Tuesday, September 1: 7:00 p.m. left of center: candidate speed-dating! @ Rapture on the Downtown Mall.

Looking for that perfect match? A candidate to whom you can make a long-term commitment? Try Left of Center’s candidate “speed dating,” where you can meet and learn more about all the Charlottesville and Albemarle County Democratic candidates for city council, sheriff, House of Delegates, and Board of Supervisors, one table at a time. You just might build a beautiful future together! You can also meet the field coordinators from the local coordinated campaign for the statewide candidates. Get ready to sign up to volunteer to help our candidates win this fall!

Thursday, September 3: 6:30 p.m. David Swanson will talk about and sign copies of his new book Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union, at Barnes and Noble bookstore at Baracks Road Shopping Center.

Wednesday, September 9: 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Cynthia Neff: Education Town Hall Forum @ Monticello High School. Cynthia Neff will be sharing her education plan, and discussing how we can safeguard and improve education in the current economic climate. She will also be listening to the concerns, ideas, and personal experiences of teachers, students, and parents.

Thursday, September 10: 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. County Campaign Office Grand Opening The office is located at the northwest corner of Rt. 29 and Rio Rd, in the Union bank building, around the back. Park just past the bank's drive-thru on the left.

Thursday, September 10: 6:00 p.m. The Center for Politics at the University of Virginia will host a discussion with former United States Senator Bob Graham (FL), a foremost expert in counterterrorism and intelligence and author of the new book America, The Owner’s Manual: Making Government Work for You. at Jefferson Hall (Hotel C) on the West Range of the grounds of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. The event is free and open to the public.

Sunday, September 13: Noon Tubing for Tom @ James River Rafting and Reeling, 265 Ferry Street in Scottsville "Join us for a day of family fun by the James River in support of Tom Perriello's reelection. Tickets: $50 ... and picnic with perriello after the tubing: 3 p.m. at the Scottsville Farmer's Market Pavilion featuring BBQ and live music by Travis Elliott & Peyton Tochterman. Please bring your own lawn chairs and picnic blankets. Picnic tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Kids 12 and under are free. Bring 4 of your friends and earn free admission. To purchase tickets or RSVP, contact Anna Scholl at anna@perrielloforcongress.com or visit www.perrielloforcongress.com/tubeandpicnic

Sunday, September 13: 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. or so. Fluvanna County Democratic BBQ, on the grounds of Mozell Booker's place near Fork Union. $25 per person, under 12 free. Great food, live music, silent auction always a treat. Mingle with Tom Perriello, Cynthia Neff and some other notables, This is our major fundraiser for the year, and a lot of fun as well. Further info, directions on the website www.fluvannademocrats.org or Dave Sagarin sagarin@aol.com

Sunday, September 13: 4:30 p.m. CCPJ Meeting .Note new date and time! Friends Meeting House, 1104 Forest Street, Charlottesville. Please join us at the meeting and stay for the potluck afterwards at 6:30. Nourish yourself with good food and conversation. For more information call 434-961-6278

Monday, September 14: 4:30 p.m. The Fluvanna League of Women Voters will show the documentary "Sick Around the World" the Fluvanna County Library. Frontline correspondent T.R. Reid examines first-hand how other advanced capitalist democracies - United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Taiwan and Switzerland - deliver healthcare and what the United States might learn from their successes and their failures. The movie is approximately 60 minutes. Here's a podcast/story from NPR on T.R. Reid on the subject:

Tuesday, September 15: Noon. Katherine McNamara will speak on Cold Fortune: Three Lives in Retrospect. She is the author of Narrow Road to the Deep North, A Journey into the Interior of Alaska (2001), and the founding editor and publisher of Archipelago (www.archipelago.org), an international journal of literature, the arts, opinion, and politics. A complimentary lunch will be provided. Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, 145 Ednam Drive (adjacent to the Boar's Head Inn)

Wednesday, September 16: 7:30 p.m. Charlottesville-Albemarle Young Democrats. Meet at South Street Brewery to discuss future plans of campaigning and having a good time. The Young Dems usually meet first at 6 pm to do some phone-banking--follow them on Twitter: http://twitter.com/cayds Contact: Maggie margaret.e.thornton@gmail.com

Thursday, September 17: 10:30 a.m. Virginia Gubernatorial candidates' debate with moderator David Gregory of NBC News. Sponsored by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce.

Saturday, September 19: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. or so. Regular monthly Albemale Charlottesville Democratic Breakfast. Representative Tom Perriello will be the speaker, and will engage in a civilized conversation with the attendees. The event is free and open to the public. A light breakfast is offered and a modest contribution will be requested.

Saturday, September 19: 3:00 - 6:30 p.m. 21st Annual Albemarle County Democratic Fundraiser and Barbecue at Claudius Crozet Park. Many of our local and statewide candidates will be joining us for an exciting evening of live music, juicy hickory-smoked barbecue prepared by Democratic chefs, and mixing and mingling with your fellow Democrats! For more information, contact albemarledems@gmail.com, 434-260-1123 or visit www.albemarledems.org. Tickets will be available at the Coordinated Campaign office--save money and buy in advance!

Thursday, September 24 - Sunday, October 4: Mon - Thurs: 10 am - 9:30 pm, Fri - Sat: 10 am - 10 pm and Sunday: 10 am - 9 pm.State Fair of Virginia is being held for the first time this fall in Caroline County. The new State Fair location is almost completed and is quite impressive. For directions and lodging information go to http://www.statefair.com/directions-and-lodging.

Friday, September 25: The Albemarle-Charlottesville Branch NAACP Annual Freedom Fund Banquet Charlottesville Doubletree Hotel (just north of Wal-Mart). Guest Speaker, Congressman Tom Perriello. Cash Bar & Silent Auction 5:45 - 7:15 p.m. in the Hotel Lobby, Dinner 7:30 p.m. in the Rotunda Ballroom, Donation Fifty Dollars For further information & tickets contact Ms. Lynn M. Boyd (434) 975-0661 or (434) 220-1493.

Friday, September 25: 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. fundraiser for Steve Shannon at the home of L.F. and Susan Payne; The special guest will be Governor Tim Kaine. Suggested contribution $250 or more; questions or to RSVP please contact Carolyn Burnett at 703-218-3501 or via email at carolyn@shannon2009.com. If you are not able to come, but would like to make a contribution, you can do that through www.shannon2009.com as well.

Sunday, September 27: 3:00 p.m. UNA USA monthly chapter meeting. Professor Abdulaziz Sachedina, Frances Myers Ball Professor of Religious Studies at UVA, will speak on “Islam and the West” at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church-Unitarian Universalist, 717 Rugby Road, Charlottesville.

Wednesday, September 30: 11:00 a.m. Miller Center Forum The Battle for America 2008: The Story of an Extraordinary Election
Washington Post chief political correspondent Dan Balz and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Haynes Johnson, will discuss their new book. A book signing will follow their Forum. Further info, schedule of other events, directions on the website http://www.millercenter.org

Wednesday, September 30: 1:45 p.m. (The train is due at 2:15) join Governor Timothy M. Kaine, Amtrak President Joe Boardman and Norfolk Southern President Wick Moorman to greet Charlottesville's first new passenger train service in 30 years at the West Main Street Station

There will be bands, balloons, cake, a ticket raffle, and more! Beginning October 1, everyone is encouraged to take advantage of the train, which marks Amtrak's fifteenth state partnership and the nation's newest regional passenger service. Reservations can be made at www.amtrak.com, or through the agents at West Main Street station. The one-way fare from Charlottesville to DC is $22 - a 25% discount until December 16.