We watched our television screens with great pride and enthusiasm as delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte nominated President Obama and Vice President Biden and charted the future course for our party. But a fortunate few got to see history being made firsthand — the delegates to the convention.
The Lake of the Woods Democratic Club will hear personal accounts of the week in Charlotte directly from a panel of Virginia delegates at its meeting Sept. 20 in the LOW Clubhouse.
Janet Payne of Fredericksburg, Thomas H. Francis of North Cumberland and Matthew Rowe of Bowling Green have accepted invitations to be at the meeting to share their experiences and answer questions. Other nearby delegates may also be present.
This program will provide club members and others with a rare opportunity to learn what happens at a national political convention in a way that the television cameras can’t show.
The meeting will take place at 1:30 p.m. in the lower level of the Clubhouse. As always, visitors are welcome, regardless of political affiliation.
Wayne Powell, the Democratic candidate for Congress from Virginia’s 7th District, will visit Lake of the Woods on Sept. 12 as a guest of the LOW Democratic Club to meet with citizens and to answer their questions about his plans to improve the way the region is represented in Washington.Mr. Powell’s appearance will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Lower Level of the Clubhouse. The event is open to all, regardless of political affiliation. Refreshments will be served.
A native of Richmond, Mr. Powell is owner and proprietor of the Powell & Parrish law firm.
He served in the U.S. Army for 30 years — five years of active duty and 25 years in the active reserves. He was called back into active duty after Sept. 11, 2001, to command a specialized Army intelligence unit. He was highly decorated during his military career and awarded the Legion of Merit when he retired as a full colonel in 2002.
Mr. Powell was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Richmond in 1972, and received a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1973. After his full-time military service, he attended the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond and graduated in 1980.
Mr. Powell served as staff clerk to the Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia, was appointed assistant attorney general by then Attorney General Gerald Baliles, and served as deputy commissioner of the Virginia Worker’s Compensation Commission for six years. He entered private practice in 1991, and founded his present firm of Powell & Parrish in 1999.
He served for two terms as chair of the Lay Advisory Committee to the Henrico County School Board, where his children were educated.
Mr. Powell and his wife Katherine live in Chesterfield County. They are the parents of a son, Sean, a major in the Army currently serving overseas, and a daughter, Michelle, a legal professional, and the proud grandparents of five.
“Gridlock and partisan obstructionism are hurting America and Congress is broken,” Mr. Powell said. “Eric Cantor is the poster-child for what’s wrong in Washington. I’m running to get Congress working for the people again and to end Eric Cantor’s culture of corruption.”
Wayne Powell, candidate for Congress from Virginia’s 7th District, will visit Lake of the Woods to meet voters and answer their questions about his plans to improve our representation in Washington. Details of this event will be announced soon.
The August club meeting will feature Dr. Emile Lester, a professor at the University of Mary Washington, who will speak on religion in American politics, particularly as it applies to the current presidential election.
The club’s steering committee meeting for August will be at Anne Humphrey’s home at 1019 Eastover Parkway. Please note that this meeting is early, the first Tuesday instead of the second.
