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Club events

Celebrate the holidays with the LOW Dems

The Lake of the Woods Democratic Club’s 2023 holiday luncheon will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Friday, December 1, in The Irish Pub at the Old House Winery, 18351 Corkys Lane, Culpeper, Va.

The cost is $29 per person, which includes a choice of entrees, dessert and coffee. A cash bar will be available at the venue.

Guest speaker for the occasion will be Maj. Gen. Mari K. Eder (Ret.), author of “The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line.”

Maj. Gen. Mari K. Eder (Ret.)

Eder served as the Deputy Chief of the United States Army Reserve and Deputy Chief of United States Army Public Affairs, prior to be appointed Commanding General of the United States Army Reserve Joint and Special Troops Support Command (redesignated as the 76th Operational Reserve Command in 2013) in October 2009. She retired from the army in 2013.

She is a native of Grove City, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Edinboro University in Pennsylvania.

Reservations for the luncheon must be made by November 22. Payments can be made online by clicking the button below or by sending a check made out to the LOW Democratic Club to P.O. Box 1351, Locust Grove, VA 22508.

Review the attached menu at the link below and email your choice of meals to Valerie Smallwood at VSmallwoodFNP@gmail.com by November 22.

Pay with Cheddar Up

Menu of luncheon selections

Brochure for this event

Old House Winery Web site

Google map to Old House Winery

Categories
Club events Meetings

Professor to speak on election disinformation

Dr. Stephen J. Farnsworth

Stephen J. Farnsworth, professor of political science and international affairs and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, will speak on the effects of disinformation on the electoral process at the Lake of the Woods Community Center on Saturday, November 18.

The event is sponsored by the Lake of the Woods Democratic Club, and is open to all without regard to political affiliation. The program will begin at 3 p.m. in Marion Pronk Hall at the LOW Community Center. Light refreshments will be available.

Farnsworth’s most recent book is about the use of disinformation in politics.

Dr. Farnsworth is a recipient of the Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and is the author or co-author of eight books and many articles in scholarly and popular publications.

One of the few political scientists who focus on Virginia politics, Dr. Farnsworth’s research has direct policy implications for both politicians and the news media. He handles hundreds of media contacts a year on local, state and international matters, and appears in or on such outlets as C-SPAN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, National Public Radio and PBS News Hour.

He holds a Ph.D. degree and a master’s degree from Georgetown University and bachelor’s degrees from both the University of Missouri and Dartmouth College.

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Campaigns Club events

Backing our candidates

An enthusiastic crowd gave a rousing reception to Sen. Creigh Deeds and educator Ernestine Reid, featured speakers at a fund-raising event at the Lake of the Woods Community Center on Sept. 16. Donations at the event benefitted the campaign of Jason Ford, candidate for the Virginia Senate from District 28, which includes Lake of the Woods. Sandy Harrington, a non-partisan candidate for the Orange County School Board also spoke at the event.

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Uncategorized

Your vote can’t wait!

Early in-person voting for the Nov. 7 election begins on Friday, Sept. 22 at 146 N. Madison Road, Suite 204, in the town of Orange. Voting hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The office will be open on Saturday, Oct 28, and Saturday, Nov. 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 4 is the final day of early voting. The office will be closed on Monday, Oct. 9, for Columbus Day and Yorktown Victory Day.

Ballot drop boxes will be available at the Madison Road location and at all regular polling places on election day, Nov. 7.

Following is a complete list of candidates who will appear on ballots in the Lake of the Woods precincts at the LOW Clubhouse and the LOW Community Center:

Member Senate of Virginia 28th District

  • Bryce E. Reeves — R
  • Jason A. Ford — D
  • Elizbeth G. Melson — I

Member House of Delegates 63rd District *

  • Phillip A. “Phil” Scott — R

Clerk of Court

  • Melissa G. Morris

Commonwealth’s Attorney

  • Diana Wheeler O’Connell
  • S. Page Higginbotham III

Sheriff

  • Stephen M. LaLuna
  • Jason C. Smith

Commissioner of Revenue

  • P. Renee Lloyd Pope

Treasurer

  • Dawn W. Herndon

Member Board of Supervisors District Five

  • Anne P. LeHuray
  • J. Bryan Nicol

Member School Board District Five

  • Gary D. MacFadden
  • James E. “Jim” Hopkins
  • Sandy J. Harrington

Soil and Water Conservation Director Culpeper District

  • Robert A. Bradford
  • J. Robert “Bob” Brame III

* Dawn Shelley, a Democrat, is conducting a write-in campaign for the 63rd District House of Delegates seat. She will not appear on the ballot.

See the Orange County Registrar for more information

Categories
Campaigns Meetings

Candidate for Sheriff is club’s guest

Capt. Jason C. Smith, a non-partisan candidate for sheriff of Orange County will be the guest speaker at the Oct. 11 meeting of the Lake of the Woods Democratic Club.

Capt. Jason Smith

The meeting will take place on the lower level of the LOW Clubhouse.The program will begin at 1:30 p.m. after a meet-and-greet session starting at 1 p.m.

Smith is a life-long resident of Orange County, who grew up on his family’s farm in the Lahore area. He attended Orange County Public Schools and graduated with honors from Orange County High School in 2000. He graduated from Old Dominion University summa cum laude with a degree in criminal justice and a minor in sociology in 2003.

Upon graduation from college he was hired by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. After receiving the top overall award in his basic training class, Smith spent the next 20 years being promoted from patrol deputy to patrol sergeant to investigations to captain of operations. As captain he is also in charge of patrol, school resource officers and Animal Control.

During his tenure at the Sheriff’s Office, Smith has coordinated Orange County’s Citizens’ Police Academies and Youth Academies as well as raised money and wrote grant proposals for program funning. He created the office’s first agency-approved Department of Criminal Justice Service training courses. He instructed deputies county employees an school staff in active shooter response and lockdown procedures. In addition, he assisted in the implementation of a new records management system and new radio system for the Sheriff’s Office.

Smith and his wife, Kristen have two children and live in a home built in the 1850s by his great-great-grandfather.

Smith faces off against two opponents, Aaron Adams and Stephen LaLuna, both of whom describe themselves as “constitutional conservatives” with emphasis on prioritizing gun rights.

Adams originally hails from Waynesboro, moved to Orange County in 2018 and currently works in the courts division of the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office. According to his campaign website, LaLuna was born and raised in Barboursville and has worked in several local law enforcement divisions, including the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Orange Police Department and the Gordonsville Police Department.

The meeting is open to the public without regard to political affiliation.

Jason Smith for Orange County Sheriff