text:
Delegate Mark Cole
P. O. Box 41965
Fredericksburg, VA 22404
(540) 786-3402
Paid for and authorized by Mark Cole for Delegate
Congressmen Dave Brat and Rob Wittman with Delegate Mark Cole
It is my honor to represent the citizens of the 88th District in the Virginia House of Delegates. The House of Delegates is one half of the Virginia General Assembly, the other half being the Virginia Senate. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns about legislation or issues before the General Assembly. If you would like to visit the Capitol in Richmond, please call my office so that we may set-up a tour and assist with your visit. I look forward to hearing from you!
Thank you for your support and vote! While it was a rough night for Republicans, we managed to win a big victory in the 88th District! Thank you!
November 5, 2017
I have served with 4 Governors during my time in the House of Delegates; 3 Democrats and only 1 Republican. While the General Assembly, led by the House, has significantly increased transportation funding, the fact is that transportation has not been a priority for the 3 Democrat Governors: Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, and Terry McAuliffe. Only the lone Republican, Bob McDonnell, made it a priority!
When Mark Warner was Governor, and the voters of Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads rejected his tax increase referendum ñ he just quit trying to get anything done for our gridlocked roads. In 2004, when he pushed through the LARGEST tax increase in Virginia history,
In 2008
Governor Tim Kaine actually raided $180 million from the transportation fund to spend on other programs.
One of the first things we had to do in the General Assembly that year was restore those funds!
Currently, Governor McAuliffe seems to be more interested in bragging about the number of bills he has vetoed, than working with the General Assembly to find common ground.
Only Governor McDonnell made transportation a priority during his administration. To find another Governor that made transportation a priority, you would have to go back to Governor Gilmore, the previous Republican to occupy the office.
So, if history is any guide,
if you want to make transportation a priority in the next administration, you should vote for Ed Gillespie for Governor!
During my time in office, the General Assembly, spearheaded by the House of Delegates, has significantly increased transportation funding to address traffic issues. Here is a brief summary of some of our efforts to improve transportation.
In 2005, we increased transportation funding by more than $ 1.4 Billion, the largest increase in nearly 20 years, including $ 850 million in funding to reduce congestion on major thoroughfares like I-95. The following year, in 2006, an additional $ 568 million was directed to transportation.
During the 2007 session, the General Assembly financed the largest transportation investment in two decades by providing nearly $ 500 million in ongoing, new transportation funding and authorizing $ 3 Billion in transportation bonds. In 2008 we restored $180 million in transportation funding that former Governor Kaine had diverted to other programs.
Soon after coming into office in 2010, Governor McDonnell ordered a performance audit of VDOT that revealed $1.4 Billion in previously authorized funds that were not being spent on needed highway maintenance and new construction. These were funds the General Assembly had budgeted for transportation, that had not actually been spent by the previous Governors. These dollars were collected and redirected to long overdue transportation projects.
In 2011, we passed legislation to authorize nearly $4 billion in bond funding for transportation that jumpstarted over 900 projects around Virginia.
In 2013, the General Assembly passed a variety of fee and tax increases to raise over $ 1.3 Billion in additional funds annually for transportation. Also, other fees and tax increases were imposed on Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads to raise funds for critical regional projects.
Just last year we increased transportation funding by nearly $ 1 Billion. We also passed my House Bill 97 which directs the Department of Transportation to conduct an evaluation with the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization to address traffic congestion on the Interstate 95 in our area, with a goal towards reducing congestion on I-95. We are seeing some of the fruits of these efforts now, with several new construction projects underway.
Our transportation problems are not just due to a lack of funding. A big part of the problem is all the bureaucratic hurdles that must be cleared before a road project can start and the lack of leadership from the Governor.
We can fix the latter by electing Ed Gillespie as our next Governor on Tuesday!
November 3, 2017
We face an important decision in just a few days. On Tuesday, November 7th we will decide who will be our next Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General, as well as who will represent the people of the 88th District in the Virginia House of Delegates for the next two years.
I am asking for your vote for Delegate on Tuesday.
During my service in the House of Delegates, I sought to make Virginia a better place to live, work and raise a family. My philosophy is based on a belief in free enterprise, limited government, fiscal responsibility, and individual freedom.
Wealth and prosperity come from the private sector, which is why we need to make Virginia a place where businesses want to be.
Keeping taxes low, streamlining regulation and government, and enacting policies that reduce the cost of doing business in Virginia will improve our business environment and attract new companies leading to the creation of new jobs and opportunities.
It requires fiscal discipline to fund critical programs like public safety, education, and transportation without increasing burdens on families and businesses. I fought to put Virginia on sound financial footing by budgeting responsibly; we have lived within our means and worked to reform state government.
Just this year, the state faced a $1.5 billion budget shortfall, leading many to demand huge tax increases. Instead of heeding this call, we made tough choices, set priorities to live within our means, and did not raise taxes.
As a result, that budget shortfall became a budget surplus.
By setting priorities, we still managed to increase funds for critical services such as law enforcement, transportation, and education, without reaching deeper into your pockets!
With all the problems we face, I believe it is critical that we have sound, conservative leadership in Richmond and that is why I am asking for your vote on November 7th.
This is what makes me different from my opponents.
All three of my opponents have gone on record supporting higher taxes and bigger government.
All three of my opponents have gone on record supporting ìsanctuary citiesî for illegal aliens
in Virginia ñ allowing criminal aliens facing deportation to hide from federal law enforcement agents.
I am the only candidate in the race for the 88th District House of Delegates seat who opposes the creation of sanctuary cities!
I think the differences between myself and my opponents are clear. If you want bigger government, higher taxes, and to make Virginia a haven for illegal aliens, then you have a choice of three different candidates to pick from.
However, if you want sound, conservative leadership in Richmond, then I am your candidate.
If you believe, like me, that we need smaller government, less regulation, lower taxes, and more freedom, then I humbly ask for your support on November 7th.
Thank you,
October 30, 2017
VOTE MARK COLE ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7th!
Virginia Retail Merchants Association (VRMA)
endorse Mark Cole! His re-election campaign is also supported by the
Virginia Sheriffs' Association
and the
State Police Association
They join other many other groups in supporting Mark Cole, including the,
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Virginia PAC, the National Rifle Association (NRA) PVF, and the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation AgPAC
On November 7th, VOTE MARK COLE!
September 30, 2017
This yearís November Elections are rapidly approaching and absentee voting has already started.
Absentee ballot requests are now being taken and ballots are being mailed out. If you are interested in voting absentee by mail, then please select this link to request a ballot,
In-Person Absentee voting has started in your locality. Please select this link to find the locations and times for your area:
And if you havenít registered to vote yet, or you know someone who needs to register, then please select this link to Virginiaís Department of Elections,
Here are some important dates to know regarding eligibility to vote:
Last Day to Register is Monday October 16 by 5pm.
Last Day to Apply for an Absentee Ballot is Tuesday October 31 by 5pm.
Last Day to Vote In-Person Absentee is Saturday November 4.
Election Day is Tuesday November 7. Voters can go to the polls from 6am to 7pm.
September 8, 2017
FREDERICKSBURG, VA - Several major advocacy groups announced their endorsement for Delegate Mark Cole in his campaign for reelection. These groups,
The National Federation of Independent Business Virginia PAC (NFIB/Virginia PAC), the National Rifle Association-Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF), and the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation AgPAC (VFBF AgPAC)
recently announced their support of Mark Cole.
ìDelegate Cole clearly understands the challenges facing Virginiaís job creators,î said Nicole Riley, state director of NFIB Virginia. ìOur members believe Mark Cole will take a fiscally responsible approach to managing state government and support legislation that helps our small businesses grow and create jobs.î
NFIB is Virginiaís leading small-business association. The endorsement was made by NFIB Virginia PAC, which is comprised exclusively of NFIB members. NFIB Virginiaís agenda in the 2018 legislative session will include tax reform, easing the regulatory burden on small businesses, and bringing health insurance costs under control.
Another business group, the
Virginia Chamber of Commerce
, previously recognized Coleís strong support of business and economic growth by giving him the Distinguished Advocate for Virginia Business Award and an ìAî legislative grade.
Mark Cole is among 94 candidates that Virginia VFBF AgPAC has endorsed for House seats. Endorsements were made based on the recommendations of local committees of farmers.
ìEach of these candidates has demonstrated a clear understanding of the needs and challenges farmers are facing and/or have proven their support through their favorable voting records while holding positions in the General Assembly. We believe these candidates will help agriculture and forestry maintain its vitality as the number one industry in Virginia,î said Wayne F. Pryor, chairman of VFBF AgPAC and VFBF president. ìWe look forward to working with them in the 2018 Virginia General Assembly.î
The non-partisan VFBF AgPAC was created by Farm Bureau in 1999 and employs in-kind contributions to support candidates who can best support agriculture and Farm Bureau issues.
The NRA-PVF endorsement is based on Coleís longstanding support for the Second Amendment and his ìAî rating during the 2017 General Assembly. The NRA-PFV is the political arm of the NRA. The NRA trains over 1,000,000 gun owners per year in safe firearm usage and is at the forefront of defending the Second Amendment.
"It is an honor to receive the backing of these organizations,î Cole said. ìIím working hard for the people of the 88th District and Virginia. Our district is home to countless small business owners, sportsmen, hunters, and farmers. I look forward to working with them in the future to make sure Virginia stays a great place to live, work and raise a family.î
In addition to these organizations, the
American Conservative Union Foundation
gave Mark Cole the Conservative Excellence Award for his consistent support of conservative principles, and
the Family Foundation Action
gave him a 100% rating for his strong defense of Virginiaís families.
August 30, 2017
Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Texas coast over the weekend, with high winds and devastating flooding in its wake. If you would like to help with relief efforts, here are some ways you can:
There is an immediate need for all types of blood donations. Visit http://www.redcrossblood.org and enter your zip code to find the blood donation site closest to you.
Here are some options to donate to disaster relief:
American Red Cross Relief
: Sets up and maintains shelters, mobilizes emergency relief vehicles (ERVs) that provide food, fresh drinking water, blankets and medical attention. To give visit: https://www.redcross.org/donate/disaster-relief
: Provides water, food, supplies to medical relief centers, and much more. To give: https://secure.americares.org/site/Donation.
Salvation Army
: Provides food, water, and many items needed by families who have suffered the loss of their home, all of their belongings, keepsakes. To give: https://give.salvationarmyusa.org
Samaritan's Purse
: Mobilizes staff and equipment and enlists thousands of volunteers to provide emergency aid. To give: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/disaster/hurricane-harvey/
After you make your gift to one of these charities, be sure to print the screen for your receipt. Thank you for helping those impacted by this storm.
August 2, 2017
The Virginia Sales Tax Holiday is Friday, August 4th through Sunday, August 6th. This combined sales tax holiday incorporates three previous tax holidays ñ back to school, hurricane and emergency preparedness, and Energy Star and WaterSense into one combined sales tax holiday. During these three days, certain school supplies, emergency and energy-efficient items, and clothing and footwear will be exempt from the Virginia sales tax.
To view a full list of the items that are included in the sales tax holiday, along with guidelines and frequently asked questions for both consumers and retailers, please visit this web page:
Virginia ended the fiscal year with a $132 million budget surplus. This is the direct result of the General Assemblyís conservative budgeting and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. While Washington deals with massive debts and deficits, Virginia has a budget surplus.
Getting to this point wasnít easy. We faced a $1.5 billion deficit earlier this year. We made tough decisions and adopted conservative budget amendments to keep spending in check and balance our budget. But we were also able to fund the core functions of government like K-12 education, transportation, and public safety, providing a pay raise to teachers, state police officers and sheriffís deputies.
July 18, 2017
Funding for education is the largest part of the state budget. Below are the recent state education funding figures for the localities in the 88th District. This only shows state funding; local governments provide significant funds in addition to state funds. Fiscal Year 2018 are budgeted numbers, previous years are actual expenditures.
The share of state funding per locality is based on the Local Composite Index (LCI) which is periodically recalculated. It attempts to measure local ability to fund schools. Poorer localities have a lower LCI, which means they receive a greater share of state funding, while wealthier localities have a higher LCI and receive a smaller share of state funding.
Transportation continues to be a high priority, especially for our area. In recent years the General Assembly, spearheaded by the House of Delegates, has significantly increased transportation funding to try to address traffic issues. Here is a summary of some ongoing and planned projects to improve I95 in our area.
I95 Express Lanes Southern Terminus Extension
Mile marker 145-142
$50 million (estimated cost)
Construction: Summer 2016-Summer 2018
Construction started in 2016 to build an approximate 2.5 mile extension of 95 Express Lanes, which ends today just north of Exit 143 at Garrisonville Road in Stafford County.
A reversible single lane will be built in the median on Interstate 95, splitting into northbound and southbound merge ramps. The project will include a new left-entry from northbound I-95 into the 95 Express Lanes prior to the Garrisonville Road interchange. A new end-point will carry southbound Express Lanes traffic past the Garrisonville Road interchange, where drivers can merge right into the mainline I-95 southbound lanes. The new southbound merge ramp is anticipated to open in December 2017, with the northbound entry opening in summer 2018.
Interstate 95 Bridge Rehabilitation
Mile markers 145, 137 (Stafford) and 121 (Spotsylvania)
$6.6 million
Construction: Fall 2016-Summer 2018
Project will rehabilitate six interstate bridges at 3 locations, northbound and southbound: Ni River at mile marker 121 in Spotsylvania, and Aquia Creek and Potomac Creek in Stafford. Project will require double lane closures nightly for several weeks at a time. Additional daytime single lane closures may be permitted at off-peak times based on the location.
Exit 140 Reconstruction and Route 630 (Courthouse Road) Widening
Mile marker 140
$149.4 million (interchange) and $35.9 million (widening)
Construction: June 2017- Summer 2020
The Interstate 95 interchange at Exit 140 (Route 630/Courthouse Road) in Stafford County will be rebuilt as a diverging diamond interchange. The interchange will be relocated slightly south of the existing interchange. The project will relocate the intersection of Courthouse Road and Route 1 to align with Hospital Center Boulevard. Courthouse Road will be widened to four lanes between Route 1 and Interstate 95. West of I95, Courthouse Road will be widened to four lanes to a point just west of Ramoth Church Road/Winding Creek Road.
Construction beginning in 2017 on the Courthouse widening portion, with construction starting in early 2018 on the interchange and the new Park & Ride lot. The widening of Courthouse Road will be complete by the end of 2019, and the new interchange will open to traffic no later than July 31, 2020.
I-95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension
Mile marker 142-133
Construction: 2019-2022
Atlantic Gateway
Project would extend 95 Express Lanes facility as far south as the Exit 133 interchange at Route 17 in Stafford County, and would tie into the Rappahannock River Crossing project. VDOT is working with Transurban on how the facility can best improve operations on the interstate, and regarding access points.
Rappahannock River Crossing, Southbound
Mile marker 134-129
$125 million
Construction: Summer 2018-2022
Atlantic Gateway
The Rappahannock River Crossing project would add 2 collector-distributor lanes parallel to Interstate 95 southbound between Exit 133 (Route 17) in Stafford County and Exit 130 (Route 3) in the City of Fredericksburg. The project includes a bid option to improve the condition of the Route 17 overpass on Interstate 95 southbound at mile marker 133, which is structurally deficient.
Safety Improvements at Interstate 95, Exit 130 (Route 3)
Mile marker 130
$21 million
Construction: Fall 2017-January 2019
The project will modify on- and off-ramps at the Exit 130/Route 3 interchange. The changes are intended to reduce vehicle merging and weaving that can lead to crashes, injuries and congestion for local traffic, and on the interstate. Project funded with federal Highway Safety Improvement Program funds.
For southbound I-95 traffic exiting to Route 3 westbound, the off-ramp will be extended and widened. After construction, a separate free-flow lane will directly lead to the Carl D. Silver Parkway entrance at Central Park without any merging required. Three right turn lanes will be built for traffic exiting to Route 3 westbound. These lanes would make a slight right turn onto Route 3, controlled by a traffic signal. On a green signal, this would give traffic the opportunity to enter Route 3 westbound without any merging required.
The project will eliminate the existing cloverleaf on-ramp that carries Route 3 eastbound traffic onto Interstate 95 northbound. Once construction is complete, Route 3 traffic will access I-95 northbound using three left turn lanes controlled by a traffic signal. This means drivers on Route 3 eastbound who are entering I-95 northbound will no longer have to merge with drivers exiting I-95.
Interstate 95/Route 17 Overpass Replacement and Route 17 reconstruction
Mile marker 125
$20 million (estimated cost)
Project would be advertised for construction in 2021
This project will replace the Route 17 overpass spanning I-95 in Spotsylvaniaís Massaponax area, immediately south of the interstate interchange. The project would also widen Route 17 from two to four lanes in this area.
Interstate 95/Route 606 Overpass Replacement and Road Improvements
Mile marker 118
$22.4 million (estimated cost)
Construction: November 2017-September 2019
This project will build a new Interstate 95 overpass on Route 606 (Mudd Tavern Road) in Spotsylvania County, and provide improvements to interstate ramps, Mudd Tavern Road east of I-95 and Mallard Road.
As part of its design-build proposal, Shirley Contracting created a modified design concept that improves traffic flow at the Exit 118 interchange on I-95 while minimizing the amount of right of way needed to build the project. The proposed concept also limits traffic impacts on Route 606 during construction. The proposed design is subject to approval by the Federal Highway Administration.
June 27, 2017
Most new laws and changes passed during the General Assembly session do not take effect until July 1st. You may find a summary of new laws passed this year and signed by the Governor, grouped by subject, at the following web page:
New Laws for 2017
The new state budget also goes into effect on July 1st. Below is a link to a summary presentation on what is included in the budget:
State Budget Summary
More detailed information about the budget can be found at this site:
Budget Details
May 16, 2017
After last monthís Reconvened Session, where the legislature accepted or rejected recommended amendments to legislation by Governor McAuliffe, the Governor had the opportunity for another review of legislation where his amendments were rejected.
He signed most of the legislation, however he did veto some bills, adding to his record total of vetoes. The bills vetoed included:
HB 1856 and SB 1285
which would have required that a criminal who is ordered to pay restitution to the victim of the crime as part of the sentence, would be on probation until the restitution is paid.
would have made it a felony to incite a riot against public safety personnel.
would have set a consistent voter registration deadline for both electronic and in person registration. Currently, if you register to vote in person, the deadline is 5:00 PM on the day, however, if you register online the deadline is midnight. This has caused confusion and places an additional burden on Registrars.
would have kept private concealed handgun permit information from states that do not recognize Virginiaís concealed carry permits. Some police in states that do not recognize Virginiaís permits have been targeting permit holders for stops and searches.
would require the Board of Education to consider industry certification credentials earned by students in the Standards of Accreditation. This would have allowed schools to give students some credit for professional certifications that may be earned by the student.
Additionally, the Governor attempted to veto language in the state budget that prohibits the expansion of Medicaid without General Assembly approval. This is something that is beyond the authority of the Governor. The Governor may veto spending items, however he may not veto spending restrictions or conditions without vetoing the entire item. This has been confirmed by Virginia Supreme Court rulings.
He has tried this in the past and the House Speaker has ruled those vetoes out of order and they have not been included in the final budget as published by the Clerk of the House. After consultation with legal counsel, the Clerk determined that this veto was an attempt to veto a restriction or condition and not an entire item, so it was not included in the final budget.
On May 12, Governor McAuliffe issued an executive order directing state agencies to ignore parts of the final budget law and to implement the budget as if it contained his unconstitutional vetoes rejected by the legislature. Executive orders do not carry the force of law, and cannot replace the budget law that was passed by the legislature and signed by this Governor.
The idea that an executive order can supersede the Constitution, decades of Supreme Court precedent, and longstanding legislative practice is not lawful. This is the culmination of four years of executive overreach, disregard for the law, and contempt for the duly elected legislature.
The Governor may be looking for a way to unilaterally expand Medicaid. But the sole authority to expand Medicaid rests with the legislature.
The last day to register to vote in the June 13th Primary Election is May 22nd. If you have not registered or have moved since you last registered to vote, you need to register to be eligible to vote in the Primary. If you have questions about this, please contact your local voter Registrar.
Reconvened Session
April 6, 2017
On April 5th, the General Assembly reconvened to deal with legislation that was amended or vetoed by the Governor. Governor McAuliffe has vetoed a record number of bills during his tenure. He vetoed 40 bills this year and offered amendments to 83 other bills.
One of the reasons that Governor McAuliffe has vetoed so many bills is that he generally has made very little effort to work with members of the legislature. I have served with four different Governors, and McAuliffe has been the least engaged when it comes to working with the legislature. As a consequence, he has not been successful in getting any major legislative initiatives passed and seems to be satisfied sitting back and vetoing legislation instead of trying to find common ground.
I was disappointed, but not surprised, by the nature of the vetoes. The Governor vetoed legislation to empower parents to make their own educational decisions, protect our communities, and ensure the integrity of our voter registration database.
In fact, the Governor vetoed several bills that passed the House with bipartisan, veto-proof majorities. Unfortunately, many Democrats place partisan politics above good policy, changing their positions and voting to sustain the Governor's vetoes. Here is a summary of some of the vetoes:
prohibited state and local jails from releasing criminal aliens that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement want to detain for deportation.
would ban ìsanctuary citiesî for illegal aliens in Virginia.
would require local electoral boards to investigate the list of registered voters whenever the number of registered voters in a county or city exceeds the population of persons age 18 years or older.
closed a loophole in our voter ID law by requiring a voter submitting an application for an absentee ballot to show or submit a copy of their ID.
required verification of social security numbers on voter application forms. This would have greatly reduced the number of false or illegal voter registrations.
would require the Department of Elections to provide registrars a list of Virginia voters who are also registered to vote in another state.
required schools give notice when sexually explicit instructional materials are used in class and provide alternative materials if parents or students object.
established Virginia Parental Choice Education Savings Accounts.
protected religious groups and organizations with a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction about traditional marriage from government discrimination.
would have restricted taxpayer funding of abortions.
authorized a person who is not prohibited from possessing a firearm and is protected by a protective order to carry a concealed handgun for 45 days after the protective order was issued.
reinstated pre-Affordable Care Act health insurance provisions effective after it is repealed by Congress. Now, if Congress ever gets its act together and repeals the ACA, Virginians will have to deal with conflicting state and federal health insurance laws unless the General Assembly is called back into special session to deal with the changes.
would have required resettlement agencies that provide refugee or other immigrant resettlement services in the Commonwealth to annually report to the Department of Social Services.
required agencies to develop regulations in the least burdensome and intrusive manner possible and provides guiding principles for the development, adoption, and repeal of regulations. It also required each agency to review of all regulations for which the agency is responsible.
Governor McAuliffe recommended amendments to many bills passed by the General Assembly, including the state budget. Most of the amendments were minor changes, clarifications, or technical corrections which were accepted by the legislature. Some made substantial changes or gutted the legislation and those were rejected. I would not be surprised if some of those bills do not end up being vetoed.
The Governor offered 27 amendments to the state budget; 15 were accepted. One of the amendments which was rejected would have expanded Medicaid. Medicaid is a joint Federal and state welfare program to provide government health insurance to the poor. Expanding the program was a key feature of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) which is currently being considered for repeal in Washington.
For the most part, the expanding it would cover working age adults; there is existing coverage programs for the disabled, children, and seniors. Most states that expanded Medicaid have seen costs exceed projections leading to budget shortfalls that require cuts to other programs and/or tax increases. In short, Virginia just does not have the funds to expand the program.
Instead, the General Assembly took proactive measures to monitor federal action on health care. A subcommittee will be working this year to review changing federal policies to ensure that Virginia can adapt to any changes, offer recommendations to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
March 13, 2017
As you may know, we are expecting snow and I wanted to share with you where you may find some useful information or help if you need it.
Here are phone numbers for reporting power outages, and downed power lines:
- Dominion: (1-866-366-4357) https://www.dom.com/outage-center/report-and-check-outages
- REC: (1- 800-552-3904) https://www.myrec.coop/wss1/index.cfm?event=RptOutage
- NOVEC: (1-888-335-0500) https://www.novec.com/My_Account/report-outage.cfm?tgtURL=/My_Account/report-outage.cfm
Check on road conditions: www.511virginia.org
Check progress of road snow plows: http://www.vdotplows.org/
- For mobile phones: http://www.vdotplows.org/mobile/index.html
Winter weather tips: http://www.vaemergency.gov/prepare-recover/threat/winter-weather/
The Ready Virginia Mobile App: http://www.vaemergency.gov/prepare-recover/ready-virginia-mobile-app/
Here are some other Emergency Information Links:
- Virginia Department of Emergency Management http://www.vaemergency.gov/
- General Emergency Planning Tips: http://www.vaemergency.gov/prepare-recover/make-emergency-plan/
- Tips for an Emergency Kit: http://www.vaemergency.gov/prepare-recover/emergency-supply-kit/
If we do get a significant amount of snow, it may be best to just stay in until the storm passes and VDOT has a chance to clear the roads. If you do go out, dress warm and be careful! Of course if you have a potentially life threatening emergency, dial 911.
February 28, 2017
The 2017 General Assembly adjourned Saturday. This session, we heard thousands of pieces of legislation as well as amendments the state budget to close a $ 1.2 Billion shortfall. We convene again in April to deal with the Governorís amendments and vetoes of legislation.
Below is a summary of some legislation that passed and has been sent to the Governor for his review and action. He can sign, veto, or amend legislation. Any amendments must be accepted by the General Assembly before it becomes law. Most legislation passed and signed by the Governor will not be effective until 1 July.
Jobs and Economic Development
Clarifies that a small business franchisee is a separate business from its big business franchisor, protecting it from excessive burdens that may be required of big businesses.
Saves taxpayer funds by prohibiting local governing bodies from requiring a wage floor above what is otherwise required by state or federal law.
Requires a revised economic impact analysis of proposed regulations.
Reforms Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority to ensure the Commonwealth has an efficient economic development organization.
Proposed amendments to Virginiaís Constitution to permit legislative review of administrative rules and regulations before they go into effect.
Establishes the Virginia Virtual School to allow students to take K-12 coursework online that is not offered locally.
Gives local school boards the authority to allow homeschool students to participate in public school athletic programs.
Establishes optional Parental Choice Education Savings Accounts for individuals to receive funds to use for alternative education options for students in special circumstances.
Requires schools to notify parents when including sexually explicit material in instructional materials and offer an alternative if requested.
Prohibits public institutions of higher education from abridging the freedom of speech.
Establishes a policy for granting undergraduate general education course credit to any entering freshman student who completed a dual enrollment course.
Publishes graduation rates and salary data for graduates of Virginia colleges and universities.
Establishes the Online Virginia Network for the delivery of each online course, degree program, and credential program offered by a public institution of higher education.
Election Integrity
Requires voters to submit a copy of a photo ID when requesting an absentee ballot by mail.
Prohibits any individual or group conducting a voter registration drive from compensating on the basis of the number of completed voter registration applications.
Develops a description of the duties and responsibilities of the local electoral boards to ensure efficiency of local elections.
Requires the Department of Elections to provide a list of registered voters who are registered in another state.
Requires the local electoral boards to investigate the list of registered voters whenever the number of registered voters exceeds the population of persons age 18 years or older.
Requires electronic pollbooks to contain the photographs of registered voters that are contained in a voter's Department of Motor Vehicles record.
Makes it illegal to pay someone to register to vote.
Establishes a new innovative healthcare delivery model between patients and doctors.
Reinstates pre-Affordable Care Act (ACA) provisions for health coverage. The measure will become effective if federal legislation is repealed by Congress.
Develops a comprehensive model for the use of alternative, non-law enforcement transportation for individuals who may be suffering from mental illness involved in the emergency custody or involuntary admission process.
Opioid Prevention and Treatment
Allows a person who is authorized by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to train individuals on the administration of naloxone for use in opioid overdose reversal.
Provides that a pharmacist may dispense naloxone in the absence of a patient-specific prescription.
Develops a model addiction recovery program that may be administered by sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, jail officers, administrators, or superintendents in any local or regional jail to combat the ongoing heroin and opioid addiction crisis.
Directs the Boards of Dentistry and Medicine to adopt regulations for the prescribing of opioids and products containing buprenorphine.
Public Safety
Authorizes local school boards to allow a school security officer to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties if he is a former law-enforcement officer who left in good standing.
Makes maliciously activating a fire alarm illegal and allows Fire Departments to recoup costs incurred from the call from the offender.
Clarifies that sheriffís departments may consider rank and experience in compensating part-time deputies.
Prohibits releasing an incarcerated alien when a lawful detainer order has been received from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Allows localities to apply for grants and loans from the Dam Safety, Flood Prevention and Protection Assistance Fund to repair substandard dams that may be a hazard to the public.
Authorizes an individual protected by a court issued protective order to carry a concealed handgun for 45 days after the protective order was issued.
Provides that no locality shall adopt any ordinance, procedure, or policy that restricts the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
Establishes the requirements for deferred or installment payment agreements that a court must offer a defendant who is unable to pay court-ordered fines and costs.
Makes it illegal for any person to knowingly provide support to an individual or organization whose primary objective is to commit an act of terrorism.
Government Reform
Requires the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) to formally adopt stress testing and additional reporting policies.
Requires a crosscheck of lottery records when individuals apply for public assistance.
Requires the Department of Social Services to monitor all requests for replacement of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards issued to food stamp program recipients.
Clarifies and corrects the statutory requirements for the membership and terms of several boards appointed by the Governor.
Requires the Commonwealth Data Point website administered by the Auditor of Public Accounts to include information for major categories of spending for each state agency and institution, including each independent agency.
Other Legislation
Prohibits fraudulent or improper or dishonest conduct while engaged in a transaction that was initiated (i) during a declared state of emergency or (ii) to repair damage resulting from the event that prompted the declaration of a state of emergency.
Allows members of the military who are transferred or deployed to cancel certain service contracts that are no longer needed. The bill is a state version of the Federal Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act.
Provides that no person shall be required to participate in the solemnization of any marriage or subject to any penalty by the Commonwealth that may violate their sincerely held religious beliefs.
Prohibits sharing of information regarding Virginia concealed handgun permits with law enforcement in states that do not recognize a Virginia concealed handgun permit.
Proposed amendment to Virginia Constitution to protect Transportation Trust Funds from being used for other programs.
One of the most important tasks of the General Assembly is crafting the state budget. The General Assembly passed a conservative, responsible, and structurally-balanced budget that invests in the core functions of government while protecting taxpayer resources.
Here are the highlights of the amended 2016-2018 state budget:
ï The budget does not contain any tax or fee increases on hardworking Virginians.
ï Investing over $18 million in new funding for K-12; also gives local school divisions flexibility to spend the money where they determine they have a need.
ï $ 32 million for a 2 percent teacher pay raise, with no local match required, effective February 2018.
ï 3 percent salary increase for state employees.
ï Provides over $ 20 million in new funding for higher education to hold down tuition costs for Virginia families.
ï Makes strategic investments in economic development, while adding additional oversight to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.
ï $ 32.2 million to strengthen the delivery of mental health services through the expansion of the GAP program, same day arrest, and supportive housing.
The budget reduces debt by about $61 million and includes no tax increases, eliminates all of the Governorís new fee increases. It does not include Medicaid expansion; instead, it strengthens the stateís healthcare safety net.
The budget complements the legislative efforts to prevent and combat domestic violence. It includes $1.5 million to expand domestic violence prevention, treatment and counseling programs and services for women and children.
The budget provides critical funding for public safety. It provides $ 14.6 million in funds to raise the salaries of Virginia State Police. $ 7.3 million is given to provide a compression adjustment for employees in sheriffsí offices and regional jails. $ 1.2 million to restore funding for a special operations division for State Police.
February 22, 2017
We are in the final week of session. Committees have completed their work on legislation and we are busy dealing with legislation on the floor of the House. House and Senate negotiators are finalizing a compromise budget to send to the Governor.
The Virginia General Assembly is organized into a committee system, like most other legislatures. Each committee is assigned an area of the law to deal with. I serve on the House Education Committee which deals with educational legislation, the Finance Committee which deals with taxes and revenue, and as Chairman of the Privileges and Elections Committee which deals with campaign and constitutional issues.
Since the General Assembly is a part-time legislature that must deal with thousands of bills and resolutions in a matter of weeks, it is necessary to divide the workload among the committees. Each committee is then divided into sub-committees. In the House, the Speaker sends legislation to committees and then each committee chairman assigns legislation to the sub-committees. Most of the work on legislation is actually done at the sub-committee level.
The sub-committees hold public hearings, debates, and may amend, pass or defeat legislation. If legislation passes sub-committee, it then goes to the full committee for another hearing and vote. Legislation that passes committee then goes to the full House for debate and vote. Legislation that passes the House then goes to the Senate, where it will go through a similar process and vice versa. All bills that pass the House and Senate then go to the Governor for his action.
All committee and sub-committee meetings are public and all votes are conducted in public.
Even though redistricting will not be done until 2021, it has been in the news recently, primarily because of a special interest group that has been pushing for redistricting reform. Their stated goal is to form an independent commission to draw district lines and take the politics out of the process. I am not sure how a commission made up of political appointees, appointed by politicians is supposed to take the politics out of the process. All it really does is elevate the politics to a less transparent and less accountable level. Additionally, when you read the details of the legislation, it would put twice as many Democrats on the commission as Republicans which leads me to question the real motives of the group.
All the redistricting bills were sent to the Privileges and Elections Committee which I chair. They were all heard and defeated in sub-committee in accordance with the rules. The hearings were conducted in public and the votes were recorded. An additional hearing on some of the legislation was held at the full committee level, something that is rarely done, and it was defeated a second time. After the meeting, the leader of the House Democrats came over to me and thanked me for conducting a very fair hearing.
Drawing district boundaries has become quite complex over the years due to numerous court rulings which add to what must be considered. Currently, there are court cases pending that may again change what has to be considered during redistricting. Since the next redistricting will not occur until 2021, there is no need to adopt legislation now; we have time to await court rulings and continue to consider new proposals. I will certainly support any process that is transparent and fair.
The House has passed several bills to make voter fraud more difficult. Some claim that such fraud is a myth, but a simple search of the internet gives multiple examples of voter fraud in Virginia. Below please find links to some articles. What there is really no evidence of, is voter suppression or disenfranchisement. For years I have asked for examples of a citizen, who was qualified to vote, being denied their right to vote because of any laws passed to make voter fraud more difficult. No one has provided me with single example.
February 14, 2017
Last week was the halfway point of the 2017 session, known as ìcrossoverî. This is when the House must complete work on all House Bills and the Senate does the same for Senate legislation. We then send the bills over to the other body for their consideration. I believe we are making good progress on important issues. Whether it is the need to strengthen our education system to maintain our global competitiveness or continue to enact conservative reforms that make government smaller and more efficient.
In December of last year, Governor McAuliffe announced his introduced budget. The driving force behind adjustments to the 2016-2018 biennial budget is the over $1 Billion shortfall that was announced last fall. Since the Governorís presentation, the House Appropriations Committee conducted 5 public hearings across the state to receive input from people on the priorities they would like to see addressed.
Last week, the House voted on its budget proposal. The budget reflects the tough choices and priority setting necessary to present a balanced budget. All discretionary spending was reviewed and we held fast to conservative budgeting while investing in the core functions of government. The House budget proposal not only cuts spending and unnecessary programs, but reduces debt by $ 70 million while eliminating several fee increases.
State Employees and State Troopers
: Our budget invests resources to make a compensation package for state employees and law enforcement a reality. All told, the cost of the raise for state employees and college faculty, and restoring the pay raise for state supported employees was $ 88.7 million. Funding is also included to provide our Deputy Sheriffs with compression pay adjustments. Finally, an additional $ 15 million is included to address the starting salaries and compression of our State Troopers and Capitol Police Officers.
K-12 Education
: Last year the House re-established the policy of sending back a portion of the Lottery proceeds to our school divisions on a per-pupil basis without a required local match. This year the House budget would send $ 218.7 million, in Lottery Profits directly back to our school divisions. The schools get much needed flexibility in allocating these dollars where they think it is best served, be it a pay raise for their teachers or funding their share of the required VRS contribution.
Higher Education
: Access and affordability in higher education has been a top priority of the House for years. Last session we made a significant additional investment in higher education. However, because of the shortfall cuts of nearly $ 80 million were announced by the Governor. The House budget restores $ 21.0 million to Higher Education.
Health and Human Resources
: The House, working collaboratively with the Senate and the Governor, have made significant investments in the area of mental health. The House will provide a $ 28.5 million increase in mental health services, to include expanding the GAP program to cover more individuals living in poverty. Our budget recommendations will add an additional 144 disability waiver slots to meet the needs of Virginiaís most vulnerable citizens.
Our economy has been struggling in recent years. The lack well paying, full time jobs was a contributor to our budget shortfall. The House defeated efforts to increase fees and other burdens on businesses, which would have made economic growth even more difficult. Additionally, legislation was passed to prohibit local governments from imposing additional wage requirements on employers as well as legislation to prevent small business owners from being forced to unionize.
Virginia is fortunate to have one of the best education systems in the world ñ thanks in large part to our great teachers and local leaders who have made it their lifeís work to educate our children. The House of Delegates has sought to provide these educators with the tools, resources and flexibility they need to provide our children with a world-class education. That includes reducing burdensome licensure and continuing education requirements. As such, the House passed legislation to waive certain licensure requirements for a teacher with an endorsement in career and technical education.
We are also taking action to control college costs. Making college more affordable not just with more money, but with specific actions to keep costs down. The House has passed legislation to set standard acceptance of dual enrollment credits taken in high school, allowing students to earn college credits at a lower cost.
February 4, 2017
As we approach the halfway point of session, the Capital has seen record numbers of visitors. Daily attendance by the public has consistently been over 4,500 people a day. I have been visited by many friends and neighbors from back home as well as organizations such as the American Legion, 4-H students, disAbility Resource Center, and others who had their annual day on the hill.
Education is a foundation for a strong, competitive workforce. Our caucus has several education initiatives that address all levels of learning in Virginia.
The House is committed to maintaining Virginiaís strong K-12 system and working to give all children the opportunities in education they deserve by enacting reforms in public education, promoting choice and flexibility, and encouraging early childhood education.
Students in the Commonwealth deserve a quality education, regardless of their circumstances or neighborhood. Thatís why I am co-sponsoring
which establishes Virginia Virtual schools so students arenít bound to brick and mortar buildings for their education. Instead of being limited to classes offered at the local school, they will be able take classes offered all over Virginia.
I am also co-sponsoring
that creates Education Savings Accounts. ESAs will empower parents to choose what is right for their childís education by allowing families with special needs students to receive direct access to the state funding for that student. That funding is deposited into an Education Savings Account, where it can be used for private school tuition, homeschool, online classes, course materials, or other educational purposes.
While the House of Delegates does not believe a statewide mandated pre-school program is the best approach, we are exploring better ways to encourage early childhood education. Our focus is on improving access to private providers. Delegate Jimmie Massie is helping on this front with
that makes families with at-risk 4 year oldís unserved by Head Start eligible for tax credits to enroll in a pre-k program.
Every day we hear from the Commonwealthís citizens that higher education access and affordability is a real problem. Our caucus has several other ideas that ease the costs associated with postsecondary schools.
Dual enrollment credits provide a great opportunity for students to begin working on their degree credits while still in high school. Tag Greason is carrying
to establish a uniform policy for granting undergraduate course credit to entering freshman students so students can properly prepare their course schedules to maximize their benefits.
Virginia has a 40-year-old financial aid model. It is time to modernize that model by incentivizing students to complete their degrees on time. Kirk Cox is carrying
that will motivate and reward students to successfully finish their degree on time by increasing aid money as they progress through their academic career. He is also carrying
that creates the Online Virginia Network aimed at providing a new pathway for students to complete a college degree by establishing an online consortium of classes from various state universities. It will be a one-stop shop for scheduling, registering, and taking online classes. Higher education institutions in Virginia have focused primarily on enhancing enrollment, retention, and graduation rates in pursuit of preparing a highly skilled workforce for the Virginia economy. The same emphasis needs to be directed toward identifying those individuals with some college credit, but who have not attained a degree.
We are required to redraw district lines every 10 years, after the national census, in order to balance the populations of each district. The next redistricting will occur in 2021.
Redistricting has been in the news recently, primarily because of a special interest group that has been pushing for redistricting reform. Their goal is to form an ìindependentî commission to draw district lines in order to take the politics out of the process. Though I am not sure how a commission made up of political appointees, appointed by politicians is supposed to take the politics out of the process. All it really does is elevate the politics to a less transparent and less accountable level.
Drawing district boundaries has become quite complex over the years due to numerous court rulings which add to what must be considered. Currently, there are court cases pending that may again change what has to be considered during redistricting. Since the next redistricting will not occur until 2021, there is no need to adopt legislation or changes to the process now; we have time to await court rulings and continue to consider new proposals. I will certainly support any process that is transparent and fair.
January 24, 2017
I wanted to share with you information about some of the legislation being considered by the General Assembly. Since I am Chairman of the House Privileges and Elections Committee, I am sponsoring several bills dealing with elections.
House Bill (HB) 1537
is similar to the Federal Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act, to allow service members who are transferred or deployed to cancel some service contracts, which they can no longer use.
would change how we allocate Electoral Votes in Presidential elections. Currently, we have a winner take all allocation; what this bill would do is change it to be awarded based on the results of each Congressional District, with the overall winner of the state receiving the 2 statewide Electors. I have heard from many rural voters who feel their vote for President does not matter because more populated areas like Northern Virginia overwhelm their votes. I believe this change would increase voter turnout and interest from candidates in Virginia.
would prevent third-party voter registration groups from paying people on a per application basis. This legislation was requested by Voter Registrars in order to reduce the financial incentive to submit fraudulent voter registration forms. Last year there were several cases of fake voter registrations being submitted, most by employees of third-party registration groups who paid on a per application basis.
would require new voters to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote. This legislation is in response to many non-citizens being found on the voter rolls in the Commonwealth. I believe many are being registered inadvertently when they apply for a driverís license. This would keep that from happening.
would authorize local School Boards to allow School Security Officers, who were former law enforcement officers, to carry a firearm while on duty at school. Currently, only active law enforcement officers are legally allowed to carry a gun on school property. This bill would give local School Boards another option to improve school security and protect children.
I did want to mention a couple of other bills that have received a lot of negative publicity by those who oppose them:
the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would restrict abortions after the child has matured enough to feel pain, which is 20 weeks; and
Physical Privacy Act, which would require state government and public school facilities, including restrooms, dressing rooms and showers that are designated for use by MEN or WOMEN to be used only by those who are physically men or women. It would not affect facilities that are unisex or undesignated. The opponents of those bills were successful in marginalizing them and characterizing them as extremist. Roanoke College recently conducted a statewide poll on these two bills and found that more Virginians support them than oppose them. 53 percent favors a state law that would ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, and 43 percent supporting requiring individuals to use the bathroom that corresponds with their birth gender while 39 percent oppose.
At the start of session, Governor McAuliffe stated that one of his goals for this session was to repeal Virginiaís voter photo ID law. I am pleased to report that we defeated that legislation last week.
Our photo ID law was adopted several years ago, and was recently upheld in Federal court. The law is a reasonable provision to reduce voter fraud and enjoys overwhelming public support. If a voter does not have a photo ID, they can receive one free of charge from their Voter Registrar. Also, if someone forgets their ID on Election Day, they may still cast a provisional ballot and show their ID later.
January 12, 2017
The 2017 General Assembly session has officially begun! This year will be a short session (46 days) as our primary responsibility is to make adjustments to our biennial budget. However, we are still putting forth a breadth of legislative proposals aimed at creating jobs, improving healthcare costs, transportation, and creating more educational opportunities. There is a lot before us this year, but we will be focused on doing the work of the people!
The House was officially gaveled into session on Wednesday, January 11th at 12 noon. A new transparency measure was announced on the first day: the video archiving of each dayís session. The new archive, available from the Virginia General Assembly website (http://virginia-house.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3 ) , will allow the public to view the floor proceedings of the House during the 2017 session on demand. The House also has created a search feature that will allow viewers to search by bill or by member.
The House is committed to building on our previous advances in improved transparency (i.e 2 day waiting period before voting on budget and prohibiting committee meetings held at member desks on the chamber floor). We take public access to the legislative proceedings seriously.
Later that evening, Governor McAuliffe delivered the annual State of the Commonwealth Address. As this is McAuliffeís final year in office, a great deal of his speech was a review of his time as Governor.
Republican Delegate Ron Villanueva (Virginia Beach) and Senator Siobhan Dunnavant (Henrico) delivered the Republican perspective on the State of the Commonwealth (http://us3.campaign-archive2.com/?u=a8970db37d2569f1a2b65e59d&id=279757dd63&e=21141571ad ). They reminded us that with last Novemberís elections, there are big changes coming to our nationís Capitol. Some of these changes, like rebuilding our national defense and including coal in a comprehensive approach to energy independence, will greatly benefit Virginia.
In August of last year, Governor McAuliffe announced over a $1 billion shortfall. The shortfall is a result of a lagging economy that generated less tax revenue than expected. Unfortunately, the ìNew Virginiaî economy Governor McAuliffe is always championing has been steadily replacing high paying full time jobs with lower paying part time jobs. Virginiaís economy has lost more than 4,000 jobs, weekly wages are down, and part-time employees are up by more than 20,000 since 2015.
However, unlike Washington, Virginiaís constitution requires a balanced budget. Last month Governor McAuliffe unveiled his proposed budget to the General Assembly. The Governorís budget proposal is just the first step in a long process. It is now time for the House to develop our budget. Our goal is to craft a responsible, conservative budget that strategically invests in the core functions of government while protecting precious taxpayer resources. We will invest in key priorities, but we must do so in a fiscally prudent manner.
Transportation continues to be a high priority, especially for our area. In recent years the General Assembly, spearheaded by the House of Delegates, had significantly increased transportation funding to try to address traffic issues. Here is a brief summary of some of our efforts to improve transportation.
In 2005, we increased transportation funding by more than $ 1.4 Billion, the largest increase in nearly 20 years, including $ 850 million in funding to reduce congestion on major thoroughfares like I-95. The following year, in 2006, an additional $ 568 million was directed to transportation.
During the 2007 session, the General Assembly financed largest transportation investment in two decades by providing nearly $ 500 million in ongoing, new transportation funding and authorizing $ 3 Billion in transportation bonds. In 2008 we restored $180 million in transportation funding that former Governor Kaine had diverted to other programs.
Soon after coming into office in 2010, Governor McDonnell ordered a performance audit of VDOT that revealed $1.4 billion in previously authorized funds that were not being spent on needed highway maintenance and new construction. These dollars were collected and redirected to long overdue transportation projects.
In 2011, we passed legislation to authorize nearly $4 billion in bond funding for transportation that jumpstarted over 900 projects around Virginia.
In 2013, the General Assembly passed a variety of fee and tax increases to raise over $ 1.3 Billion additional funds annually for transportation. Also, other fees and tax increases were imposed on Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads to raise funds for critical regional projects.
Last year we increased transportation funding by nearly $ 1 Billion. Total funding for transportation is $13.4 Billion over the biennium. We also passed my
House Bill 97
which directs the Department of Transportation to conduct an evaluation with the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization to address traffic congestion on the Interstate 95 in our area, with a goal towards reducing congestion on I95.
Our transportation problems are not just due to a lack of funding. A big part of the problem is all the bureaucratic hurdles that must be cleared before a road project can start. Not only do road projects have to go through VDOT in Richmond for approval, but Washington also gets involved in most projects. Major projects must be reviewed and approved by several Federal agencies such as the EPA, Army Corps of Engineers, and the Federal Highway Department. It can take years or even decades for a project to get all the approvals needed to proceed.


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Cats Haven, Ltd
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My twin cats, Moe and Larry, are from Cats Haven. They are 16 years old. Larry died in May 2015. Until that day Moe and Larry... more »
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Vintage port
Port to sell? Excellent! Please post here, with details of what you have, how stored, and where in the world it is. Please start by reading our 'Standard advice to would-be vendors'.
Post Reply
6 posts • Page 1 of 1
Vintage port
Hi,i have a bottle of vintage port 1966 offley's Boa Vista bottled 1968,it has been kept in a cellar since it was brought 1973,I am thinking of selling,could you tell me what it may be worth,I live in watford.thanks lee
- Taylor Quinta de Vargellas 1987
- Posts: 2491
- Joined: 14:22 Wed 15 Dec 2010
- Location: Near Cambridge, UK
Re: Vintage port
The retail value of a bottle of Offley 1966 VP in good condition (good level, label, storage) is around £120; any faults (lower level, poor label, seepage) would reduce that. As a private seller, you would probably expect to achieve around half of that (see here for our standard advice to sellers including reasons for this, if you've not seen this already). Depending on the exact condition of your bottle, plus any delivery issues, you might therefore expect to achieve £50-60 for the bottle.
Re: Vintage port
Also, to attract buyers here you might wish to mention where you are — or, more relevantly, where is the bottle. UK? USA? In either case, roughly where within?
Re: Vintage port
- Quinta do Noval Nacional 1962
- Posts: 11381
- Joined: 13:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
- Location: Berkshire, UK
Re: Vintage port
Easy to confuse Watford, Hertfordshire with Watford City, North Dakota.flash_uk wrote: ↑08:14 Sat 04 Feb 2017
Top Port in 2017 (so far): Graham Stone Terraces 2015 and Quinta do Vesuvio 1994
2016 Port of the year: Cockburn 1908
2016 Port of the year: Cockburn 1908
Re: Vintage port
Post Reply
6 posts • Page 1 of 1


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FIFA World Cup: England WAGs planning to recreate 2006 Baden-Baden 'fiasco'
London: The England WAGs will reportedly go to Brazil for the FIFA World Cup and they have vowed to recreate the infamous 2006 tournament in Baden-Baden when they caused a major stir in the sleepy German town.
Media reports claim that the WAGs have found a hotel close to Rio de Janeiro's famous Copacabana beach where they will stay with their children during the month-long competition, if the England squad makes it to the finals.
According to the Mirror, the WAGs squad, mostly new faces, will also fly to Miami for England's pre-World Cup friendly games at the start of June.
Wayne Rooney's wife Coleen
Victoria's Secrets model Jourdan Dunn, who is dating Liverpool ace Daniel Sturridge, reportedly looks sure to accompany the WAGs on their trip including Wayne Rooney's wife Colleen Rooney and England captain Steven Gerrard's wife Alex Gerrard.
A friend of the WAGs said that they found a place to stay in a bit of a hassle because England boss Roy Hodgson had not made up his mind about what he wanted to do with his squad's partners but he said that it is up to the WAGs, so they are going.
The friend also said that the WAGs cannot wait, adding that it would be a party on the beach, as Rio is a place for fun. TV host Christine Bleakley may also accompany the WAGs if her Chelsea fiancé Frank Lampard is selected, the report added.


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|Get the hell outta here! Go on, freak!
|~ Jim threatening Edward.
|Hey! I said, "Stay away from her!"
|~ Jim's last words before he got stabbed and fell out the window to his death.
James (simply known as Jim) is the main antagonist of Tim Burton's 1990 live-action film, Edward Scissorhands. He was Edward's arch-nemesis and Kim's ex-boyfriend.
He was portrayed by Anthony Michael Hall.
Wanting money to buy a van, Jim takes advantage of Edward's ability to pick locks and breaks into his parents' house. The burglar alarm sounds and everyone except Edward escapes. Despite Kim's mad insistence that they return for him, Jim angrily shouts they do not go back.
While the family is setting up Christmas decorations, Edward creates an angel ice sculpture. The shavings from the ice create an effect of falling snow, which Kim dances under. Jim calls out to Kim, distracting her, and Edward accidentally makes a cut on the palm of her hand. Jim says that Edward had intentionally harmed her and uses this as an opportunity to attack Edward in a jealous rage. Then he roughly shoves him out of the Boggs' house. When Kim sees this, she immediately breaks up with Jim and tells him to leave. Upset by the loss of his relationship with Kim, Jim goes to his friend's van to get drunk.
The situation gets worse when Kevin is almost run over by Jim's drunken friend. Edward pushes Kevin out of the way and in a state of excited panic, accidentally cuts Kevin's face, making witnesses think he was deliberately attacking Kevin when he was actually saving Kevin from being runned over. Jim takes the opportunity to charge at Edward and attack him, but Edward cuts his right arm. When everyone hears the police siren, Edward flees back to his hilltop mansion and the neighbors form into an angry mob and follow him.
Kim heads to the mansion before the neighbors can get there and reunites with Edward, having learned about the truth of the events. Jim follows them and brutally attacks Edward, who doesn't retaliate until Kim angrily knocks Jim out with a pier and threatens to kill him if he doesn't leave Edward alone. However, rather than listening to Kim, Jim instead slaps and pushes her away from him, prompting a shocked Edward to get up on his feet and help Kim. Fed up with Jim's horrible treatment towards Kim, Edward angrily stabs Jim in the stomach before pushing him out of a window in retaliation, leaving Jim to fall to his death.
- Jim is very similar to Gaston from Disney's Beauty and the Beast: They do not reveal how truly evil they are until the end; as well, both start off as arrogant jerks, but they become jealous and violent when the females fall in love with the male protagonists. They also both share the same fate; however, they both fall differently. Gaston's jealousy gets the better of him and, determined to kill the Beast, stabs him with a knife, making him swing his arm in pain and for Gaston to lose his balance. The Beast also starts to lose his balance, but Belle pulls him back up, making Gaston fall off the roof to his death whilst Jim gets stabbed and pushed out of the window by Edward for attacking Kim.
- He is also similar to Victor Quartermaine from Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit: Both are in love with the females, but their rivals are the male protagonists. They also believe their rival to be impure (Quartermaine because Tottington falls in love with an animal and Jim because Kim falls in love with Edward and he doesn't have human hands).
- He is also similar to Curley from Of Mice And Men, since Jim is arrogant, controlling, belligerent, and so mean to Edward for his abnormality. His attitude towards Edward is similar to Curley's attitude towards Lennie.
- He is also similar to Steele from Balto.
- Both are self-centered individuals who see the protagonists as freaks and bully them for that (Jim is mean to Edward because of his scissors for hands, while Steele is mean to Balto for being half-wolf).
- Both become more aggressive, psychotic, and murderous later on.
- Both are main antagonists of films that have the protagonists' names in their titles.
- However, Steele was far worse than Jim as he deliberately tried to sabotage his own team (which were racing to deliver medicine from the mountains to the village for ill children) by making them lose their way back to the village. This ultimately proved that he didn't care about the possibility that the sick children might die because of him, and that he only went on with it so that he could spite Balto.


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My doctor has just reduced my amlodipine from 5mg to 2.5mg I also take 8mg of candesarten. Since taking the reduced amount of amlodipine I feel a little light headed, and have a headache is this common, or should I go back on to 5mg of amlodipine from tomorrow
Reduced amount of amlodipine?
- Asked
- 12 Sep 2014 by franzilien
- Active
- 12 Sep 2014
- Topics
- headache, amlodipine, doctor
Responses (1)
Further Information
- Amlodipine Information for Consumers
- Amlodipine Information for Healthcare Professionals (includes dosage details)
- Side Effects of Amlodipine (detailed)
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The Legacy Effect: Brand Strategy Planning
Wouldn't you like to roll out a brand strategy plan—and remove the competition—without reading a 200-page document?
Learn why most brand strategy plans fail—and how to create a plan that frontline employees feel they own and can carry out.
Branding confuses many people
Let's be clear:
- Your brand is not your logo.
- It's not your tag line.
- It's not something that lives only in the marketing department.
A brand is your company's overarching image. It's what people think, feel and expect whenever they interact with your company.
It's the culture of your company, your message and your operations.
So what is brand strategy planning?
This is a process where new brands are developed or existing brands are rejuvenated and relaunched. It brings together all the components of your brand.
How do typical brand strategy planning approaches work?
Upper-level management determines that it is time to "fix" the brand. Traditional brand strategy approaches begin by examining the current state of the brand, crafting a desired future state and creating action steps to get there. This can be done in-house or by an outside consultant.
After interviewing customers and researching the competitive landscape, a plan that maps the future brand and how the company should get there is presented to management.
While this approach sounds reasonable, it can have problems:
- Consultants have their own ideas of what everybody should do and what plan will work.
- Employees executing the brand strategy don't have ownership of or believe in the new direction.
- The plan has flaws and is poorly executed (or isn't executed at all).
So how can these problems be avoided in order to roll out a successful brand strategy?
Introducing The Legacy Effect™ Brand Strategy Planning Process
I come in and explain exactly what branding is. I make clear that we are not just creating a new logo and tagline.
Branding is about changing everything from management-level operations down to frontline employees. This creates consistency and ownership.
We meet with everyone—from the CEO down to frontline employees. I explain what branding is, what this exercise is we'll be doing together, why it's important and how each person will be involved.
We talk about the brand and what we would like it to be. The company will have done some research, but I also work with you to conduct more. I talk to your customers and suppliers in order to get a clear picture of what people think about you. I also look at the competitive landscape from different angles.
Employees—not consultants—create your brand strategy. I don't tell a company what to do; we work on this process together.
I bring in visual tools to capture everyone's ideas. We brainstorm. Everyone shares what they would like the company to be. The employees—not I—determine how to position the company in the future.
Then we work out how to get there. I help put this all together, and if needed, I help communicate and implement the strategy.
Why is this approach so effective?
I rely on the employees' knowledge in order to shape their new strategic direction. I'm not telling them what to do. The employees own the plan, the action steps and the new direction, so they have an emotional investment in seeing their ideas successfully executed.
Key features and benefits
Visual facilitation
Ideas are easily lost if they're not captured in an engaging way, so we use plenty of visuals. We hang large pieces of paper on the wall in order to gather information, literally drawing the landscape of the current company so everyone sees the problems and challenges they face. This way we're able to create and see new solutions and new ideas. Visual facilitation increases clarity, engagement of the group and ownership of the strategy.
Visual one-page summary
Most brand strategy plans are large Word documents with graphs and charts. We use a visual summary—a one-page document that can easily be shared throughout your organization. It also gives everyone a clear picture of the road map ahead.
Brand rollout facilitation
Consultants often come in and present a PowerPoint with a plan summary. We use big visual charts, simplifying complex words so everybody understands them and is clear on the brand's new direction.
What else will you discover?
- How visual brand planning uncovers bold new ideas—and why working visually helps participants see trends, simplify complex ideas and make new connections
- Why branding is more than just a logo, a tagline and a marketing function
- When it's time to spruce up your brand—and how your customers, suppliers and the public will let you know what your brand image is and when to change it
- Why branding is everyone's job—and how employees represent and defend the brand
- Why being distinct and different is important—and how examining successful branding case studies teaches you to stand out from the competition
- How to eliminate all your competitors by developing a truly differentiated brand so you occupy a niche in the marketplace
But isn't overhauling a brand expensive?
Let's look at your brand as an asset: You're either investing in it and getting a return or you're not investing in it—and losing value.
If you're not constantly monitoring your brand and well positioned in the market, you risk becoming a commodity in a "sea of sameness." And mistakes with your brand are not easily forgiven. The investment in creating and protecting your brand is clearly worth the cost.
What's unique about my brand strategy planning
I'm there to help your team co-create their brand vision.
Typically, a company hires an outside consultant who walks management through his or her own branding process, drafts a plan, presents it and leaves. Because employee engagement is near zero, this creates a poor (and often failed) strategy.
I rely on the knowledge and expertise of the employees in order to create the future they envision. I help them clarify that vision and create a plan to get there. Since the employees own the vision, they have a greater investment in its success.
Is your organization a good fit for my approach?
Successful brands are all about being bold and different; they can't be afraid.
Small to midsized businesses, entrepreneurs, visionaries—people who are not afraid to take risks—are great candidates for this type of brand strategy planning.
Call or email me to discover how you can successfully implement a brand strategy created by your whole team, from the CEO to frontline employees.
We'll talk about:
- What you find intriguing about this process
- Where your organization is today
- Why you think you need a brand strategy plan
We'll also talk about how the process works, and we'll see whether this resonates with you and your organization's goals.


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DAREDEVIL Felix Baumgartner travelled faster than the speed of sound when he jumped from the edge of space to Earth last month.
After the remarkable feat, the Austrian said he hopes to inspire young astronauts of the future.
The Year 6 pupils at Eldon Grove Primary School, in the town, were all aware of Felix's incredible challenge.
But what challenges would they like to take on in the future?
The pupils at Eldon Grove Primary School, in Hartlepool, have some audacious challenges in their mind for the future.
Isaac Wales, 11, said: "I want to climb some of the world's biggest mountains.
"I have already been to Ben Nevis so it would be good to go to mountains even bigger than that.
"I would also like to move to Africa and help to build homes for the people who live there."
Josh Noble, 10, said: "The challenge I want to complete is to compete in the Olympics in taekwondo.
"I got my black belt in September.
"I watched all of the Olympics in the summer, it was brilliant."
Romilly Heaton, 10, said: "I want to do the Great North Run.
"I did the junior Great North Run this year and really enjoyed it and when I am old enough I would like to do the big one.
"I would have to do a lot of training for the 13 miles but I really enjoy running."
Ellie Griffiths, 10, said: "I'm not really sure what challenge I would like to do.
"We are going to Carlton next week so we will all do some activities there that we have never had the chance to do before.
"I think that will be really good."
Jared Rigby, 10, said: "I want to do some rock climbing.
"I have never done it before but I have seen people do it and I would love to have a go.
"I would start off with quite an easy challenge and then take on more difficult ones as I got better at it."
Alisha McCabe, 10, said: "I want to climb Mount Everest.
"I don't really know too much about it but I know I would have to do a lot of training.
"I wouldn't want to do it until I was a lot older though."


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My Little Toe
Is broken. Stubbed it on some furniture while walking by. Nearly four weeks ago. It is not really better. It hasn't real
Recommend a Look: Prelminary Notes on Web-Hosted Cinema
"Prelminary Notes on Web-Hosted Cinema" is Alejandro Adam's very long self published essay that alternately drives me a bit crazy and which I also enjoy. I think some of the claims are strident, I also think it is overly romantic in some of its approaches to film and practice, and perhaps off key at times on possible aesthetics of a web based video practice. However, it is written in a spirit of belief, bordering on a manifesto, and with that it carries the day, and provides lots of places to not just nod but to shake and from there to make your own path, problem, and trajectory.
Like 4 version 2
There have been some viewers who have not had any success in viewing the like series of works. No idea what the problem is, as
My hosting service, DreamHost, seems to have been having quite a few problems the last week or so. So this site has been unava
Lumiere Peter Horvath
Peter Horvath presenting at VideoVortex, Brussels, October 2007. Shot on SonyEricsson k750i. Click To Play Technorati Tags: lu
For probably the last two years in classes and at any and every opportunity in conference presentations, lectures and the like I have been pointing out that that video on YouTube was just television. One of the ways you could see that it was television was that it was easy to imagine a TV show based on YouTube content, and that if by taking video off YouTube and broadcasting it (or screening it in a gallery or cinema) nothing fundamentally changed then it wasn't videoblog video but just video This argument is based on the premise that if you publish a blog as a book it is no longer a blog, some of the key qualities that make a blog a blog (comments, links in, and so on) by definition must be removed for print publication and in doing this the act of translation moves the blog from being a blog to being something else.
My second point is related to professional practice and TV, and was simply that if you worked in TV and you were not currently developing a show based on YouTube then you were a dill. Dirt cheap to produce, enough content for I don't know how many shows (funniest, rudest, dumbest, at the moment we are in the midst of a federal election and there is enough content for at least one TV hour just on parody and satire videos related to the election). Well, it finally happened. Last Friday night on one of the free to air networks we had "Friday Night Download". And it makes no difference to the videos.
Increasingly the only value TV has will be in liveness (Murdoch understood this years ago hence his purchase for the complete cable rights to the British Premier League at a then astronomical figure) so music, sport, disasters. You will increasingly watch drama as pay per view, on demand, etc – how it is delivered to you is secondary to being able to watch it when you want to watch it, commercial free – but TV as we know it will shift. This means that there is the potential for more drama and doco production, since the single biggest scarcity in TV is broadcast time, but in a networked or other delivered model broadcast time is no longer a scarcity. Once we move to this new economy I do think there will be more production, hopefully with a broader range of budgets – after all if you can produce a TV drama that requires 20,000 subscribers to be viable then you are making low budget TV but you certainly don't need as much capital and risk up front (or a network agreement) to get it out there.
Another Interview
My neighbour, Lisa Gye (that's neighbour in my real world street, not the office next door or somethin'), sometime
like 04
Click To Play
Affective Atlas Symposium
Today I'm a participant in a one day symposium entitled 'Affective Atlas 01″. It is a research project IR
Study on Students and ICT
A mention of a British longitudinal study on students and their use of ICT. This appears to be similar to a survey that was run as part of the mashedlc project that I'm a small participant in.
Like 03
You need to click on the poster video, which then loads a qt movie which says "click to open in QT player", clicki
Students Blogging Successfully
Bit of a bee in my bonnet from a brief exchange during last weekends Art and Design Graduate Research Conference at RMIT. It w


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Siena Travel Blog› entry 1 of 17 › view all entries
Siena is one of the most wonderful & charming city in Italy. Come here to taste wonderful wine and magical Tuscan's cooking.
You will not believe your eyes, visiting incredible churches, walking up and down in these insanely beautiful streets, all merging to the amazing Piazza del Campo. The shell-shaped piazza is famous for the Palio's horse race which is taking place twice a year in the summer there!
If you are a good observer, you will have noticed every street has a badge under it's name! Most of the time with an animal on it. Well it's because Siena is divived in 17 contrades. A contrade is more or like a district area and each one has its own name, badge and animal representing it! And if you followed the logic, every contrade is represented by a horse in the Palio, that's why the race is so important & passionate for the people of Siena! People are pretty fierce about it and if some contrade gets along with the others ones pretty well, some are at wars between each other and the revenge after the Palio are sometimes quite nasty!
Here are the names of the 17 contrades:
Aquila (Eagle), Bruco (Caterpillar), Chiocciola (Snail), Civetta (Little Owl), Drago (Dragon), Giraffa (Giraffe), Istrice (Crested Porcupine), Leocorno (Unicorn), Lupa (Female Wolf), Nicchio (Seashell), Oca (Goose), Onda (Wave), Pantera (Panther), Selva (Forest), Tartuca (Tortoise), Torre (Tower), Valdimontone (Valley of the Ram).
I bought a wonderful frame with the 17 contrades when i was there, it was hard to fit it in my luggage.
Don't miss this city on your trip to Tuscany or you will regret it! Come to see the sunset on this beautiful place.


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Great Lake Relay
16th Feb 2018
16th Feb 2018
Looking for somewhere for the whole team to stay?
Millennium Hotels and Resorts Manuels is a set in a stunning lake edge location. Click here for more information
For bookings call 07 3785110
OR Check out the villas at Huka Falls Resort, only a few minutes drive from the finish line!
For bookings call 07 376 0260
How about hiring a house?
Go to www.bookabach.co.nz


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San Francisco, California, knows its stuff when it comes to good food. In order to keep up with their trendy inhabitants, most restaurants try to utilize ingredients from local markets and get their meat from farms nearby. Not all of the restaurants on this list offer organic dishes, but they are all well respected and high-ranking establishments that people frequent again and again. Here are 11 restaurants in San Francisco that will have you coming back for seconds.
10. Liholiho Yacht Club – 871 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA
Can't decide between Hawaiian, Indian or Chinese for dinner? Then Liholiho Yacht Club is the place to go. The restaurant boasts a casual atmosphere with not so casual dishes, think fried game hen with kale and duck liver toast with pickled pineapple. For you Arrested Development fans, try the Bluth Cocktail. It's made with banana liqueur.
9. Delfina – 3621 18th St, San Francisco, CA
At Delfina you'll be able to find authentic homemade Italian cuisine. Just a block away from Dolores Park, Delfina has everything from upscale items like prosciutto ravioli and panna cotta, to classic dishes such as spaghetti. The food is great, and the décor makes you feel as if you're really in Italy.
8. State Bird Provisions – 1529 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA
State Bird Provisions serves their food dim-sum style, so you know they're already ahead of the game. This small plate way of eating lets you try more of the menu, which is a good thing seeing as how hard it is to decide between dishes like halibut tartar and Kung Pao beef tongue.
7. The Cavalier – 360 Jessie Street, San Francisco, CA
The Cavalier is a British-themed brasserie that was named a James Beard Semi-Finalist for "Best New Restaurant in America" in 2014. No wonder, with menu items like pan seared Alaskan salmon, truffle vinaigrette salad, Welsh rabbit soufflé, and leg of California lamb. Make sure you try the "Marlowe" burger; it's a San Fran favorite.
6. Boulevard – 1 Mission St, San Francisco, CA
Boulevard is an upscale restaurant with French influences in the Financial District of San Francisco. Dishes like filet mignon, scallops, quail, and crab salad are served in a dimly-lit, and cozy space. It may be a pricier option but the great food makes it worth dropping the extra cash.
5. Belga, 2000 Union St, San Francisco, CA
A Belgian restaurant with German and Californian influences in every dish, Belga is a brasserie that offers an array of menu options. From squash blossom flatbread to pan-fried mussels, sausage platters to charcuterie boards, there's something for everyone at Belga. Don't even get us started on that insane beer list.
4. Nopa – 560 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA
Nopa serves simple, rustic food, all made with ingredients sourced locally. Whatever you're craving, Nopa has it; Moroccan vegetable tangine, Tuscan bread soup, coffee-braised pork shoulder, wood-grilled burgers and brioche French toast. Also, it's open until one in the morning, if you're looking for organic and classy late night eats.
3. Ichido
Ichido is a pop-up restaurant, so the location changes time to time. Their Facebook page will keep you updated on their location so that you can enjoy plates like fried stingray, rockfish yubiki, porcelain crab, braised oxtail, and miso crème brulee. The most impressive part? Chef Geoff hunts, fishes, and forages for all of the ingredients himself. Remember to bring your own wine.
2. Lazy Bear – 3416 19th St, San Francisco, CA
Lazy Bear used to be a pop-up restaurant, but now it has a permanent location. The restaurant is a fine-dining diner party that you have to buy tickets to in advance. The price tag varies between $135 to $169, and they serve around twelve courses. It's a completely different experience, and something you'll want to do more than once. Some of the menus have featured Dungeness crab, blue cheese custard, delta crawfish, fresh corn grits, yolk faro verde, duck, celery root custard, and many other upscale dishes.
1. Frances, 3870 17th Street San Francisco, CA
The menu at Frances changes daily, because Chef Melissa Perello utilizes ingredients from local farms and markets. It's fine dining, and yet it's approachable and welcoming. Featured food items include apple-wood smoked bacon beignets, ricotta gnocchi, duck liver moose, chickpea fritters, roasted turnip empanadas, and lobster mushroom linguine. The eclectic menu ensures everyone at your table will be satisfied.