Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Showing posts with label People Griffis–Kevin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label People Griffis–Kevin. Show all posts

Friday, June 06, 2008

20080603 Barack Obama-Organization, South Carolina Communications Director Kevin Griffis

20080603 Barack Obama-Organization, South Carolina Communications Director Kevin Griffis

Barack Obama-Organization, South Carolina Communications Director Kevin Griffis

Retrieved June 6, 2008

Many will recall that Kevin Griffis used to be with Landmark at the Carroll County Times back around 1999-2000.

Barack Obama-Organization, South Carolina
Revised May 13, 2008
OBAMA FOR AMERICA Headquarters: 1025 Calhoun Street, Columbia

http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2008/obama/obamaorgsc.html

Communications Director Kevin Griffis

(started May 29, 2007) Most recently served as communications director for Democratic nominee Jim Pederson in Arizona's 2006 U.S. Senate campaign. Directed communications for Virginia's Democratic coordinated campaign during Tim Kaine's successful gubernatorial run in 2005.

Directed communications for the Democratic Party of Virginia. Nevada communications director for America Coming Together in 2004.

Political reporter for Atlanta's independent newsweekly, Creative Loafing, 2000-03. B.A. in political science from Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin.

Monday, June 04, 2007

20070531 Obama Campaign Names Kevin Griffis South Carolina Communications Director

20070531 Obama Campaign Names Kevin Griffis South Carolina Communications Director

Many will recall that Kevin Griffis used to be with Landmark at the Carroll County Times back around 1999-2000.

SCHotline Press Releases

Obama Campaign Names South Carolina Communications Director

Kevin Griffis, South Carolina communications director for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign

Posted in
Uncategorized by schotline on May 31st, 2007

COLUMBIA, SC — Barack Obama’s campaign has named Kevin Griffis as its South Carolina communications director.

The former Atlanta political reporter most recently served as communications director for the Democratic candidate in Arizona’s 2006 U.S. Senate campaign. Griffis went to Arizona after having directed communications for Virginia’s Democratic coordinated campaign during Gov. Tim Kaine’s successful 2005 gubernatorial run.

“Kevin’s long-time service to Democratic politics, experience in the South and commitment to changing this country make him an excellent addition to our growing South Carolina team,” the Obama campaign’s South Carolina State Director Stacey Brayboy said.

In addition to the experience listed above, Griffis has also directed communications for the Democratic Party of Virginia.

From 2000-2003, Griffis was the political reporter for Atlanta’s independent newsweekly, Creative Loafing. In 2002, he won the national award for news story of the year from the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, an industry group that includes as its members newspapers such as The Village Voice and the Chicago Reader. Griffis’ story uncovered tens of thousands of dollars of illegal campaign contributions made to the then-Atlanta mayor’s re-election campaign.

Griffis is a graduate of Beloit College in Beloit, Wisc. and has family in Lancaster, Kershaw and James Island, South Carolina.


http://schotlinepress.wordpress.com/2007/05/31/obama-campaign-names-south-carolina-communications-director/

Friday, June 04, 2004

20040520 This week’s Creative Loafing “Scalawag” title goes to Kevin Griffis

20040520 This week’s Creative Loafing “Scalawag” title goes to Kevin Griffis

This week’s Creative Loafing “Scalawag” title goes to Kevin Griffis


This week, Creative Loafing takes the unusual step of bestowing the Scalawag title on one of its own: me, Kevin Griffis.

The shadowy group that uses its black arts to pick the Scalawag chose me for its dubious "honor" because I'm leaving my post as the paper's political reporter for a life in -- surprise, surprise, everyone -- politics.

The paper has a right to be angry. This is a crushing blow to Atlanta's venerable alt-weekly…

[…]

I was fawned over and feared by the left and the right, respectively, and there are politicians across this great land who will finally sleep tonight knowing that the most thorough and tough-minded journalist they ever crossed swords with is laying down his pen.

[…]

In case you're wondering, I'm departing primarily because of my daughter. Politicians need babies to kiss, and I finally have one. (In fact, she's willing to freelance for a reasonable fee.)

But does the staff think otherwise? Do they believe I've let my success, of mythic proportion though it is, persuade me that I can make a difference on a political campaign? Do they fancy me a fool, one who hasn't learned anything about the cynicism of politics from my own reporting?

"Goodbye, Kevin," they're probably saying, "and good riddance." And a good riddance to them! It would take 10 reporters to replace me -- and try as they might, they will fail!

Read the rest here:
For rivaling the spinelessness of the politicians he's covered

http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/kevin_griffis/Content?oid=15683

People Natl Internatl Griffis – Kevin Griffis

People Where are they now

Thursday, May 20, 1999

19990519 Skateboard Park by Kevin Griffis, Carroll County Times Staff Writer

19990519 Skateboard Park by Kevin Griffis, Carroll County Times Staff Writer

First published in the
Carroll County Times Wednesday, May 19, 1999

Skateboard park rolling strong

By KEVIN GRIFFIS,
Carroll County Times Staff Writer

By all accounts, Westminster's new skate park has been an overwhelming success, but city officials say they aren't surprised with the demand for the facility.

Skaters are roundly happy with the park, but many want to see its street course expanded.

``The skate park has been received extremely well; we're overly pleased,'' said Ronald J. Schroers, supervisor of Westminster's recreation office.

The park has already sold 40 season passes, good April through October, at $40 a pop and there's been no shortage of daily users who have to pay for a $5 one-day pass, Schroers said.

Westminster Mayor Kenneth A. Yowan joked that the city should franchise the parks.

``Every time I talked with a group of youngsters, whether it was a scout group, a church group or whatever, the subject of a skate park seemed to come up,'' Yowan said.

``Skateboarding is popular and it's not going away. Now youngsters have a place to go and skate without being hassled, a place where they also have to wear the proper safety attire.''

But don't expect to see the 56-year-old mayor on the halfpipe anytime soon.

``I tried it once, 10 or 20 years ago, for about five seconds, and managed somehow to get off without breaking my neck,'' Yowan joked.

Although it's only been open since Friday, some of the problems people predicted the park would have - fights and skaters using loud, abusive language - have not materialized, and Schroers said he doesn't think they will. Even though the skaters often have to wait quite a
while for their turn on the equipment, Schroers said there appears to be an understanding among the park's users.

``There's such camaraderie out there,'' he said. ``These kids have a code of ethics. Yes, they all have to wait, but they're working this thing together.''

Westminster Police Capt. Randy Barnes confirmed Schroers assessment. He said the department has been making patrol checks on the facility and no problems have been reported.

Westminster police headquarters is located less than a block away from the park, on Locust Street.

Early Tuesday afternoon there were already 10 skaters riding the park's halfpipe and small street course. The street course is made up of two mini-ramps and a short, flat obstacle skaters can jump and grind the bottom side of their boards on.

Jesse Peltzer, 17, was one of the best on the course. On one of the two small ramps, he could flip the skateboard underneath him while he turned in the air and find the board with his feet to stop the spin and ride back down the ramp in the opposite direction.

``Yeah, it's pretty rad,'' Peltzer said about the skate park.

It gets a little crowded at times with ``little kids'' just learning how to skate, Peltzer said, but on Tuesday everyone waited politely for their turn.

Michael Cassell, 15, who arrived at the park with Peltzer, said he believes one of the ideas of the people who built the park was to keep people from skating on the streets, but there really isn't enough equipment on the street course to keep everyone off the streets.

To that end, Schroers said there is room at the park to add some equipment, and the street department can make up some ``commercial grade'' obstacles, like grindrails, for the kids to use.

If the interest warrants it, the park can also expand its fenced-in borders, he said.

Yowan said that probably won't happen this year, but the city will monitor activity at the park and, as with any recreational area, decide if the facility should be expanded.

Schroers said the fees have offset the cost of keeping a monitor at the park and said he's already improved the park to keep up with requests from skaters. He added a portable toilet, and on Tuesday he said he was going to have a soda machine installed.

Schroers also issues free passes to parents when their children buy a season ticket.

``I want to keep the parents involved so they can help monitor the park,'' Schroers said.

Right now, he has staffed the skate park with a full-time attendant, but he said during the summer, the facility will be staffed part-time and the attendant will split his time between the city playground and the skate park.

There have been a few injuries, Schroers said, but nothing much different than can be found at any other city recreational facility.

The park is insured by the city's insurance company, LEGIT.


Westminster Dept Recreation and Parks, Westminster Recreation and Parks Skateboard Park, People Natl Internatl Griffis – Kevin Griffis, Media journalists Griffis – see People Natl Internatl Griffis – Kevin Griffis

Wednesday, April 14, 1999

19990413 More candidates file for May elections By KEVIN GRIFFIS, Times Staff Writer

19990413 More candidates file for May elections By KEVIN GRIFFIS, Times Staff Writer

http://www.carrollcounty.com/news/tue3.htm

First published in the
Carroll County Times Tuesday, April 13, 1999

More candidates file for May elections

Chapin won't seek re-election in Westminster

By KEVIN GRIFFIS, Times Staff Writer

There were only a few last-second filings Monday for Carroll's May municipal elections.

Most of the action took place in Hampstead and Taneytown, while in Westminster a city councilman who had waffled about whether he would run again decided to forgo another race.

In a town that has what could become the most interesting mayoral race this year, county political newcomers Keith A. Heindel and Denise Justus both filed to run for Hampstead city council seats the last day they could, said town clerk Pat Warner.

That brings the total candidates for the two open seats to five. Incumbents Lawrence H. Hentz Jr. and Stephen A. Holland and challenger Steven Balaz have also declared for the race. Balaz ran and lost in 1997.

Mayor Chris Nevin filed for re-election April 8, Warner said. He will battle councilman Wayne H. Thomas for Hampstead's top spot.

Nevin ousted incumbent C. Clinton Becker by running on a slow-growth platform in 1995. The mayor, though, has taken heat recently for approving a 66-condominium development in the Roberts Field housing development.

Thomas has served on the city council since 1991 and was re-elected in 1997.

In Taneytown, Henry C. Heine Jr. is running unopposed for mayor, while at the last moment Bobby Wales joined Daryl Hale and incumbent Brian Long in the race for two city council seats.

Westminster incumbent councilman Stephen R. Chapin had said he would play it down to the wire before making a decision on whether or not he would run for re-election. He said he was waiting to find out whether another fiscal conservative would file. That didn't happen, but Chapin still decided not to run again.

Chapin said he's become an advocate for term limits. It's time for some new blood, he said. Chapin, a self-described fiscal conservative and eight-year council veteran, said he hopes someone else steps forward on the council to watch the town's pennies.

There are only four candidates running for three open seats in Westminster.

In 1995, five people ran for three council seats and the city experienced the lowest election-day turnout of any municipality in the county.

City officials attributed the low turnout and dearth of election day choices in 1995 to a lack of hot-button issues and have said the same about this year's race.

Incumbents Suzanne Albert and Gregory Pecoraro are running with challengers Kevin Dayhoff and Frank Wagner.

New Windsor has three open seats and five candidates have filed to run. Councilmen Paul Garvey, Ronnie Blacksten and Terry Petry are running against last-minute filers Samuel Pierce and Kevin Null.

Potential candidates in Union Bridge, a town that passed a water rate hike in January, have until 4 p.m. today to declare their candidacy. As of Monday afternoon, only incumbents Mayor Perry L. Jones Jr. and Councilmen Bret D. Grossnickle and Donald Wilson had filed.

At the Sykesville Town Council meeting held Monday night, town council members William R. Hall, Michael Kasnia, Jeannie Nichols and Michael H. Burgoyne announced they will seek re-election. They will, however, by challenged by five other candidates. Three full-term seats [four years] and one partial-term seat [two-years] will be up for grabs. Each candidate must have been nominated in person at the meeting in order to be declared as an offical candidate.

The other candiates nominated are Charles B. Mullins, Scott Hollenbeck, Constance Lee Higgins, Cynthia DeBari Campbell and Garth Adams.