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"The Voter" Newsletter for April, 2020
(Please click above on "Display images below")
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We hope this newsletter finds each of you doing well. With the world around us changing rapidly, the Board of Directors wants to keep everyone up to date on what to expect about gatherings.
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First and foremost, the safety and wellbeing of all who are associated with LWVBCC is our priority. In an abundance of caution for our members, their families, and our communities, LWVBCC will not have gatherings at least for the next few weeks. The Directors are communicating electronically, and we encourage you to communicate with us via email.
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Out of an abundance of caution and concern
-- as well as a desire to limit the spread of Covid-19 -- it was necessary to cancel our planned Census 2020 Town Hall meeting scheduled for March 19.
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We thank our partners at Lake Michigan College and Berrien Community Foundation for their involvement and support in planning and organizing this important event.
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Completing the Census and getting out the count are two actions we can take to support our communities and participate fully in our democracy during the coronavirus crisis. Our counties could lose hundreds of millions of dollars over 10 years if people do not fill out their Census forms. Federal funding is allocated according to official Census counts. This funding is used for roads, transportation, infrastructure, education, Head Start, school lunches, supplemental nutrition programs, hospitals, Medicaid, Medicare, and other matters of daily life.
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Please urge your friends and family to complete Census 2020.
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Share why getting counted is important to you.
Get out the count!
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Our gathering on April 6 is cancelled. Jane Raymond has agreed to host the LWVBCC Book Group at her home on Monday, May 4, at 10 a.m.
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Let’s hope we’ll be free to associate by that time so that we can share our responses to Kim Michele Richardson’s story of
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
. If you plan to attend, please let Jane know by emailing her at
jraymond42@frontier.com
or calling her at (269) 208-4043.
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LWVMI has cancelled gathering for the Spring Workshop scheduled at two locations – Mt. Pleasant on April 25 and Escanaba on May 16. The Board is exploring ways to offer topics of interest to Local Leagues in the near future.
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The Board of Directors continues to plan for our Annual Meeting on Wednesday, June 10, at Tabor Hill Winery and Restaurant. Please save the date. We are as eager to be together with you as you are to have a great evening at Tabor Hill.
xxYou can make your reservation either by mail to LWVBCC, P.O. Box 1032, Niles, MI 49120, with a check made payable to LWVBCC in the amount of $30 per person and the names of those attending with each person’s menu choice; or by PayPal (
click here). The menu choices are raspberry chicken, cedar-wrapped salmon, or orecchiette pasta (vegetarian).
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LWVUS continues to plan for the 54
th
National Convention from Thursday, June 25 through Sunday, June 28 at the Hyatt Regency & Liaison Hotel – Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
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LWVBCC can find direction for our programs from the LWVUS Board’s recommendation that the Program for 2020-2022 continue the campaign for
Making Democracy Work
with Leagues throughout the country by working on:
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Redistricting
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Voting Rights
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Improving Elections
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Campaign Finance/Money in Politics
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LWVUS is calling for entries for awards at the National Convention from local Leagues for the following:
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“Share the great work that your League has done during the past biennium (July 2018-June 2020) by applying for a Convention award. The 2020 Convention awards will reflect the League’s goals of strengthening democracy for all, partnering with communities through a diverse, equitable and inclusive lens, and using the power of storytelling in a variety of ways
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Conversations with a Suffragist
certainly would make a very fine entry using the power of storytelling!
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I’m having a very hard time writing this month.
xxRecently I watched the PBS Frontline program “Plastic Wars.” If you saw the program, you probably understand my difficulty. If you didn’t see it,
please
click here>
Google Frontline and watch it.
xxPlastics of all sorts are taking over our world while recycling efforts are faltering. It turns out that billions of items that we think are recyclable (they have the "chasing arrows" with a number on them) are
not, and there are fewer places to dispose of them.
xxA new Royal Dutch Shell factory is being built on a huge site in Pennsylvania. While the project will employ nearly 5,000 people, which is
good, the purpose of this factory is to produce more than one million tons -- yes, million! – of plastic pellets every year.
xxMy feeling is that before this facility is completed and production begins, Royal Dutch Shell
must research and prepare to implement a
proven way to recycle every bit of the products that will ultimately be produced.
xxThis project is one of more than a dozen such factories currently being built or proposed by Exxon/ Mobil, Dow, and other firms. I wonder: Do they have any concept of the harm that will be perpetrated upon the earth if a solution is not found to recycle what is already clogging our rivers, lakes, and oceans, to say nothing of what is headed our way in the near future?
-- Chris Zilke
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Tuesday, April 14
LWVBCC Board Mtg.
Online
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Monday, May 4
10:00 a,m,
Book Group
Call Jane Raymond if attending
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Tuesday, May 12
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Board Meeting
Lincoln Township
Library
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Wednesday
June 10
6:00 p.m.
Annual Meeting
Tabor Hill
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Thursday-Sunday,
June 25-28
LWV National Convention Washington, D.C
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LWVBCC
Board of Directors
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Anita Rutlin, President
Michael McCaffrey, Secretary & Voter Svc.
John Ripley, Treasurer & Communications Coord.
Linda Cheek
Jane Raymond
Karen Ristau
Amy Scrima
Lisa Vetne
Christiana Zilke
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TELL THEM YOU SAW THEIR AD IN THE LEAGUE OF
WOMEN VOTERS NEWSLETTER!
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Joe Jilek
Insurance Agent
(269) 695-2200
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Please Encourage
Membership in LWVBCC!
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The League as an organization does not support or oppose any political party, candidate for elected office, or any group that supports candidates. As individuals, though, but not as representatives of the League, members are encouraged to participate in political activity and to run for office. Our non-partisan policy does require two Board members--the President and the Voter Service Chair--to totally abstain from partisan political activity.
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The League: Helping to Make Democracy Work Since 1920!
And Celebrating our 100th Anniversary!
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The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging informed and active participation in government.
We influence public policy through education and advocacy.
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Interested In Joining The League? Click here.
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P.O. Box 1032,
Niles, MI 49120 tel: 847-363-1179
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