Oak Ridge Today

Attorney to discuss charter government at Democratic Women’s Club Meeting

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Joe Jarret

Joe Jarret

 

Joe Jarret, an attorney who has served two different charter county governments as law director-chief legal counsel, will speak next week at the Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club. The meeting, which includes a pot luck dinner, will start at 6 p.m. Monday, October 24, in the Club Room of the Clinton Community Center, which is at 101 South Hicks Street in Clinton.

Jarret will discuss the mechanics and practical effects of a charter form of government. He has served three different government entities as chief legal counsel, the most recent being Knox County. During his service there, he provided legal advice to the 27-member Charter Review Commission during months of public hearings.

A federal and state mediator, the attorney has practiced law for more than 24 years. He is chair of the Tennessee Bar Association City/County/Local Government Law Section, and past president of the East Tennessee Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration and the Tennessee Valley Mediation Association. [Read more…]

Dr. William Culbert to discuss Affordable Care Act on Aug. 22

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William Culbert

William Culbert

William Culbert Jr., MD, a family practice physician who is an advocate of the Affordable Care Act, will be the guest speaker at the Monday, August 22, dinner meeting of the Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club. The club meets at 6 p.m. in the Club Room of the Clinton Community Center at 101 South Hicks Street in Clinton.

Dr. Culbert will speak on “Progress with the Affordable Care Act and Next Step.”

Culbert has written several guest newspaper columns supporting the Affordable Care Act and the comprehensive health insurance reforms that the federal law, also known as Obamacare, brings.

Board certified in family practice medicine, Culbert has been a physician with Covenant Health Systems in Anderson County for 17 years. He is a 1996 graduate of Quillen College of Medicine in Johnson City, Tennessee, receiving his MD degree. [Read more…]

Anderson County Democrats will watch convention July 28 at Swifty’s

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The Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club will gather at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 28, for a meeting and to watch the Democratic National Convention at Swifty’s Atomic Bar and Grill at 119 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

The Anderson County Democratic Party will join the women’s club to watch the convention after a 6 p.m. ribbon cutting to open the new Democratic Party Headquarters at 136 South Illinois Avenue, across the street from Swifty’s. [Read more…]

Gloria Johnson to speak Monday at Democratic Women’s Club

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Gloria Johnson

Gloria Johnson

Gloria Johnson, Democratic candidate for the Tennessee House of Representatives in District 13 in Knoxville, will be the guest speaker at the Monday, May 23, meeting of the Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club.

The club will meet at 6 p.m. at the Pizza Inn, 1501 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge.

Johnson is a retired Knox County school teacher with 27 years’ experience educating special needs children, a press release said. Her advocacy work during the past year with health care and education has inspired her new consulting business, Tennessee Alliance for Learning and Leadership, or TALL. [Read more…]

VP Humphrey’s executive assistant to be guest speaker at AC Democratic Women’s Club on Monday

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John Stewart

John Stewart

John G. Stewart, who served as executive assistant to Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, will be the guest speaker at the Monday, April 25, meeting of the Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club. The club meets at 6 p.m. at the Clinton Community Center, which is at 101 South Hicks Street in Clinton.

Stewart, who was also a legislative assistant to Vice President Humphrey when he served in the U.S. Senate, will speak on a topic titled “The Privatization Scam: Once Again the People Lose.”

“Stewart has raised concerns about Governor Bill Haslam’s efforts to turn publicly-owned assets in Tennessee, including state parks, prisons, state universities and colleges, and other facilities, over to private management,” a press release said.

Stewart served as vice president of Tennessee Valley Authority for economic and community development and assistant general manager of administration at the Tennessee Valley Authority. Before that, he was staff director of two subcommittees in the U.S. Senate and served as director of communications for the Democratic National Committee. [Read more…]

Democratic women host discussion on climate change on Monday

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Ellen Smith

Ellen Smith

Climate change will be the focus of a panel discussion presented by the Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club at 6 p.m. Monday, October 26. The discussion will be at the Clinton Community Center, which is at 101 South Hicks Street in Clinton. Panel members will be Ellen Faby, Jo Ann Garrett, Jan Newsome, and Ellen Smith.

Mary Headrick, a retired physician who was a Democratic candidate for the Third Congressional District, will facilitate the discussion, which will focus on protecting the environment and the effects of climate change on health.  A question-and-answer session will follow presentations by the panelists.

Those attending are invited to bring a pot luck item to share. Beverages will be provided. [Read more…]

Chief Deputy Lucas to speak to Democratic Women’s Club on Aug. 24

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Mark Lucas

Mark Lucas

Chief Deputy Mark Lucas of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department will be the guest speaker when the Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club meets Monday, August 24. The meeting will be at 6 p.m. at Shoney’s Restaurant at 2405 North Charles Seivers Boulevard in Clinton.

Lucas, who has been in law enforcement for 37 years, will discuss “Duties and Responsibilities of the Office of Sheriff,” a press release said.

He has served as chief deputy for 21 years with three sheriffs, and he is now second in command to Sheriff Paul White. He began his law enforcement career in 1978 as a reserve deputy with the Knox County Sheriff’s Department, joining the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department in 1979. He attended Basic Police School in 1980 and served as a patrol deputy and sergeant. [Read more…]

Democratic Women host tea

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The Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club will host an English tea on Monday, July 27, for members of the Democratic Party.

The tea will be from 5-7 p.m. July 27 in the Hearth Room of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge. Tea and light refreshments will be served.

Women are invited to wear hats as they come for tea and for discussion of issues important to Democrats. The club will offer its support to Democratic candidates from the region, and candidates are invited to attend.

For more information, contact Ann Mostoller at amostoller@msw-law.com or Mary Matheny at (865) 483-8937.

Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club has summer picnic Saturday

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The Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club will host a summer picnic Saturday, June 20, at Gibbs Ferry Park between Oak Ridge and Clinton.

All Democrats and families are invited to attend, a press release said. The picnic is a Democratic tradition, and it starts at 11 a.m. Saturday, the release said.

Hot dogs and accompaniments will be provided, and those attending are invited to bring a side dish or dessert to share. The press release said. there is no charge, but donations are welcome. Jenny the Donkey, who came to last year’s picnic, is expected to put in an appearance again. [Read more…]

Rep. Armstrong to discuss state legislative session on Thursday

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Joe Armstrong

Joe Armstrong

Tennessee Representative Joe Armstrong will discuss the recently ended state legislative session at the Thursday, May 28, dinner meeting of the Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club. The club will meet at 6 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Power Squadron at 343 Emory Valley Road in Oak Ridge.

Armstrong, who represents the 15th House District in Knox County, began his political career in 1982 as a Knox County commissioner. He was elected vice chairman of the Knox County Commission in 1986. In 1988, he sought and won election to the Tennessee General Assembly.

Now serving in his 11th legislative term, Armstrong has served as chair of the House Consumer and Employee Affairs Committee and the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators. Currently, he is chair of the Tennessee Black Health Care Commission, which he helped establish in 1995. [Read more…]

Letter: Encourages students, parents to attend discussion on student loans

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To the Editor:

High school seniors should have applied for their financial packages within the last several months, and colleges push the loans, along with grants, scholarships, and job offers.

They and their parents need to understand what they are getting themselves into when they have to start paying the money back in the July after they leave college with or without a degree or good-paying job.

I personally know a young lady who was dropped in January by a university after seven semesters because her gradepoint was 0.3 point below the required gradepoint for her field, and she had to get a job. She cannot return to finish for one year, but she has to start paying on her college loans of $20,000, July 1, 2015. [Read more…]

Student loan debt challenges, solutions to be discussed Monday

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Student loan debt challenges and solutions will be discussed during a Monday evening meeting of the Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club.

The featured speaker will be Beth Hickman, who is on the Tennessee Democratic Party Executive Committee and a former field representative for Congressman Lincoln Davis.

The meeting starts at 6 p.m. Monday, April 27, in the Clinton Community Center Club Room at 101 South Hicks Street in Clinton. There will be free pizza and soft drinks.

“Student loan debt is a huge challenge for students and the economy,” organizers said. “Student loan debt is at a record high of $1.1 trillion,” according to the New York Times, organizers said.

They said student loans are now the second-largest source of consumer debt in the country, surpassed only by home mortgages, and an average undergraduate borrower leaves college $30,000 in debt.