More jobs for Virginia

Governor Bob McDonnell has announced 128 new jobs for Virginia from MeadWestvaco. "Bobs for Jobs" is getting the job done....

Also check out the latest about the 6th District Convention over the weekend. Congrats again to Trixie Averill for winning the chairman position with 73% of the vote.

Congratulations to Trixie Averill ... new 6th District Chairman

Trixie Averill stood in 2007 against anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan in Charlottesville. Trixie, a military mom whose son Sgt. Marcus Averill was deployed 3 times to Iraq and once to Afghanistan, rallied with others in support of America's troops.

In a landslide election, Trixie Averill won the 6th District Chairman position Saturday in Lynchburg. Congratulations, Trixie!

I'm live-blogging the SWACers gathered at Jason's house reliving the convention and sharing with three who were not able to attend. It's a gathering of Yankee Phil, Augusta Conservative, Augusta Water Cooler, Barb, Kurt, Kelly, and David ... observations of the day are being relived and shared.

A collective "Congratulations, Trixie," from the SWAC Crew!

UPDATE: I published this post at 9:30 Saturday night and at 11:00 my cell phone rang. It was Trixie calling to say she had read the post and knew we were all together so I put her on speaker phone and everyone talked and relived the convention and congratulated her for her win. We'll take the rest of the weekend off ... and then roll up our sleeves and get going because there's work to be done.

McDonnell, Bolling, Goodlatte endorse Averill for 6th District Chair

Trixie Averill stood in 2007 against anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan in Charlottesville. Trixie, a military mom whose son Sgt. Marcus Averill was deployed 3 times to Iraq and once to Afghanistan, rallied with others in support of America's troops. Trixie's sign says, "3 Tour Military Mom." This is my favorite photo of her. It shows she has been boots-on-the-ground throughout the years and not just at political rallies.

~6th District Convention today~

Trixie Averill is the real deal, someone who has been in the trenches for 30 years working for conservative causes, principles, and candidates, crisscrossing the Commonwealth and especially the 6th District to do so. She has campaigned for everyone from George Allen to Jim Gilmore to Bob Goodlatte to Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling, and Ken Cuccinelli.

Trixie has been endorsed by Gov. Bob McDonnell, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, and Rep. Bob Goodlatte as she runs for Chairman of the 6th District at this weekend's convention in Lynchburg.

Anyone who knows her knows an animated, upbeat, and patriotic military mom whose energy rallies others to work their hardest for our candidates. Recently, while speaking at the Rockingham County mass meeting, she read the duties of a District Chairman from the Republican Party of Virginia Party Plan and emphasized that a chairman does the business of the Party by supporting Republican candidates and the Reublican Platform.

From Article IV, Section D of the Party Plan - Duties of a chairman:

2. District Chairman
a. The District Chairman shall be Chairman of the District Committee.

b. He shall issue calls for District Conventions and Party Canvasses, and shall preside until a temporary organization is effected. See Article VIII, Section A.

c. He shall convene the District Committee when the needs of the Party so demand, but in no event less than once during each calendar quarter, with no more than four (4) months between each meeting, and shall preside at the meetings of the Committee. He shall be responsible for sending written notice of the call for a Committee meeting to all members of the Committee,which shall include the agenda for the meeting.

d. He shall be responsible for the operation of the District Headquarters, hiring such personnel as he shall deem necessary and for which funds are budgeted and shall be accountable therefor to the District Committee.

e. He shall be responsible for providing a prescribed time and place, which shall be supervised by the District Chairman, or a designated representative, for filing such declaration of candidacy and petitions as may be required by state law of a candidate in any primary election.

The 6th District has had its share of issues the past two years and Trixie will be ready to step in and mediate where necessary. Her grassroots activism goes back 30 years and she was voted by her peers onto State Central Committee and then, in 2009, as Western Vice Chairwoman.

Trixie walks the walk ... she doesn't just talk the talk. Leadership demands more than just words ... it demands action.

A brief outline of Trixie's conservative work throughout the years:

- Conservative: pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment, believes in Virginia GOP Creed
- Worked on campaigns for George Allen, Jim Gilmore, Mark Earley, Jerry Kilgore, Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling, and others
- Traveled all of the Western part of the state since 1993 representing statewide candidates
- Spent countless hours attending and organizing meetings, fundraisers, rallies, parades, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and untold numbers of barbeques
- Made phone calls, lists, distributed materials, worked Headquarters, sent thousands of emails, poked, prodded, and pushed candidates and volunteers alike to work harder to win the race
- Member of the 6th District Committee and the State Central Committee since 1992 - Currently serves as the Western Vice-Chairwoman

Trixie explained her reason for seeking the 6th District Chairman position:

Now, after 16 years of traveling the West, I’d like to focus right here in my home district. The political landscape has changed and we can no longer assume that the 6th will go red, just because it always has. I do believe that we can still win and win big, but we have to buckle down, work together, and stay focused on the goal.

The 6th District Convention is Saturday, May 22, in Lynchburg. I've worked with Trixie as a volunteer for 11 years and have seen her in action all those years. Email me if you would like more information about her or about the upcoming 6th District Convention.

Photo by SWAC Girl
Lynn Mitchell

McDonnell, Bolling, Goodlatte endorse Averill for 6th District Chair

Trixie Averill stood in 2007 against anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan in Charlottesville.

Trixie, a military mom whose son Sgt. Marcus Averill was deployed 3 times to Iraq and once to Afghanistan, rallied with others in support of America's troops.

Trixie's sign says, "3 Tour Military Mom." This is my favorite photo of her. It shows she has been boots-on-the-ground throughout the years and not just at political rallies.

Trixie Averill is the real deal, someone who has been in the trenches for 30 years working for conservative causes, principles, and candidates, crisscrossing the Commonwealth and especially the 6th District to do so. She has campaigned for everyone from George Allen to Jim Gilmore to Bob Goodlatte to Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling, and Ken Cuccinelli.

Trixie has been endorsed by Gov. Bob McDonnell, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, and Rep. Bob Goodlatte as she runs for Chairman of the 6th District at this weekend's convention in Lynchburg.

Anyone who knows her knows an animated, upbeat, and patriotic military mom whose energy rallies others to work their hardest for our candidates. Recently, while speaking at the Rockingham County mass meeting, she read the duties of a District Chairman from the Republican Party of Virginia Party Plan and emphasized that a chairman does the business of the Party by supporting Republican candidates and the Reublican Platform.

From Article IV, Section D of the Party Plan - Duties of a chairman:

2. District Chairman
a. The District Chairman shall be Chairman of the District Committee.

b. He shall issue calls for District Conventions and Party Canvasses, and shall preside until a temporary organization is effected. See Article VIII, Section A.

c. He shall convene the District Committee when the needs of the Party so demand, but in no event less than once during each calendar quarter, with no more than four (4) months between each meeting, and shall preside at the meetings of the Committee. He shall be responsible for sending written notice of the call for a Committee meeting to all members of the Committee,which shall include the agenda for the meeting.

d. He shall be responsible for the operation of the District Headquarters, hiring such personnel as he shall deem necessary and for which funds are budgeted and shall be accountable therefor to the District Committee.

e. He shall be responsible for providing a prescribed time and place, which shall be supervised by the District Chairman, or a designated representative, for filing such declaration of candidacy and petitions as may be required by state law of a candidate in any primary election.

The 6th District has had its share of issues the past two years and Trixie will be ready to step in and mediate where necessary. Her grassroots activism goes back 30 years and she was voted by her peers onto State Central Committee and then, in 2009, as Western Vice Chairwoman.

Trixie walks the walk ... she doesn't just talk the talk. Leadership demands more than just words ... it demands action.

A brief outline of Trixie's conservative work throughout the years:

- Conservative: pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment, believes in Virginia GOP Creed
- Worked on campaigns for George Allen, Jim Gilmore, Mark Earley, Jerry Kilgore, Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling, and others
- Traveled all of the Western part of the state since 1993 representing statewide candidates
- Spent countless hours attending and organizing meetings, fundraisers, rallies, parades, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and untold numbers of barbeques
- Made phone calls, lists, distributed materials, worked Headquarters, sent thousands of emails, poked, prodded, and pushed candidates and volunteers alike to work harder to win the race
- Member of the 6th District Committee and the State Central Committee since 1992 - Currently serves as the Western Vice-Chairwoman

Trixie explained her reason for seeking the 6th District Chairman position:

Now, after 16 years of traveling the West, I’d like to focus right here in my home district. The political landscape has changed and we can no longer assume that the 6th will go red, just because it always has. I do believe that we can still win and win big, but we have to buckle down, work together, and stay focused on the goal.

The 6th District Convention is Saturday, May 22, in Lynchburg. I've worked with Trixie as a volunteer for 11 years and have seen her in action all those years. Email me if you would like more information about her or about the upcoming 6th District Convention.

Trixie Averill ... 6th District Chair candidate speaks at Rockingham mass meeting

Trixie Averill stood with Support the Troops ralliers at the 2007 Cindy Sheehan appearance in Charlottesville. Her sign said, "3 Tour Military Mom." Her son, Sgt. Marcus Averill, was deployed to Iraq three times during Operation Iraqi Freedom. This is my favorite photo of Trixie.

Trixie Averill has had boots-on-the-ground for 30 years working for conservative causes and candidates ... and on Monday night she was speaking to the 100+ attendees at the Rockingham County mass meeting in Harrisonburg.

A Republican activist in the trenches for years, she was typical Trixie ... animated, upbeat, and a patriotic military mom whose son spent three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. She thanked everyone for coming out ... she commented on the large crowd.

She asked, "Is there anyone in this room who doesn't agree with the Constitution? If so, you're in the wrong room!"

She read the duties of a District Chairman from the Republican Party of Virginia Party Plan, emphasizing that a chairman does the business of the Republican Party by supporting Republican candidates and the Republican Platform.

"It's a travesty what Democrats have done," she exclaimed, referring to government health care reform recently pass by a partisan Democrat vote in Congress. We don't have that problem in the 6th District, she added, because of the excellent representation of Congressman Bob Goodlatte.

She emphasized that there are problems in the 5th District where Congressman Tom Perriello (D) voted for the government health care bill, and in the 9th District where Congressman Rick Boucher (D) voted for cap and trade.

Her grassroots activism goes back 30 years and many know her from her years of traveling the Shenandoah Valley supporting Republican candidates and encouraging volunteers who want to be involved.

Trixie walks the walk ... she doesn't just talk the talk.

A brief outline of Trixie's conservative work throughout the years:

- Conservative: pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment, believes in Virginia GOP Creed
- Worked on campaigns for George Allen, Jim Gilmore, Mark Earley, Jerry Kilgore, Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling, and others
- Traveled all of the Western part of the state since 1993 representing statewide candidates
- Spent countless hours attending and organizing meetings, fundraisers, rallies, parades, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and untold numbers of barbeques
- Made phone calls, lists, distributed materials, worked Headquarters, sent thousands of emails, poked, prodded, and pushed candidates and volunteers alike to work harder to win the race
- Member of the 6th District Committee and the State Central Committee since 1992
- Currently serves as the Western Vice-Chairwoman

Trixie explained her reason for seeking the 6th District Chairman position:

Now, after 16 years of traveling the West, I’d like to focus right here in my home district. The political landscape has changed and we can no longer assume that the 6th will go red, just because it always has. I do believe that we can still win and win big, but we have to buckle down, work together, and stay focused on the goal.

The 6th District Convention is May 22 in Lynchburg.

I've worked with Trixie as a volunteer for 11 years and have seen her in action all those years. Email me if you would like more information about her or about the upcoming 6th District Convention.

Botetourt blog....

There's a blog called "Botetourt" that I didn't know about until alerted today that they had picked up my blog post about the Salute to the Troops at the 6th District Convention last Saturday. I mentioned two Botetourt military men in my remarks so it was picked up and added to their news.

They also picked up on my post thanking Jim Crosby, current 6th District vice chairman, and the speech he gave at Saturday's convention.

6th District Convention: Salute to the troops

A tradition of the Sixth District has been to recognize our military at our convention. Two years ago I had that privilege and was again honored to be asked to salute our troops this year. We had the invocation, the Pledge of Allegiance led by Scott Sayre, the National Anthem, and then the Salute to the Troops:

From care packages to letters from home ... from rallies to bumper stickers to yellow ribbons ... and even to a 2008 Super Bowl Budweiser commercial ... America shows her support of our Armed Forces.

A tradition of the 6th District Convention has been to do the same.

The war on terrorism escalated on 9/11 ... and Congressman Bob Goodlatte was there to support our President and our troops ... and in January 2006 he traveled to Afghanistan to visit the military.

Today we want to honor our military and thank them. This is a brief list of some of our 6th District military members.

Captain Charles Anderson, Army, son of Ann and Fred Anderson of Roanoke County. Two tours deployments to Iraq.

Marcus Averill, Army, son of Dan and Trixie Averill of Roanoke County. Three tours to Iraq.

John Hayden, son of Kathy Terry of Botetourt County. In the Navy; stationed at the Portsmouth Navy Hospital.

Major Scott Crosby, Air Force, son of Jim and Linda Crosby of Botetourt County. Recently returned from Qatar.

Welcome home, Shea Cook! U.S. Army, recently returned from Baghdad. Shea was the former 9th District Republican Chairman, from Tazewell County.

Pat Harman, Army National Guard. Returned last week from his second deployment to Iraq. Pat is the brother-in-law of Staunton Chairwoman Anne Taetzsch.

And in Augusta County we have lost three young Marines in Operation Iraqi Freedom ... all 19 years old ... all Lance Corporals.

Jason Redifer, killed in action, January 31, 2005.

Daniel Bubb, killed in action, October 17, 2005.

Daniel Morris, killed in action, Februay 14, 2007.

When Daniel Morris died last year, the community turned out. As the Patriot Guard Riders stood at attention, each holding an American flag to honor this young man, Bob Goodlatte came by to pay his respects to the family.

We would like to recognize the following so please stand and remain standing if you are currently active military ... if you are the parents of an active military member ... if you have lost a loved one in the war on terrorism ... if you are in the Reserves or other military service ... if you are a veteran.

Please join me in a round of applause in thanking these men and women who help keep us safe here at home.

We also thank their families for their sacrifice.

I want to close by saying ... Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know. Freedom is not free. Thank you to all our Armed Froces for your service.