Of the People, By the People, With the People

Commissioner Is Out and About

Samuel N. Graves Jr. is not one to turn down an invitation.

In the eight months since taking office as a Charles County commissioner, the Democrat from La Plata has been making the rounds. In a typical week, Graves said he attends as many as eight public events.

Graves has shown up at Eagle Scout award ceremonies, amateur radio club meetings, ribbon-cuttings and grand openings. He has been hosting town hall meetings throughout his far-reaching, mostly rural district. In a coat and tie, he regularly hobnobs at business lunches, networking mixers and gala dinners. He even was the guest of honor at a resident's 100th birthday party.

"I like getting out and seeing people -- because I love people," Graves said. "Plus, you get to see a pretty good cross section of Charles County by going to those events."

Attending so many public events connects him to the "will of the people," Graves said.

"By being out there and talking to them, I think I'm better plugged into what the issues truly are to the majority of the people in the county," he said.

Although there is no official tally, it seems Graves attends more public events than his fellow county commissioners. When asked how many events Graves has attended, George E. Clarkson, the commissioners' press secretary, said, "Oh, gosh, I think I'm losing count."

"As it happens, Graves travels more, so I spend a lot of time with him," Clarkson said. "I think I've been out more with him than just about everybody."

One night last month, Graves hosted a town hall meeting at the Hughesville firehouse. The meeting stretched on for four hours as Graves stayed until 11 p.m. answering questions from constituents -- and Clarkson stood by his side until the end.

"What I've seen is that it doesn't seem grueling to him," Clarkson said. "He's just a very personable guy and seems to be very interested in what the people of Charles County want."

After some of Graves's appearances, Clarkson distributes news releases and photographs. One was titled "Cobb Island Festival Brings Out the Kid in Commissioner Graves." The release for Graves's lengthy town hall meeting was titled "Hughesville Gets Up Close and Personal With County Commissioner Graves."

The five commissioners receive many invitations for events, and usually at least one commissioner tries to attend, commissioners President Wayne Cooper (D-At Large) said.