On the Road with the Chairman

Since our last issue, Chairman Chris Dziedzic has been busy in his travels around the state on behalf of the New York State Young Republicans. Is he ever glad to see gas prices falling below that peak of over $4.00 a gallon!

Stop #1: Saratoga Springs, NY
Chris drove up to Saratoga on Saturday, August 2nd for the Seventh Annual NYSYR Day at the Races. This has been one of our most successful fundraising events over the past view years, filling up the coffers in preparation for a busy fall campaigning schedule.

Stop #2: Queensbury, NY
Chris made the trip to Queensbury, New York on Sunday, August 16th to attend the Second Annual Warren County YR Family Fun Day. This is always a fun event with unlimited use of laser tag, bumper cars and go carts during the afternoon.

Stop #3: Catskill, NY
On Sunday, August 17th, Chris traveled down I-87 to Catskill, New York to meet with Eric Mortenson and Bryan Cranna, the chairs of Young Republican groups from Columbia County and Dutchess County respectively. The group in Columbia County is interested in forming into an official Young Republican chapter and getting more involved with our state organization.

Stop #4: Endicott, NY
On Thursday, August 21st , both Chris and NYSYR Parliamentarian Ed Lass attended the State Senator Tom Libous’ Annual Steak Roast at the En-joie Golf Course. This is the second year the NYSYR has sent attendees to this GOP fundraiser, one of the largest in Upstate New York.

Stop #5: Brooklyn, NY
The second YR targeted campaign weekend found Chris campaigning in Brooklyn for a slate of Republican candidates highlighted by fellow YR and State Assembly candidate Bob Capano. Young Republicans from Broome, Kings, Nassau, New York and Richmond Counties participated in this effort.

Stop #6: Utica, NY
The third YR targeted campaign weekend found Chris working neighborhoods in Oneida County for congressional candidate Richard Hanna on October 4th. Jack Karwacki, chair of the Oneida County YRs, did a great job in organizing this effort.

Stop #7: New York, NY
The fourth YR targeted campaign weekend found Chris in Manhattan helping a variety of YR candidates on October 18th: John Chromczak for State Senate and Saul Farber and Bill Buran for State Assembly.

Stop #8: Pittsford, NY
The fifth YR targeted campaign weekend found Chris working neighborhoods in Monroe County for Congressman Randy Kuhl on October 25th. Young Republicans from Broome, Monroe, Ontario and Steuben Counties participated.

Stop #9: Seneca Falls, NY
On November 25th, Chris and Executive Director Rick Cordaro travelled to meet with a new YR club being organized in Seneca County. One of the nice things about this group was that they have administration and financial support of their senior party.

On the Road with the Chairman

Stop #1: White Plains, NY
On Wednesday, February 6th, Chris traveled to White Plains, New York to drop in on the Westchester Young Republicans monthly meeting. Under new chair Rob Biagi, the Westchester YRs are looking to rebuild their chapter into one of the long established bedrocks of the state. The monthly meeting was held at Westchester GOP headquarters on Mamaroneck Avenue at 8:00 PM. Joseph Acocella, Harrison Town Clerk, was the guest speaker.

Stop #2: Oswego, NY
On the weekend of February 8th and 9th, Chris was up in Oswego, New York along with many other YRs for a targeted campaign effort – this one in Senate District 48, to help Will Barclay in that well publicized special election. YRs from Albany, Broome, New York, Onondaga, Oswego, Saratoga and Washington Counties traveled out to pitch in. You can see some photos of the effort on http://www.newzjunky.com/news/0210barclay3.htm

Stop #3: Albany, NY
Chris traveled out to Albany on the weekend of February 29th to March 2nd. That weekend was the NYSYR Leadership Conference and Spring Board Meeting at the Hilton Garden Inn. The focus was on a fundraising school put together by the Leadership Institute. The annual Teddy Roosevelt Dinner was highlighted by Wheeler Milmoe Award winner Assemblyman Lou Tobacco. On Sunday, the board meeting had three congressional candidates, Lee Zeldin (CD 1), Sandy Treadwell (CD 20), and Mike Rocque (CD 20), address the assembled YRs.

On the Road with the Chairman

This fall, the NYSYR was as busy as ever with a variety of targeted campaign efforts all across the state. I traveled around the state to participate the New York State Young Republicans targeted campaign efforts on various fall weekends. And who said this was an off-year election?

Stop #1: Corning, NY
On Friday, September 14th, there was a fundraiser at the Radisson for Young Republican Tom Reed, the mayoral candidate for Corning. The next day, 25 to 30 YRs spent a couple of hours in the afternoon doing a targeted literature drop in the 2nd and 6th Wards in Corning for fellow YR and newly-elected Mayor of Corning, Tom Reed. We also carried literature for Mike Morrongiello in the 2nd Ward and George Spisak in the 6th Ward for their City Council campaigns.

Stop #2: Saratoga Springs, NY
On Saturday, October 13th, the Young Republicans helped support Saratoga YR Matt Veitch, candidate for Supervisor, and Skip Scirocco, candidate for Commissioner of Public Works in the City of Saratoga Springs. YRs from five different county chapters (Albany, Broome, Saratoga, Warren and Washington) participated. Later the Saratoga Springs GOP provided the volunteers with lunch at the campaign headquarters.

Stop #3: Troy, NY
On Sunday, October 14th, the YRs walked the 5th and 6th Council Districts in the City of Troy in support of candidates Carlyn Collier and Bob Krogh, Troy Mayor Harry Tuntunjian, and District Attorney candidate Greg Cholakis. Nearly forty volunteers walked the streets for the slate, including YRs from Albany, Broome, and Rensselaer. Afterwards, the campaign treated the volunteers to lunch at the Red Front Restaurant in Troy. I just wished we were given a chance to try the famous COB pizza (cheese on bottom).

Stop #4: Yonkers, NY
On Saturday, October 20th, I traveled out to Westchester County, and got to enjoy the beautiful leaves in full autumnal color along Route 17 through the Catskills. Previously, NYGOP had informed us that the Yonkers mayoral race was a targeted effort this fall. YRs from Broome, Manhatan and Westchester distributed literature door-to-door in the City of Yonkers in support of Mayor Phil Amicone and a slate of three City Council candidates.

On the Road with the Chairman

Since the last issue of the GOPyr newsletter, Chairman Chris Dziedzic has been busy in his travels around the state on behalf of the New York State Young Republicans.

Stop #1: Queensbury, NY

“I traveled to Queensbury, NY on Saturday, August 25th. The Warren County YRs hosted WCYR Family Fun Day 2007 as their first major fundraising event. It was held at Adventure Racing in Queensbury, NY. Activities included go-karts, Star Wars Laser Tag, bumper cars, and rock climbing. Food and refreshments were provided as well, all for very reasonable $15 a person.”

Stop #2: Tuxedo, NY

“A number of us were in Tuxedo, NY on Saturday, September 8th for a NYSYR Leadership Retreat and Social. Those who attended were Vice Chair Lynn Krogh, National Committeeman Ed Torres, National Committeewoman Kristin Coffey, Parliamentarian Ed Lass, Chief of Staff Brian Graybow and myself. Some great team building and networking took place.”

Stop #3: Corning, NY

“On Friday, September 14th, I traveled out to Corning. That night there was a fundraiser at the Radisson for Young Republican Tom Reed, the mayoral candidate for Corning. Having spent four years in the Elmira-Corning area while at Elmira College while earning my BA, it was a treat to be able to reconnect with old friends.

“The next day was the NYSYR Fall Board Meeting at the Corning Country Club. It was a productive meeting with a lunch highlighted by Assemblyman Jim Bacalles and former Congressman Amo Houghton. After the meeting and lunch, the YR spent a couple hours doing a targeted literature drop in Corning for YR and mayoral candidate Tom Reed. A bused winery tour along Keuka Lake was capped by a sit down diner featuring Steuben GOP Chairman Bill Hatch and Congressman Randy Kuhl.”

On the Road with the Chairman

Since the last issue of the GOPyr newsletter, Chairman Chris Dziedzic has been busy in his travels around the state on behalf of the New York State Young Republicans.

Stop #1: Albany, NY

Chris traveled to Albany to attend the Capitol District Young Republican’s July monthly meeting, on Wednesday, July 25th. It was held at Legends on Lark Street in Albany at 7:00 PM. R.A. De Prima, a Republican county legislative candidate for one of the districts within the city of Albany, was the guest speaker.

Stop #2: Amsterdam, NY

That weekend, Chris was up in Amsterdam, New York along with many other YRs for one of he targeted campaign efforts – this one in Assembly District 105, to help George Amedore to win a special election. While in that part of the state Chris has a chance to meet with the head of the newly organizing Montgomery County Young Republicans. Chris had a chance to sit down with Karl Baia at the Crystal Restaurant in Amsterdam on the afternoon of Saturday, July 28th. It was a productive meeting, and the Montgomery County YRs are looking to join our larger statewide network.

Stop #3: Saratoga, NY

The next big event was the 6th Annual Day at the Races on Saturday, August 4th. While Chris did not make a big profit from his bets at the track, everyone in attendance profited from hearing Chris Callaghan’s beautiful new song about Eliot Spitzer and Troopergate, which you can watch here: www.nysyr.us/gallery.htm.

Stop #4: Lake Como, NJ

On Saturday, August 11th, Chris and National Committeeman Ed Torres traveled down to Lake Como, NJ (formerly known as South Belmar), to attend the annual New Jersey Young Republican Federation Summer Splash. The YRs from New York and New Jersey have a long history of supporting and attending one another’s events and activities, and the current NYSYR administration strives to maintain those ties.

Stop #5: Endicott, NY

Chairman Dziedzic, Corresponding Secretary Bryon McKim, Executive Director Rick Cordaro and Parliamentarian Ed Lass attended Senator Tom Libous’s Annual Steak Roast and Thursday, August 16th in Endicott, New York. It was a great time at one of the largest Republican fundraisers in the state, with an annual attendance of three to four thousand people.