BOERNE AREA DEMOCRATS   June 2019  Volume 20 Issue 6

President's Message Susan Dollar, President Ah, summer! Even though the official first day of summer is not yet here, school is out, days are longer, and the thoughts of vacations are on our minds. Summer is a time to take a break and take care of yourself. I love these hot, sunny days and the call of the beach is constantly with me! However, the assault on our democracy continues. From women's reproductive health to immigration issues to the tough talk about tariffs, we are constantly bombarded with the slow, deliberate attacks on our rights. As tempting as it is to me to just turn off the TV, stop looking at the news feeds on my phone, and stop reading the newspaper, I believe it's important that we all stay abreast of the daily happenings and use those events to build our resolve to change the politics of this counry. B.A.D. is already fielding requests from candidates, both local and state-wide. I'm sure that we will have a busy fall; our B.A.D. Board is preparing to host more individuals seeking office as well as hosting public forums. The March 3 Primary will be here before we know it! I encourage everyone to take some time off but also stay informed and be ready to go to work. I also encourage everyone to participate in our club events throughout the summer. Be sure to get your tickets to the documentary screening of The River and the Wall , to be shown on June 24 (more information below). And remember to tune in to the Democratic candidates debates on June 26-27. Lastly, join us on Saturday morning, June 29, for the Boerne Gay Pride March. So plan your vacations, take a break from the news, but stay informed and be ready to work to elect more Democrats in 2020!

Our heartfelt sympathy to member Elizabeth Pettyjohn Carvajal, whose husband, Rick, passed away on Tuesday, May 28, after a year-long battle with cancer. There is a wonderful video tribute to his life here . Memorial donations may be made to a GoFundMe account or to the American Cancer Society. Rick leaves a legacy of love to his wife and their son, Henry, age 9.

Boerne Area Democrats Meetings June BAD Meeting Thursday, June 13, 5:45 p.m. Longhorn Cafe Program: U pdate on recent activities of the Stonewall Democrats Presenter : Mr. Chris Forbrich, co-chair of the Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio July BAD Meeting Thursday, July 11, 11:45 a.m. Longhorn Cafe Program: Legal Advocacy for Immigrants and Refugees Presenter: Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education & Legal Services August BAD meeting Thursday, August 8, 11:45 a.m. Program: Sheriff Al Auxier If you plan to eat at the meeting, order online or call in y our food order ahead of time; please pick up your food and be upstairs in time for the start of the meeting. Our June meeting speaker is Mr. Chris Forbrich, co-chair of the Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio. The presentation will include an update on recent activities of the Stonewall Democrats on behalf of marginalized individuals and groups, candidate endorsements, and the challenges for many members of the GLBTQ community in Texas.   Mr. Forbrich has been an LBGTQ advocate since his college days at UTSA where he founded the first gay fraternity on campus. Mr. Forbrich has also served on the HRC Steering Committee and was elected to chair the Bexar County SMWBE Program Advisory Committe which works to increase small, minority and women-owned business participation and procurement in Bexar County projects. He also owns an IT company, Storage Ark, located in the King William District in San Antonio.

MAY MEETING SUMMARY Julia Smith, Secretary The May meeting began with a heartfelt STANDING OVATION for our very own Amy Lambiase, in support of her efforts and perseverance in running for the Place 5 BISD Board seat. She says, “Next time!” and will be happy to share all she has learned about running a campaign for anyone who’s considering this endeavor! Our first was Special Guest, Sophia Waters, is a graduating Senior from Boerne High School and one of two recipients of the 2019 B.A.D. Civic Engagement $1,000 Scholarship. She’ll be attending St. Olaf College in Minnesota in the fall. Our second was Special Guest, Jennie Lou Leeder, is a Candidate for U.S. Congress, District 21. Jennie hopes to gain the Democratic nomination in the March 2020 primary, with the intent to unseat Rep. Chip Roy.    Becky Strain provided a brief history of the ACLU and then introduced our Program Speaker, Gabriella Beker (pictured at right), a Local Engagement Specialist with the ACLU of Texas. Gabriella explained the mission of the ACLU, that they monitor what is being done in the Texas legislation, and serve all people residing in the State of Texas, U.S. citizen or not. You can review all bills currently introduced in the Texas House and Senate at www.ACLUTX.org . Please reach out to all your Texas lawmakers and let them know what you care about to stop bills from being passed that will jeopardize or eliminate our constitutional rights. As a non-profit organization, any consideration for donations at this same website are greatly appreciated. There Are More Of Us Than You Think (TAMOUTYT)! We had 7 more First Timers attending and they were very engaging in the Q & A sessions and seemed to enjoy being among like-minded folks!

Bring your chairs, snacks, and drinks and join your fellow Democrats at the Cibolo Nature Center's Moondance Concert on Saturday, June 22. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Band: Britt Ballenger. Members: $10, Non-Members: $15; Students 12-18: $5, kids under 12: free. Food trucks on site. Special Screening: THE RIVER AND THE WALL Monday, June 24, 6:30 p.m. Boerne AMC Theater See below for more information about this documentary. BOERNE GAY PRIDE MARCH Saturday, June 29 9:00 a.m. Patrich Heath Public Library Amphitheater Also on Saturday, June 29 , join us for a fun-filled afternoon of bowling to support our Kendall County Democratic Party. We'll meet at the Boerne Turn Verein, 221 E. Theissen Street at 3:00 p.m. $20 will get you a bowling ball and shoes for the afternoon! KDCP is wroking to raise money for a Democratic office this fall so come out and help support their efforts! ACTIVITIES UPDATE Peg Layton, Chair There are a lot of summer events - many of them political but a lot of them purely social. Come out and enjoy these activities! Sunday, June 16!  Comfort Independence Day Parade Thursday, July 4 Come join us as we march in the parade with our fantastic Democratic float! Parade begins at 10:00 - bring your chairs and come early to find a good spot!

2019 School Supply Project We've had a request from the Center for Refugee Services, one of the organizations that our club supports. The school year is over and they want to be ready for August. Once again, they will be providing backpacks with school supplies for the newest residents to San Antonio through local resettlement programs.  B.A.D. members have been generous in the past so we are asking you to please donate a backpack and needed contents to help achieve their goal of 400 backpacks for students in pre-K – grade 12. Please bring your donations to our June or July club meetings or contact any board member and we will pick them up. The donation drive ends August 2 and we will deliver the backpacks to the Center after that. Thanks in advance for your support!

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE Brooke Orr, Chair We have 146 members! If it is time to renew your dues for June, you will receive a reminder via e-mail. You can join as a new member or renew your current membership on our website via PayPal, by mailing a check to P.O. Box 2132, Boerne, 78006, or by paying in person at the June 13th meeting which will be at 5:45 in the evening. Dues are $40 for individuals or $25 for individuals 60 years of age and older. Remember that as a paid member, you can vote on club issues, receive the monthly meeting minutes, and run for club offices. Join us! Thank you all for your participation—we are BAD!

News from the Kendall County Democratic Party Kevin Henning, Chair It is time to start thinking about the local 2020 elections. Anyone who is interested in running for a local office can take advantage of Texas Democratic Party training and lots of local support. Local offices include all the Kendall County elected officials. Comfort ISD will also have three positions up in the election in November 2020. County elected officials serve four-year terms. The offices up in 2020 are Sheriff, Tax Assessor, County Commissioners for precincts 1 and 3 and Constable precincts 1,2,3 and 4. The other positions which include: District Judge, District Attorney, District Clerk, County Clerk, County Judge, Commissioners 2 and 4, Treasurer, Surveyor and Justices of the Peace, will come up in 2022. While not local exactly local, a State Board of Education position is also up in 2020. Ken Mercer, who has been a right-wing scourge for many years, is retiring and it would be wonderful to take that seat. Rebecca Bell-Metereaux has ran against him in past years and may run again. Also, our State Representative position is up every two years and it would be great to have someone to run against Kyle Biedermann in 2020.

The process to run for office requires that Democratic candidates file to run in the Democratic Primary in March, 2020. The filing documents are simple and can be obtained from and filed with the Democratic County Chair or our Democratic County Secretary, Sandy Speed. The filing period begins November 9, 2019 and runs for a month. A fee is required or a petition must be completed to be eligible to run in 2020. I definitely recommend the petition route and we are happy to help anyone with that process. After successfully winning or running unopposed in March the candidate will appear on the November General Election Ballot as a Democrat. Hooray! So, if you have interest don’t hesitate to contact myself, Laura Bray or Sandy Speed for more details and a link to the TDP that helps you prepare a petition to run for office. Also, those interested can connect with Annie’s List at comms@annieslist.com and take advantage of their training.

"If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so." - Robert Mueller, Special Counselor

B.A.D. SPONSORS SPEAKER ON MEDICARE FOR ALL On May 16, B.A.D. sponsored a presentation by Sarah Fontenot entitled “Bringing Clarity to Health Care: Understanding Medicare for All.” Ms. Fontenot is a well known speaker in the field of healthcare and holds degrees in both Nursing and Law. During the presentation, Ms. Fontenot explained the differences between a “pure” Medicare for All healthcare system, options such as “Medicare X” (also known as the Public Option) as well as other hybrid options. She also touched on the financial costs of the different options and the political challenges in getting a national healthcare system.   Nearly fifty guests were in attendance at the presentation held at the Kronkonsky Center and the session was very interactive with a lively exchange of ideas and opinions.   For more information on current healthcare issues, you can read essays from Ms. Fontenot at sarahfontenot.com  and sign up for her twice-monthly newsletter.

Congratulations to our 2019 Scholarships winners! Sophia Waters, Boerne High School student, and Kendalyn Lytle, Champion High School student, will each receive a $1,000 check this summer for their winning civic engagement essays. Sophia will be attending St. Olaf's College in Northfield, Minnesoat and Kendalyn will be attending Texas A&M University. We wish them both success!

Thank you to all our generous members who made these scholarships possible! More thanks to Brooke Orr and the Scholarship Committee, who spent hours reading the 15 applicant essays and making the difficult decision of choosing the winners.

THE RIVER AND THE WALL Special screening at AMC Boerne Classic 11 Theater! Monday, June 24,6:30 p.m. Five friends, 1,200 miles, one iconic river. That could be a formula for a great buddy movie. But “ The River and the Wall ,” a film that begins with that premise, is no rollicking road trip. The film follows a different path: the U.S.-Mexico border. The Rio Grande forms part of that border, and it serves as a vehicle for an exploration of the environmental and social impacts of a potential border wall. Director Ben Masters is an environmental documentarian with a background in wildlife biology. He’s also a character in the film, which follows a trip he took with four friends by bike, horse and canoe. An ornithologist, a river guide, a conservationist and a National Geographic explorer round out the crew. Two of the characters have a special connection to the wall itself: Illegal border crossings are part of their personal stories. The mission is to find out how a wall might affect the people, wildlife and plants along the river. The friends follow the river and even get in it, stopping to interview wildlife biologists, Border Patrol agents and then-U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Tex.). But the real star of the show is the river. It’s home to birds, bears, fish. It feeds delicate and varied ecosystems. It creates a deep sense of identity for both Mexicans and Americans.

This is a film with an agenda. Scientists have long sounded the alarm on the wall. In 2018, more than 2,500 researchers  signed a paper  that lays out some of the threats, which range from wasting conservation investments to causing floods, endangering animal migrations and destroying all kinds of habitats. The film sides with those scientists — and will probably prompt passionate conversation. It may stoke more than debate, however, leaving viewers with a new perspective on the river. The soaring visuals of the Rio Grande have a grace and gravitas that transcends politics. And though “The River and the Wall” has something to say, it’s most powerful when it doesn’t say anything at all. Tickets are $13 and can be purchased here.

Thanks to Laura Bray, who hosted a training session on "How to Speak to Local Boards” on May 15. Participants learned what boards meet and when; how to sign up to testify; tips on how to testify; and more.

JUNE BOOK CLUB MEETING Wednesday, June 12 @ 4pm Patrick Heath Public Library upstairs conference room (second floor on the left) Book: The Fifth Risk July 10: The Little Blue Book: The Essential Guide to Thinking and Talking Democratic (G. Lakoff). Host: Becky Strain August 14: Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America’s Heartland . Host: Stacey Gilfillan/ Marilyn Harrington Remember: If you haven’t had an opportunity to finish or start or buy or borrow the book, please don’t let that deter you from joining and participating in the group discussion!

Introducing PolitiFact’s Mueller Report book club This summer, Politifact invites you to join a special online book club: PolitiFact’s Mueller Report book club. We’ll introduce you to the report and each week suggest a set amount of reading. As we read the report together, PolitiFact journalists will offer analysis and take your questions. We’ll compile the most insightful reader conversations and post them to our website. The online book club is free; you just have to sign up for our weekly email. In an age of distraction, the ability to read at length and think critically is more important than ever. And the duties of citizenship require us to keep ourselves informed so that we can cast votes responsibly and hold our elected officials accountable. It’s not often that a book club is also an act of civic responsibility, but this may be that time. We hope you’ll join us.

MAY IS "GAY PRIDE" MONTH!  Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month (LGBT Pride Month) is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall uprising in Greenwich Village. The Stonewall uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. In the United States, the last Sunday in June was initially celebrated as “Gay Pride Day,” but the actual day was flexible. In major cities across the nation the “day” soon grew to encompass a month-long series of events. Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and LGBT Pride Month events attract millions of participants around the world. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. In 1994, a coalition of education-based organizations in the United States designated October as LGBT History Month. In 1995, a resolution passed by the General Assembly of the National Education Association included LGBT History Month within a list of commemorative months. LGBT History Month is also celebrated with annual month-long observances of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, along with the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. National Coming Out Day (October 11), as well as the first “March on Washington” in 1979, are commemorated in the community during LGBT History Month.

Activist Resources Click on any of the logos to learn more

I F YOU ATTACK ONE TEXAN, YOU ATTACK US ALL! - Equality Texas We envision a Texas where lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Texans and their families have full equality in the hearts and minds of our fellow Texans and in all areas of the law. Equality Texas works to secure full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Texans through political action, education, community organizing, and collaboration.  The Equality Texas Foundation works to secure full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Texans through education, community organizing, and collaboration.

Click on any of the images below to read the book reviews.

Volunteer Opportunities Hill Country Family Services Volunteers for Food Pantry and Resale Shop. Contact Rhonda McNeil Rhonda.mcneill@hctstx.org 830-249-8643 Boerne Meals on Wheels Drivers needed – flexible schedules available. Contact Colleen Housley mealsonwheels@rainbowseniorcenter.com 830-249-2114 IWC/Catholic Charities Volunteers and Donations needed at SA Bus Station & Resource Center to assist refugee and immigrant families. Need car seats & booster seats. Contact: Carolina iwcvolunteersa@gmail.com

SIGNS OF THE TIMES!

Be careful with your bumper stickers. You never know who will...

leave a note on your windshield!

Boerne Berges Fest June 14-16, 2019 Kendall County Fair Grounds 1307 River Road Abendkonzert Tuesday, June 18, 2019 7:30pm to 9:00pm Main Plaza, Boerne 100 N. Main Live! at the Library: Danielle Reich and Swing Rendezvous Thursday, June 20, 2019 7:00pm to 9:00pm 451 N. Main St. Patrick Heath Public Library Concert in the Cave: Summer Solstice Saturday, June 22, 2019 7:30pm Cave with out a Name- Throne Room 325 Kreutzberg Road, Boerne

Independence Day Boerne Concert Band concert Sunday, June 30, 2019 7:00pm Boerne Main Plaza Patriotic Abendkonzert Tuesday, July 2, 2019 7:30pm to 9:00pm Boerne Main Plaza Fourth of July Fireworks Thursday, July 4, 2019 8:00pm 106 City Park Rd,Boerne Concert in the Cave: Terri Hendrix with Lloyd Maines Saturday, July 6, 2019 7:30pm Cave Without A Name 325 Kreutzberg Road, Boerne

Want to keep up with Chip, John, Donna and Kyle? - Download the COUNTABLE App

Download the Countable App to track legislation. Congress is rapidly addressing their wishlist and a lot of bills fly under the radar. Countable provides the pros and cons of any given legislation, gives you the opportunity to vote Yay and Nay and delivers the tally to your representative prior to the vote. It also lets you know how your representative voted. Great way to follow the Congressional comings and goings to fuel those calls, emails, postcards, and faxes to Congress.

Click on any of the topics below to learn more. Charity Navigator The Wealth Detective Who Finds the Hidden Money of the Super Rich Wealth Tax Simulator Finding Stonewall The History of the Stonewall Riots Twitter Confused over Trump Unveiling LGBTQ FOR TRUMP t-shirts 2020 Presidential Election Calendar Texas Civil Rights Project Impact Report 2018 Dying of Whiteness - How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing American's Heartland

Click on any of these icons for more information.

SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY! Let your voices be herd by attending these city, county, and school board meetings. Click on any of the icons for more information.

Boerne City Council  meets at 6:00 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday at the Municipal Court Building, 124 Old San Antonio Road.

The Boerne Independent School Board of Trustees meets on the third Monday of each month at 5:00 p.m., Administrative Offices, 235 Johns Road.

The Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District meets on the 2nd Monday of the month at 6:00 p.m., at 9 Toepperwein Road, Boerne.

The Kendall County Commissioners Court meets on the 2 nd and 4 th Monday at 9:00 a.m. at the County Courthouse, 201 E. San Antonio Street, 3 rd Floor. The Planning and Zoning meetings are held on the 1 st Monday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at the Boerne Police/Municipal Court, 124 Old San Antonio Road.

Fair Oaks City Council meets on the 1 st Thursday at 9:30 a.m. and the 3 rd Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 7286 Dietz Elkhorn.

Boerne Area Democrats Board of Directos

President: Susan Dollar Vice-President: Amy Lambiase Secretary: Vacant Treasurer: Sharon Noack Membership: Brooke Orr Activities: Peg Layton Newsletter/Web: Judy Dewey Kendall County Democratic Party Chair: Kevin Henning

CONNECT WITH US! JOIN THE BOERNE AREA DEMOCRATS Membership Form Email: BAD@boerne-area-democrats.com Web: boerne-area-democrats.com Facebook: facebook.com/boerne.area.democrats Notice Regarding Photography and/or Audio/Video Recording   The Boerne Area Democrats (BAD) captures photographs and/or audio/video recordings during our events. Such photographs and audio/visual recordings may be used in BAD’s advertising and social media relations to let others know of our events. In addition, local news organizations may hear of our events, and BAD may allow them to record events for news reporting. If you do not wish to be in photos/videos, please let the photographer/videographer know.

This newsletter is intended for people interested in the work of the Democratic Party in general and of the Boerne Area Democrats specifically. To be removed from this mailing list, please email us at bad@boerne-area-democrats.com.