Clay County NC Democrats

Banned Book Club & Farewell Celebration for Griffin Anderson
2025-02-10 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Moss Public Library (Hayesville), 26 Anderson St, Hayesville, NC, 28904, United States
Our beloved director of the Moss Public Library, Griffin Anderson, is moving on to bigger and brighter challenges and we will be celebrating his contribution here in Hayesville during our meeting. All are encouraged to join in this celebration even if you are not a member of the book club.
The book selection for Monday, February 10, 2024 is Becoming Nicole by Amy Ellis Nutt (2016). This meeting was originally scheduled for January, but has been moved to February due to dangerous icy roads.
“NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER – The inspiring true story of transgender actor and activist Nicole Maines, whose identical twin brother, Jonas, and ordinary American family join her on an extraordinary journey to understand, nurture and celebrate the uniqueness in us all.
Nicole appears as TV’s first transgender superhero on CW’s Supergirl.”
We are now practicing our new Democratized Community Moderating:
1) Readers will email a question to discuss about the book selection to wendyaslaton@bellsouth.net;
2) Members will read a short web biography of the author prior to our meeting;
3) Submitted questions will be compiled and printed for our breakout discussion groups.
Please submit your discussion question during week of January 6th.
This meeting will take place in the Community Room at the Moss Memorial Library. Entrance will be via the door on the same side as The Friends of the Library Book Store.
FOR THOSE WANTING TO PERUSE SOME BANNED BOOK LISTS:
Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books: 2010-2019 complied by the American Library Association at ala.org
PEN America’s The 11 Most Banned Books of the 2022-2023 School Year at pen.org
The Banned Book Club stands up for intellectual rights by reading and discussing books that have been banned in libraries right here in the United States. Anyone who cares about the freedom to exchange ideas is welcome to attend. You may also be interested in visiting The Banned Book Club website to learn how to stand up and fight book bans and also how to get access to banned books in communities where they were banned.

Hayesville Town Council Meeting
2025-02-10 18:30 - 19:30, 2025-03-10 18:30 - 19:30, 2025-04-14 18:30 - 19:30, 2025-05-12 18:30 - 19:30 | Hayesville Town Hall, 56 Sanderson Street, Hayesville, NC, 28904, United States
Town Council meetings are open to the public and held on the 2nd Monday of each month at 6:30 pm. You may call the Town Clerk at 828-389-1862 for more information on the Town Council or for specific meeting information. Meeting minutes and information may be found here.

Clay County Board of Elections
2025-02-11 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-03-11 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-04-15 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-05-13 09:00 - 10:00 | Board of Elections Meeting Location, 75 Riverside Circle, Suite 3, Hayesville, NC, 28904
The Clay County Board of Elections meets monthly on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 9:00 AM. Additional information about the Clay County Board of elections may be found on their website: https://elections.claync.us/.

Clay County Board of Education
2025-02-24 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-03-24 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-04-28 08:00 - 17:00 | School Board Meeting Location, 154 Yellow Jacket Dr,, Hayesville, 28904, United States
The Clay County Board of Education meets in regular session on the 4th Monday night every month unless otherwise posted. The Clay County School website is clayschools.org and the School Board web page and minutes may be found here. All meetings begin at 6:00 pm in the board room of the Clay County Board of Education office.

Clay County Democratic Party Monthly Meeting
2025-02-25 18:00 - 19:30 | The Corner Coffee Shop, 66 Church St,, Hayesville, NC, 28904, United States
Join Us for a Special Clay County Democratic Party Meeting!
We are excited to welcome NC Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton and Dorian Palmer, Director of Coalitions and Community Engagement, as our featured guests at this month’s Clay County Democratic Party meeting.
With so much focus on the rapid changes brought by the new administration, groups like Indivisible and Building Community have stepped up in response. While this energy has been crucial, it has also pulled attention away from strengthening our local Democratic Party—and we need to extend our focus.
As we prepare for the next election cycle, Clay County’s Democratic Party must get organized. We urgently need to fill key leadership positions, including chair, secretary, and treasurer, as well as address vacancies at the precinct level.
This is a unique opportunity to hear directly from Anderson Clayton and Dorian Palmer, who are eager to share their insights and help us strengthen our local Democratic Party. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. If you or someone you know is interested in getting involved, this is the meeting to be at!
All Clay County voters are invited to attend our monthly meeting at The Corner Coffee Shop in Hayesville. The Clay County Democratic Party monthly meeting is on the fourth Tuesday of each month with our guest speaker starting at 6:00 PM followed by an opportunity to socialize at 6:30. The CCDP holds its business meeting starting around 7:00 PM, and this portion of the meeting is open for all Democrats to attend if they wish.

Soil & Water Conservation District Board Meeting
2025-02-26 19:00 - 20:00 | NC
The SWCD board meets on the 4th Wednesday of each the month at 7:00 PM at 25 Riverside Circle (i.e., the brick community building down the hill from the library). The group meets in the conference room of the NC Cooperative Extension.

Building Community
2025-03-02 16:00 - 17:30 | The Corner Coffee Shop, 66 Church St,, Hayesville, NC, 28904, United States
Building Community is a non-partisan monthly event intended to build strength within our own community to fight back against attempts to weaken our Democracy. After the last election many of us have been experiencing a range of emotions— anger, frustration, disappointment, uncertainty—and that these feelings can sometimes feel isolating. Please know that you are not alone and that we are much stronger as a group. Please join us the first Sunday of each month at 4:00 PM at the Corner Coffee Shop (MJs) in Hayesville for educational presentations, riveting discussion, and practical actions we can take to strengthen our community and our Democracy.
Feel free to bring a to bring a personal snack and/or drink, or finger foods if you wish to share.
NOTE: Although Building Community is a local event addressing issues originating from our community members, we have an affiliation with the national group, Indivisible due to the overlap of common goals. We believe we can learn, grow, and share more effectively with this affiliation.

Clay County Board of Commissioners
2025-03-06 18:30 - 19:30, 2025-04-03 18:30 - 19:30, 2025-05-01 18:30 - 19:30 | Board of Commissioners Meeting Location, 261 Courthouse Drive, Hayesville, 28904, United States
The Clay County Board of Commissioners meet monthly on the 1st Thursday of the month at 6:45 PM. A button linking to the current agenda can be found here: https://www.claync.us/board-of-commissioners

Banned Book Club
2025-03-10 18:00 - 19:30 | Moss Public Library (Hayesville), 26 Anderson St, Hayesville, NC, 28904, United States
The book selection for Monday, March 10th 2025 is I Know why the Caged Bird Sings by Mayo Angelo (1969).
“I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou was challenged in 2007 (and other years) for sexual content. This is Angelou’s autobiography, written in prose that matches the rhythms and poignancy of her poetry. It gives context to her poems and tells a story about race, womanhood, sexual assault, and, ultimately, love and reading. It’s a classic for a reason, a memoir that is as much a pleasure to read as it is important.”
We are now practicing our new Democratized Community Moderating:
1) Readers will email a question to discuss about the book selection to wendyaslaton@bellsouth.net;
2) Members will read a short web biography of the author prior to our meeting;
3) Submitted questions will be compiled and printed for our breakout discussion groups.
Please submit your discussion question during week of March 3rd.
This meeting will take place in the Community Room at the Moss Memorial Library. Entrance will be via the door on the same side as The Friends of the Library Book Store.
FOR THOSE WANTING TO PERUSE SOME BANNED BOOK LISTS:
Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books: 2010-2019 complied by the American Library Association at ala.org
PEN America’s The 11 Most Banned Books of the 2022-2023 School Year at pen.org
The Banned Book Club stands up for intellectual rights by reading and discussing books that have been banned in libraries right here in the United States. Anyone who cares about the freedom to exchange ideas is welcome to attend. You may also be interested in visiting The Banned Book Club website to learn how to stand up and fight book bans and also how to get access to banned books in communities where they were banned.

Clay County Democratic Party Monthly Meeting
2025-03-25 18:00 - 19:30 | The Corner Coffee Shop, 66 Church St,, Hayesville, NC, 28904, United States
All Clay County voters are invited to attend our monthly meeting at The Corner Coffee Shop in Hayesville. Our speaker for this meeting will be Michael Careccia is the NC Democratic Party Regional Organizing Director (ROD) for 26 counties in Western NC, and is also the Chair of the Caldwell County Democratic Party. He has been our ROD since 2017 and acts as a liaison between the state and the county parties.
Michael Careccia, born in Chiefland, Florida in 1992, moved to Lenoir in 2012, yet he remains deeply connected to the Appalachian region through his family roots in Western North Carolina. A blue-collar worker who has served as an apprentice electrician, Michael relates to everyday working-class struggles. His public service began in 2010 with the Chiefland Fire Department, and he has since championed workers’ rights and environmental preservation in mountain communities.
The Clay County Democratic Party monthly meeting is on the fourth Tuesday of each month with our guest speaker starting at 6:00 PM followed by an opportunity to socialize at 6:30. The CCDP holds its business meeting starting around 7:00 PM, and this portion of the meeting is open for all Democrats to attend if they wish.

Soil & Water Conservation District Board Meeting
2025-03-26 19:00 - 20:00, 2025-04-23 19:00 - 20:00, 2025-05-28 19:00 - 20:00 | Soil & Water Conservation District Board Meeting Location, 25 Riverside Circle, Hayesville, NC, 28904, United States

Building Community
2025-04-06 16:00 - 17:30 | The Corner Coffee Shop, 66 Church St,, Hayesville, NC, 28904, United States
Melissa Godfrey, the current Superintendent of Clay County Public Schools, will be the guest speaker for this month’s event.
Building Community is a non-partisan monthly event intended to build strength within our own community to fight back against attempts to weaken our Democracy. After the last election many of us have been experiencing a range of emotions— anger, frustration, disappointment, uncertainty—and that these feelings can sometimes feel isolating. Please know that you are not alone and that we are much stronger as a group. Please join us the first Sunday of each month at 4:00 PM at the Corner Coffee Shop (MJs) in Hayesville for educational presentations, riveting discussion, and practical actions we can take to strengthen our community and our Democracy.
Feel free to bring a personal snack and/or drink, or finger foods if you wish to share.
Join our private facebook group Building Community in Clay. Just log into facebook and search for “Building Community in Clay” and request to join. The administrator will add you once we confirm your identity.
NOTE: Although Building Community is a local event addressing issues originating from our community members, we have an affiliation with the national group, Indivisible due to the overlap of common goals. We believe we can learn, grow, and share more effectively with this affiliation.

Clay County Democratic Party County Convention
2025-04-12 11:00 - 13:00 | Hayesville High School, 205 Yellow Jacket Dr, Hayesville, 28904
Clay County Democratic Party will hold the County Convention Saturday, April 12 at Hayesville High School cafeteria from 11:00 am to 1:00 PM. Our Keynote Speaker for this event is Ann Woodford. This event will also serve as the county party’s monthly meeting. Once you arrive at Hayesville HS, the best place to park is the gravel lot next to the football field or HS parking lot. Use the sidewalk between the high school and middle school gym to get to the cafeteria. A main dish will be provided for lunch, but attendees are welcome to bring side dishes to share.
Keynote Speaker Ann Woodford is an artist, author, historian, Unaffiliated voter, community builder, and founder of One Dozen Who Care.
Agenda:

Registration
Keynote Speaker Ann Woodford
Precinct meeting: Election of Precinct Officers; Collect contributions to the Sustaining Fund that goes to the state party for our tools Votebuilder, Mobilize, etc. (Clay owes the minimum amount $250.00 again this year. (max is $5000)
LUNCH
Convention: Election of County Officers, 7 Delegates to the District Convention, and more opportunities

Banned Book Club
2025-04-14 18:00 - 19:30 | Moss Public Library (Hayesville), 26 Anderson St, Hayesville, NC, 28904, United States
Franklin Shook, Director of the Nantahala Regional Library and current Acting-Director for the Moss Memorial Library, will be speaking at this meeting. His topic will be Information and Discussion of Library Advocacy, and he will answer any questions you may have.
The book selection for Monday, April 14th 2025 is Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews. Book discussion will occur if time allows.
“Fiercely funny, honest, heart-breaking—this is an unforgettable novel from a bright talent, now also a film that critics are calling “a touchstone for its generation” and “an instant classic.””
We are now practicing our new Democratized Community Moderating:
1) Readers will email a question to discuss about the book selection to wendyaslaton@bellsouth.net;
2) Members will read a short web biography of the author prior to our meeting;
3) Submitted questions will be compiled and printed for our breakout discussion groups.
Please submit your discussion question during week of April 7th.
This meeting will take place in the Community Room at the Moss Memorial Library. Entrance will be via the door on the same side as The Friends of the Library Book Store.
FOR THOSE WANTING TO PERUSE SOME BANNED BOOK LISTS:
Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books: 2010-2019 complied by the American Library Association at ala.org
PEN America’s The 11 Most Banned Books of the 2022-2023 School Year at pen.org
The Banned Book Club stands up for intellectual rights by reading and discussing books that have been banned in libraries right here in the United States. Anyone who cares about the freedom to exchange ideas is welcome to attend. You may also be interested in visiting The Banned Book Club website to learn how to stand up and fight book bans and also how to get access to banned books in communities where they were banned.

Building Community
2025-05-04 16:00 - 17:30 | The Corner Coffee Shop, 66 Church St,, Hayesville, NC, 28904, United States
Building Community is a non-partisan monthly event intended to build strength within our own community to fight back against attempts to weaken our Democracy. After the last election many of us have been experiencing a range of emotions— anger, frustration, disappointment, uncertainty—and that these feelings can sometimes feel isolating. Please know that you are not alone and that we are much stronger as a group. Please join us the first Sunday of each month at 4:00 PM at the Corner Coffee Shop (MJs) in Hayesville for educational presentations, riveting discussion, and practical actions we can take to strengthen our community and our Democracy.
Feel free to bring a to bring a personal snack and/or drink, or finger foods if you wish to share.
Join our private facebook group Building Community in Clay. Just log into facebook and search for “Building Community in Clay” and request to join. The administrator will add you once we confirm your identity.
NOTE: Although Building Community is a local event addressing issues originating from our community members, we have an affiliation with the national group, Indivisible due to the overlap of common goals. We believe we can learn, grow, and share more effectively with this affiliation.

Banned Book Club
2025-05-12 18:00 - 19:30 | Moss Public Library (Hayesville), 26 Anderson St, Hayesville, NC, 28904, United States
Since we had lots of questions for Franklin Shook concerning Library Advocacy at April’s meeting, we postponed our discussion of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl until this May 12th meeting. Also at this meeting, let’s discuss a letter writing campaign for our County and Town elected officials. This is the only way to provide input to these officials, and to convey to them the importance of Moss Memorial to our community’s future and well-being. That way we can reach these officials prior to their vote on budget decisions, urging them to financially support Moss Memorial for the coming fiscal year.

The book selection for Monday, May 12th 2025 is Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews.
“Fiercely funny, honest, heart-breaking—this is an unforgettable novel from a bright talent, now also a film that critics are calling “a touchstone for its generation” and “an instant classic.”

We shall begin voting on the next books to read at our May 12th meeting, here are the books we are selecting from:

Freckleface Strawberry (2007) by Julianne Moore –“Tired of being teased because of her looks, the story tells of a young girl’s antics to hide her face before accepting her freckles.”
No Truth Without Ruth: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (2018) by Kathleen Krull
“This picture book biography is the story of “Ruthless Ruthie,” a warrior for equality, a tireless defender of justice, and an inspiring trailblazer for girls everywhere.” [Banned by Trump on all US Military bases upon assuming his second term.]
When All God’s Children Get Together: A Celebration of the Lives and Music of African American People in Far Western North Carolina (2015) by Ann Woodford – “…reveals the powerful story of a people who have been largely invisible in their own homeland. With extraordinary images and gripping narratives.”
There’s No Turning Back (2025) by Alba De Cespedes – “A coming-of-age novel that is as relevant today as it was nearly ninety years ago, There’s No Turning Back centers on eight women with radically different backgrounds who attend the same college in Rome. …so subversive, it was banned by the Italian Fascist regime when it was first published in 1938.”
They Knew (2024) by Sarah Kendzior – “’America is a ghost story,’ writes Kendzior, as she unearths decades of buried history, providing an essential and critical look at how to rebuild our democracy by confronting the political lies and crimes that have shaped us.”
Blood at the Root (2016) Patrick Phillips – “… a sweeping American tale that spans the Cherokee removals of the 1830s, the hope and promise of Reconstruction, and the crushing injustice of Forsyth’s racial cleansing. With bold storytelling and lyrical prose, Phillips breaks a century-long silence and uncovers a history of racial terrorism that continues to shape America in the twenty-first century.”
The Grimkes: The Legacy of Slavery in an American Family (2022) by Kerri K. Greenridge – Finalist -National Book Critics Award; NYTs 2022 100 Notable Books
Sold (2006) by Patricia McCormick “Tells the story of a girl from Nepal named Lakshmi, who is sold into sexual slavery in India. The novel is written in a series of short, vignette-style chapters, from the point of view of the main character.”
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (2017) by Erika Sánchez “Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family. But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter.”
A Stolen Life: A Memoir (2012) by Jaycee Dugard – A raw and powerful memoir, her own story of being kidnapped in 1991 and held captive for more than eighteen years.”
Our Time is Now: Power, Purpose and the Fight for a Fair America (2020) by Stacey Abrams – “…, a blueprint to end voter suppression, empower our citizens, and take back our country.” “It’s a story about how and why we fight for our democracy and win.”
The Handmaid’s Tale ( 1985) by Margaret Atwood – banned from some schools in the United States due to its mature themes ( feminism, extremism, human sexuality), profanity, and graphic sexual content.
Bastard Out of Carolina (1992) by Dorothy Allison – The book’s publication earned Allison a National Book Award nomination, and pegged her as the writer of her generation to portray the the “lives and language of poor whites in the South.” Banned from libraries and classrooms; became the inspiration for an award-winning film (1996).
James (2024) by Percival Everett – Winner of the Kirkus Prize and the National Book Award for Fiction. A re-reimagining of Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, “explores the issues of rape, murder beatings, and racism’ from a new perspective.
Seeking Shelter (2025) by Jeff Hobbs – “…, a powerful portrayal of American homelessness that follows a single mother of six … courageously struggling to keep her family together and her children in school amidst the devastating housing crisis.”
Patriot: A Memoir (2024) by Alexei Navalny – Winner of numerous awards. “The powerful and moving memoir of a fearless political opposition leader who paid the ultimate price for his beliefs.” “A testament to resilience.”
The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism (2023) by Tim Alberta – “ ….an expansive and profoundly troubling portrait of the American evangelical movement. …, Alberta tells the story of a faith cheapened by ephemeral fear, a promise corrupted by partisan subterfuge, and a reputation stained by perpetual scandal.” [One of Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of the Year]

We are now practicing our new Democratized Community Moderating:
1) Readers will email a question to discuss about the book selection to wendyaslaton@bellsouth.net;
2) Members will read a short web biography of the author prior to our meeting;
3) Submitted questions will be compiled and printed for our breakout discussion groups.
Please submit your discussion question during week of May 5th.
This meeting will take place in the Community Room at the Moss Memorial Library. Entrance will be via the door on the same side as The Friends of the Library Book Store.
The Banned Book Club stands up for intellectual rights by reading and discussing books that have been banned in libraries right here in the United States. Anyone who cares about the freedom to exchange ideas is welcome to attend.

Clay County Board of Education
2025-05-26 18:00 - 19:00 | School Board Meeting Location, 154 Yellow Jacket Dr,, Hayesville, 28904, United States
The Clay County Board of Education meets in regular session on the 4th Monday night every month unless otherwise posted. The Clay County School website is clayschools.org and the School Board web page and minutes may be found here. All meetings begin at 6:00 pm in the boardroom of the Clay County Board of Education office.

Clay County Democratic Party Monthly Meeting
2025-05-27 18:00 - 19:30 | The Corner Coffee Shop, 66 Church St,, Hayesville, NC, 28904, United States
Clay County Democrats are excited to welcome Rebecca Hall, Director of the Clay County Board of Elections, and Patty Swanson, Deputy Director, as our guest speakers for the evening. The guest speaker presentation will begin promptly at 6:00 PM.
The guest speaker will talk regarding the important role of poll workers, as we prepare to gather and then submit names by mid-August for Democratic poll worker positions for all Clay County precincts. This is a great opportunity to learn about the responsibilities and challenges poll workers face during an election cycle.
If you’re considering becoming a poll worker, this session will give you insight into the training, time commitment, and duties involved in the upcoming two-year term. Note: While only the Hayesville precincts have municipal elections this year, all precincts will participate in primaries and midterm elections next year.
All Clay County voters are invited to attend our monthly meeting at The Corner Coffee Shop in Hayesville. The Clay County Democratic Party monthly meeting is on the fourth Tuesday of each month with our guest speaker starting at 6:00 PM followed by an opportunity to socialize at 6:30. The CCDP holds its business meeting starting around 7:00 PM, and this portion of the meeting is open for all Democrats to attend if they wish.
