Oak Ridge Today

Retired pilot, former Democratic Party chair running for Tennessee House

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Richard Dawson

Richard Dawson

 

Richard Dawson, a retired pilot who flew helicopters in Vietnam and is a former Democratic Party chair, is running for Tennessee House of Representatives in Anderson County.

Dawson is running in Tennessee’s 33rd District, which includes most of Anderson County, including Clinton and the Anderson County portion of Oak Ridge. Dawson lives in Clinton, and he is a native Oak Ridger, a press release said.

“My dad was an electrical maintenance supervisor at K-25 for 20 years and was able to provide enough for my mom, sister, and me to live comfortably,” Dawson said in the press release. “Republicans have been in power in Tennessee for years, but their policies have only made it more difficult for people who work hard, like my dad, to take care of their families. I am running because Anderson County and Tennessee deserve better.”

The press release said Dawson was raised in Oak Ridge, and he and his family lived and experienced the “American Dream.” He benefitted from the top-notch public education in Oak Ridge and when he graduated, Dawson felt called to serve, the press release said. He voluntarily enlisted in the Army, flying helicopters in Vietnam. Returning home, he used the GI Bill to earn a degree in labor and industrial relations from East Tennessee State University, the press release said. [Read more…]

Anderson County Democratic Party Headquarters now open

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Anderson County Democratic Headquarters July 2016

Anderson County Democratic Party Headquarters is pictured above at 136 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

 

The Anderson County Democratic Party celebrated the grand opening of its headquarters at 136 South Illinois Avenue with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, a press release said. The headquarters are in the former Polaris Travel Building.

After the ribbon cutting, there was a watch party for the historic acceptance speech of Hillary Clinton, the press release said.

“We had such a large turnout, that headquarters couldn’t hold everyone, and some of the people met at Swifty’s across the street to watch it,” the release said. “The party headquarters will become the one-stop shop for all matters related to Team Hillary 2016.”

Among those attending were Melody Shekari, a candidate for the United States House of Representatives Third District and Herman Collins, write-in candidate for State Representative for the 33rd District. [Read more…]

Anderson County Democratic Party to select convention delegates on March 5

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The Anderson County Democratic Party will help select Tennessee’s delegates to the Democratic Presidential Convention during a March 5 meeting in Oak Ridge.

The Democratic Party County Delegate Convention will be in the Oak Ridge Civic Center Social Room on Saturday, March 5, a press release said. The doors will open at 11:45 a.m. and close promptly at 1 p.m. EST.  No one will be admitted after the doors are closed. Those who are in the room and in the process of registering will be allowed to finish. The gavel will fall and the convention will convene at precisely 1:05 p.m. EST, as directed by the Tennessee Democratic Party, the press release said.

The event is open to all registered voters in the county, supporters of the Democratic Party, and those who agree to support the nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2016 Presidential election, the release said. The Party welcomes all to attend who wish to participate in selecting Tennessee’s delegates to the Democratic Presidential Convention.

Information about becoming a Democratic National Committee (DNC) delegate and the rules governing the DNC Delegate Selection Process may be obtained from tndp.org, or from the Tennessee Democratic Party, 1900 Church Street, Suite 203, Nashville, TN 37203, telephone, (615) 327-9779.

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 [email protected] or Mary Matheny at (865) 483-8937.

Knoxville Mayor Rogero to speak at Democratic Women’s Club meeting

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Madeline Rogero

Madeline Rogero

Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero will discuss the Democratic Party in East Tennessee during a Sept. 23 meeting of the Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club.

Rogero is guest speaker at the meeting, which starts at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 23, in the Oak Ridge Civic Center Social Room. A meet-and-greet will take place from 5:30-6 p.m., with dinner at 6 p.m., followed by Rogero’s comments, a press release said. [Read more…]