Hi George,

My whole family (except Jill, who's in Blacksburg) is volunteering for Al Weed's congressional campaign. Here's my spiel about him:

Do you like a good race? Are you up for a challenge? Then we need you! If you don't like what's been going on in Washington DC, if you're concerned about the rise to power of huge corporations that are accountable to no one (not even their stockholders, apparently) -- if you are alarmed by the steady erosion of our civil rights -- then the time has come to roll up your sleeves and become part of the solution.

Al Weed is running for Congress in the 5th district of Virginia. Today, Republican Virgil Goode occupies that seat. If you are as alarmed as I am with what has been going on in Washington, as dismayed with the job that Virgil's been doing, and are ready for a breath of fresh air in Washington, I hope you'll join me -- now -- in actively supporting Al Weed for Congress.

Who is Al Weed? Let me tell you about him:

He's is a farmer in Nelson County. Al founded, and still runs, the oldest continuously operating winery in Virginia, Mountain Cove Vineyards. While running his farm, he also founded a wood-drying business in South Carolina, and the accounting practice of Weed & Crabill Public Accountants in Lovingston.

And he's a veteran: he was a Green Beret in Viet Nam, and served in the US Army for nearly 42 years, almost entirely in airborne Special Operations in the Army Reserves -- most recently called to active duty as Command Sergeant Major for Special Operations Command, Europe, in support of our Bosnia operation, in 1996.

Al Weed knows how to roll up his sleeves and get things done: In Nelson County, he was the founding president of the historical society,
the tourism council, and the charter director of the Nelson Jaycees. He's served as President and Trustee of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, President of the Nelson County Chamber of Commerce, plus he organized winegrowers in Virginia, founding the Virginia Winegrowers Advisory Board, and authored legislation to establish the funding for and operation of the VWAB.

He is also "happening" in the realm of conservation: From his vice-presidency of the Advocates for a Sustainable Albemarle Population (ASAP) to his position as Economic Committee Chair for the Thomas Jefferson Sustainability Council, his leadership in local efforts to create two new Federal Wilderness Areas, and his current position as Trustee for the Virginia Land Conservation Fund, Al has demonstrated his commitment to protecting the environment in Virginia.

After graduating with honors from Yale in 1968 with a degree in Latin American Studies, Al earned a masters degree in Public Administration from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public & International Affairs. He then worked as the Assistant to the US Executive Director of the World Bank, in Washington, DC. Following that, he was Assistant to the Chairman and Director of Arthur Lipper Corporation investment bankers in New York City.

During his stint at Arthur Lipper Corp., Al spent a lot of time in Asia and Europe, before leaving to become a Nelson County Farmer in 1973.

What the 5th District needs is a representative in Washington who knows how to get things done. At a time when mammoth corporations are steamrolling over both small businesses and individuals, and civil rights are evaporating in the name of national security, we need someone with the courage to speak up for us -- someone with a solid track record of working hard to make things happen.

I think Al Weed is that man, and I hope you'll join me in supporting his candidacy for the House of Representatives.

As Al challenges the incumbent, let's all consider ourselves challengers of the way things are now. Want to join us? NOW's the time create an effective campaign -- but it won't happen without volunteers, it won't happen without a strong organization, and it sure won't happen without money.

I hope you'll contact Al's campaign volunteer coordinator, Diana Abbott, DabbottCC@aol.com (434) 823-2215 to offer whatever time, energy, and financial resources you can muster.

We need people willing to spread the word about Al's campaign, so feel free to forward this message everyone who would be interested. Also, we need volunteers to host "meet the candidate" get-togethers in their homes.

There are envelopes to stuff, funds to raise, and a Republican to beat.

If you're itching to write a check, go right ahead! Make it out to "Al Weed 2004," and send it to:

Al Weed 2004
P.O. Box 608
Lovingston, VA, 22949

Thank you!

Janis Jaquith (electronic mail, July 24, 2003)