Valley women attend conventions

While they attended conventions for opposing parties, two women who were alternates to their national conventions came away with similar experiences.

Maren Young attended the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis and JoEtta Brown attended the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Both women, who attended a national convention for the first time, said attending their party's convention was an energizing experience.

Young, a Douglas County resident since 1995, said she was seated with her fellow alternates on the opposite side of the stadium from the Nevada delegation, but that she got to go down to the floor of the convention, thanks to party chairwoman Sue Lowden and party treasurer Carol DeCarlo, who loaned out their badge.

"You're there and you say to yourself, 'I'm here, I need to look around and absorb it.' I feel very fortunate I could afford to go. It was the best out of home experience I've had," Young said.

She said the most moving moment was when a former Vietnam prisoner of war described the tap code to the crowd.

The code was used by prisoners to communicate with one another in their cells.

"The tap code was very complicated," she said. "I think it showed their dignity, honor and determination. He tapped out McCain so quickly. It was like watching my grandchildren text."

Young said she didn't realize how affected she was by Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's speech until she tried to go to sleep that night.

"After Sarah Palin's speech, I didn't get to sleep until 3 a.m.," she said. "I didn't think I was that wound up. It was a thrill to know I was part of a grass roots process that doesn't happen anywhere else in the world."

Brown, who has lived in Foothill since 2000, said she wished she could bottle the energy she experienced at the Democratic National Convention.

"The night of the acceptance speech was thrilling," she said. "There were 85,000 people present, including people in wheelchairs and on crutches. There were movie stars and celebrities just walking around. Spike Lee stood in line the same amount of time as Jimmy (Brown's husband)."

Brown said Nevada Democratic delegation met over breakfast every morning, where they heard from T. Boone Pickens about energy independence and Sierra Pacific Power Co. about a new geothermal program in Ely and Winnemucca.

"The process was exciting from the caucus to the convention, and one I will remember for the rest of my life," she said. "I would have liked to bottle the energy and enthusiasm and let it out to energize us here in Douglas."

Both women said they saw glimpses of the protesters outside of the conventions, but that didn't affect their experience.

"Denver rolled out the red carpet for us," Brown said. "There was a real sense of safety. There were protesters, but they were treated fairly."

Young said the Minneapolis convention was well-organized.

"Security was tight, but not too tight," she said. "The people of Minneapolis were very helpful. Everyone involved had a yellow or orange T-shirt on, knew their job and could answer questions."