George Broadbent- Supervisor East Fallowfield Township- WON
Greg Francis- Judge of Elections Tredyffrin W-5- WON
Robert Knecht- School Director Coatesville Area III- WON

California kid prevails

By Stacy Wolford
VALLEY INDEPENDENT
Wednesday, November 9, 2005

Stacy Wolford can be reached at swolford@tribweb.com or (724) 684-2640.

 Holiday Outreach Program

       Due to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort and the ongoing military efforts in the Middle East and Afghanistan, U.S. Marine Corps resources are expected to be limited during the upcoming holiday season.  As a result, the Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots Program could be in jeopardy of not reaching its expected collection goals and needs your help.

      The Chester County Young Republicans have teamed up with the Marine Corps Reserve to collect and distribute toys to less fortunate children throughout Chester County and the Pottstown area (Montgomery County).  Since Chester County has never before held a countywide collection drive, our combined goal is to collect and distribute 10,000 toys to children throughout the county and its surrounding areas.  Success of reaching our goal can be accomplished only with the support from local communities and the many volunteers who make it possible.

      With the event kickoff soon approaching, our current needs include:

• Volunteers to collect and sort the toys
• Businesses to act as collection points
• Businesses to provide the limited funding we need to bring it all together 

      For more information or to volunteer, please email Tim Hennessey at Outreach@Chescoyr.org

       Please note, the toys will be distributed to the county in which they were collected.

       I look forward to a successful and very rewarding holiday season!!

Timothy B. Hennessey
Outreach Chairman
Chester County Young Republicans

Here is how you can help Chester County families today:

·         Offer monetary donations

·         Donate unwrapped gifts

·         Collect unwrapped gifts from your friends, family, and co-workers

·         Be a collection site

o       Place a box or a barrel in an area for friends, family, co-workers, or patrons to donate gifts

o       Suggested locations include

§         Place of work

§         Place of worship

§         Favorite store or restaurant

o       We supply the official Toys for Tots Posters

§         Place on your collection box or barrel

§         Display in other areas to encourage donations

·         Host a Toys for Tots Party

o       Ask all who attend to bring unwrapped gifts

o       With enough notice, we can have a Marine attend

·         Host a Holiday Dinner or Party

o       Ask all who attend to bring unwrapped gifts

o       With enough notice, we can have a Marine attend

·         Pass the Word

o       Ask your friends and family if their place of work or worship could be a collection site

 Gift ideas other than toys:

·         Batteries

·         Books

·         Clothing

·         School supplies

Traditionally, we are short gifts for teenage boys and girls, ages 12-16.

All gifts must be unwrapped.

Young Republicans Launch New Website
WASHINGTON - The Young Republican National Federation, Inc. (YRNF) unveiled their new website today in a continued effort to improve the brand name of the Young Republican organization.
 
"Building a new website was a top priority for our organization," said Nicolee Ambrose, Chairman of the YRNF.  "It was important to develop a website that our membership could use as a resource for their state and local Young Republican organizations.  There are also many features that allow us to highlight YR successes across the nation.  This fantastic site is a product of the tireless work of Grant Friedman of Kentucky and James Brown of Florida ~ our thanks to these gentlemen!"
 
While the most striking difference between our new site and the old one is the updated graphics and layout, the new Young Republican website is also equipped with some powerful features to help Young Republicans stay connected.  
 
"That was our goal," said YRNF Information Services Chairman Grant Friedman, who was tasked with the design and the development of the new site.  "Our new website not only had to look good, but it had to have all the features that one expects on a website these days.  So, not only did we have to update our graphics, but we also had to put some serious thought into what state and local clubs need from the National organization."  
 
The result is a website where Young Republicans can read up on YR news, locate and connect to state clubs throughout the nation, find out information about upcoming events, and much more.
 
James Brown (FL) added, "Our goal is to provide our state and local clubs with the tools they need to improve their organizations' presence online, and I think that we're accomplishing that."
 
Friedman concluded, "I'm happy with the progress we've made and I look forward to unveiling many new features in the near future."
 
To view the new Young Republican National Federation's website, log on to WWW.YRNF.COM! 

Cinfici Hails Board of Elections’ Decision

READING (July 19) – William Cinfici, candidate for Reading School Director, hailed Thursday’s decision by the Berks County Board of Elections not to petition the Court of Common Pleas for a revote in four Reading precincts where the votes of 111 electors out of 473 who voted there were lost on the electronic machines.  Instead, the Board certified the election results.  Cinfici was certified as one of the four winners on both parties’ ballots for four seats on the Reading School Board in the May 17 Primary Election.

The Board conducted a hearing July 6-7 to determine whether a revote among the 473 electors should be held.  The hearing had been ordered by county Judge Albert A. Stallone, who had dismissed the Board’s petition to conduct a revote and ordered the Board to conduct the hearing.

At the hearing, Cinfici argued that he should have been certified the third-place winner in the Democratic Primary because he won by more votes (165) than the total number that were lost.  He cited Pennsylvania case law that could have limited a revote between the fourth and fifth-place finishers.  However, Cinfici elicited testimony from the Board’s own witnesses who admitted that it could not be determined how many of the 111 electors whose votes were lost were registered Democrats, or how many ballots they had cast for school director.  Therefore, he argued that no revote should even be held at all because it was not probable that the outcome of the school director election would have been different if the votes had not been lost. 

The Board agreed.  As Cinfici observed, “the Board based its decision on the facts and the law.”

Contact: William Cinfici
(610) 374-3379
1238 Linden Street
Reading, PA 19604

PAYR Executive Director Adrienne Mitford Elected Regional Vice Chairman of Young Republican National Federation

HARRISBURG (July 18)—The Pennsylvania Young Republicans (PAYR) announced that their executive director, Adrienne Mitford of Dauphin County, was elected to the position of Regional Vice Chairman last weekend when the Young Republican National Federation (YRNF) assembled in Las Vegas for its biennial convention.

Mitford was elected along with a slate of candidates that included Maryland’s Nicolee Ambrose and New York’s Tim Kolpien, who too were elected to chairman and co-chairman of the YRNF, respectively.

“We are proud to have Adrienne in a position of leadership on the YRNF Executive Board,” said PAYR chairman Christine Verdier.  “As stated in my nomination speech for Adrienne, she is the keystone of our PAYR organization, holding together our entire state delegation.  It is this leadership and work ethic that has brought her to the attention of the National Federation.”

Mitford, who is a therapist in the Harrisburg public schools, has been active in Republican politics since 2001, after seeing the first inauguration of President George W. Bush.  Most recently, she was the volunteer coordinator in Dauphin County, where she devoted countless hours to the campaign.  Mitford currently chairs the Dauphin County Young Republicans.

Also appointed to serve the YRNF was Lindsay Pfister, the Vice Chair of Allegheny County Young Republicans.  Pfister serves the PAYR’s at its National Committeewoman to the YRNF meetings.  Pfister was asked by Chairwoman Ambrose to serve on the YRNF Site Selection Committee, which has the task of determining where to have national meetings and conferences. 

The Pennsylvania Young Republicans is the Commonwealth’s largest statewide organization for Republicans aged 18-40. PAYR invites young people into the Republican Party to promote political expression and recognition. PAYR encourages awareness and participation in the political process at all levels of government in order to support and promote the ideals of the Republican Party and to assist in the election of Republican nominees for public office.

Team Ambrose Backs Adrienne Mitford (PA) for Northeast Region Vice Chair

Team Ambrose is pleased to announce that Adrienne Mitford is our candidate for Northeast Region Vice Chair.

Adrienne is a proven leader in Pennsylvania, where she serves as Dauphin County YR Chairman and the Pennsylvania Young Republican’s Executive Director.

“Adrienne is the perfect person for this position. Adrienne is extremely dedicated to growing the Republican Party and she will work tirelessly to charter new territory and unite the region,” said Nicolee Ambrose, candidate for YRNF Chairman.

Adrienne is a physical therapist in the Pennsylvania public school system who works with children with disabilities. She has a passion for Republican politics. Adrienne has been involved with the Young Republicans since 2001, and she has volunteered on many campaigns at the local, state, and national level. Most recently, she worked tirelessly to re-elect President Bush, serving as the Dauphin County Volunteer Coordinator and Dauphin County YP4W Chairman.

“Adrienne will do a great job defining the new role of Regional Vice Chair, as a liaison with the RNC Region and also by actively managing YR growth in the Northeast,” said Vice Chair at Large candidate Zack Scrivner. “I’m eager to work with Adrienne to make our regional structure operate effectively.”

“I look forward to working with Team Ambrose to unite and strengthen the YRNF,” said Mitford. “This organization has great potential to network young professionals, inspire and promote qualified young Republican candidates, and work together with the senior party to advance the Republican agenda.”


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Please visit our website at http://www.teamambrose.com to get the latest news from our campaign.

HARRISBURG (April 19)—The Pennsylvania Young Republicans (PAYR) have elected Christine Verdier of Schuylkill County as their new chairman. Verdier was elected by the PAYR General Board at a meeting on Saturday to complete the term of her predecessor, who had resigned in February.  

Verdier said her top priorities as chairman are: strengthen existing county organizations, develop new county organzations, and build a working relationship with Republican organizations from Republican National Committee and Republican State Committee to local Republican county organizations.

Verdier is currently a legislative aide to State House Majority Whip David Argall in Tamaqua, a position she has held since graduating magna cum laude from Cedar Crest College in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Verdier interned with the Office of Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Department of Justice, an also with the Toomey for U.S. Congress campaign in 1998.

Verdier is a former chairman of the Schuylkill County Young Republican Association, and has worked on several campaigns in mid-state region, including a recent stint as deputy campaign manager for Col. Frank Ryan, who ran for U.S. Congress in a hotly contested GOP primary in the 17^th District.

Elected with Verdier by the PAYR general membership were: Brandon Danz of Lancaster County to the position of vice chairman; Mason Wev of Montgomery County to the position of treasurer; Lindsay Pfister of Allegheny County to the position of National Committeewoman; and Amy Dohner of Dauphin County, Jerry Karashin of Allegheny County and James Austin Meehan of Bucks County, each of whom were elected Executive Board members.

The Pennsylvania Young Republicans is the Commonwealth’s largest statewide organization for Republicans aged 18-40. PAYR invites young people into the Republican Party to promote political expression and recognition. PAYR encourages awareness and participation in the political process at all levels of government in order to support and promote the ideals of the Republican Party and to assist in the election of Republican nominees for public office.

Visitor to Penn State offers students ideas about Social Security and a dose of reality TV

Pennsylvania Young Republicans Executive Board Unanimously Endorses Ambrose-Kolpien Ticket for YRNF Leadership

HARRISBURG (February 14)—The Pennsylvania Young Republicans (PAYR) Executive Board today announced its unanimous endorsement of Maryland’s Nicolee Ambrose and New York’s Tim Kolpien for chairman and co-chairman, respectively, of the Young Republican National Federation (YRNF).

“Nicolee Ambrose and Tim Kolpien are forward-thinking leaders who’ve articulated a bold vision for raising the professional standards of the YRNF,” said PAYR acting-chairman Christine Verdier. “The PAYR Executive Board is confident that the YRNF will have a bright future under the leadership of these experienced individuals, who’ve demonstrated overwhelmingly their commitment to Young Republicans.”    

Adrienne Mitford, PAYR Executive Director added, “I am pleased to come out with an endorsement at this time.  Nicolee and Tim are very dedicated to moving the YRNF in a positive direction.  We look forward to bringing a full delegation to YRNC 2005 in Las Vegas this summer.”

Ambrose is currently the secretary of the YRNF and chairman of the Maryland Young Republicans.

Ambrose and Kolpien have pledged the following upon their election: 

1. The YRNF will work to serve state organizations by providing support for growth of current clubs and development of newly chartered clubs.

2. The YRNF’s visibility and credibility will be elevated among Republican leaders and candidates at the national and state levels.

3. The YRNF will raise and secure funding to operate and responsibly present a national political organization.

The Pennsylvania Young Republicans is the Commonwealth’s largest statewide organization for Republicans aged 18-40. PAYR invites young people into the Republican Party to promote political expression and recognition. PAYR encourages awareness and participation in the political process at all levels of government in order to support and promote the ideals of the Republican Party and to assist in the election of Republican nominees for public office.

And if they’re successful in accomplishing their first objective, then their second might just follow in its wake.

Best, 28, said that after his election, he made it clear at the group’s state convention in Harrisburg last weekend that their number one goal in the coming months will be to hit the streets and the phones in an all-out effort to put the Keystone State in President Bush’s win column.

Their second goal, Best told PoliticsPA, is to earn respect.

Best said he wants to end the misconceptions that accompany the word young in Young Republicans -- members are 18 to 40-years-old -- by taking more of a leadership role in the state and especially in elections.

“I just feel that not enough people realize that we’re young professionals,” Best said, boasting of members serving on House and Senate staffs. “I think sometimes there’s a view that we might be just kids who can do a lot of grunt work.

“There’s more to us than just foot soldiers.”

But Best concedes that respect is earned not given, and they have a lot of work to do to prove themselves.

To accomplish that end, the Grove City College graduate and father of one daughter, said the group has to expand its membership roles and fatten its wallet.

The organization has 14 chapters, Best said, with another one in Washington County getting ready to open.

Though he couldn’t estimate membership totals for the state, he said the larger chapters, like Montgomery and Beaver Counties, have about 300 member each. Smaller chapters, Dauphin, Cumberland or Schuylkill Counties, have anywhere from 30 to 50 members, with a minimum of 15 required to be chartered.

And while they all stand united in the goal of re-electing Bush, other needs and goals vary from chapter to chapter.

Montgomery County, for example, hasn’t been shying away from the ongoing unity effort in the apparently fractionalized county committee, after Bob Kerns has filed a complaint over the recent election for chairman, entertaining and hearing from both Kerns and chairman Ken Davis.

“I know they’re not trying to burn any bridges with either gentleman, however that works out,” Best said.

And serving with Best, Dean Ouellette, national committeeman and campaign manager for congressional candidate Scott Paterno.

Ouellette said he’s confident Best will do a good job in his new post, and though he didn’t take his committee job to assist in Paterno’s campaign, he said every bit helps.

“I think the youth in the district, the Republicans, were very energized with Scott to begin with,” Ouellette said. “But anytime we have a chance to reach out to young Republicans, it helps.”

After interning for U.S. Rep. Phil English then serving as a legislative correspondent in the same office after he graduated, Best isn’t new to the game.

And though budget cuts have retired him from the Hill or campaign trail, Best said he’s looking forward to satisfying his politics addiction while working his days at the Giant corporate headquarters until another political door of opportunity opens.