Many people shy away from entering a political race because they assume they are not qualified or do not have enough time, said Elizabeth Crowe, president of the League of Women Voters of Berea and Madison County.
The league is hosting a workshop for those who may have a misconception of what it takes to run for a political office.
“Running for Office: What about YOU?” is a public workshop being sponsored by the league and the Kentucky Institute of Public Government and Civic Engagement at Eastern Kentucky University.
The workshop delves into the process of running for public office, will help participants find motivation and teach them the nuts and bolts and strategies used to run for government office.
The event will be conducted Saturday, Nov. 22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Perkins Building on the Eastern Kentucky University campus. Registration and breakfast begin at 8:30 a.m., cost is $20 or $5 for students with a valid EKU student identification card.
Mary Sue Helm will be representing the office of Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson. Helm will be able to explain all legal requirements for filing candidacy.
Dale Emmons of Emmons and Co., a Kentucky political consultant group, will help those interested in creating creative campaign strategies.
Guest speakers will include: Eleanor Jordan, former Kentucky senator and current executive director of the Kentucky Commission on Women, a panel of elected officials from central Kentucky; District Judge Brandy Oliver Brown; Richmond City Commissioner Robert Blythe; Madison County Clerk Billy Gabbard; and Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council member Linda Gorton.
“We’re studying political history, focusing on specific cases where women and people of color have run for office, the social context and why they won or lost,” said Women and African-Americans in Politics professor Meta Mendel-Reyes of Berea College. “It’s a wonderful thing to see these young people to get excited about our electoral history and current politics, and feel that they themselves could run for office someday.”
The younger generation is provided with very little information about formal civics education, Crowe said.
“Not enough children have a positive or accurate view of the importance or relevance of the role of government,” she said. “As a result, they don’t often see the link between everyday life choices and events.
“What job might be available when they get out of school? Can they afford to buy a house? Are they inheriting a clean environment or a hundred-billion-dollar deficit that their generation will have to repay? What will happen if they get sick and don’t have health insurance? Will there be a military draft and local, state or federal policies? It is critical that our youth understand these connections and the power they have to influence government leaders and policy decisions. Their voices and their votes are just as legitimate and valuable as those of older people.”
The fact that the November elections are over is no reason to put the importance of civic action on the back burner, according to league member Jeanne Hibberd.
“We think this is a good time to build on the excitement of the presidential election displayed by so many people and encourage more people to think about running for office themselves,” Hibberd said.
“This workshop is open to anyone who is either mildly curious about what it takes to run for office, or has already decided they want to throw their name in the hat for the next election,” said Joe Gershtenson, director of EKU’s Kentucky Institute of Public Governance and Civic Engagement. “We’re hoping for a good turnout.”
Visit the league’s Web site at www.lwvbmc.org to print off a registration form and mail it along with the registration fee to: League of Women Voters of Berea and Madison County, PO Box 254, Berea, KY 40403.
Call Crowe at 985-0641 or send an e-mail to lwvbmc@yahoo.com for more details.
Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.
Local News
‘What about YOU?’
Workshop explains campaigning process
- Local News
-
-
‘She wasn’t just a teacher’ : Lambert retires after 43 years at Berea
Scroll to the bottom of the story to read "Love for Lambert: Berea graduates share memories of their teacher," as well as a list of other Berea retirees this year.
Writer’s Note: Brenda Lambert is the reason I write articles today (Class of 2000).
Years ago, a little blonde-haired girl from Rockcastle County gathered her friends to “play school” in a 10-by-10 foot playhouse her father built.
Even at 12 years old, Brenda Lambert knew she wanted to be a teacher one day.
“I always felt like an old person trapped in a young person's body,” said Lambert, who is retiring after 43 years of service to Berea Community School. -
Special Olympics return for 18th year at EKU
Next weekend, the Special Olympics Kentucky State Summer Games return to Eastern Kentucky University campus. This is the 18th consecutive year EKU has hosted the event.
The games will be Friday through June 2. About 1,300 athletes will compete this year. -
Assault charges reduced, dismissed by grand jury
Two men arrested in connection with serious assaults had their charges reduced, and in one case dismissed, by a Madison grand jury.
Jerry Wayne Edington, 34, of Berea Road, was charged Jan. 19 with second-degree assault after an altercation at the Blue Moon bar on East Irvine Street, according to a Richmond police report. -
Dump of the Day
The Dump of the Day is a recurring series the newspaper publishes to highlight illegal trash piles and push local governments to cite perpetrators and get illegal dumps cleaned up. See Page A7 in Sunday's paper to read a copy of the city’s ordinance related to trash pickup.
-
Paradise Cove open through Labor Day
Opening day of Paradise Cove Family Aquatic Center coincided with a spike in temperatures Friday which reached 90 degrees. The facility, located in Richmond’s Lake Reba Park, will be open through Sept. 3. Regular hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday.
-
Dump of the Day
An old mattress, a car seat and other debris sit Friday afternoon on North Street between Fourth and Fifth Streets where it was first spotted Thursday. The “Dump of the Day” is a recurring series the Richmond Register publishes to highlight illegal trash piles and push local governments to cite perpetrators and get illegal dumps cleaned up. See Sunday’s Richmond Register to read a copy of the city’s ordinance related to trash pickup.
-
Undefeated academic team brings pride to Madison Middle School
Madison Middle School 6th and 7th grade academic teams have been undefeated for the last two years.
The 8th grade team also has done well, having some students qualify to compete at the state level. -
Woman fends off burglar with knife
A Berea woman used a kitchen knife to fend off an alleged burglar early Wednesday morning, and police say they were able to catch the man in the act.
-
Man is indicted on additional sex charge involving teen in 1998
A man already accused of sex abuse in November 2011 has been indicted on a charge of first-degree rape involving a child in 1998.
Charles W. Peyton, 63, of East Irvine Street, was indicted Wednesday by a Madison grand jury. He used “forcible compulsion” to have sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl between March 1 and May 1 in 1998, according to the indictment. -
Woman fends off burglar with knife
A Berea woman used a kitchen knife to fend off an alleged burglar early Wednesday morning, and police say they were able to catch the man in the act.
Officers responded to a call in the 1000 block of Scaffold Cane Road about a man trying to break into a home, according to a release from BPD Public Information Officer Jake Reed. - More Local News Headlines
-


