The picket fence and gate are almost covered with snow. Photo by SWAC Daughter.
SWAC Husband clears 2 feet of snow off deck.
The snow is knee deep.
Pathway shoveled by SWAC Daughter to driveway.
As this photo was taken, heavy snow continued to fall. Photo by SWAC Daughter.
Photo by SWAC Daughter.
Snow drifting against fence.
Snow piled against door to deck.
Yard is a winter wonderland.
Heavy snow continues to fall as 25-30 mph wind gusts cause snow drifts.
The bill will amend Section 18.2 of the Code of Virginia which is the criminal code. Newman stated, “It is difficult to believe that the current Code could have such a flaw that would allow anyone to take the life of a born child. While I will not comment at this time on the case in Campbell County, it is abundantly clear that Virginians will demand a legislative cure to this loophole. I have consulted with the Attorney General Elect, Ken Cuccinelli; Campbell County Commonwealth Attorney, Neil Vener; Campbell County Sheriff Terry Gaddy and the investigator in the case, Tracy Emerson. All have indicated their full support for this legislation.
See the video at Yankee Phil
SWAC Area Bloggers, aka StrictlyVA bloggers met last night at the Depot Grille.
The director of the Shenandoah Valley Tea Party Patriots is the first official candidate to fill the Staunton City Council seat of outgoing state District 20 Del.-elect Dickie Bell.
Former Detroit policeman and Navy veteran Richard Armstrong, 63, on Monday submitted his application and Staunton vision statement.
They are neighbors and co-workers.During last year's presidential campaign, Barack Obama noted that "you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig."Sen. Mark Warner is a member of the committee and, as a businessman, should be pulling back in horror at the thought of this overreaching government bureaucracy. Calls and letters are urgently needed to ask Sen. Warner to vote NO on creating another bureaucratic agency. He can be contacted by letter, FAX, or phone call:
This phrase neatly sums up the ongoing ... Financial Services Committee markup of .... the Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA) Act of 2009. Despite honest attempts to improve the bill, the overall concept is still badly flawed, and any result that comes close to the original concept will be a major mistake. There is simply no rationale for creating such an agency that a coordinating council of state and federal financial regulators cannot accomplish easier and at a lower cost.
The Honorable Sen. Mark WarnerCongress should rely on legislation already in place, such as the SEC and Department of Justice, to enforce the laws on the books rather than create new bureaucracy, more debt, and more opportunity for ACORN to have access in this Obama administration.
919 East Main Street, Suite 630
Richmond, VA 23219
FAX: (804) 775-2319
PHONE - Richmond Office: (804) 775-2314
PHONE - Washington Office: (202) 224-2023
"What do you do with all this money that y'all are taking from us?"Hundreds of Shenandoah County residents angry at huge increases in their real estate assessments turned out Thursday night for a meeting with supervisors in the high school gymnasium. From the Northern Virginia Daily:
--Fred Parker, Shenandoah County resident, addressing Board of Supervisors (10/29/09)
At the largest supervisors meeting in years -- perhaps in history -- several hundred people filled Central High School's gymnasium seeking answers on the increased reassessments and likelihood of a tax increase as a result.This takes place six months after Augusta County supervisors saw the largest crowd in history -- 1,000 strong -- turn out to protest their high real estate assessments. The paper continued:
With hundreds of people angry about the recent real estate reassessments present, the chairman of the Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors conceded Thursday night that a meeting with the appraisal group to get justification of its findings was needed.County Administrator Vince Poling offered a presentation to explain the reassessments:
In the presentation, [Poling] noted that the new reassessment does not necessarily mean a person's taxes will go up, which elicited laughter from the crowd and one person yelling, "Tell us another one."Thursday's meeting was in place of the scheduled Tuesday meeting that was cancelled after residents showed up at the Government Center.
Petitions were circulated throughout the county ... 30+ businesses allowed them in their stores including Tractor Supply, that farm equipment store that has a finger on the pulse of the rural community.
Signatures were collected from more than 10,500 residents and taken to Augusta supervisors ... over 1,000 residents turned out for the supervisor meeting in March, the largest crowd ever in the county's history ... over 50 speakers addressed supervisors at the meeting. In March 2009 this blog reported:
There is a groundswell of discontent among those who pay taxes and feel those taxes are increasingly being squandered by the government. Tough times have hit Americans, something that is evident in the SWAC area of Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County after local companies laid off hundreds of employees ... Invista, Mohawk Carpet, American Safety Razor, Gem Ply, Unifi, Hershey ... as home prices dropped 18% the last quarter of 2008, as housing starts dropped to their lowest level since 1959. Baby boomers have seen half their retirement savings disappear as the Stock Market dropped ... others lost their investments. Unemployment in Augusta County has been reported at over 9%.
Nothing has improved since that time ... in fact, the financial and job situation has become worse. Mohawk Carpet announced they will close down in December. Layoffs have been announced for McQuay in Verona as well as Western State in Staunton.
Yet there is a disconnect between the supervisors and the general population.
Instead of dealing with the assessment issue, Augusta County sued Churchville attorney Francis Chester asking for financial sanctions against him for having the audacity to represent pro bono 10,500 county residents in a lawsuit against the county.
Taking a cue from Augusta, Shenandoah County filed a lawsuit earlier this month against a county resident who is currently a supervisor candidate for having the audacity to ask questions of the board.
The electeds are there to serve the community ... they are paid by citizens ... they are not there to intimidate and humiliate those same taxpaying residents who ask questions and want answers and a transparent government. At what point do they realize Americans cannot shoulder much more of the government's debt?
Augusta resident Ed Long presents facts to try and persuade BOS not to spend $60,000 a year on new cell phones."Get real! My cell phone is several years old. I'll replace it when it breaks. Then I'll buy the nicest one I can afford."- David Karaffa at the Augusta Conservative notes an Augusta County Board of Supervisors wasteful spending alert!
