1 in 3 American Women Die from Heart Disease

GRW Newsletter

Goochland Republican Women March2012

Plan to join your GRW friends Friday, March 2, 10:00 a.m. at the Manakin Fire Station, 180 River Road West, Manakin-Sabot, Va. 23103 for coffee and conversation followed by the 10:30 a.m. business meeting and our speaker,Learning and Development Manager for Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. Lisa Dyson.

1 in 3 American women die from heart disease.

But together, we can change that.

Lisa Dyson is a lifelong educator with a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership. Before leading the education and training efforts at HDL, Lisa was an elementary school principal, high school principal and has 37 years of instructional experience spanning Kindergarten through college education. She is a staunch advocate for children’s initiatives and is patient about literacy and excellent pedological experiences. At Health Diagnostic Laboratory, she enjoys the development of learning/training solutions for internal and external audiences creating training materials which meet learning objectives outlined in the training design, ensuring that training materials are in line with the learner’s needs and stakeholder expectations. Lisa also leads many of HDL’s efforts around philanthropy, and is a wonderful example of someone who truly believes in giving back to the community.A few examples of things she organized are finding extra supplies for the high school labs that were impacted by the earthquake, organizing a school supplies drive for underprivileged children, advocating for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and most recently being a spokesperson for the American Heart Association. She lives on Knotts Island, North Carolina with her husband of twenty years, Andy Dyson.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

The Goochland Republican Women Membership Committee asks that you please welcome our new members:

Joyce Hodges, Betty Robertson, Barbara Slone and Betsy Woolf.

Legislative Update

From Susan Lascolette

February 20, 2012

General Assembly

We are in the second half of the 2012 session and all bills that passed each house are now “crossed over” to the other house, except for budget bills.

Lt. Governor Bolling has broken 10 ties on the Senate floor where the vote was 20-20. These bills included the eminent domain bill and drug testing for some welfare recipients.

A few bills that impact GoochlandCounty:

• The bills to allow Urban Development Areas to be optional rather than mandatory have passed both the House and the Senate and have crossed over. The House bill has been reported out of committee and is on its way to a floor vote of all 100 delegates next week. If it passes, which we expect it will, the bill goes to the Governor to sign. This will allow all Virginia counties to decide for themselves how to growth in their localities.

• The Eminent Domain constitutional amendments have also passed both houses and have crossed over. The Governor is expected to sign the bill and if he does, it will then be on the November ballot to let the citizens decide if they want to add eminent domain protections to the Virginia constitution.

• Bills in the Senate and House (HB 1065 and SB 407) which would have put over 80 localities outside of the Tidewater area (including Goochland) under mandatory stormwater regulations may have a fairy tale ending. Senators Tom Garrett and Bill Stanley have a last-minute agreement that a technical change will be made when the Governor signs the bill so that localities outside of the Tidewater area are not impacted. If this is successful, we owe a big thanks to Senator Garrett.

• Quite a few elections and voter registration bills are dead for this year.

• Several Virginia Retirement System (VRS) bills have passed the House and Senate. These bills will affect the how employees and localities contribute to the VRS.

GoochlandCounty Government:

• The School Board turned in a balanced budget, which was on target, on time. They did an amazing job but say they are still working to find ways to make it better.

• Last Thursday, the Planning Commission deadlocked in a 5-5 tie on whether to approve apartments for a West Creek location. The measure will go to the Board of Supervisors at their regular March 6th meeting. They also approved on a 10-0 vote a conditional use permit to allow Rassawek Vineyards on Route 6 West to hold weddings, company retreats, special events, etc.

• Hot off the presses! All public meetings held in the Board of Supervisors meeting room will have video streaming service available. This will make the meetings more accessible to citizens. The plan is to launch no later than March 6th.

The President’s Letter

Dear Members of the Goochland Republican Women’s Club

“The Rule of Law is being desecrated and our religious liberties are under attack”

Virginia is a pivotal state and the eyes of the nation will be on the upcoming March 6, 2012 Presidential Primary. Please mark your calendars to VOTE for your choice in the March 6, 2012 Presidential Primary. The two names on the ballot will be Mitt Romney and Ron Paul. Please keep in mind that no vote is a vote for the other candidate!

The VFRW Convention 2012 will be held in Williamsburg from April 20-22, 2012. The number of voting delegates we may elect to this convention depends on our membership number. If you have not renewed your membership or have not joined the Goochland Republican Women’s Club please renew or join now! You may contact our 2nd Vice President in charge of membership Kay Gates by email at . Please plan to attend our next meeting on March 2, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. for coffee and social and 10:30 for our regular monthly meeting. Your attendance at this meeting is important as we will be electing delegates to the VFRW Convention in April. Applications will be mailed the end of February for the VFRW Convention. You can also download an application by going to our website – .

I extend a very warm welcome to our four new active members Joyce Hodges, Betty Robertson, Barbara Slone and Betsy Woolf. We look forward to getting to know you. I hope all members are planning to sponsor a new member this year.

The GRW Club Board and Leadership Team are working hard on upcoming events. Please continue to refer to the monthly newsletter for information regarding these events. I look forward to seeing you all on March 2, 2012. This is another program you will not want to miss!

Time is passing by much too quickly as this is a very busy and important Republican year. Thank you for allowing me to have the opportunity to serve as your President this year. I am finding this year most challenging and fun.

Lucinda Slabaugh

2012 VFRW SCHOLARSHIP – DEADLINE MARCH 22

The Virginia Federation of Republican Women is looking for three (3) students to award a $1,000 Scholarship. Students must be full-time students attending a VirginiaCollege or University studying government, political science or law. Scholarship applications will be available at the March meeting or download the scholarship application by going to . Deadline for the applications is March 22 and the scholarships will be given at the VFRW Convention April 20-22.

Madame Treasurer

By Tyler Scott

Last year if you'd walked into former Treasurer Brenda Grubb's office, you would have seen stacks of paper littering the floor, antique file cabinets shoved up against the wall, and a desk buried in documents. Mrs. Grubbs always worked with her back to the door and perhaps, as a statement to the world, the door remained closed.

Surely, no office in GoochlandCounty government has seen as much change since Pam Johnson was elected Treasurer. Her door is always open.

Ms. Johnson admits she didn't expect the magnitude of the mess and has been working 12 hour days to turn things around. She says with a laugh there are some moments when she regrets taking the job, but hopes to have the office sorted out this winter. The biggest challenge, besides cleaning up after years when nothing was thrown away (25 Iron Man Giant trashcans later), has been to modernize the accounting procedures. Her blueprint for the next six months is to hire a new chief deputy; write a policy manual; update guidelines for performance reviews; and schedule staff training.

She was born in Beckley, West Virginia and still has the slight country accent that harkens back to her roots. Her father was an accountant with Appalachia Power and also had his own tax preparation business; her mother a homemaker; the family moved to Roanoke when she was nine. When her father asked her in 8th grade what kind of career she wanted, she replied "a lawyer" only to be hold that wasn't appropriate for a lady back then so she had to choose between nursing and teaching. She chose the latter and pursued a BS in English from Radford, later teaching high school. By the early 1990s, she had made the switch to law enforcement, to make more money, and for the next 17 years, she worked as a contractor with the Department of Justice in the Asset Forfeiture Program, the first several years at the U.S. Marshals Service and later moving to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). It was her work with the DEA which brought her to the Richmond area in 2002.

Besides resurrecting the Treasurer's Office out of the ash heap, Ms. Johnson wants to spread the word of transparency. She said taxpayers need to be aware they can come in any time and work out a payment agreement. She also emphasized the citizens can pre-pay monthly to avoid large bills in June and December; there are no fees and the funds are placed in a holding account. Unbeknownst to many, there are tax assistance programs for the elderly, disabled, and veterans.

If you ask the Treasurer what a typical day is for her, you can't help but feel a little lazy as she give you the rundown. She seems to do the work of at least two people. Rising at 4 o'clock in her Hadensville home, she feeds her cats, drinks coffee, does a little paperwork, and is usually at the office by 8:00 if not before. Throughout the day, and often missing lunch, she works with taxpayers on installment agreements, draws up account reconciliations and budgets, and writes letters. She tries to be home by 7:30. However, if you think she spends most evenings with her feet propped up in front of the telly – Guess Again. Ms. Johnson also manages to find time to host a Bible study group and teach Sunday school to seniors. She is a deacon at UniversityBaptistChurch, President of the Hadensville Fire-Rescue Auxiliary, and Vice-Chairman of the Goochland GOP. She is a voracious reader of mysteries, historic novels and the type of neighbor who doesn't mind watching your pets or picking up your mail when you go away.

Fred Anderson, Retired Treasurer of Roanoke County, wrote in an email that Ms. Johnson not only was someone whom he could always trust, but was “a hard worker, quick study” and knew how to make things happen. Her friend and former campaign treasurer, Janet Schaefer, called her “painfully honest,” and a “whirling dervish” who needs to slow down; not only will she stick to her principles, she will voice her opinions.

Ms. Johnson, who said she would not be seeking any other public office other than treasurer, most definitely has opinions when it comes to the state of American politics. People need to expect more of their elected officials, she advised, and “corruption begins at the local level.” The voters need to pray that “she doesn't turn stupid since so many Democrats and Republicans get turned around once they're elected. They become arrogant; think they're above the law. Think they know more. They become greedy, whether its power or money, or they become fearful and just go along,” all the while forgetting who put them in office in the first place. “It's why you're seeing such an uprising,” she explained. “People are furious that they've been taken for granted and they're being taken to the cleaners.”

When I asked Ms. Johnson if she had a motto, her answer really came as no surprise.

Without hesitation she quoted the University of Virginia honor code.

MESSAGE FROM VIRGINIA FIRST LADY MAUREEN MCDONNELL

Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! Calling All Virginians!

Family homes are prized possessions, and it can be challenging to pass them from one generation to the next. However, when we are able to do so, we gain a much fuller understanding ofour ancestors’ lives, surrounded by the furnishings and art that reflect their history.

For four years, Governor McDonnell and I have the honor of living in one of Virginia's oldest "family" homes ~ the ExecutiveMansion. Celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2013, theExecutiveMansionis the oldest continually occupied governor's residence in all the fifty states. As you can imagine, this translates to ahome full of history and stories of everyday family life.With the 200th birthday of the mansion approaching, we are looking to gain a more intimate understanding of this historic home, one that has not yet been told in the history books.

This fall, the official book of the ExecutiveMansion’s 200th Anniversary will be released. Our commemorative coffee table book will chronicle the experiences of the fifty-four governors’ families who have occupied the mansion. It is being written by Virginia historian Mary Miley Theobald, with an introduction by Virginia author David Baldacci and designed by Carol Roper Hoffler. We are also planning a yearlong celebration with special events, exhibits, and programs to commemorate this bicentennial.

I believe that the key to unlocking the untold stories of the mansion lies with the people of Virginia, and I’d like to involve you in this endeavor. If you are a descendant of a former “First Family” or of someone who worked in the mansion, we’d love to hear your stories about your ancestors and the mansion. We are looking for old photographs of governors’ families taken in the mansion and any letters and objects with a history of having been in the mansion that we might exhibit. You may have to dig them out of your great-great Aunt Matilda’s trunk that’s been sitting in Grandma’s attic, but they will help shed light on this wonderful home’s proud past.

If you have stories or images of Virginia’s ExecutiveMansion, please join us in this opportunity to recapture them as we celebrate the bicentennial. Please contact us by mail at Commonwealth of Virginia, ExecutiveMansion, P.O. Box 1475, Richmond, Virginia23218; or by email at , and help us bring the history of Virginia’s ExecutiveMansion to life!

With warmest regards,

Maureen McDonnell

Maureen McDonnell
First Lady of Virginia

A Nurse’s Description of Her Own Heart Attack

This information Could Save Your Life

I am an ER nurse and this is the best description of a female heart attack – Myocardial Infarction (MI) - that I have ever heard. I was aware that female heart attacks are different, but this is the best description I've ever read.
Did you know that women rarely have the same dramatic symptoms that men have when experiencing heart attack? You know the sudden stabbing pain in the chest, the cold sweat, grabbing the chest & dropping to the floor that we see in the movies. Here is the story of one woman's experience with a heart attack.
'I had a heart attack at about 10:30 PM with NO prior exertion; NO prior emotional trauma that one would suspect might have brought it on. I was sitting all snugly & warm on a cold evening, with my purring cat in my lap, reading an interesting story my friend had sent me, and actually thinking, 'A-A-h, this is the life, all cozy and warm in my soft, cushy Lazy Boy with my feet propped up.
A moment later, I felt that awful sensation of indigestion, when you've been in a hurry and grabbed a bite of sandwich and washed it down with a dash of water, and that hurried bite seems to feel like you've swallowed a golf ball going down the esophagus in slow motion and it is most uncomfortable. You realize you shouldn't have gulped it down so fast and needed to chew it more thoroughly and take time to drink a glass of water to hasten its progress down to the stomach. This was my initial sensation--the only trouble was that I hadn't taken a bite of anything since about 5:00 p.m.
After it seemed to subside, the next sensation was like little squeezing motions that seemed to be racing up my SPINE (hind-sight, it was probably my aorta spasms), gaining speed as they continued racing up and under my sternum (breast bone, where one presses rhythmically when administering CPR).
This fascinating process continued on into my throat and branched out into both jaws. 'AHA!! NOW I stopped puzzling about what was happening -- we all have read and/or heard about pain in the jaws being one of the signals of an MI happening, haven't we? I said aloud to myself and the cat, Dear God, I think I'm having a heart attack!
I lowered the foot rest dumping the cat from my lap, started to take a step and fell on the floor instead. I thought to myself, If this is a heart attack, I shouldn't be walking into the next room where the phone is or anywhere else... but, on the other hand, if I don't, nobody will know that I need help, and if I wait any longer I may not be able to get up in a moment.
I pulled myself up with the arms of the chair, walked slowly into the next room and dialed the Paramedics... I told her I thought I was having a heart attack due to the pressure building under the sternum and radiating into my jaws. I didn't feel hysterical or afraid, just stating the facts. She said she was sending the Paramedics over immediately, asked if the front door was near to me, and if so, to un-bolt the door and then lie down on the floor where they could see me when they came in.
I unlocked the door and then laid down on the floor as instructed and lost consciousness, as I don't remember the medics coming in, their examination, lifting me onto a gurney or getting me into their ambulance, or hearing the call they made to the St. Jude ER on the way, but I did briefly awaken when we arrived and saw that the radiologist was already there in his surgical blues and cap, helping the medics pull my stretcher out of the ambulance. He was bending over me asking questions (probably something like 'Have you taken any medications?') but I couldn't make my mind interpret what he was saying, or form an answer, and nodded off again, not waking up until the Cardiologist and partner had already threaded the teeny angiogram balloon up my femoral artery into the aorta and into my heart where they installed 2 side by side stints to hold open my right coronary artery.
I know it sounds like all my thinking and actions at home must have taken at least 20-30 minutes before calling the paramedics, but actually it took perhaps 4-5 minutes, and both the fire station and St Jude are only minutes away from my home, and my Cardiologist was already to go to the OR in his scrubs and get going on restarting my heart (which had stopped somewhere between my arrival and the procedure) and installing the stints. Why have I written all of this to you with so much detail? I wanted all of you who are so important in my life to know what I learned first hand.