Frank Lewis

PDT Staff Writer

If you are one of those people wishing to be as informed as possible before casting your vote and you still have questions for local candidates, you will be able to get their undivided attention Thursday night at the James Dickey Post 23 of the American Legion, 705 Court St. in Portsmouth, as they stage their Meet the Candidates night.

“This is where candidates have the opportunity to come in, and we provide them with a table upstairs in our newly redesigned meeting room. We’ve really fixed the place up,” Ken Crawford, Commander of Post 23, said. “The public can walk through and ask questions. There will be no debate, and there will be no rallies or anything like that. The public will just have an opportunity for one on one contact with the candidates.”

Crawford said, rather than have a formal debate and organized question and answer session, the Post decided it would set the atmosphere for people to ask whatever they wanted of the candidates.

“The Legion has shied away from politics,” Crawford said. “But this gives people in our community the opportunity to just meet the candidates and make up their own minds.

Crawford said, as of Tuesday, he has commitments from seven candidates to attend the Meet the Candidates night program, and expects to receive commitments from more of the candidates.

The event is Thursday from 7-10 p.m., is free to the public, and refreshments will be served.

Frank Lewis may be reached at 740-353-3101, or at flewis@heartlandpublications.com