RK ARCHIVE - Mission Accomplished

At any rate, three Chesterfield Webb volunteers did accomplish our mission this morning--to increase visibility of Jim Webb - who strongly opposed the Iraq war - and of the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate on June 13.

Between south Chesterfield County and Goochland/Hanover/Short Pump just NW of Richmond, a new highway connects the two areas by swinging wide of heavily populated areas of Chesterfield; namely, the Brandermill/Woodlake area of Hull St, Midlothian, and growing Powhatan. 288 extends south to 95. It's becoming more heavily traveled every day. There is an old barn on a rise just off the road heading south from Short Pump, just after crossing the James River. All during the Kaine campaign, there were two Kaine signs on this barn and couldn't help but catch the eye of every driver on the road. Right after Kaine's victory, someone put up a big "Hooray" banner under the Kaine signs. It was always a great lift to ride by and see this.

A week or so ago, the idea must have struck Charles and me about the same time. When JC told me there were 4x8 signs available for high traffic areas, that barn on 288 was my first thought. Around the same time, Charles went in search of the barn to talk to the owners. Without a lot of verbosity about the process, it ended in total success today! This morning, my husband, Kevin, and I met Charles Goins, went to the barn, hoisted the ladder and began a new era. The Kaine signs and Hooray banner came down (I'm saving that Hooray for us later), and 2 4x8 Jim Webb signs went up. I decided that we needed something about the primary so people would connect the two, so ordered a vinyl banner yesterday that says VOTE June 13th!. Kevin and Charles hung that above the Webb signs.

A few pictures are attached. Using Charles' PDA with camera, I was able to get some good shots of the transformation--lowering of the Kaine signs and raising of the Webb banner. The camera didn't capture from a distance (the road) how good the visibility is.

Before leaving, we noticed a hard-wired halogen light directed up to the side of the barn. We'll be lit at night! Charles is going back to speak to the owners,( who he believes he convinced to vote for Webb,) about how we can get the light turned on and if they mind if we hang an American flag on the already-present flag pole (you can see it folded down in the photos, under the Webb signs). Imagine the scene at night: Jim Webb for Senate signs, Vote June 13th, and the American flag waving against the backdrop of a very old and rustic gray barn.

Thanks also to another Chesterfield supporter, Kenn Stepman who helped me immensely by picking up the banner yesterday when I couldn't get there. We're working for Webb in Chesterfield and look forward to seeing him here before the Primary to get lots of others excited about his candidacy.

Comments

AWESOME! (Alicia - 5/28/2006 12:52:15 PM)

My husband just called and is driving around Vienna (NOVA) and saw a ton of HUGE Webb signs, dwarfing the Miller signs.
No word of the other side taking them down yet, like they have in Arlington. (they sure do act like Repubs)
Then he saw a guy with a huge Webb sign in his truck, and they beeped and yelled WEBB- GO WEBB to each other. Or something like that.
I love the momentum!! Go Webb!!!

Excellent day at Viva Vienna... (Lowell - 5/28/2006 3:50:54 PM)

from what I can tell. Lots of people seem favorably inclined towards Webb. On the negative side, Tom Davis signs and volutneers were EVERYWHERE! Luckily, there was a large contingent from the Andy Hurst campaign, a smaller contingent from the Ken Longmyer campaign, and Ken Longmyer himself. My understanding from talking to James Walksinshaw, Andy Hurst's campaign manager, is that Andy will be there later this afternoon, after he does some more door knocking. Nice to see such enthusiasm and energy in the Democratic Party!

PS I also saw Gerry Connolly, but I didn't talk to him. Maybe he didn't see me, or maybe he's still sore about the St. Patrick's Day party and the huge, amazing Webb victory over Harris Miller in his straw poll? :)

Hey-check out the humble abode of phriendlyjaime and thaddaeus toad (phriendlyjaime - 5/28/2006 3:47:44 PM)

After a lot of yelling, swearing, sweating, and hammering, Thadd and I achieved great success! Due to our lack of a yard (Downtown Richmond city apt.) we got with JC and decided that we should try to hang some 4 by 8 signs from our windows and our roof. It was no easy task, and it was pretty scary, considering we had to place a card table on a slanted roof and then mount a very unsteady ladder on top of it in order to get onto the roof. But...it worked!

If you are in Richmond, I encourage you to drive down Main Street, as if you were leaving the slip for a night out on the town or a place of work here in the heart of the city. On the corner of First Street and Main Street, you will see a pink building with 2 ENORMOUS Webb signs facing Main Street, right where people need to be if they are planning on either driving through the ciy, or using the entrance to the Powhite Parkway. It looks awesome, and we got a bunch of horn honks! GO WEBB!!!!!!!!