Join Our Team!We are seeking enthusiastic Shelby County Republicans to help out in the following areas:•VolunteeratHQ• Identifyvolunteers• JoinShelbyCountyGOPClub

($120 annually)• Jointheexecutivecommittee•Volunteerforoutreachevents•Volunteerforfundraisingevents

February 2009

• CongratulationstoCandidates

• Chairman’sCorner

• MeetMayorTonyPetelos

• OpportunitiesforService

meeting noticeThenextExecutiveCommitteemeetingwillbeheldFebruary10

Meet Your 2008-2010 officers!FreddyArd ChairmanMattFridy ViceChairman AndrewPlaster Secretary SusanTodt Treasurer JeffVreeland PublicityDirectorTBA ResearchDirectorGingerBryant FinanceDirectorTimWolfe TrainingDirectorVACANT ZoneDirector Zone1EarlCunningham ZoneDirector Zone2PaulBridger ZoneDirector Zone3MarkJones ZoneDirector Zone4DonMarzella ZoneDirector Zone5JerryTorrence ZoneDirector Zone6VACANT ZoneDirector Zone7AlanReyes-GuerraZoneDirector Zone8LukeMarshall ZoneDirector Zone9LindseyAllison Legal/Parliamentarian

OnthemorningofJanuary10,IwatchedwithbothinterestandpridethecommissioningceremonyfortheU.S.Navy’snewestaircraftcarrier,USSGeorgeH.W.Bush(CVN-77)namedinhonorofthe41stPresidentoftheUnitedStates.TheNimitzclassofnuclear-poweredaircraftcarrierswasfirstlaunchedin1972,andtheUSSGeorgeH.W.Bushisthe10thandfinalvesselofitstype.

AlthoughImerelyviewedthisoccasionfromthecomfortofmyhome,itinspirednumerousemotions.WhenDefenseSecretaryRobertGatesremarkedthattheformerpresidentis“thelastoftheWorldWarIIgenerationtoserveascommanderinchief ”,thosewordsevokedasomberreminderthattheU.S.willnotagainhaveapresidentfrom“thegreatestgeneration.”

Likewise,Ifeltawe,appreciationandenormousrespectforthosewhoserveinourmilitarywhenformerPresidentBush,hisvoicequiveringwithemotion,toldtheship’screwthattheywillform“anunbrokenlineofpatriotsprotectingthisspecialpieceofAmericanterritory.”Withmorethanahintofirony,standingaboardoneofthehighesttechnologicalachievementsofmankind,theformerPresidentstated,“Assomeonewhohasstoodthatwatchandremembersthequietsolitudeofthatexperience,Iknowyouwillfindcomfortandinspiration,particularlyinthenightsky,whereitisbaskinginthesplendorofthenightstarsthatyouwilltrulyunderstandthemajestyofcreationandbearwitnesstothecertainhandofGod.”

chairMan’s corner bY freddY ard

TheaircraftcarrierUSSGeorgeH.W.Bushtowers20storiesabovethewaterline,displacesapproximately95,000tonsofwater,hasaflightdeckthatcovers4.5acres,is1,092feetlong,andhastwonuclearreactorsthatarecapableofmorethan20yearsofcontinuousservicewithoutrefueling.Yet,withallitsenormousproportions,technologyandmilitarymight,itisoflittleusewithoutthetalents,skillsanddevotedserviceofthenearly6,000menandwomenwhoarethe“life”ofthecarrier.Duringthecommissioningceremony,theship’ssponsor,Dorothy“Doro”BushKoch-daughteroftheship’snamesake,gavethetime-honoredNavytraditionorderto“manourshipandbringhertolife!”Uponhearingthosewords,hundredsofsailorsandMarinesrantotheirstations,eachofwhichwillbemannedcontinuallyfortheexpected50-year“watch”ofthevessel.

IncontemplationofwhatIhadwitnessedearlier,myminddriftedtoatimeslightlyovertwentyyearsearlier.GeorgeH.W.BushwaselectedPresidentinthe1988election,aidedbyanoverwhelmingvotehereinAlabama.Justtwoyearsearlier,AlabamaelecteditsfirstRepublicanGovernorsincereconstruction,impossiblewithoutanextraordinaryRepublicanvotefromShelbyCounty,thebellwetherofRepublicandominanceinourcounty.By1988,allthoseelectedtotheShelbyCountyCommission,theBoardofEducation,theCircuitClerk,DistrictAttorneyandalegislatorwereRepublicans,anunthinkablenotionwhenthatdecadebegan.

Disclaimer: With no intention to elevate political activity over military service, my purpose in writing what follows is merely to draw some parallels. Our Republican Partyisaworthybeneficiaryofyourtime,talents,skills,andresources.WhiletheRepublicanbrandisnoteworthyandusefultoourcandidates,withoutthemenandwomenwho“bringhertolife”,itismerelyanorganizationalformjustasthataircraftcarrierismerelyahulkofofsteel,aluminum,andtechnologywithout its crew.

WhiletheShelbyCountyRepublicanPartybegantoseeitssuccessescometofruitioninthoseelectionsmentionedearlier,itwasonlybecausethepartyhad

USS George H.W. Bush

ExecutiveCommitteeQuarterlyMeetingFeb.10at7:00p.m.ShelbyCountyServicesBuilding,CommunityRoom1123CountyServicesDrive,Pelham

MayorTonyPeteloshasalonghistoryofservicetothepeopleofAlabama.ElectedtotheAlabamaHouseofRepresentativesin1986andtwicere-elected,PeteloswasappointedCommissioneroftheAlabamaDepartmentofHumanResourcesbyGovernorFobJamesandre-appointedbyGovernorDonSiegelman.

PetelosserveshiscommunitythroughhisinvolvementwithKidOneTransport,Children’sFirstFoundation,UABAlumniAssociation,AlabamaCivilAirPatrolandbyservingontheStateofAlabamaBoardfortheDepartmentofHumanResources.HehasbeenhonoredbytheCityofHopein2000forsocialworkinthecommunity,andwasnamedthe2006MarchofDimesCitizenoftheYear.

PeteloswaselectedMayoroftheCityofHooverin2004andre-electedin2008withnoopposition.HeismarriedtoJudgeTeresaPetelos,thePresidingJudgeoftheCircuitCourtofJeffersonCounty,BessemerDivision.Theyhavetwodaughters,AngelaandStephanie.

JoinustheeveningofFebruary10at7pmfortheShelbyCountyRepublicanExecutiveCommitteeQuarterlyMeeting,whereMayorPeteloswillspeakabouttheCityofHooverandhisoutlookfortheRepublicanparty,bothnationallyandhereinAlabama.MayorPetelos’saddresswillbebothinformativeandinspiring,agreatopportunitytogleaninsightintothefutureoftheRepublicanparty.Meetingsareopentothepublic,andareagreatwaytobringinnewpeopletogetinvolvedintheShelbyCountyRepublicanParty.

GettinG to Know You:

tonY Petelos

other events:• TuesdaysandThursdaysinFebruary Headquartersopenfrom10amuntil2pm

• Friday,Feb.6 AlabamaGOPRed,WhiteandBlueDinner

• Saturday,Feb.7 AlabamaGOPWinterMeeting

ª Tuesday,Feb.10 ShelbyGOPExecutiveCommitteeMeeting

beenfaithfullyanddiligently“mannedcontinually”intheyearsanddecadesprior,evenwhensucheffortsseemeduseless.JustasRepublicandominancehereseemedonceimpossible,thedominancewenowenjoycannotbeinverselytakenforgranted,lestourpartybereducedtoamereorganizationalform.

Everyelectioncyclehasitsopportunities,expectations,andchallenges.ThecontinuedelectionofRepublicanscanonlybeassuredasaresultofthecombinedeffortsofeveryonewhosupporttheidealsandprincipalsoftheRepublicanParty.Whetheryouhavedonesoonlyinthepast,arecurrentlyactive,orwishtodosoforthefuture,IsincerelyaskforeveryonewhoidentifieswiththeRepublicanPartyinourcountytocommittosomeformofdevotedservicetoourgreatcause.

Whetherit’syourtime,talents,skills,resources-orsomecombinationthereof-weencourageyoutojoinanother“unbrokenlineofpatriotsprotectingthisspecialpieceofterritory”withyourvaluablecontributionaswe“standwatch”overthenextcriticalelection cycle.

chairMan’s corner, continued

Newsletter layout and design by Laura Joseph

MailingandHeadquartersAddress:

SHELBYCOUNTY REPUBLICANPARTY1920ValleydaleRoad

Suite154 Birmingham,AL35244

Phone:205-821-5916

Email:info@shelbycountygop.org

Visitusonlineat: www.ShelbyCountyGOP.org

Shelby County RepublicanParty

JURISDICTION DIST/PL OFFICIAL18thJudicialCircuit,DistrictJudge Place2 RonJacksonPropertyTaxCommissioner DonArmstrongCountyCommissioner Dist.1 CorleyEllisCountyCommissioner Dist.2 TommyEdwardsCountyCommissioner Dist.3 JonParkerCountyCommissioner Dist.4 DanielM.AckerCountyCommissioner Dist.5 JoelBeardenCountyCommissioner Dist.6 LarryS.DillardCountyCommissioner Dist.7 LindseyAllisonCountyCommissioner Dist.8 RickShepherdCountyCommissioner Dist.9 RobbieHayesShelbyCountyBoardofEducation Place1 PegHill

TheShelbyCountyRepublicanPartycongratulatesthefollowingcandidateswhoeitherwonelectionorwerere-electedintheNovember4,2008GeneralElection.Thankstoallwhohelpedusfinishyetanotherelectionseason“undefeated”fortheRepublicansinShelbyCounty.

shelbY CountY GoPConGratulates Candidates

Paid for by the Shelby County Republican Party