By Lynn Frazier
Dear Alachua County,
At the end of March, LWVFL announced some great news! Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled that Florida’s Senate Bill 90 violates federal law, unconstitutionally impeding the right to vote for Floridians.
It is a busy time for our League. I hope you were able to attend our two virtual events earlier this month. It’s also time for our Annual Meeting on May 25th at 6:30 p.m., where we will pass the 2022-2023 Budget, Local Program, and elect officers. This year we are filling the offices of President, Secretary, Elected Director and appointing our nominating committee for 2022-2023. One month prior to the meeting, you will receive an email invitation with all the documents for the Annual Meeting and instructions on voting if you cannot attend. The meeting will be held via Zoom so it will be very convenient to participate. Mark your calendars now for May 25th at 6:30 p.m. I hope to see all of you at the meeting, and I look forward to thanking you for the chance to serve as your LWV Alachua County President these last two years.
The other good news is that League work is beginning to return to normal. I am excited that we will be tabling at the 42nd Annual Fifth Avenue Arts Festival on April 23rd and 24th. We will share League information, voter information, as well as registering voters. Please stop by and say “hello”.
And finally, many of you may remember discussions about collecting the historical records of LWV Alachua County. Kathy Kidder is following through on this project. Do you have any past LWV Alachua County records that you would like to move out of your files, garage, or attic? We are gathering paper reports and notes on local League activities, events, studies, committee work, and the like to add to the collection already housed at the Matheson History Museum. Contact Kathy Kidder by email or phone for more information.
Let’s participate in promoting awareness for the health of our environment every day and especially on Earth Day, April 22nd.
Lynn
elgfrazier@gmail.com
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Redistricting Updates
Current as of 04/10/22
True to his word, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday vetoed the congressional redistricting maps approved by Florida’s Legislature, calling lawmakers back to Tallahassee for a special session in April. As of now, the special session will only focus on congressional redistricting. The session will be held from April 19 to April 22. - Tampa Bay Times.
We will keep you updated once the special session concludes.
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League Partner Mobilization: April 19
Join the League's Fair District Coalition Partner: Equal Ground on Tuesday, April 19 for a rally and press conference as they urge our legislators to pass fair maps. Free bus transportation to and from Tallahassee will available from two centrally located population hubs. Breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided. No overnight accommodations required, bus will return same day.
Schedule:
Orlando, FL (Pick up time 4:00 a.m.)
Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Institutional Church
535 W Washington Street
Orlando, FL 32801
Jacksonville, FL (Pick up time 6:30 a.m.)
Mt. Sinai Baptist Church
2036 Silver Street
Jacksonville, FL 32206
If you have questions please email Equal Ground.
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To learn more and for background information, follow redistricting in Florida with the ongoing series of articles about the redistricting process in Florida on the LWVAC Redistricting webpage. | |
The Latest From Your Committees | |
In this section, we bring you updates from your LWV Alachua County Committees. Committees are the best way to get involved in LWV Alachua County and your local community. Feel free to reach out to the Committee Chairs to express interest, join their meetings, and get involved. | |
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Contact: Karen McCann
During our March meeting, the Education Committee discussed the impact the public education legislation passed during the 2021-2022 legislative session will have on students, parents, and communities. We were happy to have two additional members join our committee meeting and weigh in.
As we move forward in 2022, we will begin our research and study of equity in our public schools and how it can be utilized to close achievement gaps in students. We will continue to investigate methods used to rezone schools and their impact on students and communities.
We meet on the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 12 to 1:30 p.m. Our most recent meeting was April 13 and our next meeting will be May 11. Please contact the chair for the zoom link to join us. We look forward to increasing our outreach and involvement in public education issues.
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Contact: Jeff Shapiro
Our meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom. The next meetings are on April 21st and May 19th.
Our current agenda stresses equity and “good health for all” through study and action.
This is just one of many local and state issues that we have discussed and acted on, including affordable housing, voter redistricting, and the development of gentrified and historic neighborhoods.
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Contact: Jay Rosenbek or Roberta Gastmeyer
The NR Committee’s critical activities during the last 30 days were:
- Hosting Dory Larsen from the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) for a webinar on ways to engage and transform our transportation systems to electric.
- Preparing materials for tabling at the 5th Avenue Arts Festival occurring on April 23 and 24,
- Advocating for the selection of a new Climate Director willing and able to turn the City of Gainesville’s commitment to 100% renewable energy into a reality,
- Sharpening our message on the need for a rapid transition to renewable energy,
- Expanding our community engagement in support of renewable energy, and
- Preparing our Program of Action for the upcoming LWV Alachua County Annual Meeting in May.
The next NR Committee meeting is on April 20th at 5:30 p.m. Our guest speaker will be Rock Aboujaoude with Campus Climate Corps, a student activist organization whose mission is to motivate and push young students to combat the climate crisis technologically and politically. Everyone is welcome to attend.
If you want to know more or are interested in volunteering at the tabling event on April 23 and 24, please contact the co-chairs listed above.
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Contact: Bennett Brummer
The SCJC hopes you enjoyed this month's Hot Topic on Serious Juvenile Violence: Recommendations for Policy and Practice with Dr. Jodi Lane.
The focus of SCJC is on improving the adult and juvenile criminal justice system. We emphasize deflection and diversion from the criminal justice system through prevention and treatment consistent with accountability and justice.
While the SCJC does not meet regularly, any LWV Alachua County member who would like a committee orientation or would like to initiate a new committee project (and who is willing to do the work to carry that project forward) is also welcome to consult the chair to screen and plan for that project.
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Contact: Gwen Wagner and Diana Boxer
The VS committee is working on our County version of Vote411, to go live soon. We are also in the throes of planning our Candidate Forum, tentatively planned for June 26. We are currently seeking a producer with the technical skills needed to do this task. Recommendations are appreciated.
Other activities are tabling for outreach and voter registration. We are currently planning to attend the following:
- The 5th Avenue Arts Festival on April-23 and 24, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- The Village on May 12. Contact Elaine Francis to participate.
Our last meeting took place on March 29. The next meeting is scheduled for April 28 at 6:30 p.m. To get involved, please contact the co-chairs listed above.
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Request for Candidate Forum Questions | |
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Voter Services is asking for your help. We’d like all members to submit questions to be asked of candidates running for office. These questions will be utilized for Vote411 or our Candidate Forum. Both will be concentrated on local issues. Please submit your questions to either Gwen or Diana.
Remember that questions should be non-partisan and if you are involved with a campaign, please refrain from submitting questions.
Please note which office your question pertains to: Circuit Judge, County Judge, County Commission, School Board, Mayor, Gainesville City Commission, Soil and Water Conservation. Thank you for getting these questions in by the end of April!
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Do you have LWV Alachua County Records?
As mentioned above, Kathy Kidder is collecting paper reports and notes on local League activities, events, studies, committee work, and the like to add to the collection already housed at the Matheson History Museum. If you have any old LWV Alachua County records, please contact Kathy Kidder by email or phone.
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5th Avenue Arts Festival - April 23-24, 2022
The LWV Alachua County will be at the 5th Avenue Arts Festival on 4/23 and 4/24 at 530 W University Ave (CIED | Santa Fe College). The Annual Fifth Avenue Arts Festival is an event to share and promote the rich cultural history of the Fifth Avenue/Seminary Lane community. It features three days of performance and visual arts and booths on Saturday and Sunday to provide information about opportunities for both youth and adults in the community. We look forward to seeing you there!
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LWV Alachua County Annual Meeting - May 25, 2022
The LWV Alachua County Annual Meeting will be held on May 25 via Zoom. This is a good opportunity to see other members and share in making administrative decisions for the next year. The general membership is responsible for approving the budget, voting for officers, and adopting the local program for next year. More information will be provided closer to the date, but register now so you won’t miss it.
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Cybersecurity Tips: You've Got Mail | |
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You may have seen a suspicious email that appears to come from a trusted source, such as a friend or a popular brand. But have you ever seen a suspicious email that appears to come from you? In a new scam, cybercriminals use your own email address to send phishing links to other users.
The scam works by using the newest version of malware called QakBot. To begin the scam, cybercriminals send you an email that contains a phishing link. If you click on the link, QakBot will be installed on your computer. The newest version of QakBot can record your keystrokes, steal your login credentials, and even access your email accounts.
If QakBot is installed on your computer, cybercriminals can use your email account to send phishing emails to users in your email threads. Using the “Reply to All” functionality, QakBot will send the phishing emails to users you have already interacted with. Since the phishing emails will look like they came from your email address, they will appear more trustworthy and will be difficult to spot.
Follow the tips below to stay safe from these types of scams:
- Watch out for a sense of urgency in emails or messages that you receive. Phishing attacks rely on impulsive actions, so always think before you click.
- Never click on a link or download an attachment in an email that you were not expecting, even if the email seems to come from someone you know.
- Watch out for emails that contain only a short message and a link. If you’re unsure if the link is safe, reach out to the sender by phone to confirm the email is legitimate.
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LWVAC Leadership Team
President: Lynn Frazier
Vice-President: Deb Shimon
Secretary: Carole Fernandez
Treasurer: Fran Towk
A full list of LWVAC Board Members and Committee Chairs can be found here.
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To avoid missing future LWVAC email, please add our email address to your Safe Senders List
or add the From address (lwv@lwv-alachua.org) to your Address Book or Contacts.
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