Friday, June 04, 1999
Democrats hope picnic brings spark
Kenton leaders want energy back
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON — A picnic the Kenton County Democratic Party has planned for Saturday will be as much about politics as it is about hot dogs, horseshoes and the three-legged race.
Democratic Party leaders say they hope the picnic at Mills Road Park becomes an annual staple on the local political circuit.
They also hope the event helps reinvigorate a party suffering from losses at the ballot box and a growing disinterest from some party activists and rank-and-file members.
“We've kind of slacked off a little over the last few years,” said Peggy Zeil of Covington, a long-time member of the Kenton County Democratic Women's Club and one of the picnic's organizers.
“The energy level has sagged a bit,” she said.
Party leaders realize that a picnic alone won't rekindle interest and enthusiasm in what once was the dominant political party in not just Kenton County but across Northern Kentucky, she said.
“But its something that if we hold it year after year, people will come to expect it and hopefully attend,” Mrs. Zeil said. “People who don't come to a meeting might come to a picnic, and we are going to be talking Democratic politics during the picnic.”
Some party leaders have begun taking the initiative to
try and win back some of the momentum and success the party used to enjoy, when Republicans didn't control the Kenton County Courthouse and hold four of the county's six statehouse seats.
Former Kenton County Commissioner Bernie Moorman, who is pondering a run for state senate, has held several small Democratic planning and strategy sessions at his Covington home.
Members of the Kenton County Democratic Executive Committee recently met to come up with new ideas, a revamped platform and a way to attract new blood into the party.
“I think the main thing we want to do is start defining ourselves as Democrats, and not let the Republicans try and define us,” said Kenton County Magistrate Steve Hoffman, an executive committee member from Park Hills.
“It's not going to be quick, and it's not going without some disagreements about where we need to go as a party,” he said. “But we are doing it because it needs to be done.”
Crestview Hills attorney David Kramer, another executive committee member, said plans are in the works to:
• Establish a page on the Internet — something the Kenton County Republicans did more than a year ago — and improve the technology used by the party to track voting patterns, trends and registrations.
• Form a finance committee to help raise money for candidates and party activities.
• Form a candidate recruitment committee.
“We're basically trying to regroup and get the message out that there are a lot of good people in the Demo cratic Party locally,” Mr. Kramer said, “and their values reflect the population in this part of the state.”
Organizers hope the picnic becomes one of the region's regular political events on par with the Campbell County Senior Citizen Picnic, the Guidugli Family Picnic in Cold Spring and the Boone County Republican Party summer picnic.
“I'd like to see it become like Fancy Farm,” said former Kenton County Surveyor and party activist Jimmy Williams of Latonia.
Fancy Farm is a church picnic held each August in far western Kentucky that attracts statewide candidates and office holders and a crowd of more than 10,000.
“I don't know if we'll ever get that big, but its something to shoot for,” said Mr. Williams.
IF YOU GO
The Kenton County Democratic Party picnic will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Mills Road Park in Taylor Mill, just off Ky. 16. Red, white and blue signs posted along the road will give directions.
Featured speakers include Lt. Gov. Steve Henry, U.S. Rep. Ken Lucas of Richwood and Democratic Club President Don Younger, the former Kenton County jailer.
Children's games, softball, lawn golf, horseshoes, a rally and music are planned. Food will also be served.
The cost is $15. Children are free with a paying adult. For more information, call 491-5240 or 291-4113.
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