Big news at the Dem club meeting

[Dan Alaimo]

So as not to bury the lede, well-known film directors Anthony and Joe Russo - Cleveland natives better known as the Russo Brothers - were at the Sept. 26 meeting of the Lakewood Democratic Club. They were there to support the candidacy of their sister, Gabriella Rosalina, who plans to run for Cuyahoga County Court of Appeals. Since I'm not particularly star-struck, that's all I have to say about that.

The main local news from the meeting was the endorsements, and lack of endorsements, by the Dem club. Sam O'Leary had sent out a much-noticed mailer claiming the endorsement of Lakewood Democrats, but at the meeting of largest and most significant Dem organization in Lakewood, he was not endorsed for mayor. Neither was his opponent Meghan George, but she had made no such claim.

The Dem club requires that candidates receive 60% of the vote to be endorsed, so there were relatively few endorsements at the meeting, and specific numbers were not announced.

• Ward 1 - no endorsement.
  Ward 2 - Jason Shachner was endorsed.
  Ward 3 - no endorsement.
  Ward 4 - unopposed Dan O'Malley was endorsed.
  School board - out of five candidates, with members voting for three, only Emma Petrie-Barcelona was endorsed.

If someone has a better understanding of the charter amendment, which was endorsed, I invite the explanation.

The purpose of endorsements is to provide guidance for voters. There was no endorsement for mayor, no endorsement for two of the four ward council seats, no endorsement for two of three school board slots. Why bother?

[Bridget Conant]

Why bother is right.

Their endorsements are worthless.