Local Democrats Hold Annual Convention By Scott Nicholson The Watauga County Democratic Party held its annual convention Saturday, energized by last fall’s victory in three commissioners’ races. The party elected its officers for the year, including a new chair, Diane Tilson. She worked on her first local campaign in 2000, and has served on steering committees for both county commissioners and Boone town council members. She has served on the county planning board and is currently vice-chair and has served as vice-chair of the party’s executive committee since 2001. Tilson replaced Sue Sweeting. Tilson said the party’s goal should be to reelect commissioner Billy Ralph Winkler, whose term will be up in 2006, and to gain the other two seats currently held by Republicans. She said the party should also try to keep the clerk of court’s office, which will be contested in the next general election. “We need to build our county base upward and outward,” she said, and urged the party to pursue victories in the state General Assembly races and find a candidate to unseat U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx in the Fifth District. She said the voter base should remain energized by putting people in key roles and to maintain precinct-level enthusiasm. “We must stay true to what the Democratic Party stands for,” she said. Commission chair Jim Deal served as keynote speaker for the convention. He said the Democratic Party is the party asking “Is there a better way?” He reviewed key issues which he said turned the last election. He said education was important to the county’s voters and its future. “We need a commitment that is more than just words,” he said. Deal supported long-range planning and making decisions on how to pay for a renovated high school. He said it would be an interesting budget year, with requests that will probably be twice what the county could spend. “Education will always be a top priority if we want Watauga County to be the best that it can be,” Deal said. “That’s what separates us from some of the other parties. We don’t just say it, we make a commitment.” Deal said the party also supported local businesses and start-ups, and said the county should be seeking technology-based businesses. He said recreation and the needs of seniors were also important party platforms. He said there were people who were natives, but others had moved here recently, yet all had a stake in the county’s future. “As a party, we are truly committed to a brighter future for the people of Watauga County,” he said. He said choose-and-cut Christmas tree farms were a strong economic force despite the decline in traditional agriculture. Deal said everyone benefited from choose-and-cut because visitors ate in local restaurants and stayed in local lodging establishments. He also supported more recreational facilities such as youth or teen centers, “things we see in other communities but don’t see here in Watauga County.” Deal said Democrats were successful locally because they were able to reach across party lines and appeal to moderate voters. “We are the party of hope, the party that believes the people of Watauga County deserve better,” he said. The party elected Susan Phipps as Treasurer, Jerry Williamson as Secretary, Charlie Wallin as First Vice-Chair. Other vice-chairs elected were Marjory Holder, J.W. Randolph, Jasmine Shoshanna and Anna Sagel. The party elected Dennis Grady, Loretta Clawson and Celia Roten to serve as voting delegates for the state Democratic Executive Committee. The party also adopted seven resolutions: supporting the promotion of bio-diesel production and use in motor vehicles; moving the polling places for the Boone 3 precinct from the Agricultural Conference Center back to the Appalachian State University campus, as well as moving the New River 3 precinct to a centrally located polling place. The party also passed measures opposing privatization of social security; supporting a universal health-care plan; supporting “The Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003” and maintaining physical ballots instead of relying solely on electronic data; apportioning the state’s electoral votes based on popular vote rather than the presidential race winner receiving all the state’s electoral votes; and supporting alternative energy use and research. The convention was held at the Watauga County courthouse in downtown Boone.