Bootsy Collins
Good day and welcome to
DKos Asheville. This is the weekly DKos Asheville open thread for Saturday, July 25th. We try to get together every weekend to share with everyone what we're all up to in Western North Carolina and beyond. We hope this group and others serve to invigorate us locally and regionally here on Daily Kos, building on the sense of community that's grown through our online engagement. DKos Asheville and other local and state groups can give us all a better sense of connection, a better understanding of who we stand with, work with, and share with. We hope this local and wider community can help leverage our orange passion for progressive politics to move the country forward. Following is the new Daily Kos Mission Statement and we are proud to be part of this movement, on the keys and on the ground.
Daily Kos fights for a progressive America by empowering its community and allies with information and tools to directly impact the political process.
Please join us below the Great Seal of Local Power for this week's edition.
Oh and by the way, Bootsy won't be a candidate for Asheville City Council but you will be able to vote with your voice and body Saturday night with Bootsy Collins and the Funk Unity Band. Should be a dazzler of a show.
DKos Asheville Meet-up # 9
What: A meet-up for Daily Kos members with food, fun and discussion. Please bring your ideas on how we can motivate voters and do our parts to help win elections.
When: Saturday, August 1 at 1:00 pm.
Where: The Bywater in Asheville.
796 Riverside Dr, Asheville, NC.
What to bring: Pot luck style food items if you want to add to the meal. A Chipotle's buffet will be provided for our guests. Also outside appropriate clothing, smiles, stories and ideas for GOTV and Voter Registration excercises and projects. And dogs.
RSVPs:
1. randallt
2. davehouck
3. Lamont Cranston
4. Joieau
5. DawnN
6. Otteray Scribe
7. FarmerG
8. Gordon20024
9. unclejohn
10. Mrs. unclejohn
Our guests from here and the wider region are in for a sweet treat on Saturday and Sunday. Regular readers may remember me bragging about my favorite music and arts festival,
LEAF, the Lake Eden Arts Festival. This remarkable event takes place in the spring and fall at beautiful Lake Eden near Black Mountain. This year, to help fill the void left by the recent absence of our annual Bele Chere Festival, LEAF and the City of Asheville have created a brand new version of LEAF and it is coming to downtown Asheville on August 1st and 2nd.
I'll be performing there Saturday morning and will be returning for an evening show so if any of our guests want to continue our gathering downtown I'm sure we could all have a great time. And if you spend the night in Asheville you'll have Sunday to attend as well.
Please look at last week's DKos Asheville to see the line up or go to LEAF Downtown for a comprehensive look.
At the suggestions of DawnN and Gordon20024 I have started recruiting members of a wide field of sixteen candidates running for Asheville City Council to come to our meet up and talk to us about local issues that matter to them.
I will also be appearing on the Jeff Messer Show this week to promote the gathering and create local interest in Daily Kos. Jeff has been hot on the Council race for sometime now with interviews and appearances. We are hoping my appearance and his contacts can help generate interest in our meet up that will hopefully feature a casual candidate forum and Q&A.
Declared Candidates as of early July with a list of others who have now joined the race.
• Real estate specialist Joe Grady
• Vice Mayor Marc Hunt
• Affordable housing advocate Lindsey Simerly
• Environmental nonprofit director Julie Mayfield
Here are eight others who have said they intend to file: Editors note: These candidates have filed. I have listed most of the current crop of sixteen and all but a few have links to Asheville Citizen Times stories about them so you can be better prepared if we do get to ask questions of candidate attendees. I will try to update this list if I can.
Attorney Corey Atkins, financial adviser Rich Lee, management consultant Grant Millin, former councilman Carl Mumpower, long-haul trucker Lavonda Nicole Payne, West Asheville builder Jonathan Wainscott and social justice activist Keith Young.
Oct. 6 primary: a primary will be held to narrow the field to six candidates.
Nov. 3 general election:voters will pick the top three candidates to serve four-year terms.
And don't forget to mark your calendars!
Tickets on sale soon! Attendance will be limited to 200 guests.
Thank you for reading, have a great weekend!