Awards Presented During Democrat Jefferson-Jackson Dinner
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David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
SYRACUSE – Lifetime Achievement and Democrat of the Year Awards were presented during Saturday night’s annual democrat Jefferson-Jackson Dinner. The dinner attended by 45 people was at South Shore Golf Club, Syracuse. Bill Morton received the Democrat of the Year award. In 2009 and 2012 he worked on the Obama campaign traveling to Indianapolis and Wisconsin. He also worked for Joe Bock and David Kolbe’s campaigns. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to John Bonitati, former Kosciusko County democrat chair and treasurer. He serves on the Warsaw Housing Authority and is on the Special Olympics board. Candidates running in 2016 had the opportunity to introduce themselves. Lorenzo Arrendondo is running for attorney general. He is a retired judge, former school teacher and former assistant county prosecutor in Lake County. “As a former educator and judge, who better to represent teachers and judges?” Arrendondo said. Dave Baumgartner, city council at-large candidate, had a table set up with campaign signs. Carman Darland, third district democrat chair, spoke on behalf of gubernatorial candidate John Gregg. He was a state representative in the Indiana House of Representatives from 1986 to 2002. He served as majority leader from 1990 to 1994, minority leader for a term and as the 85th and longest serving democratic speaker of the Indiana House from 1996 to 2002.[ Darland said Gregg’s focus will be on creating jobs, equal rights and pay for education, infrastructure and health and safety. Todd Nightenhelser, U.S. third district house candidate, said every vote matters. He is owner of TCB Games. “I believe small towns do the most voting and have the most impact,” Nightenhelser said. He said his focus is on the economy and supports an increase in the minimum wage. John Dickerson, U.S. Senate candidate, spoke. He has been a longtime executive director of an Indiana advocacy organization for people with intellectual and development disabilities called The Arc. “We’ve had an attack on labor and need to rebuild the middle class and protect labor,” Dickerson said.
