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By: Sharon Aron Baron
The afternoon thunderstorms on Monday didn’t stop the die-hard Democrats who trudged out to the annual Labor Day Picnic in the pouring rain. They just brought along jackets and umbrellas and waited out the storms under one of the pavilions at Pompano Park.
“We had a record turnout despite the bad weather,” said organizer Joanne Goodwin, president of the North Broward Democratic Club. “In the beginning, I was very nervous. I was wondering if anyone would come.”
This was the 14th Labor Day picnic which included 22 other Democratic Clubs – including the Coral Springs and Parkland Clubs. Goodwin said that the North Broward Democratic Club provided the hot dogs, hamburgers and paper goods and asked the participants to each bring a dish to share.
“Our club is the main sponsor. We just ask the other clubs in the area if they’d like to be a part of it. We only charge them $30. Otherwise, there’s no charge.”
A resident of Pompano Beach, Goodwin holds the title of being the first female stock market trader in the international market. She began her career in Wall Street in the early ’70s and was offered a position as a broker in London in 1979. She believed she would be in London a couple of years, but she not only loved her job, she fell in love and got married. She eventually wanted to retire in the U.S., so in 1998 they settled in South Florida and she became involved with politics.
“I have the best and the most cooperative board. We have no internal fights, no internal problems. They are just amazing.”
Some of this year’s attendees included:
U.S. Congressman Ted Deutch; State Representative Kristin Jacobs; State Senator Maria Sachs; State Representative Hazelle Rogers; Representative Gwyn Clarke-Reed; Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel; State Attorney Mike Satz; School Board members Robin Bartleman and Nora Rupert; Clerk of the Courts, Howard Foreman; Vice Chair of the Florida Democratic Party Joe Gibbons; Acting Chair Broward Democratic Party Cynthia Busch; Democratic State Committeeman Ken Evans; Democratic State Committeewoman Maggie Davidson; Broward County Commissioner and Candidate for Property Appraiser Martin Kiar; Pompano Beach Mayor Lamar Fisher; Pompano Beach City Commissioner Barry Dockswell; Wilton Manors City Commissioner Julie Carson; Vice Mayor Coconut Creek Mikkie Belvedere; Vice Mayor Coconut Creek Tim Lonergan; Senior Advisor to Hillary Clinton Craig Smith; Former State Senator and candidate for Broward County Commission Nan Rich; Candidate for Dania Beach City Commission Daniel Sohn; Candidate for U.S. Representative Alina Valdes; Candidate for Florida Senate Perry Thurston; Candidate for Florida State Representative Dist 92 Sajan Kurian; Candidate for Florida State Representative Dist 92 Whitney Rawls; Candidate for Broward Clerk of Courts Mitch Ceasar, Brenda Foreman, and Elizabeth McHugh; Candidate for Tamarac City Commission Julie Fishman.
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