Frederick Republicans gather for annual Reagan-Lincoln Dinner
February 27, 2017
By ONOFRIO CASTIGLIA
The Winchester Star
WINCHESTER — About 80 people attended the annual Reagan/ Lincoln dinner on Saturday night at the George Washington Hotel to benefit the Frederick County Republican Committee.
Mike Lindsay, a longtime member and former committee leader, said the dinner was a signal the group is “growing positively” after some contention in the past.
Tickets were $35, with sponsorships up to $500.
“They’ve sorted out some of their internal infighting,” he said, adding the committee is a training ground for those just getting into political activism. “The local levels are key.”
Jon Monett, an Air Force veteran and retired CIA operations officer, was guest speaker. He was in the CIA for 26 years.
His speech primarily focused on his work as founder and chairman of Quality of Life Plus Laboratory (QL+), a McLean-based company devoted to developing and applying technology for wounded and disabled veterans.
Monett founded the company with a $ 500,000 investment to the California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo College of Engineering in California in 2009.
The college is where QL+ hosts veterans to test the prosthetics and other products it develops.
“They have their whole life to live,” Monett said of the veterans, many of whom are younger than 30. “It’s a labor of love.”
The QL+ Laboratory takes on a maximum of 10 “ challenges” in a school year, according to the company’s website. The school uses teams of students to develop solutions to the challenges of injured service men and women. Over the course of six- to- nine months, the multidisciplinary team develops an innovative solution with input from the “ challenger” ( a service man or woman with a problem relating to quality of life as an amputee or otherwise disabled person) and a faculty adviser.
An example challenge is a cooling system for a prosthetic socket — a system that will dissipate the heat created inside the socket of a leg prosthetic.
“Losing a limb reduces the body’s ability to prevent overheating and will cause increased perspiration, especially during activity,” the website states. “[ The cooling system] will allow amputees to perform physical activity without creating excessive sweat inside their sockets.”
Monett said the program relates to his CIA career, as studentshave a limited amount of time to find a solution to a problem and implement that solution. “ We’re problem solvers ... that’s what I did in the agency.”
Jo Thoburn, chairwoman of the 10th Congressional District Republican Committee, said “ everything is quiet and fun” for local GOP politics at the moment. The party is gearing up to try to win back the Virginia governor’s seat in the November election.
At a time when so much attention is paid to national politics, local committees will “keep plugging away” to win local and state offices, Thoburn said. “That’s our focus, and it always has been.”
Committee member Lynnette Embree organized the dinner and said she feels “extremely positive” about the local GOP moving forward.
She added that she learned a lot about the lives of veterans after speaking with Monett, who told her a story about a man who lost all his limbs, but said he would “do it all over again.”
Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-10th, and Del. Chris Collins, R-Frederick County, attended the dinner, though not as speakers.
Anyone who wants to learn more about QL+ Laboratories can visitwww.qlplus. org.
— Contact Onofrio Castiglia at ocastiglia@winchesterstar.com
By ONOFRIO CASTIGLIA
The Winchester Star
WINCHESTER — About 80 people attended the annual Reagan/ Lincoln dinner on Saturday night at the George Washington Hotel to benefit the Frederick County Republican Committee.
Mike Lindsay, a longtime member and former committee leader, said the dinner was a signal the group is “growing positively” after some contention in the past.
Tickets were $35, with sponsorships up to $500.
“They’ve sorted out some of their internal infighting,” he said, adding the committee is a training ground for those just getting into political activism. “The local levels are key.”
Jon Monett, an Air Force veteran and retired CIA operations officer, was guest speaker. He was in the CIA for 26 years.
His speech primarily focused on his work as founder and chairman of Quality of Life Plus Laboratory (QL+), a McLean-based company devoted to developing and applying technology for wounded and disabled veterans.
Monett founded the company with a $ 500,000 investment to the California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo College of Engineering in California in 2009.
The college is where QL+ hosts veterans to test the prosthetics and other products it develops.
“They have their whole life to live,” Monett said of the veterans, many of whom are younger than 30. “It’s a labor of love.”
The QL+ Laboratory takes on a maximum of 10 “ challenges” in a school year, according to the company’s website. The school uses teams of students to develop solutions to the challenges of injured service men and women. Over the course of six- to- nine months, the multidisciplinary team develops an innovative solution with input from the “ challenger” ( a service man or woman with a problem relating to quality of life as an amputee or otherwise disabled person) and a faculty adviser.
An example challenge is a cooling system for a prosthetic socket — a system that will dissipate the heat created inside the socket of a leg prosthetic.
“Losing a limb reduces the body’s ability to prevent overheating and will cause increased perspiration, especially during activity,” the website states. “[ The cooling system] will allow amputees to perform physical activity without creating excessive sweat inside their sockets.”
Monett said the program relates to his CIA career, as studentshave a limited amount of time to find a solution to a problem and implement that solution. “ We’re problem solvers ... that’s what I did in the agency.”
Jo Thoburn, chairwoman of the 10th Congressional District Republican Committee, said “ everything is quiet and fun” for local GOP politics at the moment. The party is gearing up to try to win back the Virginia governor’s seat in the November election.
At a time when so much attention is paid to national politics, local committees will “keep plugging away” to win local and state offices, Thoburn said. “That’s our focus, and it always has been.”
Committee member Lynnette Embree organized the dinner and said she feels “extremely positive” about the local GOP moving forward.
She added that she learned a lot about the lives of veterans after speaking with Monett, who told her a story about a man who lost all his limbs, but said he would “do it all over again.”
Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-10th, and Del. Chris Collins, R-Frederick County, attended the dinner, though not as speakers.
Anyone who wants to learn more about QL+ Laboratories can visitwww.qlplus. org.
— Contact Onofrio Castiglia at ocastiglia@winchesterstar.com
McCann-Slaughter Tapped As GOP Nominee For Stonewall
Posted: August 6, 2016
By JOSH JANNEY
The Winchester Star
WINCHESTER — The Frederick County Republican Committee selected Judith McCann-Slaughter this week to be the Republican nominee for the Frederick County Board of Supervisors’ Stonewall seat.
McCann-Slaughter was appointed Dec. 9 by the board to serve as an interim supervisor after Charles DeHaven Jr. — Stonewall’s previous representative — was elected to replace Richard Shickle as board chairman last year.
Although the deadline to file for the special election is Aug. 19, the FCRC had a Wednesday deadline to apply for the party’s nomination. McCann-Slaughter was the only candidate to file for the Republican Party.
"I am very happy to have received the Republican nomination," McCann-Slaughter, 58, said. "It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the citizens of Stonewall."
During her time on the board, she has served as the chairwoman of the Finance Committee and a member on others.
She started her career in banking and was previously vice president and chief financial officer at Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury retirement community. She is currently a self-employed farmer and accountant.
If she is elected Nov. 8, McCann-Slaughter said she will focus on supporting emergency response agencies and education. She also wants to emphasize fiscal responsibility.
"On the state level, there needs to be more education dollars to be returned to the localities," McCann-Slaughter said. "The impetus of the Virginia Lottery was to fund education. Since the great recession, that funding has not been re-instituted for that purpose. So I think it’s very important that we get back to the real issue on what that was designed to do."
Another issue, according to McCann-Slaughter, is a state mandate to add new positions for localities, without providing the funding for their salaries and wages.
"I feel like the state cannot continue to ask the localities to do more with less," she said.
As of Friday, no one else had filed their candidate paperwork with the Office of the Registrar. The winner will serve for the remainder of DeHaven’s Stonewall term, which expires at the end of 2017.
Supervisors earn $9,000 annually. The chairman earns $10,800 and the vice chairman earns $10,200.
— Contact Josh Janney at
jjanney@winchesterstar.com
By JOSH JANNEY
The Winchester Star
WINCHESTER — The Frederick County Republican Committee selected Judith McCann-Slaughter this week to be the Republican nominee for the Frederick County Board of Supervisors’ Stonewall seat.
McCann-Slaughter was appointed Dec. 9 by the board to serve as an interim supervisor after Charles DeHaven Jr. — Stonewall’s previous representative — was elected to replace Richard Shickle as board chairman last year.
Although the deadline to file for the special election is Aug. 19, the FCRC had a Wednesday deadline to apply for the party’s nomination. McCann-Slaughter was the only candidate to file for the Republican Party.
"I am very happy to have received the Republican nomination," McCann-Slaughter, 58, said. "It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the citizens of Stonewall."
During her time on the board, she has served as the chairwoman of the Finance Committee and a member on others.
She started her career in banking and was previously vice president and chief financial officer at Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury retirement community. She is currently a self-employed farmer and accountant.
If she is elected Nov. 8, McCann-Slaughter said she will focus on supporting emergency response agencies and education. She also wants to emphasize fiscal responsibility.
"On the state level, there needs to be more education dollars to be returned to the localities," McCann-Slaughter said. "The impetus of the Virginia Lottery was to fund education. Since the great recession, that funding has not been re-instituted for that purpose. So I think it’s very important that we get back to the real issue on what that was designed to do."
Another issue, according to McCann-Slaughter, is a state mandate to add new positions for localities, without providing the funding for their salaries and wages.
"I feel like the state cannot continue to ask the localities to do more with less," she said.
As of Friday, no one else had filed their candidate paperwork with the Office of the Registrar. The winner will serve for the remainder of DeHaven’s Stonewall term, which expires at the end of 2017.
Supervisors earn $9,000 annually. The chairman earns $10,800 and the vice chairman earns $10,200.
— Contact Josh Janney at
jjanney@winchesterstar.com
Thank You Posters Made During Fair Given To Area Police
Posted: August 6, 2016
By JOSH JANNEY
The Winchester Star
WINCHESTER — In the aftermath of police killings in Dallas and Baton Rouge, La., about 1,150 people at the Frederick County Fair signed a poster and wrote notes of encouragement thanking law enforcement for their service.
The signatures were presented to multiple agencies at the Frederick County Public Safety Building on Friday afternoon by the Frederick County Republican Committee.
"One of our objectives was to thank law enforcement for the services they render and the safety they provide to all of us," Joy Dunn, activities chairwoman of the committee and wife of Red Bud Supervisor Blaine Dunn, said. "At at a time when many police departments are under attack, we wanted to say ‘thank you’ for all you do."
Dunn said fellow committee member Jack Lillis had the idea to gather signatures at the fair. They were collected from July 25 to 30 from attendees. They signed a sheet of paper on an easel and added notes.
"It exceeded my expectations," Lillis said, in terms of how many people signed.
Berryville Police Chief Neal White said the signatures were wonderful, especially in what he called a "rough year" for law enforcement.
"We know, especially in this area, law enforcement does have a lot of support," White said. "But it’s nice to see these physical reminders. It helps the guys when they come into work. It’s not an easy job by any means. It takes a lot out of you."
Frederick County Sheriff Lenny Millholland said he was "touched" by the signatures, because he said law enforcement has been under heavy stress the past two years. Still, he said, law enforcement needs to aspire to a higher standard.
"People expect more from us," he said. "If we are enforcing the law and if we are doing something wrong, it doesn’t look right."
Millholland said in many cases, if an agency has a problem with two or three employees, it casts a pall over the entire organization and officers are stigmatized.
"Everything we do gets scrutinized, every decision we make is a split second," he said. "If everything goes right, we are going to have a few ‘don’t shoot’ [simulation] scenarios where we are going to invite the public ... to see what they do. Because you put them in a split-second decision, maybe they can walk away and understand that it’s difficult for us."
Dunn said this was not a partisan activity, but a way for all people — liberals and conservatives alike — to express gratitude. Without law enforcement, she said, there would be anarchy.
"It’s nice anytime someone recognizes our services," said Winchester Police Department Maj.Kelly Rice. "We are glad we have that support, but we are also trying to work with the community to make sure that the relationships are good. That there are positive relationships and transparency."
— Contact Josh Janney at
jjanney@winchesterstar.com
By JOSH JANNEY
The Winchester Star
WINCHESTER — In the aftermath of police killings in Dallas and Baton Rouge, La., about 1,150 people at the Frederick County Fair signed a poster and wrote notes of encouragement thanking law enforcement for their service.
The signatures were presented to multiple agencies at the Frederick County Public Safety Building on Friday afternoon by the Frederick County Republican Committee.
"One of our objectives was to thank law enforcement for the services they render and the safety they provide to all of us," Joy Dunn, activities chairwoman of the committee and wife of Red Bud Supervisor Blaine Dunn, said. "At at a time when many police departments are under attack, we wanted to say ‘thank you’ for all you do."
Dunn said fellow committee member Jack Lillis had the idea to gather signatures at the fair. They were collected from July 25 to 30 from attendees. They signed a sheet of paper on an easel and added notes.
"It exceeded my expectations," Lillis said, in terms of how many people signed.
Berryville Police Chief Neal White said the signatures were wonderful, especially in what he called a "rough year" for law enforcement.
"We know, especially in this area, law enforcement does have a lot of support," White said. "But it’s nice to see these physical reminders. It helps the guys when they come into work. It’s not an easy job by any means. It takes a lot out of you."
Frederick County Sheriff Lenny Millholland said he was "touched" by the signatures, because he said law enforcement has been under heavy stress the past two years. Still, he said, law enforcement needs to aspire to a higher standard.
"People expect more from us," he said. "If we are enforcing the law and if we are doing something wrong, it doesn’t look right."
Millholland said in many cases, if an agency has a problem with two or three employees, it casts a pall over the entire organization and officers are stigmatized.
"Everything we do gets scrutinized, every decision we make is a split second," he said. "If everything goes right, we are going to have a few ‘don’t shoot’ [simulation] scenarios where we are going to invite the public ... to see what they do. Because you put them in a split-second decision, maybe they can walk away and understand that it’s difficult for us."
Dunn said this was not a partisan activity, but a way for all people — liberals and conservatives alike — to express gratitude. Without law enforcement, she said, there would be anarchy.
"It’s nice anytime someone recognizes our services," said Winchester Police Department Maj.Kelly Rice. "We are glad we have that support, but we are also trying to work with the community to make sure that the relationships are good. That there are positive relationships and transparency."
— Contact Josh Janney at
jjanney@winchesterstar.com
