Friday, October 20, 2006

Wilmington, NC - The Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA), in conjunction with WAAV radio, Star-News, and UNCW, will sponsor a candidates forum in preparation for the general election Nov. 7. The forum will begin at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 1, and will be held at King Hall Auditorium on the campus of UNCW.

The forum will feature the Democratic and Republican candidates for the North Carolina Senate 9th District (Democrat incumbent Julia Boseman and Republican Al Roseman) and the six candidates running for the four seats for New Hanover County Board of Education (Democratic challengers Nick Rhodes and Jack White, and Republican incumbents Steven Bilzi, Janice A. Cavenaugh, Don Hayes, and Edward B. Higgins Jr.).

The forum will utilize a panel format featuring the following panelists who will question the candidates: Dr. Tom Barth, chair of the Department of Political Science at UNCW; Rhonda Bellamy, WAAV news director; Jon Evans, news anchor and managing editor of News Channel 3 - WWAY-TV; Si Cantwell, local news columnist and interim business editor, Star-News; and Joe Keiley, weekend anchor and reporter, WECT-TV6. Donn Ansell, prominent talk show host for WAAV, will be the moderator.

The public is encouraged to attend and participate. Questions from the floor will be entertained.

The forum will be broadcast live on WAAV, 980 AM, and the Learning Network by UNCW-TV on Time Warner Cable Channel 5 and Charter Cable 12.

The Council of Neighborhood Associations, Inc. is a non-profit, grassroots coalition of neighborhoods dedicated to the improvement of the quality of life in New Hanover County through citizen involvement and participation in local government. CONA is comprised of homeowner and neighborhood associations and affiliated civic organizations and community activists.

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Additional information can be obtained by contacting Jim Medlin at 910/791-5259. Mr. Medlin is chair of the CONA Forum Committee.