Councilman Andy Ball Files for Re-election
July 1, 2011
BOONE, NC - Andy Ball filed for a second term on the Boone
Town Council today, citing the need for more progress on quality of life issues
and fiscal responsibility. He has been an advocate for open government,
environmental protection, and community investment in downtown infrastructure.
Ball, 28, a continuing
student at Appalachian State University, will seek a second term on the Council
after being elected the youngest elected official in Watauga County.
more...
2011 Home & Garden Weekend, Huge Success
June 30, 2011
I wanted to take this opportunity to
publicly thank the hundreds of volunteers who made our biennial Home
and Garden Tour and Plant Sale such a tremendous success this year. We
were blessed with the two most perfect weather days in June, which weren’t
absolutely necessary to our success but certainly didn’t hurt! A
record number of visitors toured the featured homes and attended the
sale. There is absolutely no way the local Democratic Party could have
made this event happen without the hard work of so many dedicated people.
more...
Free Showing of “Where the Lilies Bloom”
April 12, 2011
The 1974 Hollywood
production of Where the Lilies Bloom,
filmed almost entirely in Watauga
County, will be shown at
the Watauga County Library on Wednesday, May 4, at 7 p.m. The showing is free
and open to the public, but seating is limited.
more...
Insurance
Commissioner Goodwin
Will Keynote
County
Convention
March 20, 2011
North
Carolina Commissioner of Insurance Wayne Goodwin will keynote the Watauga
County Democratic Party’s convention on Saturday, April 16.
The
convention will convene in Courtroom # 1 in the Watauga County Courthouse at 1
p.m. following registration and a potluck lunch beginning at noon in the
courtroom lobby.
more...
Watauga Democrats Send Help to Wisconsin
Workers
March 13, 2011
Members
of the Watauga County Democratic Party have been raising money to support the
protestors occupying the Wisconsin state capitol in Madison during the showdown with Gov. Scott
Walker over his plan to take away state workers’ bargaining rights.
The
local effort to provide food for the protestors got started in Watauga when Bob
Cherry wrote an email that got circulated widely. “I have a cousin who teaches
in Madison, and
I’ve been exchanging regular emails with her as she protests day and night to
protect the rights of working people,” Cherry wrote. “She has told me how
helpful and encouraging it’s been to the protesters to know that they are
supported by Democrats across the country and from Americans around the world.”
more...
2011 Precinct Meetings
February 12, 2011
Watauga County Democratic Party
(times, dates, places vary)
Bald Mountain – Meeting March 3 at Todd
Volunteer Fire Department, 11062
NC Hwy 194 S., Todd NC 28684, 7 p.m.
Beaver Dam
– Meeting March 1 at Bethel
Elem. School
media ctr., 138
Bethel Sch. Rd., Sugar Grove, NC 28679, 6:30 p.m.
Blowing Rock – Meeting March 1 at St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church parish
hall, 7 p.m.
Blue Ridge – Meeting March 3 at 644
Little Laurel Rd., Boone NC 28607, 7 p.m.
Boone 1
– Meeting March 1 at Boone
Town Council Chambers,
1500 Blowing Rock Rd.,
Boone NC 28607, 6 p.m.
Boone 2
-- Meeting March 1 at Boone
Town Council Chambers,
1500 Blowing Rock Rd.,
Boone NC 28607, 6 p.m.
Boone 3
-- Meeting March 1 at Boone
Town Council Chambers, 1500 Blowing Rock Rd.,
Boone NC 28607, 7 p.m.
Brushy Fork -- Meeting March 1 at Boone Town Council Chambers, 1500 Blowing Rock
Rd., Boone NC 28607, 7 p.m.
Cove Creek
-- Meeting March 1 at the Western Watauga Community Center,
1081 Old US Hwy
421, Sugar Grove NC 28679,
6 p.m.
Elk –
Meeting March 1 at Stewart Simmons Fire Dept., 191 Jakes Mountain Rd., Deep Gap NC
28618, 7 p.m.
Laurel Creek – Meeting
March 1 at the Western Watauga Community Center,
1081 Old US Hwy
421, Sugar Grove NC 28679,
6 p.m.
Meat Camp
– Meeting March 1 at Three Forks Baptist Assn., 513 Hwy 194 (Jefferson Rd.), Boone NC 28607, 7 p.m.
New River 1 -- -- Meeting March 1 at Boone Town Council Chambers, 1500 Blowing
Rock Rd., Boone NC 28607, 6 p.m.
New River 2 -- Meeting March 1 at Three Forks Baptist Assn., 513 Hwy 194 (Jefferson Rd.), Boone NC
28607, 7 p.m.
New River 3 -- Meeting March 1 at Three Forks Baptist Assn., 513 Hwy 194 (Jefferson Rd.), Boone NC
28607, 7 p.m.
Shawneehaw
– Meeting February 28 at the Matney
Community Club, 6 p.m.
Stony Fork
– Meeting March 1 upstairs at the Deep Gap Volunteer Fire Dept., 6583 Old 421
S., Deep Gap NC 28618,
6 p.m.
Watauga
– Meeting March 1 at 129 Ryans
Place, Banner Elk NC 28604, 6 p.m.
Billy Kennedy, the gentleman farmer
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
By Keith Barber, in "Yes Weekly":
If you close your eyes, Billy
Kennedy could easily be confused with Jefferson Smith, the character
played by Jimmy Stewart in Frank Capra’s 1939 classic film, “Mr. Smith
Goes to Washington.”
In the movie, the naive and idealistic
Smith is appointed to the US Senate by a governor that kowtows to the
state’s top political boss. Smith runs into political corruption when
he tries to advance a bill to create a national boys camp, and becomes
discouraged. One of the most famous scenes in the film portrays Smith’s
marathon filibuster on the Senate floor. Jimmy Stewart’s performance is
the stuff of Hollywood legend, but his profound words are what stay
with us forever.
more...
Seth
Chapman Will Keynote Watauga Democratic Convention
April 13, 2010
Seth Chapman, the
man known across Western North Carolina as the
best Democratic stump speaker “in the populist tradition,” will present the
keynote address at the Watauga County Democrats’ annual convention on Saturday,
April 17, in the main courtroom of the County Courthouse.
more...
Democrats
Announce Annual Precinct Meetings
Feb. 24, 2010
The annual precinct
meetings of the Watauga County Democratic Party will be held at various
locations throughout the county during the first two weeks of March. A complete
listing follows, with contact information for precinct chairs. All active
Democrats are encouraged to participate.
more...
Democrats Volunteer for the Community
Feb. 11, 2010
Story by Jeff Eason, in the Mountain Times:
Faisuly Scheurer leads an incredibly busy life. She works at the
Blowing Rock Gallery of Homes and Land, she is full-time mother of two
energetic young daughters, and she is a published freelance writer and
photographer.
Once a month, however, she takes some time to do something for herself.
She volunteers.
Scheurer
is the organizer for the Watauga County Democrats group that is in
charge for feeding the homeless and hungry at the Hospitality House on
every first Tuesday of the month.
more...
Billy Kennedy Takes On Virginia Foxx
Feb. 4, 2010
Story by Justin Grimes, in the High Country Press:
Party activists and elected officials across North Carolina’s Fifth Congressional
District began coalescing and rallying around a draft Billy Kennedy initiative
some months ago and on Monday, February 8, Kennedy will officially launch his
first political campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Edward R. Murrow, America’s
great broadcast journalist, believed that rarely, if ever, are there two equal
sides to a story. That said, what follows is an attempt to share with readers
why Kennedy is running for congress in his own words from a seat in his home in
Bethel.
High Country Press began the interview with the question, “You’ve
never held an elected position?”
more...
Democrats
Pitch in to Help the Watauga Community
12/20/09
Whether it’s driving
a weekly Meals on Wheels route, or providing a monthly dinner at the local
homeless shelter, or helping out with Habitat for Humanity and the Hunger
Coalition, the Watauga County Democratic Party has a tradition of volunteerism.
more...
The Movement to “Draft Billy Kennedy” for Congress
12/18/09
Old-school politics usually involved lots of backroom maneuvering
of candidates, with a small party core deciding which candidates to put forth
in coming elections.
That grooming process has been tossed out like punch-card ballots and
train-whistle stops by Democrats who are lining up behind their favored
candidate to take on incumbent Republican Virginia Foxx for the Fifth District
U.S. Congressional seat next year.
A public campaign is underway called "Draft Billy Kennedy," with
party faithful hoping to gently pressure Kennedy into entering the race. What
makes the draft attempt different is that the momentum is gathering in the
virtual world, driven by a younger pool of voters.
more...
Watauga
Democrats Announce Fall Rally
09/17/09
The Watauga County
Democratic Party will hold its annual Fall Rally at the (old) Watauga High
School on Saturday, October 3, with a barbecue dinner (with both pork and
vegetarian options) starting at 5 p.m.
more...
Watauga County
Dems Send a Message to
Sen. Hagan
08/12/09
On August 11, four Watauga County Democratic Party Officers/activists drove two
hours to Charlotte
to meet with Senator Kay Hagan’s Legislative Assistant for Health Care,
Michelle Adams.
We were very impressed with Michelle. She was clearly up to speed on both
the content and status of the bills in the House as well as the Senate HELP
bill. She toted large notebooks and her own worksheets.
We were only scheduled for a half-hour meeting, but once Michelle realized
we were very familiar with the HELP bill and wanted to talk real details, she
extended the meeting for another half hour and took extensive notes.
more...
Cal
Cunningham To Speak To Watauga Democratic Executive Committee
08/04/09
Cal Cunningham,
former State Senator and potential Democratic challenger to Richard Burr in
2010, will be guest speaker at the August meeting of the Watauga County
Democratic Executive Committee.
more...
Wataugans Testify
Stories of
Health-Care Coverage Denied
07/29/09
Watauga County citizens had an opportunity to tell their
experiences with a failed American health-care system at a “Share Your Health
Care Story Drop-In” event on July 23 at the Watauga County
Administration Building.
more...
Virginia Foxx Lied About Health-Care Reform
07/08/09
Diane Tilson, Chair
of the Watauga County Democratic Party, released the following statement:
Virginia Foxx thanks you very much for paying for the
generous government health-care plan you provide for her and her family each
year (and which you will supply for the rest of her life). She's on the
government dole. You're paying for her health care. She's got hers. To heck
with yours!
more...
Kazoo Band a Hit in
July Fourth Parade
07/06/09
The first-ever
Watauga Democratic Kazoo Band, some two dozen “instrumentalists” riding the
local party’s float in the Boone July 4th parade, turned heads and
drew applause as band members vocalized on pieces of Americana like “O Suzannah,”
patriotic airs like “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and “When Johnny Comes Marching
Home,” and of course “Happy Days Are Here Again!”
more...
Home & Garden
Tour Features History, Quirkiness, and Innovation
06/09/09
The 2009 Home and Garden Tour in
Watauga County will spotlight six homes and their gardens, including a
30-year-old spacious remodel, with English perennial border and koi pond; a
600-square-foot cottage directly on the banks of Goshen Creek in one of the
county’s earliest tourist retreats; two historic properties once owned by some
of Boone’s pioneer gardeners, now graced with newish homes; a custom-built,
architect-designed dwelling originally built for a practicing artist; and a
charming mountain lair that grew like topsy, from its first incarnation as a
woodworking shop, into a showcase for rustic whimsy.
more...
County Convention is April 18
03/20/09
The 2009 County
Convention of the Watauga
County Democratic Party will convene at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, in the
main courtroom of the Watauga County Courthouse.
more...
Glenn
Hodges Retiring
03/20/09
After 16 years of service to
Watauga County, Glenn Hodges will retire as
clerk of court and judge of probate.
more...
Watauga Democratic
Party Announces Precinct Meeting Locations
02/10/09
The
Watauga County Democratic Party has announced locations for its 2009 precinct
meetings. Most precincts will meet on Thursday, February 26, 7 p.m., except for
New River 1 precinct, which will meet on
Tuesday, March 3, 7 p.m. Locations and precinct chairs are detailed below.
more...
Wataugans
React to Obama Inauguration
01/21/09
By Scott Nicholson, in the Watauga Democrat, 01/21/09:
With millions of people
riveted to television screens, blogs, and radio broadcasts during the
inauguration of President Barack Obama, local reaction to the shared historic
event was personal and emotional.
more...
Jesse
Presnell Goes to the Inauguration
01/12/09
By Scott Nicholson, in the Watauga Democrat, 01/12/09:
A Watauga County
man planning a future in politics was among those selected to receive highly
sought tickets to the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama.
more...
Tim Futrelle, Presidential Elector
11/20/08
Aside from being the newest – and youngest – member
of the Watauga County Board of Commissioners, Timothy Lee Futrelle, 33, bears
another distinction shared by only 14 other North
Carolinians: he’s a member of the Electoral College that will
actually elect Barack Obama in a solemn ceremony on December 15.
more...
Democrats EUPHORIC
11/06/08
By Anna Oakes, in the High Country Press, 6 Nov. 2008:
At the news that Sen. Barack Obama was elected president of the United
States, Heather Owens, 26, erupted into joyful screams, closing her
eyes, clasping her hands together and lurching back and forth in
excitement.
more...
Democrats Carried Watauga County
in State Races
11/05/08
By Scott Nicholson, in the Watauga Democrat, 5 Nov. 2008:
Incumbents fared well in local elections, and Democrats carried Watauga County in most state-level races,
mirroring a national change of “red” to “blue.”
more...
Behind the Battle
Lines
11/04/08
By Scott Nicholson, in the Watauga Democrat, 4 Nov. 2008:
The Democratic Party campaign office on the corner of Straight and King streets
has been busy as the brain trust and social center for the local campaign
effort.
more...
Tarleton Picks Up Endorsements
10/16/08
State Representative Cullie Tarleton (D-93) has recently been endorsed by four different interest groups.
more...
Candidates Flock to Democratic Fall Rally
10/13/08
The Watauga County Democratic Party held
a fall rally Saturday at Watauga High School, expressing optimism for
the coming election.
Several hundred people
gathered to hear from candidates and organize for the early, one-stop
voting that begins Thursday.
more...
Goss Asks Attorney General to Investigate Gas
Supplies
10/06/08
State Senator Steve Goss announced this morning
that he is asking North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper to launch an
investigation into the lingering gas shortage in Northwestern
North Carolina.
more...
Racing Legend Junior Johnson Endorses Roy Carter
for Congress
09/09/08
At his massive farm and workshop in Yadkin
County, NASCAR legend Junior Johnson
hosted a campaign shindig last week for Roy Carter, a retired teacher and
football coach who is trying to buck the odds and beat two-term incumbent Rep.
Virginia Foxx in North Carolina's
5th Congressional District.
more...
Democrats Open HDQs on Labor Day
09/05/08
By Scott Nicholson, published in the Watauga Democrat, 5 Sept. 2008
The
Watauga County Democratic Party got to work on Labor Day, officially
opening its new campaign headquarters in downtown Boone.
more...
Rep. Cullie Tarleton named to OCS Hall of Fame
09/04/08
Rep. Cullie Tarleton was named to
the North Carolina National Guard Officer Candidate School (OCS) Hall of Fame
during graduating ceremonies of the School’s 50th anniversary graduation. Rep.
Tarleton is a graduate of Class number 1.
North Carolina’s Adjutant General, William
Ingram, cited Tarleton’s business, civic and political accomplishments in
making the announcement.
Rep. Tarleton represents District
93, Ashe and Watauga
Counties, in the North
Carolina House.
Sen. Steve Goss, Legislator of the Year
07/26/08
The National Committee for the New
River named State Senator Steve Goss as Legislator of the Year for
2008 at its annual meeting on July 26. The Wallace and Peggy Carroll Vigilance Award
honors the spirit, dedication, and perseverance that former Winston-Salem Journal publisher and
editor, Wallace Carroll, and his wife Peggy brought to the battle to save the
New River .
more...
Young Democrats Get Organized
06/13/08
A local chapter of Young Democrats of North Carolina has
organized in Watauga
County, according to Andy
Ball, president of the group. Young Democrats are chartered through the Young
Democrats of North Carolina and is an auxiliary group of both the state
Democratic Party and the Watauga County Democratic Party. As an official
auxillary group, Watauga Young Democrats have a vote on the executive committee
of the local party.
more...
Watauga's Zack Wynne, Delegate to National Convention
06/12/08
Zack Wynne, vice chair of
the New River 3 precinct, will be representing Watauga
County and the entire NC Fifth District
at the National Democratic Convention in Denver
the last week of August.
Wynne was elected a
delegate to Denver at the Fifth
District convention in Statesville on May 17.
more...
Obama Carries Watauga
05/09/08
Sen. Barack Obama won the Democratic presidential primary in
Watauga County,
one of two North Carolina
mountain counties that went for Obama (the other was Buncombe Co.). The final Watauga
tally was 4,570 votes for Obama to 3,645 for Hillary Clinton. (Vote totals are
pre-canvass numbers.)
more...
Obama Wins Watauga County Straw Poll
04/20/08
Attendees at Saturday’s
Watauga County Democratic Party convention gave 65 percent of their votes to presidential
candidate Barack Obama, with rival candidate Hillary Clinton receiving just
under 35 percent in the first ever Democratic presidential straw poll. Some 121
convention delegates and guests voted.
more...
Early Voting Locations
04/14/08
Early voting in the May 6 North Carolina primary will begin Thursday,
April 17, at 8 a.m. in two Watauga County locations – the Agricultural
Conference Center off Poplar Grove Rd. and in the Board of Elections office on
the ground floor of the County Courthouse.
Early voting will continue every weekday in those two
locations, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., through May 2. Early voting will end on Saturday,
May 3, at 1 p.m.
ASU College Democrats are sponsoring two “marches” to the
polls for early voting. The first will be on Thursday, April 17. Students will
gather at noon in the ASU College Bookstore courtyard for the march to the Courthouse.
They will be joined on the march by members of the Boone Town Council.
College Democrats will also sponsor a march on the
last day of early voting, Sat., May 3. Students will gather again at noon on
that day at the College Bookstore courtyard and will march to the Courthouse to
make the 1 p.m. poll closing time.
Presidential Preference Straw Poll
04/05/08
Delegates and registered
guests at the annual convention of the Watauga County Democratic Party will be
invited to vote in a presidential preference straw poll. Results of the voting
will be announced prior to adjournment of the convention.
The convention will begin at
noon on Saturday, April 19, with delegate check-in and a potluck luncheon in
the lobby area outside the main courtroom on the top floor of the county
courthouse. The convention will convene at 1 p.m.
Voting in the straw poll
will go on during the lunch hour. Two candidates will be on the straw poll
ballot: Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
“We know there is unusually
high interest in this primary election,” said party chair Diane Tilson, “but we
thought it would be both fun and interesting to gauge the preferences of some
of the county’s most politically active Democrats.”
The convention this year will also feature messages
from Democratic candidates on the May 6 primary ballot and on the November 4
general election ballot, among other business. Several proposed resolutions
will also come before the convention for debate and voting.
Watauga County Democratic Convention
03/31/08
The Watauga County Democratic
Party will convene for its annual convention on Saturday, April 19, in
the main courtroom of the county courthouse. The convention will be
open to delegates, guests, and visitors.
The convention will kick off with delegate registration and a pot-luck
luncheon at noon. The convention business session will convene at 1 p.m.
Among the business to be conducted will be the election of delegates to
the district and state Democratic conventions, election of members of
state Senate, House, and Prosecutorial district executive committees,
and the consideration of resolutions submitted to the convention by
precincts and individuals.
Convention attendees will also hear from Democratic candidates on the
ballot this year. A complete list of those candidates can be found by
clicking on the “Candidates 2008" tab in the left-hand column
above.
Rival Candidates Carter and Hamby to Speak at Democratic Women’s Club
March 17, 2008
Both Roy Carter and Diane Hamby,
rival candidates in the May 6 Democratic primary for the Fifth District
Congressional race, will be featured speakers at the March 26
Democratic Women’s Club luncheon at the Broyhill Inn &
Conference Center.
The winner in the May primary will be on the general election ballot in November challenging incumbent Republican Virginia Foxx.
more...
Senate Hopeful Jim Neal Visits Boone
March 17, 2008
BOONE, 15 March 2008 -- Democratic senatorial candidate Jim
Neal spoke to Watauga
County voters at Espresso
News Saturday afternoon.
Neal is one of five candidates vying in the May 6 primary
for the privilege to face Republican incumbent Senator Liddy Dole this
November.
Responding
to a wide range of questions, Neal spoke at length about “the perfect storm”
now arising in our economy. He mentioned that in 2001, gasoline was $1.46 a
gallon and is now $3.18, and everyone expects it to top $4.00 by the end of
this year. Over 37,000 North Carolinians lost
their homes in 2007 due to foreclosure. The median family income in North Carolina actually declined almost 13 percent from 2000 to
2006.
more...
Democratic Party Announces Precinct Meeting Locations
Feb. 25, 2008
The Watauga County Democratic Party will hold annual
precinct meetings on Tuesday, March 11, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. in the following
locations. (Make-up meetings in case of inclement weather or failure of a quorum
will be on Saturday, March 15, at 10 a.m.)
The business of the meetings will be the election of delegates to the County Convention
(Saturday, April 19), the filling of any vacant positions among
precinct officers, the consideration of precinct resolutions to the County Convention,
and other business.
more...
Democratic Party Announces Precinct Meetings, County Convention Dates
Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008
The Watauga County Democratic Party announced today that annual
precinct meetings will be held county-wide on Tuesday, March 11th at
7:30 p.m. The main business of the 2008 precinct meetings will be the
election of County Convention delegates.
A complete list of precinct meeting locations will be published soon.
The County Convention will be held Saturday, April 19th,
starting with a pot-luck luncheon at noon. The convention will convene
at 1 p.m.
The convention will feature all local, district, and state-wide Democratic candidates (or their surrogates).
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