February 21st: Dr. James C. Miller, Guest Speaker in Madison

Dr. James C. Miller III will be the Guest Speaker at the February 21st meeting of the Madison County Republican Women, 6:30-8:30 PM, at the Madison Presbyterian Church, Rt. 722 at the north traffic light, 1236 Fishback Road. 

Dr. Miller served as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service under President George W. Bush and was a member of President Ronald Reagan's Cabinet. 

Currently, Dr. Miller is a Senior Advisor at Husch Blackwell, LLP, an international commercial law firm.  He is also a Distinguished Fellow of the Center for Study of Public Choice at George Mason University and a Senior Fellow (by courtesy) of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.  In addition, he is Chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Tax and Investment Center, and a member of the Board of Directors of Americans for Prosperity. 

Everyone is invited to attend this informative meeting. The evening's menu features Chicken casseroles, cranberry sauce, salads, green beans, coleslaw, Asian slaw, desserts, tea and lemonade. Dinner: $7. 

Dec.20th: Madison GOP Christmas Gala

The 14th Annual 

Madison County Republican Women

Christmas Gala

December 20th, 6:00 - 9:30 PM

at Prince Michele Winery

 Senator Emmett Hanger will be our Guest Speaker. 

A special guest, Virginia Federation of Republican of Republican Women (VFRW) President Faye Williamson will install our 2012 Officers.

Entertainment will be provided by The Cliché, a talented barbershop quartet. 

Enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres, eggnog, punch and coffee.

There will be a silent auction to benefit the Marion Simpson Scholarship 

and a 50/50 raffle. 

Cost: $10 per person. For more information call (540) 923-4300.

October 15th: American Legion Catfish Supper

AMERICAN LEGION POST 157

FALL CATFISH SUPPER

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2011

5-8 PM

 310 THRIFT ROAD, MADISON, VIRGINIA

MENU

©     Large Fried Catfish Fillet

©     Authentic Hush Puppies

©     Home-Style Black-eyed Peas

©     Buttered Potatoes with Parsley

©     Cole Slaw Made from Scratch

©     Homemade Corn Muffin

©     Applesauce

©     Cake, Pie, and Other Desserts

©     Iced Tea and Hot Coffee

choice of fried catfish or hot dogs for children

 No Advance reservations Needed &  Carry-outs available

ONLY fresh u.s farm-raised catfish ARE SERVED

COST

Adults        $12

Children 12 and under      $5

Live Country Music by sunny side up band

civil war 150^th anniversary quilt raffle

 50-50 Raffle

Proceeds Support Post Youth Programs

For Information, Call Aux. Pres. Dottie Stephenson @ (540) 948-5019

Oct. 8th: Meet the candidate, Jonathon Weakley

You are cordially invited to a

Meet the Candidate Dinner

On behalf of

Jonathon Weakley

Republican Candidate for

Madison County Board of Supervisors

Saturday, October 8th

4:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

At the

Brightwood Ruritan Club

Sponsored by the Madison County Republican Committee and Madison County Republican Women. 
Pot Luck dinner provided by MCRW.

RSVP appreciated. Call (540) 923-4300.

Saturday, September 3rd: Taste of the Mountains, 9 AM - 4 PM

White House Ornaments For Sale at the Madison, VA Main Street Festival

The 2011 White House Christmas ornament honors the twenty-sixth president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, and reflects the excitement that President Roosevelt, his wife Edith, and their lively young family brought to life at the White House.

The ornament is priced at $18. Ornaments are available from members of Madison County Republican Women. Pick them up at Republican booth at Taste of the Mountains, near the Court House or call (540) 923-4085, (540) 923-4300 or (540) 547-2156. Ornaments are also for sale at The Madison Inn Restaurant.

Be sure to stop by for candidate literature and yard signs. Jonathon Weakley the Republican candidate for Madison County Board of Supervisors will be at the booth all day and Delegate Ed Scott and Senator Emmett Hanger will be stopping by also.

Aug. 6th Re-enactment: Stonewall Jackson's March

Here's a very special event!... please mark your calendars. It should be a great time....Bring your family, neighbors, and all your friends.....

The special event is a tribute to the courageous march by General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson and his 25,000 thousand strong "foot cavalry" in late November of 1862. He and his foot troops, marched from Marksville/Stanley, Virginia (Page County)--located within the beautiful Shenandoah Valley--and traveled east over the Blue Ridge Mountains by way of the Blue Ridge Turnpike (Gordonsville-New Market Turnpike).

They crossed present day Skyline Drive at Fishers Gap, between Skyland Resort and Big Meadows. They then traveled down the mountain, on the east side, again on the Turnpike through present day Syria, Virginia (Madison County) where they camped for the evening. This would be the last time the gallant leader, Stonewall Jackson, would ever see his beloved Shenandoah Valley for he was mortally wounded in May of 1863 at Chancellorsville, Virginia.

In recognition of their march which brought them very close to DuCard Vineyard, our good friend and owner of DuCard Vineyards (Scott Elliff), is commemorating this special event by offering the below special events at his vineyard. The event is free, and is very family friendly.

The vineyard is located at 40 Gibson Hollow Lane Etlan (Madison County), VA. Gibson Hollow Lane is just off Etlan Road (Rt. 643) which runs between Etlan and Syria, Va.

DuCard's website is: DuCard Vineyards or, https://ducardvineyards.com/

Come to the mountains. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and learn a portion of the rich history which can be found within Madison County. Hope to see you there----

Doug Graves

Civil War event at DuCard Vineyards

Stonewall Jackson “March on DuCard Vineyards”

August 6, 2011

1-6 PM

Join us for a great Civil War 150th anniversary commemorative event. Stonewall Jackson and his troops will be visiting the tasting room and we'll be releasing our new 2nd Corps wine for his, and your, enjoyment. This limited edition wine commemorates his march over the mountains down the road from DuCard, with 25,000 troops on the way to the battle of Fredericksburg.

The re-enactors will also make camp that night at the winery and will be available to demonstrate life of soldiers on the move, including demonstrations of cooking, weaponry, fife and drum music and more. It all should be quite a spectacle !

Event is free. Family and dog friendly. (Actual march time scheduled for 2 PM)

2011 Marion Simpson Scholarship

Madison, Virginia -- All Madison County High School 2011 senior class members have an opportunity to win a $1,000 scholarship sponsored by the Madison County Republican Women’s Club. The winning applicant of the Marion Simpson Scholarship may be a male and female 12^thgrade student attending the public school system or receiving home schooling.

Applications are available at the Madison County High School guidance office or from the local home school web-site. Deadline for submission is May 2, 2011.

The $1,000 scholarship will be sent directly to the college where the student will attend in the fall of 2011

A Time to Dine and Dance

Saturday, October 23rd: Country Dinner & Dance

Good Food – Lots of Fun – Music, Dance and Door Prizes!

A Country Dinner & Dance will be held on October 23rd, 6:00 PM at Shenandoah Springs, 740 Stage Coach Lane, Haywood.

Deanna Torres will be calling the Virginia Reel and Rachel Torres will be leading the culture dance.

Tickets are $15 each or two for $25. The menu for the evening features savory barbecue and tempting side dishes.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Marion Simpson Scholarship fund. The dinner & dance is sponsored by Madison County Republican Women.

For tickets and information please call (540) 923-4300 or (540) 661-0454. Tickets will be also be available at our October 19th meeting.

Taste of the Mountains Main Street Festival

Great Day for a Parade!

Rachel Torres, the 2010 recipient of the Marion Simpson Scholarship represented Madison County Republican Women in the parade.

Battle of Jack's Shop -- Civil War Tour

Jack's Shop Talk and Tour

Wednesday, July 14th

9:30 a.m.

Bethel Methodist Church pavilion

Rochelle, (Madison County) Virginia

Harold Woodward, Jr., our own Madison County author and Civil War Historian, is presenting a talk and tour of the Civil War Battle named, Jack's Shop. Very little has been written about this momentous event that occurred here, within beautiful Madison County. Mr. Woodward has conducted his own personal research regarding this battle and will share this information on that day.

On Sept. 22, 1863 at Jack's Shop (today known as Rochelle), the Confederate Army (Horse Artillery & Calvary) under the command of J.E.B. Stuart was attacked on three fronts. A gallant but bloody battle followed--as a matter of fact, it was the largest Horse Artillery & Calvary engagement of the Civil Warafter Gettysburg! And it occurred here, in Madison County.

Battle of Jack's Shop -- Civil War Tour

Jack's Shop Talk and Tour

Wednesday, July 14th

9:30 a.m.

Bethel Methodist Church pavilion

Rochelle, (Madison County) Virginia

Harold Woodward, Jr., our own Madison County author and Civil War Historian, is presenting a talk and tour of the Civil War Battle named, Jack's Shop. Very little has been written about this momentous event that occurred here, within beautiful Madison County. Mr. Woodward has conducted his own personal research regarding this battle and will share this information on that day.

On Sept. 22, 1863 at Jack's Shop (today known as Rochelle), the Confederate Army (Horse Artillery & Calvary) under the command of J.E.B. Stuart was attacked on three fronts. A gallant but bloody battle followed--as a matter of fact, it was the largest Horse Artillery & Calvary engagement of the Civil Warafter Gettysburg! And it occurred here, in Madison County.

Please come and join us that day.

Madison Group Makes Beautiful Music

Madison Choral Society

performance this weekend

Orange Baptist Church

Orange, VA

Friday the 23rd, 8 p.m.

Mt. Carmel Church

Haywood, VA

Sunday the 25th, 4 p.m.

The Choral Society will be performing some beautiful music.

There is no charge.

Quote of the Day

"I don't think that we should do any capital spending until the economy has recovered, and I don't see that happening for at least two years."

Frank Stidman

Republican Candidate for Madison County Supervisor

at the MACE/Madison Association for Continued Equality forum

Four Chaplains Memorial Service

The Orange, Virginia American Legion Post 156, the Madison, Virginia American Legion Post 157, and Auxiliary Unit 157 held a Clergy Appreciation Dinner and Four Chaplains Memorial Service at the Madison American Legion Post Home this evening.

Gerry Stephenson, Commander of the Madison Post brought the meeting to order and Madison Boy Scout Troop 45 posted the colors. Madison Post Vice Commander Lisa Davis led the crowd of about 100 in the Pledge of Allegiance.

A delicious ham and turkey dinner was provided by Madison Wood Preservers and prepared by the Auxiliary. Next guests heard "The Saga of the Four Chaplains" and enjoyed some patriotic vocal stylings by Jeanne Bruton and Maribeth Lowe. Then a Lighting Ceremony was held in tribute to the Four Chaplains while the biography of each of these noble men was read.

The Four Chaplains honored were: Chaplain Alexander D. Goode, Chaplain George L. Fox, Chaplain Clark V. Poling, and Chaplain John P. Washington.

"Those four chaplains obeyed the Divine Commandment that men should love one another.. This is an old faith in our country. It is shared by all our churches and all our denominations... The unit of our country comes from this fact."

President Harry Truman, February 3, 1951

Below is the story of the Four Chaplains.

"THE LAST DAY OF THE DORCHESTER"

By Walter S. Miller, Survivor

On a cold day in January, 1943
The Dorchester set out for open sea,
With civilians, seamen and soldiers too,
And Four Chaplains there among the crew.

The days turned to nights and back to days,
The Chaplains comforted us in many ways,
A prayer, a smile or a word or two,
Everyday, until that day was through.

A date to remember was coming fast,
That will remain with me, till life is past
February 3, 1943
A date that will always stay with me.

It was early morning and it was dark,
A German sub took aim and hit its mark,
A torpedo ripped a large hole in the ship,
And for hundreds of men, it was the end of the trip.

War is hell and war is glory,
As you will read in this my story,
Four Chaplains on board were proved so brave,
For so many lives they tried to save.

Handing out life jackets,
Including theirs too,
And then they went down,
With the rest of the crew.

As the ship was sinking, they joined hands and prayed,
For the men still on board, and the price that they paid,
A few survivors are left to tell the story,
Of Four Chaplains who sank in a blaze of glory.

April 7, 1985

These brave men posthumously received the Four Chaplains' Medal of Valor, established by Congress on July 14, 1960.

Madison County Military Morale Booster:"Operation Warm Heart"

Lisa Davis, Vice Commander of the American Legion Post 157 is coordinating a worthy project for our Madison County troops.
excerpt...

"Be part of Madison County's "Operation Warm Heart" which is a mass campaign of letters and hand drawn pictures that will be sent to our military service men and women. We are in the process of gathering names of military personnel with roots here in our county - having a home here or family ties like parents, siblings or grandparents. We already have several names and and addresses but need your help to insure that letters and pictures are sent to every Madison troop. "Operation Warm Heart" is not just for personnel stationed in areas of conflict. Our goal is that every Madison Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine and Coast Guard service member will be sent a little piece of home to let them know we care, respect and appreciate what they are doing for our country.

To meet overseas mailing timeline all letters and pictures (no larger than letter size) will be collected during the week of 10 November... This campaign is open to all ages. Remember you can make a big difference during this upcoming holiday season!

If you have someone you would like to add to our list, please provide their name, rank and address as soon as possible."

Sincerely,
Lisa Davis, VIce Commander
The American Legion Post 157
P.O. Box 991.
Madison, Virginia 22727

The Madison American Legion Honors the Flag

Madison, VA

The American Legion Post 157 served up a tasty barbecue chicken dinner along with a huge dollop of patriotism during this evening's Flag Day Program. The event was designed to provide "some good small town, old-fashioned family fun and singing to raise our spirits," said Post Commander Gerald Stephenson.

Commander Stephenson read President Bush's Flag Day Proclamation. The Invocation was given by Minister Mark Cook. Later Stephenson read the Story of the Pledge of Allegiance to the audience, part of which was included on the program:

"On June 20, 1985, the Ninety- Ninth Congress passed and President Reagan signed Public Law 99-54 recognizing the PAUSE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE as part of National Flag Day activities. It is an invitation urging all Americans to participate on Flag Day, June 14, 7:00 PM (EDT) in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance."

The audience stood, placing right hands over their hearts, and joined en mass in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance:

"I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL."

The program ended with a Bugle Call - Taps, and a Benediction by Minister Cook.

Lively music was provided by The Country Troubadours.

The audience participated in singing America (My Country 'Tis of Thee), the Star Spangled Banner and God Bless America.

One of the Troubadour's guitarists, veteran Gene Beret, told the crowd that he was glad to see our service men and women welcomed home from the war, and not the way returning soldiers and military personnel were treated during the Vietnam War. He asked everyone to pray for America and ask for God's blessings for our great nation.

Madison's American Legion Post has about 75 members. They are starting an Auxiliary and looking for new members.

Eric Stevens and Post Commander Gerald Stephenson

Jeannie Bruton and Ellen Fox

Madison American Legion Post 157

Madison Taxpayers Revolt

Petition to the Madison County Board of Supervisors

Madison, Virginia

“We the citizens of the County of Madison do object to the proposed real estate tax rate for years 2008-2009 being set at 48 cents per $100.00 of assessed value. This proposed rate would be an increase from the equalized rate of 40 cents per $100.00 of assessed value which was set following the county’s most recent assessment.”

Send your own letter to the BOS or, to help with this petition drive, call Bill Campbell at (540) 948-6370.

Best Quote from a Government Official

"How will this amendment benefit the citizens of Madison County?"

Rodney Lillard, Chairman, Madison County Planning Commission

at a joint public hearing held by the Madison County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, Wednesday, April 2, 2008, to receive public comment and consider adoption of an ordinance to Amend the Madison County Zoning Ordinance as follows:

Amend the definition of Home Occupation in Article 20-98 to allow the use of mechanical equipment that emits a sound level during the hours between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm of 80dBH or less when measured at or outside the property line and to allow by special use permit a home occupation with no more than (4) employees in addition to the owner(s) of the property, who are not required to reside on the property or have any relation to the owner(s) in the Residential, Limited R-1, Residential, General R-2, and Residential, Multiple Family R-3 Zoning Districts.

This was quite a break from the current definition of Madison County Zoning Ordinance, Article 20-98 which reads

HOME OCCUPATION:

An occupation limited to
person(s) who reside on the premises where there is no evidence (except for signs as otherwise herein provided) that will indicate from the exterior that the building is being utilized in whole or in part for any purpose other than a dwelling or accessory building thereto; provided, however, a home occupation with less than three (3) employees who are regularly employed on the site may be permitted by special use permit in Conservation (C-1) and Agricultural (A-1) zones and a home occupation conducted solely within the home without employees other than those who reside on the premises and without any customer traffic to the home shall be permitted by right in Conservation (C-1), (R-2) and Residential, Multiple Family (R-3) zones. A home occupation shall use no mechanical equipment exceeding 5 horsepower other than that which is normally used for domestic or household purposes.

The aforesaid amendments shall apply to all home occupations which have heretofore been granted a special use permit.

During the period for comments from the audience, Madison County Republican Committee Vice Chair Frank Stidman voiced strong opposition from the Committee.

Former Vice Chair Al Martin told the PC/BOS members, "The decibel level Rockingham-Page County allows the Shenandoah Speedway is 80 decibels measured on the property line - the same as this ordinance would permit a business."

Robert Kane, an engineer who has recently done work on a similar issue, give an explanation of decibel levels. He also opposed the amendment as did everyone who came to speak on the issue except for Mrs. Carpenter of Brightwood.

Mrs. Carpenter supported the amendment which was submitted by an illegal machine shop, located 10 from the property line on less than an acre in Brightwood, an R2 area. She claimed to know of 10-15 other illegal businesses in the county and felt it wasn't fair to turn down the amendment.

When it came time to vote, the Planning Commission voted unanimously against the amendment. After a brief break, the Board of Supervisors, who had been listing to the PC hearing, convened for their vote.

Chairman Eddie Dean said that it was the right of citizens to petition the government and he encouraged the public to contact supervisors with their concerns. Nonetheless, the vote from the supervisors was 4 to 1 against the amendment.

Supervisor Bob Miller indicated that he thought some changes were needed for R2 and R3 but this amendment was not the way to address it, so the issue of allowing special use permits in these Residential zones may resurface at a later date.

Send a fax to thank the PC at 540-3843, and emails to the BOS at mbos@madisonva.org