Chemours Pollution Continues

Remember Chemours, the company responsible for GenX-related chemicals in the Cape Fear region drinking water supply? It looks like they haven't gotten better, according to a blog post from NC Policy Watch last week.

(From Policy Watch) Last fall, Chemours workers discovered a pinhole leak in a pipe at the Fayetteville Works facility that was emitting a type of PFAS, perfluoropropionyl fluoride, into the air. The company initially estimated about 50 pounds of the compound was released, according to its report to the US Coast Guard National Response Center. Last week, in a response to an inquiry from Policy Watch, a Chemours spokeswoman said the amount has since been recalculated to be fourth-tenths of a pound, less than one percent of the original estimate.

It's hard to gauge what is most accurate, since the amount has not been independently confirmed. For context, Chemours reported to the state's Department of Environmental Quality that in the entire year of 2016 it had emitted 66.6 pounds of GenX-related compounds. That figure turned out to be a drastic underestimate. The state Division of Air Quality conducted its own study and calculated the facility emitted roughly 2,700 pounds in 2016.

Once again our Republican-dominated government turns its back on clean water.

Burr Fidget-spins as Democracy Burns

North Carolina's Richard Burr and Thom Tillis voted with their Republican majority in the U.S. Senate to block witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump clearing the way for his acquittal in what amounted to a cover-up of Trump's massive corruption. Burr seemed to acknowledge Trump's guilt in public statements last week, but said the offenses weren't enough to justify impeachment.

(From NCDP) Last week, Burr made one of his first major statements on impeachment by admitting that the president's actions were criminal, just not criminal enough for him. “I think Alan Dershowitz said it very well last night, ‘You blew it, House managers.’ The articles you’ve brought don’t rise to the level of removal from office.” Burr admitted that even if “John Bolton or anybody else may bring to this is irrelevant because even if the president said this, it does not raise to the level of removal from office...”

Burr brought in and provided several GOP senators with fidget spinners to pass the time between milk sips. (Photo from NBC News of Burr with toy) It is clear that Senator Burr views his oath to support and defend the Constitution and his duty to his constituents as a joke. We’re not laughing. See fidget spinner story here.

Sonya Bennetone-Patrick Reconstitutes 7th Congressional District Party

Last Fall the 7th Congressional District was redistricted to exclude Duplin and Wayne County. As a result, the 7th District organization lost its Chair, Francisco Rivas-Diaz, and its Secretary and Treasurer.

Sonya Bennetone-Patrick rose to the challenge and recruited officers to fill the vacancies. As a result of Sonya's recruiting, on Saturday February 1st, the District Executive Committee elected a full slate of district officers. The officers are:

Chair	Sonya Bennetone-Patrick	New Hanover
First Vice	Tom Simmons	Brunswick
Second Vice	Lorie Stephens	Columbus
Third Vice	Elizabeth Crudup	Harnett
Secretary	Dante Murphy	Pender
Treasurer	Pamela Graham	Bladen

The 7th Congressional District will hold its convention on April 25th in Rieglewood, North Carolina, In Columbus County. See details below.

Candidate Forums for County Commission and 7th Congressional District

The Seventh District Congressional Party is planning a candidate forum on Monday February 3rd at the Downtown Branch of the New Hanover County Library.

NHCDP is planning a Democratic County Commission candidate forum on Tuesday February 11th at Cape Fear museum.

Details of both events are listed below.

Get Ready for the March 3 Primary

North Carolina's election primary will be held on March 3, Super Tuesday, this year. A few things to remember:

One Stop Early Voting begins in a few short weeks, on February 13.
One Stop Voting and registration site information is available here.
You won't need to show a voter ID to vote in the primary.
17-year-olds who will be 18 by the November election may vote in the primary on March 3 if they register.
A sample ballot for New Hanover Democrats is available here.

DOING (Democrats Organizing In Neighborhood Groups) Going Strong in New Hanover County

We all should be DOING something! If you want to make a difference in 2020, consider joining the ongoing DOING effort to establish contact with as many Democratic voters as possible. People in each precinct can work together to build community and mobilize Democrats in their local area.

Here is a list of canvasses, which will be updated as new canvasses are added.

NHCDP Is Looking for Inside Poll Observers For The 2020 Elections

NHCDP needs observers to serve inside polling places during the Primary and General Election this year. Here's what you need to know: We can appoint you to go inside a polling place to observe either for specific four hour shifts or as a roving observer with access to all polling places. The other organizations recruiting observers like Common Cause and Democracy NC cannot appoint you to be an inside observer. As an NHCDP poll observer you can play an important role in ensuring the integrity of the 2020 election. We will identify appropriate training and Deloris Rhodes will assign you to observe either at you own precinct or other high priority precincts. If you are interested, please click here to sign up.

"Get Elected" Workshop Planned for March

Are you running for office or managing an election campaign? LEAD NC is organizing a two-day workshop in Wilmington on March 14 and 15. LEAD NC is a non-partisan 501(c)4 organization that provides training and leadership development for any North Carolinian who strongly supports LEAD NC's values such as voters rights, women's rights, transparency in government and inclusiveness.

The training covers campaign messaging and story, base building, direct voter contact, fundraising, and campaign planning. The fee is $40, and helps cover the cost of the trainers, food and materials for the training. Please feel free to register now to reserve your seat even if you are facing a primary. Some scholarships are available. Email [email protected] for details.

EVENTS

North Carolina 7th District Congressional Forum -- February 3

When: Monday, February 3, 5:30 p.m.

Where: New Hanover County Public Library, Downtown Branch, 201 Chestnut St., Wilmington

Forum hosted by 7th Congressional District Democratic Party. There are three Democratic candidates in the primary. The seat is presently held by David Rouzer.

Reception for Governor Roy Cooper -- February 4

When: Tuesday, February 4, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

Where: The home of Anne York and Jeffrey Schrager, 305 S. Lumina Ave., Wrightsville Beach

Cooper says the Republican Governors Association has named his campaign as their top target this year, so a lot of outside groups will be investing in North Carolina to try to flip his seat. "Your help now will ensure we have the resources necessary to continue making progress in this state," the governor said. For details and to register click here.

Marcia Morgan Postcard Parties -- February 6 and 9

When: Thursday, February 6, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, February 9, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Where: Good Hops Brewery, 811 Harper Ave., Carolina Beach

The campaign to elect Marcia Morgan to the District 9 seat in the North Carolina House of Representative will hold a pair of postcard parties to get out the vote for the March 3 primary. The campaign needs volunteers and will provide the postcards, stamps and pens. Click here for more information.

Debate Watch With Cape Fear For Pete -- February 7

When: Friday February 6, 7 to 11 p.m.

Where: JohnnyLukes Kitchen Bar, 5500 Market Street, Wilmington

Cape Fear for Pete has organized another Debate Watch Party and everyone is invited! The event will be on JohnnyLukes patio which is enclosed but unheated, so dress warmly. Please RSVP here.

Canvassing for Kyle Horton for County Commission -- February 8

When: Saturday, February 8, 9:00 a.m. to noon, and 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Where: Sign up online for details

Kyle Horton, candidate for New Hanover County Commission, will hold a "Day of Action" leading up to early voting which starts February 13. Volunteers will be doing paper-free canvassing (Save Our Trees!) with the MiniVAN Smartphone app. Sign up for the canvass here. If you want to donate, you can do that here.

Joint Canvassing for Marcia Morgan and Leslie Cohen -- February 8 and 9

When: Saturday, February 8, 10 a.m., noon, and 2:00 p.m.; and Sunday, February 9, 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.

Where: Launch from Port City Java, 2301 S. 17th Street, Wilmington

The campaigns for Leslie Cohen for NHC Commission and Marcia Morgan for NC House 19 will join forces this weekend for shifts of door knocking. There will be a brief training as well.

Click here to sign up to canvass Saturday:

https://act.myngp.com/Forms/-8664468827257762560

Click here to sign up to canvass Sunday:

https://act.myngp.com/Forms/-8448296045143978752

Democratic County Commissioner Candidate Forum -- February 11

When: Tuesday, February 11, 6 to 8 p.m.

Where: Cape Fear Museum, 814 market St, Wilmington

Moderator: Kimberly McLaughlin Smith

A forum for our six wonderful Commission candidates. We anticipate a format where the candidates will be able to make introductory statements and respond to questions submitted in writing from the floor. If you want to submit a question in advance, you can do so by emailing [email protected] or by replying to this email.

Early Voting Electioneering for Leslie Cohen -- February 13 through 29

When: February 13 through 29, times TBA

Where: Early voting polling stations

The Leslie Cohen campaign for the New Hanover County Board of Commissioner is seeking volunteers to hand out literature to voters during the early voting period. To get information on times and places and to sign up for shifts, click here.

Precinct Organization Day -- February 15

When: Saturday, February 15, Time TBD by Precinct Chair

Where: TBD by Precinct Chair

Because this is a presidential election year, the rules are a bit different. Instead of a ten day period for precinct organization, there is a single day, February 15th. There is only one make-up day, March 14th, for precincts that fail to organize in February. If you want to know where your precinct is meeting, Click Here. If you don't know which precinct you live in, Click Here.

Brewery Tour with Marcia Morgan -- February 16

When: Sunday, February 16, 2:00 p.m.

Where: Starting place TBD

Marcia Morgan, who is seeking election to the North Carolina House of Representatives, is hosting a tour of three downtown breweries with samples served at each site. Tickets to the event (seating is limited) can be purchased here.

SEC Meeting and Blue NC Gala -- February 29

When: Saturday, February 29, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Where: Charlotte, NC

2020 WINTER SEC MEETING:

UNC Charlotte, McKnight Theater, Cone Center

9025 University Rd.

Registration 9:00 a.m., Statewide Candidate Speeches, 11:30 a.m., Meeting, Noon-5.

Proxy Form: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S8VZoEKRr5AMaFh3ltUV_evDCUKygmLQ/view?usp=sharing

SEC Pre-Registration (open until 2/14): https://forms.gle/N46NjUeQLPA99kBH9

Hotel Room Reservations:

Drury Hotel

415 West W.T. Harris Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 2826

https://www.druryhotels.com/bookandstay/newreservation/?groupno=2402130

Or call 800-325-0720 and use Group Number 2402130 (note that the deadline for the hotel room block was January 28th).

2020 NCDP BLUE NC GALA: (After the SEC Meeting)

Hilton Charlotte University Place

8629 J.M. Keynes Dr. Charlotte

VIP Reception: 6:00 p.m.

Dinner: 7:00 p.m.

2019-2021 SEC Member-Only Link: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/sec-blue-nc-2020#basics. General Admission Link: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/blue-nc-2020. Please notify Richard Poole when you buy your ticket if you want to be seated with others from New Hanover County.

New Hanover County Democratic Party Convention -- March 28

When: Checkin begins at 9 a.m., closes at 10 a.m.

Where: Board of Education Center, 1805 South 13th Street, Wilmington

Italian Wine Tasting Event with Marcia Morgan -- March 31

When: Tuesday, March 31 5:30 - 7 p.m.

Where: Home of Anne York and Jeffrey Schrager, 305 S Lumina, Wrightsville Beach

Click here for a ticket.

7th Congressional District Convention -- April 25

When: Saturday April 25, Time TBA

Where: Riegelwood NC

New officers for the 7th District Party were elected on February 1st. Sonya Bennetone-Patrick was elected Chair of the organization. Congratulations Sonya!

State Convention -- June 6

When: Saturday June 6, checkin at 10 a.m.

Where: TBD

Best,

Richard Poole, Chair

News Content by James Cummings

If you have any announcements, comments, questions or concerns regarding this email series, please contact the Editor here.

Paid for by the New Hanover County Democratic Party

Mailing Address:

NHCDP

PO Box 3036

Wilmington, NC 28406

Office Address:

5041 New Centre Drive

Wilmington, NC 28403

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