Good morning!
This is the weekly DKos Asheville open thread where we try to get together every Saturday morning around eleven, and then drift in and out throughout the day. We hope this group serves to reinvigorate us locally and regionally here on Daily Kos, building on the sense of community that's grown through our online engagement. DKos Asheville can give us all a better sense of connection, a better understanding of who these people are that we stand with, work with, and share with in the political process. We hope, through this community, that we can do a better job of leveraging our orange passion for progressive politics to help elect more and better Democrats.
If you would like to host a weekly open thread, please let us know.
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If you haven't done so yet, please send your RSVP's and Maybe's for our October 19 meetup to Randall (randallt) so he can add them to the list in the "New Day" diaries. And it's ok to go ahead and send him a Maybe, as you can always upgrade to RSVP once you get all that other stuff erased from your calendar. We currently have 15 RSVP's and 9 Maybe's!
The meetup will once again be at The Bywater in Asheville. This is an outdoor private club by the French Broad River. There is an outdoor grill, and we will be bringing food to share, eat, and to serve as subjects for photography. The first two meetups were wonderful events; so do please plan to come if you can.
And I should point out that folks from the extended area, not just us Western North Carolina residents, have been coming to these meetups. So it's a good opportunity to meet a number of Kossacks whom you've been reading; and at the same time visit Asheville, maybe take a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, or even spend some time hiking and enjoying the fall colors. So do mark your calendars!
The wind is blowing this morning, and the sky is gray. Here at the house, the high is forecast at 67 with rain likely most of the day. And tomorrow is the Autumnal Equinox. It's Fall; there's an extra blanket on the bed, and socks on my feet. There are some leaves on the ground, and a little color in the forest; but most of the trees are still full and green. And this morning they are dancing in the wind.
Early voting has begun in the primary for Mayor of Asheville. There are three candidates on the ballot; two Democrats and one Unaffiliated. The primary will narrow the field from three to two for the general election in November. Early voting runs through Saturday, October 5, with election day on Tuesday, October 8. The candidates participated in a debate this past Thursday evening; you can read about it here. The candidates are Martin Ramsey, Esther Manheimer, and John Miall. If you live in Asheville, please vote, and encourage others to do so as well.
Unfortunately, still no progress on our voter registration project. As a reminder, we are looking for a site in Buncombe County where we can set up a table and chairs; a site that has lots of foot traffic, but where our table would not be in the way; a site where the demographic would tend to be progressive; a site that is conducive to spending an enjoyable three or four hours of sitting outside; a site where we might be able to do this on a regular scheduled basis, perhaps once a week.
I hope everyone has an enjoyable Saturday. And happy Autumnal Equinox!