February/March 2020 Bulletin-Updated
Upcoming Events
Join us Sat., Feb. 22nd at 9:30 a.m. at the home of Syvvia Tillman for the annual Issues planning meeting. 18253 Perth Ave., Homewood.
Join us Tues., March 3rd at 7 p.m. at Flossmoor Station. Watch Super Tuesday Results & learn more about LWV-HF Area. For members & prospective members.


Join us Weds., March 11th at 6:30 p.m. at Grande Prairie Library in Hazel Crest for a program honoring Women's History Month.
Join us Sat. March 28th at 10:30 a.m. at Richton Park Library if you would like to attend Observer Training.
(For more information, email barbkhayes@yahoo.com)
Join us Weds. April 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Homewood Science Center for a program on Environmental & Climate Change
LWV-HF Area February Program: Minority Maternal & Infant Mortality
Black History Month African-American History Month background design for celebration and recognition in the month of February.
On Feb. 12th LWV-HF Area acknowledged Black History Month at the February program. Speakers from Planned Parenthood of Illinois and Advocate South Suburban Hospital discussed Minority Maternal & Infant Mortality Rates in Illinois and a Black History Month Photo Exhibit was provided by South Suburban Housing Center. The event was held at Grande Prairie Library in Hazel Crest.
LWV-HF Area Featured in The Lansing Journal
An article in the Lansing Journal newspaper on January 30, 2020, highlighted the participation of the LWV H-F in the Annual Women’s March on Jan. 18th. LWV H-F members Dominique Newman, Erin Roeper, and Emilia Oldaker were highlighted in the article. 
Municipalities Recognize LWV's 100th Birthday
Mayor Paul Braun of Flossmoor presented the Proclamation at the Village’s February 4 th Board Meeting to LWV-HF President Barbara Hayes, Erin Roeper, Vice President Sandra Slayton, and Joan Strohm.
Mayor Richard Hofeld of Homewood presented the Proclamation on February 8th to League Member Erin Roeper and Board Members Lillian Bacon, President Barbara Hayes, Eugenia Cutler, Dominique Newman, Lorea Farley, and Roxie Williams. Girl Scout Troop 65113 joined the acknowledgment.
On February 14, 1920, the League of Women Voters was formed and continues today as a nonpartisan political organization that encourages individuals informed and active participation in government. In recognition of the League’s 100 th year anniversary, several municipalities have signed proclamations celebrating the League’s successes in gaining the right to vote for women and vision of a democracy where every person has the right, the knowledge, and the confidence to participate.  Proclamations celebrating the 100 th Anniversary have been received from Hazel Crest, Lansing, Homewood, Flossmoor, South Holland, and Country Club Hills.  
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LWV-HF Area Voter Services

GRANT APPLICATION
The League was made aware of the Spring 2020 Youth Voter Registration Project Grant made available through the League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF). The project provides pass-through grants for both the state and local Leagues to undertake voter registration activities in high schools, community colleges and alternative/vocational schools in underrepresented communities. The Voter Services team applied for the grant and on December 18 learned that our League had been awarded $500. We are proud to be the recipients of this grant and look forward to using the funds for youth voter registration activities.
 
SUBURBAN ACCESS COMMUNITY OUTREACH
The League of Women Voters was hands-on volunteers helping to make a difference for Suburban Access on November 21, 2019. Seven committed volunteers (Pat Jackson, Lillian Bacon, Roxie Williams, Carol Vance, Eugenia Cutler, Patricia Barker and Barbara Donaldson) gave back to their community as they helped pack grocery bags for the anticipated 1300 families.

SUBURBAN ACCESS VOTER REGISTRATION
The Voter Services team worked to raise awareness around voter registration at Suburban Access on Tuesday, November 26, 2019. Four volunteers worked to help eligible voters register during the Thanksgiving holiday grocery give away. We were able to provide information and register one individual to vote. A total of 138 new voters have been registered to date.
 
The League of Women Voters continues to encourage every eligible American to register to vote. Registering to vote is easy and convenient. You can register online, in-person, or by mail (the registration form is available online and can be downloaded for completion). Detailed information about online, in-person and mail-in registration can be found at the website of the Office of Cook County Clerk, Karen Yarbrough, cookcountyclerk.com . 

MODERATOR TRAINING FOR LEAGUE VOLUNTEERS
The newly formed Judicial Candidate Committee, a sub-committee of Voter Services, is making plans to organize a moderator training program for members of our League. Committee members will be scheduling a date and identifying individuals interested in participating in the training. Those taking the training will gain the knowledge and skills needed to moderate information exchanges and candidate forums. Two members of Voter Services, Roxie Williams and Lillian Bacon, completed the training on January 25 and will be added to the list of qualified LWV H-F moderators.  

GET INVOLVED
The League of Women Voters-HF Area is a proud partner and supporter of "YOUTH VOTER REGISTRATION DAYS" being held on February 18th, 19th and 20th, 2020 . Voter Services is reaching out to local high schools, colleges and community organizations and we need your HELP to go out and get our youth registered to vote! We are looking for volunteers between the hours of 9:00am to 4:00pm on Feb. 18-20.   If you are a Deputy Registrar or active member with availability on one or more of these days, please contact:
Patricia Jackson
312-485-4951 
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LWV-HF Area Observer Reports
Monitoring local government meetings is a long-established practice of the League of Women Voters. It is one approach to help inform citizens about current issues and their governments.
 
If you are interested in becoming an observer, plan to attend training on Saturday, March 28th, 10:30 a.m.to 1:30 p.m. at the Richton Park Library. Email Barbara at barbkhayes@yahoo.com to sign up.

Check out the LWV Observer Resource Guide
Check out the LWV-HF Observer Reports on our Website

Country Club Hills Regular Board Meeting
January 13, 2020
LWV-HF Observer: Lillian Bacon

Treasurer:  Deborah Melivain 
City Clerk:   Patricia D. Hutson
Ward 1:  Edward Gillespie
Ward 2:  Vincent Locket
Ward 3:   Lisa Evans
Ward 4:  Richard Spivey

Mayor James Ford opened the meeting by giving residents information regarding U.S. Army Specialist Henry Mayfield, a resident of Hazel Crest who was one of three people killed when militants attacked a military base in Kenya. Mayor Ford stated that Hazel Crest will be holding a memorial service and a Yellow Ribbon Ceremony. Residents could honor the memory of Mayfield by placing yellow ribbons on trees throughout his neighborhood and along the 183 rd street corridor from Pulaski to Kedzie. 
Journal of Proceeding
 Minutes of the Administrative meeting held on December 2, 2019, and the Regular City Council Meeting held on December 9, 2019, were both approved.
City Clerk’s Report
 The clerk reminded the residents of The Daddy & Daughter dance taking place on March 1, 2020, at 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm at 4200 W. 183 rd Street.
Alderman Lockett requested Approval of January 13, 2020 vouchers. The vouchers were approved.
Public Portion
The meeting for volunteers for the marijuana committee is TBD.
The Superintendent of District 228, Ms. Christine Rustler, spoke about teacher retirement, class size, and transparency.
City Treasurer’s Report: No report.
Alderman Gillespie: No report
Alderman Davis: Not present
Alderwoman Evans: Not present
Alderman Spivey: Informed the residents that the Economic Development Commission and the Planning and Zoning Commission will meet on Thursday, January 23 at 7 pm.
Adjourned at 7:25 pm
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Homewood Public Schools District 153 Board of Education Meeting
January 13, 2020
LWV-HF Observer: Cheryl Gansuaer

Absent Board Member: Gregory Lawrence
Minutes from the Regular Meeting of the Board of Education of December 9, 2019 was approved.
Future Dates
·        January 15      5 th Grade Band and James Hart Jazz Band Concert
·        January 16      4 th Grade Orchestra and James Hart Chamber Orchestra Concert
·        January 21      MLK Day-Schools Closed
·        January 22      Tri-District Concerts at H-F High School
·        January 31      Willow School Parent University
·        Feb. 1               Mayors’ Fundraiser (noon-2:00pm)
·        Feb. 21             Foundation Gala

The Board approved the following Consent Items:
  • Personnel Report
  • Payment of the Usual and Customary Bills for February 2020
  • Change of Date for the February Board Meeting to Tuesday, February 11

The Board approved the following Action Items:
  • Second Payment of December 2019 Bills and First Payment of January 2020 Bills
  • Consideration of a Resolution Approving an Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement Amending the Articles of Agreement for SPEED Special Education Joint Agreement District 802
  • School Maintenance Grant Applications
  • Fund Transfer Resolution
  • Employment of 2 Teachers

The Board went into Executive Session to discuss specific personnel.
The Board Adjourned. 
LWV-HF Climate Change Committee: Green Corner
From The Washington Post - Can You Pass Climate Change 101?

Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Climate Change

1.         What has the Scientific Community concluded about climate change?
A.       The consensus is that it is both real and man-made.
B.       Scientists have shown it to be real but aren’t sure if it is man-made.
C.       Scientists do not think that climate change is real.
D.      There is little consensus.

2.         Which of these factors contributes most to global warming?
A.        Sunspots
B.       The hole in the ozone layer
C.       Littering
D.      Carbon dioxide emissions

3.       What is the greenhouse effect?
A.        The measurement of plant growth in areas affected by flooding?
B.        The phenomenon in which gases in the Earth’s atmosphere prevent heat from escaping into space.
C.       When climate change affects ecosystems.
D.      The impact trees have on global temperatures.

4.         True or False: Climate change is heating the world evenly.

5.        What famous goal did 195 countries affirm in Paris in 2015?
A.       Reducing global temperatures by 0.5 degrees
B.       Bringing global temperatures back to pre-industrial averages
C.       Limiting warming to no more than one degree Celsius above pre-industrial averages
D.      Limiting warming to “well below” two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial averages

6.        Which country announced in 2017 that it would withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement?
A)      Australia     B) Sweden    C) The United States     D)  Great Britain

7.        In a “high emissions scenario” how much do scientists predict the earth will heat up by the end of the century, compared with the average temperature between 1986 and 2005? 
A)      1.8 ° – 3.4 ° F    B) 4.7 – 8.6 ° F    C)  10.5 ° – 14.3 ° F   D)  No change

8.        True or False:  Climate Change and Extreme weather are linked.

9.       Combined, how much mass are ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica losing annually?
A) 189 billion tons   B) 294 million tons  C) 418 billion tons   D) None. They are gaining ice.

10.  Extreme heat in Siberia has caused the permafrost to melt. The remains of which ancient creatures are now emerging from the frozen ground?
A)      Giant Sloths   B) T.rex    C) Neanderthals   D) Wooly Mammoths

Answers:  A, D, B, False, D, C, B, True, C, D.

What You Can Do About Climate Change
ACT NOW WHEN IT MATTERS THE MOST. Change your behavior(s) where and when possible to reduce your carbon footprint. Urge your leaders and representatives - locally, state and nationwide - to support the essential changes we MUST MAKE now. We all must do our part. We owe it to our children.  
LWV-HF Area Supports the Work of the U.S. Census Bureau to ensure a complete and accurate count in Illinois and Nationwide. Census results help determine how billions of dollars in federal funding flow into states and communities each year. The results determine how many seats in Congress each state gets. It's mandated by the U.S. Constitution in Article 1, Section 2: The U.S. has counted its population every 10 years since 1790.
LWV-HF Area: New Bi-Weekly News Blast
The LWV H-F will begin issuing a bi-weekly update via email blast, on an as-needed basis. The update will include upcoming events, committee requests for volunteers, reminders, and other information that needs to be communicated prior to the issuance of the Bi-monthly Bulletin. This will not replace the Bulletin but is intended to be a more efficient way to communicate time-sensitive information and reduce the number of individual email blasts. If you wish to communicate information to the general membership via the bi-weekly update, please email it to Dominique Newman (dominiquerae@sbcglobal.net) , and mark clearly in the subject line that it is a request to be included in the bi-weekly update. 
FROM OUR STATE OFFICE: LWV-IL NEWS
Windy City LIVE with the LEAGUE
In celebration of our 100th anniversary, LWV-IL attended a Windy City Live taping on Thursday, February 13, 2020 in downtown Chicago. This taping featured an audience full of League members and Chance the Rapper was a guest on the show!


Lights, Camera, WTTW!
Celebrate Women's History Month by joining LWVIL & WTTW
Calling all League members! LWVIL has been invited back to the WTTW studios to (wo)man the phones during Women's History Month. The League will appear during the airing of the program,  Rise Up: Songs of the Women's Movement , a documentary highlighting the impact of music throughout the women's movement, from the suffragists to Joan Jett.

All volunteers must commit to being at the WTTW Studios (5400 N St. Louis Avenue Chicago, IL 60625) on Thursday, March 12, 2020 from 6:45 to 9:45 p.m. During your time at the Studios you will be served dinner, attend a training session and then make your television debut on behalf of the League of Women Voters! This is a first come, first serve opportunity. Please email the  mlyn@lwvil.org  if you would like to participate.
Thank you to our generous sponsors!
Please thank our generous bulletin sponsors below as you patronize and support these businesses, organizations, and individuals! Be sure to click on the pictures to check out the websites of those sponsors that have them.