McQuay International wins “Freedom Tower” contract

McQuay International, a wholly owned subsidiary of Daikin Industries Ltd., with a plant in Verona, Virginia, has been awarded a contract valued at nearly $15 million to supply air conditioning equipment for the new Freedom Tower building (1 World Trade Center) in New York City. 

Currently under construction on the site of the World Trade Center that was destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the 105 -story Freedom Tower will be 1,776 feet (541 meters) tall.  Scheduled for completion in 2012, the Freedom Tower is the tallest of the buildings that will form the new World Trade Center complex.

Bringing Shades of Green…

The air conditioning system will consist of custom-designed air-conditioning units to meet the specified requirements of the project, including HFC-410A refrigerant with no ozone depletion potential or phase-out date, and low operating sound levels. 

Doubling the budget under Warner and Kaine not enough for Dems

Democrats in the Virginia State Senate, led by Dick Saslaw (D-Fairfax), are bankrupt of ideas, lack vision, and couldn’t spell leadership if you spotted them the first nine letters. Sadly, their collective political education does afford them enough depth of vocabulary to say “tax and spend.”

First they double the size of the state budget and now they want to raise taxes on you at a time when Virginians are fighting national economic woes including escalating gas and food prices.

Augusta Co. Republican Chairman, Kurt Michael, resigns

Dear Republican Friends,

I am grateful that the State Central Committee confirmed my election as Augusta County Republican Chairman. As I stated publicly on April 18, I will be stepping down as Augusta GOP Chairman.

Former U.S. Attorney John Brownlee running for Attorney General

Former United States Attorney John Brownlee, a conservative Republican and former Army Ranger, announced his candidacy for Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“I am running for Attorney General because every Virginian deserves to live in a safe, secure and prosperous community,” said John Brownlee. “As Attorney General, I will work hard to ensure that all Virginians live in neighborhoods that are free from violent crime, drug dealers, child predators, criminal illegal aliens, and those who prey on our most vulnerable citizens”

Walker resignation not his fault; not unexpected

After five years of service Waynesboro City Manager Doug Walker announced his resignation this afternoon. The move should not come as a surprise, but it didn’t need to come at all.

Walker was fond of pointing out that he “worked at the leisure of council,” which is to say he worked for them and under their direction. There are plenty of people who will point to fiscal challenges and a ballooning budget as reasons to push Walker out. Others will point to the newly elected city council in Waynesboro and say the writing was on the wall. At the end of the day, however, both statements are irrelevant.

The departure of Walker rests solely on the shoulders of Nancy Dowdy, Lorie Smith, and Tom Reynolds.

Waynesboro City Council trims fat and passes the gravy

She was getting hefty. She had some rolls developing and with bikini weather coming it seemed appropriate to get her in shape. After all, is she can lose some fat she’ll probably be much more productive and in the end provide more of a payoff for those who support her efforts.

That’s the description that fits WCC’s decision to cut $600 thousand dollars from a proposed $41 million dollar budget and hold the tax rate at its current level of 70 cents per $100 dollars of real estate owned.

Attorney General Bob McDonnell continues to show strong leadership

Attorney General Bob McDonnell has filed a lawsuit against NJG, Incorporated and Nicholas J. Gianakos, the operators of Instant Cash Title Loans (“Instant Cash”), a Charlottesville- based automobile “title lender,” for violating Virginia’s Consumer Finance Act.

Michael responds to Roller’s plan to appeal

As published in the Staunton News Leader

By Kurt Michael

I am grateful the 6th District confirmed my election as Augusta Republican chairman at its convention last week. By a clear margin, the 6th district upheld the results of the Augusta Mass Meeting held April 10.

In Waynesboro: A United Conservative Front Destroys Opposition

On Tuesday the Republican Party was provided a sound example of what can happen when conservative ideals meet a passionate contingency of volunteers.

It was not only a clean sweep for conservatives in the election for Waynesboro City Council, but an overwhelming and dominant performance to boot. Bruce Allen and Frank Lucente both garnered more than 60% of the vote in their individual campaigns while their closest competitor earned less than 27%, and when added to the uncontested election of Tim Williams, Waynesboro will be led by a strong conservative voice for at least the next four years.

Rancor continues in Augusta County; they just don’t get it

Much has been said these past few weeks to address the actions of Republicans inside the Augusta County Committee. The battles have been ugly and public and they aren’t over yet. On the one hand I have heard that this website doesn’t have the facts and the only thing that matters is the removal of their identified enemies. On the other hand I have heard that the ill will and divisive tactics used by Augusta County Chairman Kurt Michael are unwanted, unnecessary and unproductive.