President's Notes

November is the American month of Thanksgiving, the holiday meal and a time for reflecting on the many things for which we can give thanks. One of those things is a strong electoral process. On Monday, October 30, Sharon Tyler the Berrien County Clerk, gave a very informative talk about the changes to our electoral system mandated in Proposition 2. Sharon knows the law and is determined to follow it in providing voter services to the people of Berrien County.

Her knowledge, devotion and professionalism serve to inspire a high level of confidence in the integrity of our electoral system. Many thanks to Sharon and her staff for all they do. If you would like to be involved in

supporting the clerk’s office, please contact Sharon Tyler at the county courthouse.

Our November meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 14 at the Bridgman Public Library. Arthur Havlicek, president of the southwestern Regional Chamber of Commerce, will speak to us about the population situation in Michigan. The meeting

begins at 6PM. If you cannot attend in person, register for a Zoom link on our website. Hope that many of you can attend, and please spread the word to friends and family.

In reviewing LWVMI League Links this month, I found that the Advocacy Update was very helpful in informing us about pending legislation. The topics include the Affordable Care Act, Behavioral Health, Climate Change and five more. If you haven’t read through the report, take a minute to go back and read it now.

Plans are underway for our annual Holiday Party. I hope you have the date saved – Wednesday, Dec.13 at 5PM (note time change) at Fernwood Gardens. An official invitation with all the details will come out soon.

We are planning a great meal and a wonderful speaker in a lovely setting. Hope you can attend.

One more item: November 28 is Giving Tuesday. I know many worthy organizations will be asking for donations then and throughout the Holiday season. Would you consider a donation to the League of Women Voters Berrien Cass County? A check

can be mailed to our Niles address or a donation can be made at our website.

We are doing our best to keep up with technology and to provide Zoom access to our meetings, but the equipment is costly.

In League,

Faith Schoon – president LWVBCC

Book Club News

Timothy Egan’s book, FEVER IN THE HEARTLAND, was an eye-opener for the LWV’s selection for the October Book Club. The growth of the KKK in the Roaring ’20s and the breadth of its influence in major newspapers, police departments, and judges’ quarters raised an evocative and meaningful conversation of politics then and similarities to politics today.  

At its peak in the 1920s, Klan membership exceeded 4 million people nationwide. Egan’s scrupulous detective work on the KKK’s plan to rule the country is powerful and resonates with the political atmosphere in

2023. Read it!

Mathew Desmond is the author of POVERTY BY AMERICA, November’s Book Club selection. Desmond is the author of this book, 10 others and received a Pulitzer Prize for his previous book EVICTED. Desmond’s serious conversation about housing in EVICTED is expanded in POVERTY BY AMERICA to reimagine the debate on poverty in the U.S.

Faith Schoon will host our November Book Club on November 13 at 10 am. Please give her a call if you plan on attending. Join us!

Faith Schoon – fschoon@mac.com 708-439-4433

4970 East Kevan, Bridgman, MI 49106

Environment Reports

Tips for Going Plastic-Free

One more tip when grocery shopping: Purchase unpackaged produce. It’s not easy but try as much as possible. A variety of unpackaged produce is available at Whole Foods and Fresh Thyme year-round and at Farmers Markets in the summer.

Tips for a Plastic-Free Kitchen:

For hand washing dishes, I use No Tox Dish bars which can be purchased online. Other alternatives are cleaning products from Grove Co. or Blueland which are available at Meijer. You purchase a glass bottle and then purchase refills in metal bottles or compostable bags. When washing/ scrubbing dishes, look for coconut sponges, Swedish dishcloths, Skoy Scrub or plastic-free dish or bottle brushes. The online Zero Waste Store has a good selection of plastic-free products or just enter the name of a product in the “Search” bar for other online resources and to compare prices. Plastic-free dishwasher soap is hard to find. Be wary of pods. Art Hirsch has concerns about the plastic coating pods in which pods are encased. I use Seventh Generation powdered dishwasher detergent from Whole Foods.

----Carla Ripley

Salmon

I had an absolutely delicious salmon filet for dinner last

evening. I almost hesitated to order it considering that recent articles about farmed salmon gave me pause.

Farmed salmon - for the most part - is an environmental disaster, to say nothing of the health hazard to humans. As the salmon grow to "harvestable" size, they become literally

packed in the netted cages, unable to actually swim. It is really too disgusting for me to write further about the condition of the fish.

Equally bad is the fact that these fish are fed other fish

purchased in Vietnam, Hong Kong or other markets, thereby making edible fish more expensive for citizens of those locations. "Sustainably farmed" is rarely true.

Hoping I haven't spoiled your appetite!

LWVLMR Conference

The LWVLMR annual meeting and conference is scheduled to be held both in person and virtually on Friday, November 11, and Saturday, November 12. Illinois is host State this year, and the meeting will be held in Evanston, a lakefront city just north of Chicago. Unfortunately, more specific details are not yet available, but we'll keep you apprised as venue, guest speakers, and other relevant information becomes known.

Every LWV chapter within the four-state area (Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin) that has paid its dues for fiscal year 2023-2024 is eligible to send one voting delegate. As a member of LWVBCC you are automatically a member of LWVLMR and able to attend this conference as a delegate.

Any LWV member within the four-state area, regardless of paid standing, may attend but cannot vote on official business items. A special meeting of the Board of LWVLMR is scheduled for October 11, and we hope to be able to get Registration Fee, Hotel Information, etc., to you as soon as these issues are determined.

----Chris Zilke