Ruby Walden is a retired educator and an icon in the Suffolk community. She has been a political activist and a civil rights advocate since the early civil rights struggles who has received numerous awards from the various committees and organizations for which she has served. Still active at 90 years, she was attending a rally for Barack Obama in Richmond during our luncheon, and her son Olin Walden accepted her award.

Mr. Walden accepts award on behalf of his mother.

Paulette Moore speaks about the Tidewater Free Clinic

Paulette Moore was an early volunteer and a tireless worker for the Western Tidewater Free Clinic. Accepting her award, she spoke of the Free Clinic’s mission, how the clinic has helped numerous people in great need, and how wonderful it is to connect with people in difficult times. She urged us to learn more about the clinic and offer support through volunteer work or donations.

Jackson Crowley is a member of the Suffolk Democratic Committee and was honored today for his leadership and efforts towards the restoration of voting rights for ex offenders. Mr. Crowley has become an important source of information for Suffolk residents in matters of voter registration and rights restoration. He was an important driver in the committee’s rights restoration workshops in January and has worked one-on-one with ex offenders, who been productive citizens since fulfilling their debts.

Jack Crowley speaks about Voter Rights Restoration

The guest speakers were Mayor Linda Johnson and Vice Mayor Charles Brown. Senator John Miller of the 1st Virginia Senate District and Ella Ward, who is running to represent the 4th district in the U.S. Congress also spoke at the event.

• Donate to the Suffolk Democrats’ team page on the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life web site and use our contact form to sign up for a shift during the Relay for Life event

• Fill out your form for candidacy as a delegate or alternate for the 4th Congressional Democratic Convention and have the form in Arthur Bredemeyer’s possession by Thursday at 5pm. Mr. Bredemeyer’s office is at 424 Market Street, Suite 200. You can also fax or scan & email the signed form. Contact Art at 923-9384 or 925-0796.

• Contact Michele Faulk or use our contact form to get your tickets for the Hero Luncheon

These are all exciting and important events which are all coming at us at about the same time, right on the heels of the OFA office grand opening, which was a great success. Lets keep up the pace and have a year of successes.

Thank You All
Benjamin Goldberg
2nd Vice Chair

Authorized by the Suffolk Democratic Committee

Use the following forms to file your declaration of candidacy. In order to be valid, these forms must be printed, filled out, and turned in prior to the deadline as described above.

Declaration of Candidacy for Delegate to the 4th Congressional District Democratic Convention and the Democratic Party of Virginia Convention

Declaration of Candidacy for Alternate to the 4th Congressional District Democratic Convention and the Democratic Party of Virginia Convention

- – - – - – — – - – - – - – - – — – - – - — – - – - – – — – - – - – - – - – - – - – — -

Call To Caucus

Whereas it is the duty of the Suffolk Democratic Committee to issue the Call to Caucus for the purpose of electing Delegates and Alternates to the 4th Congressional District Convention and the Democratic Party of Virginia State Convention.

Now therefore be it resolved that the Suffolk Democratic Committee hereby issues the Call to Caucus to convene at 7:30 p.m., Monday, April 23, 2012 at the Farm Fresh Community Room, 1401 N. Main Street, Suffolk, Virginia 23434 for the sole purpose of electing Delegates and Alternates to the 4th Congressional District Convention and the Democratic Party of Virginia State Convention and the following provisions shall govern the caucus, to wit:

• 1. Type of Caucus
  The caucus will be an Assembled caucus.
• 2. Any Democrat desiring to declare their candidacy for election as Delegate or Alternate to the 4th Congressional District Convention and the Democratic Party of Virginia State Convention shall file a Declaration of Candidacy no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 19, 2011 with the Chair of the Suffolk Democratic Party at 424 Market Street, Suite 200, Suffolk, Virginia 23434. Only those candidates properly pre-filed will be considered at the caucus.
• 3. Notice will be placed on the Suffolk Democratic Committee and Democratic Party of Virginia websites no earlier than April 6, 2012 and no later than April 19, 2012 with a press release to the Suffolk News-Herald and the Virginia-Pilot SUN.
• 4. Voting will be one vote per caucus attendee who signs a Declaration and is accepted by the Credentials Committee.
• 5. There will be two caucus committees, to wit: the Credentials Committee and the Rules Committee.
• 6. Discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, color, national origin, religion, ethnic identity or economic status in the delegate selection process is prohibited.
• 7. If no more than applications than the number of open positions is received those applicants will automatically be elected.

Adopted: February 21, 2012
___________________________
Arthur C. Bredemeyer
Chair, Suffolk Democratic Committee

Time:
Saturday, April 14, 2012 1:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Host:
Anthony Castillio, Sr
Location:
OFA Suffolk Office (Suffolk, VA)
114 N. Main Street
Suffolk, VA 23434

This year’s event will be held at the Quality Inn, at 2864 Pruden Boulevard, at 12 Noon on Saturday, May 5th.

The event includes a served meal, appearances by influential members of our city, and most of all, a chance to honor generous and hardworking members of our community.

Tickets are $25. Please use our Contact form for tickets, or come to Union Hall at 509 E Washington Street on Thursday nights between 5:30 and 8pm.

The Suffolk Democratic Committee has a team registered for the American Cancer Society’s Suffolk Rockin’ Relay for Life. Join the team or make a donation at our team page. Also the ACS is asking for canned food donations. You can deliver your donation to Geri Bowden. You can use the contact form to get in touch with Geri.

There will be a Restoration of Rights workshop in Portsmouth on the 17th, at 9, at the Portsmouth Social Services Building on High Street. We’d like to see some SDC members there to show support since the folks in Portsmouth have been very helpful to us.

Please support OFA’s voter registration drives, which launch from the Quality Inn on Saturdays three shifts: 9:30 – 1:00pm; 12:30 – 3:00pm; 2:30 – 6:00pm. OFA is also looking for volunteers for faith based outreach teams, so if you’re active in your place of worship, please consider signing up. You can use our contact form to get in touch with Tony, who has been acting as SDC’s liaison with OFA.

The Hero’s Luncheon will be May 5th. An on-line nomination form will be available by Monday. You can also bring in your nomination at the next meeting. This is coming up quickly so please have nominations in by the next meeting to give the committee time to consider each nominee.

OFA’s Voter Registration team will be launching volunteers from the Quality Inn, 2864 Pruden Blvd.. Volunteers will also have a new selection of VR activities from which to choose:
Door-to-door: Meet Saturday at 12pm. Knock on doors in neighborhoods that have been identified as in need of Voter Registration.
High Traffic areas: Saturday three shifts: 9:30 – 1:00pm; 12:30 – 3:00pm; 2:30 – 6:00pm.
Church: Sunday: volunteers will be making the rounds to Churches in the community at 9am;
Contact Tony Castillio: (301) 520-9599

The SDC will have a caucus on the 23rd of April to nominate delegates for the 4th congressional congress.

Susan Donner has been elected as our correspondence secretary.

We had two guest speakers, Joe Elliot and Herman Ward. Mr. Elliot and Mr. Ward’s wife, Ella Ward, will be in the primary to be the Democratic challenger to Randy Forbes in the election for U.S. Congress, 4th Congressional district. Mr. Elliot is running as the “Average Joe”, a small business man and a minister who feels it’s time for a non-politician to represent Virginia. Mrs. Ward has a long history of public service including serving in Chesapeake’s educational system and as a representative of the people of Chesapeake in the city council. Two great candidates for the people of Virginia’s 4th to choose from.

As usual, we’ll meet at 7PM in the Farm Fresh community room.

Sorry for any problems this may cause.

The new date will be posted and emailed to members as soon as possible.

Members, please pass this information along as you see fit.

Thanks, and sorry for any inconvenience.