Bangor City Republican Committee

Committee Meeting - Aug 13th

noreply@blogger.com (cary) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:53:00 +0000

Please make note: the next committee meeting will take place at the Bangor Victory Headquarters on Broadway (directly in front of Mama Baldacci's Restaurant) at 5:30pm.

Staying Politically Active

noreply@blogger.com (cary) — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:44:00 +0000

Staying politically active this summer is crucial to our success this fall. The old adage is that all politics are local and if we are successful locally we will be successful state and nationwide. Here are some quick tips that will help our cause this fall:

Search out the House Representative Candidate for your district and offer your support.
Offer your support to Tom Sawyer, our candidate for the Maine State Senate. E-mail him at wtsawyer@aol.com and offer to put up a lawn sign or host a social at your home.
Write an editorial to the Bangor Daily News supporting your candidate.
Donate to the Bangor GOP. Your money will be used to win this fall's election.
Talk to your neighbors and your friends about our candidates. Don't assume your neighbors know what's going on politically. Your advocacy and endorsement can go a long way to win an election!

Enjoy your summer and thank you for participating in Bangor's Grand Old Party!

Bangor GOP Candidates Announced

noreply@blogger.com (cary) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:26:00 +0000

The Bangor City Republican Committee is proud to announce the following candidates will be on the ballot come November:

Charles "Nick" Bearce - House of Representatives - District 15
Doug Damon - House of Representatives - District 16
John Cashwell - House of Representatives - District 17
Pat Joyce - House of Representatives - District 18
Tom Sawyer - State Senate - District 32

Website addresses, photos, and bio's to be posted here soon

Bangor City Caucus Results

noreply@blogger.com (cary) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 21:01:00 +0000

Results from Bangor City Republican Presidential Preference Vote, Sat Feb 2:

Romney: 49.6%

McCain: 24.8%

Paul: 19.7%

Huckabee: 5.1%

Caucus Feb 2nd - 1pm at Husson College

noreply@blogger.com (cary) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 12:45:00 +0000

Saturday Feb 2nd at 1pm at Peabody Hall, Husson College - Look for the signs as you enter the college. Things to consider:

The committee is seeking volunteers to help set up. Those interested should arrive around 11 to assist.
The city clerk will be on hand to register voters prior to the 1pm start time.
The Penobscot County members will gather collectively at 1pm for the pledge of allegiance, caucus messages, and to hear from visiting speakers from various campaigns.
Cities and towns will then break up and conduct caucus business individually:

Elect officers of the Caucus
Attendance sign in
Delegate nominations
Penobscot County membership sign up
Seeking Election Clerks to assist on election day

Bring your checkbook to the caucus.

Tickets for the Bangor Republican Committee Lincoln Dinner with Susan Collins will be sold for those who do not order online;
People interested in being delegates to the May State Convention need to be nominated at the caucus and have a $25 personal or business check on hand.
Republican candidates seeking to run as a Clean Election candidate will be seeking $5 checks from caucus goers.

For a terrific overview of the caucus, visit www.mainegop.com.

See you there!

Cary Weston

Fantastic Meeting!

noreply@blogger.com (cary) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:57:00 +0000

Our thanks to state senator Kevin Raye for addressing the Bangor Republican City Committee at last nights full house meeting.

It was fantastic to see so many come out and discuss the caucus, the candidates, and the upcoming election season.

Please note - the website now features a donation module as we'll need your help to ensure our candidates get the full support they deserve.

We also announced a February 20th Lincoln Dinner which will feature keynote speaker US Senator Susan Collins. Tickets can be purchased online as well. This will be a limited seat event so please order your tickets today!

Thanks again for the tremendous support and energy. I'm so proud to see the Maine College Republicans, Greater Bangor Young Republicans, the Maine Society for Young Republicans, and representatives from Fusion:Bangor in the room participating in the discussion last night. These groups are the future of our party and the essential link to ensuring we have the forces we need to be successful in the coming months.

Kudos to you all. I couldn't be prouder of what we're building here in Bangor.

See you at the caucus on Feb. 2nd!

Remember - if you think change can happen, you're RIGHT!

Cary

Young Voters Must Act

noreply@blogger.com (cary) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 14:29:00 +0000

As published in the Bangor Daily News, January 19, 2008:
=====
Maine's young voters must act
With strong showings of young voters capturing the headlines in early primaries and caucuses, we are seeing a generation, whose attention is difficult to hold, show considerable interest in the political process and in choosing the leaders of our future.

Headlines abound on the topic of "young voters" and the Generation Y movement to get involved in this year’s elections. But will the energy carry forward to the Maine caucuses, or is it simply a reaction to the rallying cry of pop star politicians? Can it be that a generation raised on instant messaging, iPods and YouTube can be sincere in wanting to effect change the old-fashioned way?

In Maine, we are about to find out.

Over the past few years, I have been fortunate to work with and experience the growth of two organizations that are fostering the collective voice of Gen X, Gen Y — all those up-and-comers. What we are seeing right here in Maine is what other states are getting headlines for — young professionals getting together and working for the future of their cities, towns, regions and state. Young leaders are steadily building a platform of substance and making sure their voices, ideas and experiences are represented when it matters most.

Right here, FusionBangor has been a growing force in engaging and empowering young professionals to not only get out and be seen, but to be a unifying voice of change for the economic, social and recreational future of the Bangor region. Statewide, REALIZE!Maine has quietly been working with groups like Fusion all over Maine to build a growing, organized network of regional organizations, all carrying a collective mission: to enable today’s young professional to explore his or her passion and breed the future stewards of our state.

How do FusionBangor and REALIZE!Maine relate to the role of young voters? While strictly nonpartisan, both groups are planning aggressive communications campaigns to get their members involved in local caucuses, primaries and elections in 2008 and beyond. But in order to be heard, we must first be seen. And it must be done the old-fashioned way — by showing up and raising your hand.

As a member of the under-40 set (at least for now), I have been part of a lot of talk about the importance of political action to improve our collective future. I’ve sat on panels with community leaders discussing both pessimism and opportunity for our state and its economic future. I’ve heard a lot of good ideas and viewpoints. But talk is not enough.

It is time to move beyond the conversation. And therein lies the challenge. It’s a challenge I am issuing to myself, my friends and colleagues, family members and community leaders. It is the challenge of engagement.

Established leaders and voters can play a significant role in encouraging young voter participation. Engage a young voter. Bring a younger colleague to a caucus. Inspire a dialogue about politics with another generation. Share your perspective, and most importantly, ask theirs. Mentor a young person getting involved in the political process, and you open up a world of opportunity for them to shape the future.

For the young voters themselves, the challenge is to stop talking and do something. The first step? Attend a caucus. If you have never participated in a caucus (and that includes me), don’t let the fear of the unknown keep you from taking part. Find a friend, mark your calendar and make your way to the regional caucus and soak in for yourself the experience of using your voice to forward your ideals.

Caucus dates, times and locations for both Republican and Democratic events can be found at the REALIZE!Maine Web site: www.realizemaine.org. Make it a point to forward this information to at least one young voter in your life.

Not enrolled but want to participate? In most cases you can enroll the same day as the caucus. Both parties are excited to welcome young voters to the process, and will eagerly accommodate newcomers. You can also make it a point to become educated so that when Election Day rolls around, you are prepared to make a statement in any race — local, state or national.

These big headlines about young voters are only the beginning. They cast light on what has quietly been a growing movement of enthusiasm, engagement and empowerment. The young voter, just like the young professional and the young leader, is the future of every region. With Maine’s older population growing rapidly, the need for youth in action is critical in our state. And now, by answering this challenge, Maine is in a unique position to move from talking about action to demonstrating it.

Can there be a more rewarding experience than personally engaging in the democratic process? One thing is for sure — participating is certainly more rewarding than watching it all happen on YouTube. Don’t let this opportunity pass Maine by — virtually or otherwise.
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Cary Weston is a Bangor native, graduate of the University of Maine and partner at Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications. He is also founding chair of FusionBangor, member of REALIZE!Maine, and serves as chairman of the Bangor Republican City Committee.

Upcoming 2008 Caucus - FEB 2nd, 1pm

noreply@blogger.com (cary) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:30:00 +0000

Well its time again for the biennial caucus. Since we're in Bangor, we'll be participating in the Penboscot County Caucus at Peabody Hall at Husson College on Saturday, Feb 2nd at 1pm.

This will be my first caucus event and I'm thrilled to not only be participating but doing so representing the Bangor Republican City Committee. The energy, passion, and voices I've been so fortunate to be a part of over these past few months has been electrifying and I'm eager to see our momentum grow!

Now, not having participated in a caucus before, I have quite a few questions. So I did some digging online and found a fantastic reference that State Chair Marc Ellis has put together to help folks like me better understand not only what the caucus is all about but what exactly we'll be expected to do.

Here's a link the site in case you have questions or are curious yourselves. Click Here. It's really well done.

I'll be attending the upcoming county committee meeting on the 19th and will returned armed with our city's "Caucus Kit." We'll go over the caucus at the City Committee meeting on Jan 23rd at Husson College's Dyke Center for Family Business. This meeting is open to all Bangor area republicans and I encourage any and all to attend!

An update to that meeting - I spoken to State Senator Kevin Raye from Perry about joining us for the city meeting and sharing his thoughts and experiences on the upcoming caucus. Sen. Raye has graciously and enthusiastically agreed to be our speaker and I couldn't be happier to announce that.

Please - pass on our notice to any and all you might think need to hear our message and be part of the process to help shape the campaign that will decide the future stewards of our state.

Your help is imperative as we build our team to move our message forward - to Augusta and Washington!

So please, check out the Caucus information site and make a note to make contacts and bring a group to join us on Jan 23rd at 5:30 at Husson College for the Bangor Republican City Committee Pre Caucus session and Sen. Raye.

Remember - if you think change can happen, You're Right!

-Cary Weston

Close of Year - Beginning of Season!

noreply@blogger.com (cary) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:56:00 +0000

What a terrific showing last night at our Bangor Republican City Committee at Husson College. I was so excited to see so many folks come out and be up for the cause.

Our topics were varied but the message was clear: as we put our candidates forward it will be a group effort that gets them elected. This includes:

information gathering
poll watching / training
communication with registered voters
election day teamwork

We have had a tremendous outreach from serving Republicans from around the state. Seeing Senator Richard Rosen, Senator Paul Davis, and Senator Peter Mills, among others, excited and offering to be as involved as necessary is tremendous indeed.

Over the coming weeks, I'll be communicating in terms of committee work and volunteer ideas to help us form our machine for the coming year.

Please stay tuned for updates and ways that you can get involved to help us send qualified ambassadors to Augusta!

Feedback from State GOP Chair Mark Ellis

noreply@blogger.com (cary) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:54:00 +0000

Last night was one of those rare moments for me when I actually saw a glimmer of hope and more opportunities than challenges. I was impressed with the number of folks who were present – it was many more than most county meetings. Also impressive was the number of business and community leaders present.

My hat is off to you....honestly, in you guys, I see the future of the Party!

Our Time Is Now - We Need Your Help!

noreply@blogger.com (cary) — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 19:39:00 +0000

Dear Fellow Republican,

I am pleased to report that our Bangor city committee has selected a leadership team and I am honored to have been nominated and chosen as the committee chair for the next term.

Matt Nye, from TMATT Tax & Financial, has been chosen as the Vice-Chair. Joseph McCarthy, from Rudman & Winchell, has been chosen as Treasurer. And Amanda Kitchen, from Husson College, has been chosen to continue her duties as Secretary.

It is indeed a season of opportunity and we're asking for your help to make our goals come true.

12 Months & Counting
It has been far too long since our city has had Republican representation in the State House of Representatives and in 2008, we have two Democrat incumbents being termed out and the city finds itself with two open seats. They will be filled with quality Republicans.

And, as Senator Richard Rosen pointed out at our last meeting, Maine's State Senate is divided by only one seat at the moment: 18 Democrats and 17 Republicans. Bangor's Senate seat is also up for grabs and we're going to take it.

It's been stated that government has a tendency to act as if it has no customers.

Well in 2008, we have the opportunity to not only show Augusta that it indeed has customers, but in Bangor, those customers are Right!

So What Can We Do?
In the coming months, we'll be discussing strategy, completing our statement of guiding principles, and beginning the quest to put forth quality candidates for each and every position on the ballot.

It's never to early to start thinking, talking, and encouraging those around you to get involved and participate in the movement. In fact, we indeed MUST start now!

Our next meeting, the last for 2007, will take place on Tuesday, November 27th, 5pm, at the Dyke Center for Family Business on the Husson College campus.

I ask that each and everyone of you make a point to attend and, bring at least one friend, co-worker, associate, or loved one that believes in our vision and wants to be part of the the movement.

What are we fighting for?
As our committee works to finalize our guiding principle document, you can rest assured that it will speak to our goals of:

* growing our economy
* demanding fiscal responsibility
* ensuring safety for our children
* obtaining affordable housing for seniors
* and enabling local control for decisions that matter most to our city and our region

Also, we need you to be thinking about quality people to approach as candidates and bring those ideas to the meeting.

Just as we formed a sub-committee to continue work on our guiding principles, so shall we form a recruiting committee for candidates and campaign volunteers.

That work will begin with the next meeting.

What You'll See In The Coming Weeks
Over the next few weeks, I'll be working with the leadership team to enhance our new website, www.gopbangor.com, with a bulletin board and donation capability.

Please encourage everyone you know who believes in our mission to join our email list - a simple and easy sign-up box is posted on the homepage of www.gopbangor.com. By signing up, they will be able to receive meeting notes, news releases, and special announcements from our committee.

I'll also be working with the communication committee to reach out to all registered Republicans in the city and personally invite them to be part of our vision.

I'll also be continuing to reach out to the surrounding college-aged Republicans and work with the award winning Maine College Republican organization to ensure we have interest, energy, and participation from our younger generation. Their role is so vital to not only the success of this campaign but in building a bridge to carry on our mission.

I look forward to watching our membership grow, our energy spread, and seeing all of you (with guests!) at the next meeting, Tuesday, November 27th at 5pm.

If you think change can happen - you're RIGHT!

Sincerely,

Cary Weston, Chair
Bangor City Republican Committee

October 23rd Meeting Agenda

noreply@blogger.com (cary) — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:01:00 +0000

The Bangor City Republican Committee is meeting on Tuesday, October 23rd from 5-6pm in the Libra Room of the O'Donnell Commons at Husson College. Please note this is a different location than our previous meetings - if you need further directions, please email Amanda Kitchen for details.

We will discuss two important topics at this meeting.

1. New Suite of Officers:
First, the nominating committee has met to bring forth nominees for our open positions to the committee. The nominees are as follows:

Cary Weston for Chair, Matt Nye for Vice Chair, and Joe McCarthy for Treasurer. We will vote on this slate of officers at our upcoming meeting. If you would like to nominate someone for any of these positions, please let us know. A short bio on each is available here on our website. See the menu to the right for "Nomination Bios".

2. Committee Platform for Review & Approval
Second, we will also review the committee platform that we have drafted based on the discussions of the committee at our previous meetings. The draft is available here on our website. See the menu to the right for "Committee Platform".

Please take a moment to review the draft so we can discuss it at the meeting. While this draft has been reviewed by the executive team, there is no pride in authorship and its most important that the committee as a whole have a say as to how this platform reads.

3. Guest Speaker
I'm also pleased to announce that Senate Asst. Majority Leader Richard Rosen will be our guest speaker.

We look forward to seeing you on October 23rd and starting a new year together.
As you can see, there is a lot on the table for this meeting and the groups input is essential to move our mission forward.

Won't you please join us at 5pm on Tuesday, October 23rd at the Libra Room of the O'Donnell Commons at Husson College.

Sincerely,

Amanda Kitchen
Bangor City Republican Committee

Nomination Bios

noreply@blogger.com (cary) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 12:10:00 +0000

The following individuals have been put forth by the nomination committee as candidates for the following Bangor City Republican Committee officer positions:

Joe McCarthy - Nominated for Treasurer:
Joe McCarthy and his family are natives of Bangor who recently relocated after spending fourteen years living and working out-of-state. Joe is an attorney practicing with the firm of Rudman & Winchell. In addition to spending time with his family, Joe's interests include recreational ice hockey and enjoying the great outdoor opportunities this community has to offer.
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Matthew Nye - Nominated for Vice Chair:
Matt grew up in Bangor, Maine and earned his Bachelors of Science degree in business administration from the University of Maine, Orono. Matt also has a Masters of Science degree in family financial Planning from Oklahoma State University.

Since starting his business, he has dedicated much of his time to helping his community. Matt is Treasurer of Fusion: Bangor, Chair of the finance committee for My Friend’s Place, Secretary for the Penobscot Theater Board and a member of the finance committee for The First United Methodist Church. Matt lives in Bangor with his wife, Amy and their two boxers, Zeus and Bosco.

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Cary Weston - Nominated for Chair
Cary is a Bangor native and is a 1994 graduate of the University of Maine. He is president of Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications, a company he founded here in Bangor in 2001.
His interests include golfing, kayaking, painting, and just about any sport that keeps score. Cary is the founding chair of Fusion:Bangor and sits on a number of boards and steering committees in the Greater Bangor Region, including the Penoboscot Theatre, REALIZE!Maine, and Bangor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Bangor Ballot - From City Clerk

noreply@blogger.com (cary) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 19:49:00 +0000

City of Bangor
Municipal Election
November 6, 2007
_____________________________
For City Council
3 Year Terms
Vote for not more than THREE
_____________________________
Davitt, James E.
59 Hudson Rd.

Hawes, Susan M.
213 Buck St.

Prill, Aaron C.
130 Forest Ave.

Sterling, Aaron T.
201 Husson Ave. B-9

Stone, Richard I.
18 Milton Pl.

Wheeler, Harold A.
315 Silver Rd.
_______________________________
For Superintending School Committee
3 Year Terms
Vote for not more than TWO
_______________________________
Bearce, Charles R.
27 Dillingham St.

Bright, Josephine A.
36 Warwick St.

Budd, Mary A.
384 French St.

Greene, Richard D.
1186 Essex St.

Mallar, Wayne H.
103 Essex St.

Moyse, David W.
42 Pleasant View Ave.

Shubert, Phyllis M
38 Summit Ave.

Letter from the Chair

noreply@blogger.com (cary) — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 11:57:00 +0000

I would like to announce the next meeting for the Bangor City Republican Committee, which will be held on Tuesday, October 23^rd from 5 to 6pm in the Libra Room of the O'Donnell Commons on the Husson Campus. Please let me know if you would like further directions.

At this meeting, we will elect the slate of officers for 2008.

It is with mixed emotions that I must step down as the committee's chair at the end of this year. We will continue on with the next phase of leadership evolution that we anticipated, which includes bringing new young business/community leaders into leadership roles. I plan to stay involved as an advisor and will participate as needed. With the many great volunteers we have on our committee, I am sure that I will leave this position in good hands.

The executive board and I would like to sincerely thank you for the energy and enthusiasm you have brought to the committee's efforts thus far, and we are looking forward to taking these efforts to the next level as we move into what is sure to be an exciting year.

John Simpson

Bangor City Republican Committee Elects New Officers

noreply@blogger.com (cary) — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 22:04:00 +0000

City Group Eyes Safety, Health, and Economic Development As Key Issues

As part of the effort to rejuvenate city membership, the Bangor City Republican Committee (BCRC) has elected four new faces to its executive leadership post.

Elected are: John Simpson, President; Cary Weston, Vice President; Bob Strong, Treasurer; Amanda Kitchen, Secretary.

“We are excited about our new direction,” stated John Simpson. “We invite all those interested in making our community a better place to live, work, and raise a family to join us in our effort to affect positive change.”

While all registered republicans are considered members of the committee, the group seeks to grow its numbers of active participants through monthly meetings and learning sessions.

“We feel its important to share ideas, communicate our goals, and speak with a collective voice,” said Cary Weston. “If we want to make a difference, it must start here in our own backyards.”

The next monthly meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 13 at 4:00pm at the Husson Center for Family Business.

Future meetings as well as email newsletters, featured speakers, city platform, and discussion forums will be posted on the committee’s website, www.GOPBangor.com. The site is currently under development.

“We are actively developing our key message points for the coming year,” remarked Simpson. “Our focus will be centered on safety and security of our children, career opportunities in our region and the health and welfare of the senior members of the greater Bangor region."