.C. earning the win on a penalty kick after Virginia fouled a Blue Devil player inside the box. Virginia’s loss to Duke provides more evidence of the Cavalier offense’s inefficiency. Virginia out-shot Duke 11 to eight throughout the contest and also held a six to four edge in corner kicks; however, Virginia could not come up with a goal in an important road game.

Duke is led by senior forward Mike Grella, who put home the winning goal against Virginia. Grella has posted 13 goals and seven assists on the season to lead the Blue Devils in goals, assists and points (33). In comparison, no Virginia player has more than 21 points. In addition to Grella, the Blue Devils also sport an outstanding senior goalkeeper, Brendan Fitzgerald, who has recorded a 0.80 goals against average and a 0.806 save percentage. Fitzgerald’s ability will make it exceedingly difficult for the Cavaliers to overcome their offensive woes. Yet Virginia remains hopeful.

“We have to get ready for the ACC Tournament now,” junior midfielder Ross LaBauex said. “We are all 0-0 now, everything starts over.”

Virginia coach Al Groh has long said if a true freshman is ready to help the team, he will play.

There is no more evidence to support this assertion than on special teams. From the first snap against USC to this point, freshman Jimmy Howell has been the starting punter. With freshman Robert Randolph leapfrogging senior Yannick Reyering as the place kicker on the field goal team last week, Groh has rookies at two of the highest-pressure positions on the field.

“It’s a little different situation than if a player was playing on the line of scrimmage,” Groh said. “But there’s still a lot of pressure on the players to go in and do that.”

Randolph got the start Saturday after receiving his first action three weeks before against North Carolina with Reyering sidelined by a leg injury. After converting one field goal from 37 yards and having another blocked from 39, Randolph’s game-tying extra point late in regulation was tipped at the line of scrimmage and barely flopped over the bar.

After Reyering went 1 for 3 on field goals in the 24-17 overtime loss to Miami, in which he missed tries from 38 and 47 yards, however, Groh gave the nod to Randolph against Wake Forest.

“I was actually informed earlier in the week that I was going to start,” Randolph said. “I took all the one-reps in practice, so I was prepared for the game.”

Randolph said he thought the opportunity to start was a week overdue.

“After I thought I did good in [the game against] North Carolina, I thought I had earned my spot,” Randolph said. “It kind of hurt a little bit, but I couldn’t let it get to me.”

When finally inserted into the top spot on the depth chart against Wake Forest Saturday, Randolph hit two successful extra points and a 33-yard field goal, more than likely good enough to keep the starting job Nov. 22 against Clemson, Groh said.

“It wasn’t a taxing tryout [for Randolph], but at least we got a positive result out of it,” Groh said. “Obviously we needed a better result than what we’ve been getting.”

Howell, meanwhile, has taken every punt this season, averaging 39.3 yards per punt. A freshman from Florence, S.C., Howell was the favorite for the job even before training camp, and Groh said he has been happy with his progress in recent weeks. Howell has averaged 42.8 yards per punt the last two weeks, including two more than 50 yards. Against Miami, Howell put five of his seven punts inside the 20 and booted one ball a season-high 58 yards.

“The distance and all those things were never an issue with Jimmy — it’s just the consistency of the kick,” Groh said. “Now it’s gone on for two weeks — each one hasn’t been beautiful, but there’s been some progress.”

Like Randolph, Virginia was not in Howell’s plans until late in the recruiting process. Randolph received a scholarship from New Mexico State and had planned on playing for Georgetown “until Virginia called me.” Howell said he originally committed to Northwestern, in large part because Virginia had already offered a scholarship to another punter. The coaching staff, however, told Howell that the other punter was “a little shaky” and may de-commit, Howell said. Howell was subsequently offered a scholarship by Virginia and he took it without a second thought.

“Northwestern wasn’t too happy, but the [Virginia] coaches here were,” Howell said. “I talked to every coach — they passed the phone around the table.”

Now entering his ninth game, Howell considers himself a veteran; he noted, however, that all it took was one game against USC. If Howell can punt against the Trojans — he averaged 38.2 yards on eight kicks — it would appear that he can punt against anybody.

“In high school, you maybe had 2,000 [fans],” Howell said. “Then you had 65,000, and then the No. 1 school in America.”

For both Howell and Randolph, Groh said he has been pleased with their ability to handle nerves as starters in their first seasons.

“They’ve handled it well, particularly Rob,” Groh said.