Democrats to hold special caucus meetings

REGION -- The Oxford County Democrats will hold a series of special caucus meetings focused on issues and activism.

Sessions will be held in four areas of the county, including South Paris, Fryeburg, Rumford and Bethel between April 30 and the end of May.

The sessions are open to anyone interested in electing Democrats and will have a

common agenda including speakers on critical issues in the legislature of particular interest to the region, an opportunity for networking and taking action on a variety of issues, updates on the Obama and Michaud re-election

campaigns, and specific local planning for candidate recruitment and for summer visibility at festivals and parades. Individuals are welcome to attend any or all of the events.

The series will kick off on Saturday from 3-5 p.m. at the South Paris Town Office Meeting Room. This meeting will have a special focus on the environmental impact of proposals included in the LePage agenda. This meeting will focus on the Buckfield, Paris, Oxford, Otisfield, Norway, Waterford and West Paris areas.

The meeting in Fryeburg will be held on Sunday, May 1 from 3-5 p.m. at the Legion Hall on Bradley Street and will feature Mike Tipping, communications director for the Maine People's Alliance and the Maine People's Resource Center, and popular blogger for The Tipping Point in Down East magazine and columnist for the Kennebec Journal and Waterville Sentinel. Attendees are encouraged from Southern Oxford County towns, as well as Western Cumberland towns involved in shared legislative districts.

The River Valley towns will meet on Saturday, May 7 in Rumford. The speakers and time for this meeting are being confirmed and will be announced in the future. The theme is expected to involve collective bargaining and will be of special interest to working families, retirees, and educators.

The final regional meeting will be held in Bethel for towns in that area and will feature Democratic activist Rosa

Scarcelli of Portland. The time and place for this meeting will be announced next week.

On Friday, April 29, the Oxford County Democrats will sponsor a table at the Western Maine Labor Council’s 5th

Annual Worker/Memorial Day dinner at the Franco American Heritage Center in Lewiston.

The Oxford County Democrats will hold their annual Field Trip to the Statehouse on Tuesday, May 10 from 9-2. Those interested in attending should contact County Chair Cathy Newell at 875-2116 or cathyn@megalink.net. The committee will work on arranging carpools, provide directions and parking information. We will have tours, visit the House and Senate sessions and have some special briefings depending on interest of the group. Lunch will be in the cafeteria with local legislators, and visits to the State Museum are an option.