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ARDC MEETINGS |
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CONTRIBUTE TO THE ARDC |
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MISCELLANEOUS LINKS |
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Check out our Facebook page for the latest news and information from the ARDC: |
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50 Year Democratic Reunion & Member Appreciation Picnic |
Lorimer Park | August 28, 2010 |
Our picnic was a huge success with good food, great weather, outstanding music and lots and lots of excellent people. Thanks to you all for coming out!
More pictures from the event can be found in the gallery, or on our Facebook page!
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Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz |
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April 25, 2010—"Why We Stand - The Democratic Character" was the theme for this year's annual Spring Banquet, held at the Old York Road Country Club in Ambler. The Spring Banquet is traditionally the ARDC's most successful fundraiser and social event, and this year was no exception. We were honored to feature Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz as Keynote Speaker. Also in attendance were other prominent state and local officials including State Senator LeAnna Washington, State Representative Josh Shapiro, State Representative Brendan Boyle, Montgomery County Commissioner and gubernatorial candidate Joe Hoeffel, Jury Commissioner Greg Holt, and an unexpected appearance from Congressman Joe Sestak.
In addition, two members of our community were also honored this year: ARDC Committeeperson and Abington extrovert John "Spiegs" Spiegelman was named Democrat of the Year and Loretta Fox Outstanding Community Leader.
This year once again featured our new environmentally-friendly "paperless" ad program projected during the banquet and available for download soon. (The 2009 Program is available here.) Proceeds from the event help support Democratic candidates in our area.
Many thanks to Robin Beall, who organized the event, and the rest of the Banquet Committee, who worked diligently to ensure that the 2010 banquet was an outstanding, enjoyable event!
[ Pictures from the event coming soon! ]
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ARDC hosts Sestak |
Times Chronicle | February 10, 2010 |
Senatorial hopeful U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, D-7, was present at the Abington Rockledge Democratic Committee meeting Monday night to talk about his primary campaign against incumbent Arlen Specter.
“I never expected to run for Senate. But while I greatly respect Arlen Specter and his service to the state, I highly disagree with him,” Sestak said.
The meeting, which one committee member said had more than double its usual attendance, began with Sestak talking about why he wants to be the next junior senator for Pennsylvania.
“I decided to run because I absolutely believe that the House of Representatives and the Senate have forgotten for a period of time that the support has to be given for the working class in this country,” Sestak said.
He spoke out about repealing the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy that keeps gay and lesbian troops from serving openly in the military. Sestak, a retired 3-star Admiral
in the Navy, said he knew from personal experience that the policy should be changed.
“On an aircraft carrier with 5,000 young men and women, with an average age of 19 and a half, I can tell you, they don’t care. The people they are serving with, their sexuality isn’t an issue,” he said.
( read the full article here or download PDF version)
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Democrats win school board contest
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Glenside News | November 4, 2009 |
After Tuesday night’s election, the Abington School Board will consist entirely of Democrats, as the three incumbents and Democrat Adam Share won the at-large election.
Democrats Barry Stupine, Jeffrey Bates and board President Raymond McGarry will rejoin the board for another term. Jo Blumenthal, the lone Republican on the current board, did not run in the general election. With no incumbent running in the fourth open slot, Democrat Adam Share will join the board.
“I’m very happy to have been elected, and I look forward to contributing to the school system and continuing the good work that the school board has been doing,” Share said.
After a tough campaign from Republican opponents Bradley Werden, Stephen Kalinoski and Joseph Denelsbeck, the incumbents and Share each received about 15 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Montgomery County Web site, as opposed to about 12 percent each for their opponents.
Running under a campaign promoting school board reform, none of the Republican candidates could be reached for comment Tuesday night.
“People seem to be happy with the schools and with the job we are doing as incumbents,” McGarry said. “I’m very proud of the work the school board does and look forward to another four years of service.”
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ARDC and Allyson Schwartz celebrate Women In Politics
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Event News | September 13, 2009 |
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A gathering and fundraiser to
introduce, mentor, & support
Abington Commissioner Lori Schreiber and
Commissioner Candidates Joan Goldstein, Lois Koff, and June Parkinson was held September 13th at Curds & Whey, 817 Old York Road, Jenkintown
and featured the culinary stylings of Davida Burger.
INVITED SPECIAL GUESTS
- Dr. Jill Biden (Willow Grove’s own!)
- State Senator LeAnna Washington
- Ruth Damsker
- Happy Fernandez
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Nine candidates running for four school board seats
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Glenside News | May 11, 2009 |
Abington School Board has four open seats this election season, with nine candidates running on both the Democratic and Republican tickets in the May 19 primaries.
Incumbents Jeffrey Bates, Jo Blumenthal, Raymond McGarry and Barry Stupine are running for re-election. Newcomers Joseph Denelsbeck, Stephen Kalinoski, Kerry Litvin, Maryanne Rickenbach and Adam Share are running in the primaries as well.
( full article)
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Residents from two townships join in cleanup
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Glenside News | April 23, 2009 |
The Abington Cheltenham Cleanup Day was organized by Glenside resident June Parkinson in honor of Earth Day to take care of the area around the Keswick Avenue train underpass that borders the two townships.
“I looked at the Earth Day Web sites for Abington and noticed that there was nothing in my area and I looked at the Environmental Advisory Council Web site, and there was nothing around here, nothing in Glenside. So I started thinking about that bridge” said Parkinson, who is currently running as a Democrat for Abington Ward 12 commissioner.
( full article | photo gallery)
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Thanks to all for making our 2009 Spring Banquet
and Silent Auction a tremendous success!
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Congressman Patrick Murphy |
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April 19, 2009—"Honoring the Past, Empowering the Future" was the central theme for this year's annual Spring Banquet, held at the Old York Road Country Club in Ambler. The Spring Banquet is traditionally the ARDC's most successful fundraiser and social event, and this year was no exception. We were honored to feature Congressman Patrick Murphy, who arrived early to sign copies of his book Taking the Hill - From Philly to Baghdad to the United States Congress, as Keynote Speaker. Also in attendance were other prominent state and local officials including Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz, State Senator LeAnna Washington, State Representative Josh Shapiro, State Representative Brendan Boyle, Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel, Montgomery County Democratic Committee Chairman Marcel Groen, Jury Commissioner Greg Holt, along with many 2009 judicial candidates from across the state and all of ARDC's endorsed candidates, as well as ARDC community leaders and dignitaries from years past.
In addition, two members of our community were also honored this year: ARDC Committeeperson Committee Chair Kathleen Joyce was named Democrat of the Year and Al Herrmann Outstanding Community Leader.
This year also featured our new environmentally-friendly "paperless" ad program projected during the banquet and available for download here. Proceeds from the event help support Democratic candidates in our area.
Many thanks to Robin Beall, who organized the event, and the rest of the Banquet Committee, who worked diligently to ensure that the 2009 banquet was an outstanding, enjoyable event!
[ See pictures in the gallery ]
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Eminent Domain Power the Answer for New Library Location
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Times Chronicle Glenside News | February 13, 2009 |
As a long term homeowner in Roslyn, I want to thank the Board of Commissioners for its approval Thursday night of the much anticipated expansion of the Roslyn Library, which requires a new location. It is anticipated that the new facility will also have an art center and some outdoor community space. At the hearing, this project was supported by members of the library, the local arts community, Abington’s Economic Advisory Board, as well as my neighbors.
It was clear at the hearing that the Roslyn library is overused, crowded (over 20,000 people used it just this year!) and only has two parking spots. In fact, so many people use the current Roslyn branch that people can’t even find a designated parking space. Although the effect on Roslyn will surely be to its economic benefit, the clear purpose of building the expanded library is to make our library system more accessible to more people, especially children and seniors who may be unable to get to the main branch of the library.
It is the need for revitalization that has allowed Roslyn to get the grant money to proceed with the library’s expansion. After an exhaustive search by our Township Manager and Assistant Manager, this building, vacant for nineteen years, was selected to be the one with optimum size, good parking easy traffic flow, and location on the main street of the area.
Although the Township has recently tried to purchase this property from the owner for fair market value, it has met with a brick wall. All attempts to enter into good faith negotiations have failed.
Our Township Manager testified at the hearing to his good faith efforts to make a deal. Using our township’s eminent domain power will protect the property owner, who will get the entire fair market value of the property and the community will get its much needed library. The project demonstrates a traditional use of our U.S. Constitution’s power of eminent domain, which is the power of government to take private property, if and only if it is needed for public use, while reimbursing the owner in full for the value of the property.
I also want to congratulate the bipartisan approach which enabled this project to move forward. It is a testament to our Township Commissioners that they were able to keep our library’s best interests at heart.
Barbara Halpern
Abington Resident
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Barack Obama at Abington High School
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ARDC | October 3, 2008 |
Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) campaigns during a rally at Abington High School, October 3, 2008.
From Obama's remarks:
"We know these are difficult times. We know how bad Pennsylvania has been hurting. But here's what I also know - I know we can steer ourselves out of this crisis. Because that's who we are. Because that's what Americans do. This is a nation that's faced tougher times than these - we've faced war and depression; great challenges and great threats. And at each and every moment, we've risen to meet these challenges because we've never forgotten that fundamental truth - that here, in this country, our destiny is not written for us; it's written by us."
FULL COVERAGE:
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Refocused—and on the attack, Obama, McCain seek status as economic savior |
Chicago Tribune | October 4, 2008 |
Voters at the Obama rally were anxious after a week of bad economic news. Patty Deitch of Glenside, Pa., who runs a group of local community health centers, said she's worried about her investments and whether she can retire in 10 years as she has planned. She believes McCain and Palin would cut taxes—just not for her.
"I believe Obama understands something they don't," she said. "Helping the middle class is what will save this country." ( full article here)
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Message on sign prompts protest |
Times Chronicle Glenside News | August 20, 2008 |
Abington residents protested a vague message on an electronic sign in the 800 block of Old York Road Aug. 17.
The relatively new sign at Noble Square, in front of the former Houlihan's restaurant, features an electronic and color display that says the word "UNION" in the middle of a red circle with a line through it, as one of its several messages. The messages cycle every couple of seconds - the following message is the same, but adds the phrase, "HOLD THE LINE," under the red circle. The message was up as of Tuesday. Goodman Properties, a real estate and development management firm out of Jenkintown, owns the property.
John Spiegelman, one of the protesters, said he doesn't know how long the message has been displayed, but noticed it last week.
"I don't really know the background behind the sign," Spiegelman said, "but others took offense to it. It's a rather odd thing to have up on a glorified electric clock and a lot of people around here are pro-union." ( full article here)
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ARDC | August 17, 2008 |
A group of Abington Township residents gathered outside of Noble Square along Old York Road to protest an offensive anti-union message being displayed on the shopping center’s electronic sign. Noble Square is owned by developer Bruce Goodman’s Goodman Properties, which placed the anti-union message in the sign’s display rotation; the sign normally advertises the names of Noble Square’s tenant businesses, such as Barnes & Noble.
( more)
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Money Magazine | August 2008 |
A half hour north of Philadelphia, it boasts good schools, bustling shopping districts and a variety of diverse small communities. Leisure and culture can be found at the famous Keswick Theatre or Briar Bush Nature Center, and there is a plethora of after-school programs for kids.
The town may not quite have everything, but with both low crime and low property taxes, you won't hear many complaints. (details here)
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Mayor Michael Nutter |
[ See pictures from the event in the gallery ]
The "Rising Power" Spring banquet at the Old York Road Country Club in Ambler is our most successful fund raiser and social event, and this year we were excited to feature Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter as keynote speaker.
In addition, two members of our community were also honored this year: ARDC Vice-Chair Michael Barbiero, Esq., was named Democrat of the Year and Valerie Ward of Willow Grove Outstanding Community Leader.
Prominent state and local elected officials attended the event as well, which raised over $10,000 to help support Democratic candidates in our area.
Many thanks to Barbara Halpern, who organized the event, and the rest of the Banquet Committee, who worked diligently to ensure that the 2008 banquet was an outstanding, enjoyable event!
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Mischa Aaron Arnosky | Times Chronicle Glenside News | November 8, 2007 |
Several close races for commissioner in Abington's odd-numbered wards yielded only one real upset Tuesday.
According to unofficial totals from the Montgomery County Web site, with 100 percent of the vote counted, Abington has gained a Democratic commissioner with Ernie Peacock defeating incumbent Doretta Agostine, 708-534, in Ward 7. (read more)
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