Democrats Set Up North Main Street Office

The Democrats of Contra Costa County are getting organized.

(Tell that to Will Rogers, who famously said a century ago: "I belong to no organized party. I am a Democrat.")

For the campaign of 2012, the CoCo Dems have set up shop at 1372 N. Main St., Walnut Creek — next to Papyrus. An open house is scheduled for 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 2, with food and refreshments and visits or representatives from the offices of area Democratic incumbents, including George Miller, Mark DeSaulnier, Susan Bonilla and Joan Buchanan. Not expected is a live Barack Obama, but he and wife Michelle are represented by life-size cardboard cutouts.

At the same time, temporary offices are being set up in Richmond for the west county and Antioch for the east county.

The Walnut Creek office is dedicated to longtime Democratic volunteer Rao Kaza of Alamo, who died earlier this year.

Also on the local Democratic agenda: the Contra Costa party's 81st annual picnic, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, at Castle Rock Regional Park, 1700 Castle Rock Road, Walnut Creek.