On the SidE. . .

ON THE SIDE. . .
This and that from the world of Valley politics.
LECTURE SERIES: The Warren John F. Kennedy High School's alumni lecture series will include a couple of graduates who moved on to careers in politics. Speaking at 7 p.m. May 10 at the high school are U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th and a 1991 graduate, and Warren Mayor Michael O'Brien, a 1973 JFK graduate. The two will host a panel discussion on local politics and issues affecting the area. The event is free and open to the public.
Certification deadline: May 14 is the deadline for county boards of elections in Ohio to certify the validity of nominating petitions for nonparty (also called independent) candidates. There are only two nonparty candidates running for office in the Mahoning Valley. The one to watch is Randy Walter of Canfield, who is running for the 17th Congressional District seat. Walter, who decided to run for the seat only days before the filing deadline, didn't give himself much breathing room. He needs 1,844 valid signatures to be on the ballot. He submitted petitions with 1,943 signatures.
Keynote speaker: U.S. Sen. John Edwards, a one-time Democratic presidential candidate, is the keynote speaker at the Ohio Democratic Party's state dinner May 8 at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus. Edwards was the dinner's keynote speaker two years ago. Tickets are $150, although that's probably well below his hourly rate when he was a high-profile attorney before he got into politics.
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