Click here to read our Nonpartisan and Diversity,

President’s Message

We had no family around this Thanksgiving, so Al and I decided to go to the Finger Lakes and have our dinner in a restaurant – something we’ve never done before. It just wasn’t the same and I really missed having leftovers.

While we were there, we visited a few wineries and drove through Seneca Falls a couple of times. That took me back to all the work of the Women’s suffrage movement, born right there in Seneca Falls. We got the vote in 1919, but it seems we keep taking giant steps backwards.

Right after the election I submitted a letter to the editor in the Record Courier and Beacon Journal. The latter published it a couple weeks later. I had to express my outrage at the results of Ohio’s mastery of gerrymandering and congratulate Michigan for getting it right. I wrote, “our severely and illegally gerrymandered state has, again, delivered the power and control of the state to the powerful white men who have been rewarded for completely ignoring the will

of Ohio voters and thumbing their noses at the Ohio constitution. They have deemed the Ohio Supreme Court irrelevant and its rulings inapplicable to them.”

In the November 30 Beacon there were two letters that address these issues and more. The Ohio General Assembly is working hard to eliminate voters from the governing equation (you know, that thing called democracy) and just do whatever they want to take away rights from Ohio citizens. Keep an eye on what’s happening with the Board of Education, changes in voter led initiatives, and continued voter suppression. I say it’s time we have another Seneca Falls

movement, this time in Ohio.

On another note, it seems that holiday times are often bittersweet, celebrations with family and friends as well as missing those who are no longer with us. Our League has said farewell recently to two of our members: Jo Ann Tercek-Mowery, who had moved to Montana but maintained her membership in LWVK until she passed away recently, and Edi Grund, a very active member until pancreatic cancer claimed her last month. Let’s remember these wonderful women and their many contributions to our cause.

Throughout this holiday season, I wish you peace, joy and a little bit of time to just relax. It’s been quite a year. We need to rest up for the work ahead.

The happiest of holidays to each of you and my most sincere gratitude for all you do to make the Kent League strong and vibrant!.

In League, Unity and Equality,

Debbie

More information to come about Jan. 12 All Member Meeting, guests are welcome

Be assured there will be a Jan.12 gathering of Kent League members at Kent Social Services, 7 p .m. While we don't have the program set yet, there will be another Voter early in January with all of the details. Or you can check this page on our website for the latest information. Please plan to attend and bring a guest!

The AMM starts at 7 p.m. at Kent Social Services, 1066 S. Water St., Kent. Here is a MAP. It is open to the public.

Attending the Jan. 12 meeting? Please consider bringing nonperishable food items for Kent Social Services. A special request is for peanut butter and ramen noodles. Thank you, good people!

Crowd at delicious Holiday Brunch heard wonderful presentation

Kim Gruenwald, Ph.D., center left photos, was the featured speaker at the LWV Kent’s December 10 Holiday Brunch. Gruenwald, an associate professor at Kent State University, has been a faculty member in the History Department since 1995. She is a Kent League member, serves on the Board of Directors and chairs the Diversity Program Committee. President Debbie Barber, top left, welcomed the large crowd to the annual event and gave some updates. Terrie Nielsen, bottom left photo, deputy director of the Portage County Board of Elections, shared information with members about proposed state legislation that would significantly impact local elections. State Rep. Gail Pavilga stopped by the event to greet members and share information about the pending change in the district's boundaries.

Next in KIFA Series on Feb. 7, 2023:

How do teachers respond to the intersection of

race and eduction?

Save the Date!

How do teachers respond to the intersection of race and education? Hear the thoughts of a panel of current and retired teachers of students in grades K-12 from the local area. KIFA (Kent InterFaith Alliance for Racial Reconciliation and Justice) will host this public event on Thursday, February 2, at 7:00 PM.

The event will be available on Zoom and in-person at Hobbs Hall, behind the Unitarian Universalist Church at 228 Gougler Ave., Kent. More details will be available in January. Questions? Contact Kent LWV member Christie Anderson at christiea@neo.rr.com.

LWV Kent Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee shares notes from first KIFA education series event

Not able to make it to the first Kent Interfaith Alliance on Racial Reconciliation and Justice education panel presenation? A number of DEI committee members attended. LWVK member Fay Ann Sebaly submitted this report that you can access here.

The committee is now working with a new chair, Kim Gruenwald. Email her here to join or find out more about the committee's work!

Interested in how the justice system works in Portage County and how the League can have an impact?

The Portage County Justice System Committee is now looking for new members as the group gets going again under the leadership of Board Member Renee Ruchotzke. Read more about the scope of the committee's work here. Then email Renee at reneeruchotzke@gmail.com to join.

New year, new books for the Kent LWV Book Club!

The Book Club meetings for the begining of 2023 are set for Wednesday, Jan. 4, and Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 1:30 p.m. All are welcome to join. Contact Jane Preston Rose for details about the meetings. Click here to email her.

The January 4th selection is Dinners with Ruth, A Memoir on the Power of Friendships by Nina Tottenberg. The group will meet at the home of Jane Preston Rose, 1768 Elm Dr., Kent.

The February 1st selection is Lady Justice, Women, The Law, and The Battle to Save America by Dahlia Lithwick. The group will meet at the home of Rhonda Richardson, 1411 River Edge Dr., Kent.

Reaching more voters than ever before and

protecting the vote in Ohio; consider a year-end donation to LWV Kent

Our focus on “Making Democracy Work” through encouraging educated voter participation has been on going. Ohioans face proposed stringent voter ID requirements, possible reduced early or absentee voting, and continued roadblocks to voters’ support of fair districts. Just trying to vote as we have done for decades seems to beget limitations.

So, it’s not easy to ask you for a donation to help the League of Women Voters of Kent keep up the good fight to protect the rights for which women desperately fought during the 19 th and early 20th century. It wasn’t easy for them either.

We know your money has many vital demands on it, but our democracy and hard-won freedoms are not easy to restore once they are lost. None of our work would be possible without additional financial support from members and community friends. All contributions remain in our community. Thank you for your consideration. LWV Kent is a 501(c)(3) organization and all donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. See the full letter here...

Ways to donate:

Click here to go to our donation site
Scan the QR code above and you'll go to the same site
Or visit our donation page on our website here
Write a check payble to the League of Women Voters of Kent and mail it to Treasurer Gail Pytel, 4578 Creekside Dr., Kent, Ohio, 44240.

Martin Luther King Jr. Events 2023

Portage County NAACP has set its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast for Jan. 14, 10 a.m. until noon. Pastor Patricia Dennison will be the featured speaker. We'll share more details as they are available.

Bernice A. King, J.D., a global thought leader, strategist, solutionist, orator, peace advocate and CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia, will kick off Kent State University’s celebration of Black History Month by serving as the keynote speaker at the university’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, which honors the life and legacy of her father.

King continues to advance her parents’ legacy of nonviolent social change through policy, advocacy, research, education and training. Under her leadership, the King Center has implemented numerous initiatives reaching more than 500,000 people around the world.

The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration will take place on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Ballroom. This ticketed event is free and open to the public. Tickets will be available on Jan. 11, 2023. To redeem your ticket, visit the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration website.

LWV Kent and community groups to rally for Jan. 6 remembrance

The Support for Democracy rally on Jan. 6, 2023, will be a community event co-sponsored by several local groups, including the League of Women Voters of Kent and the Kent (nterafith Alliance for Racial Reconciliation and Justice.

Arrangements are still being confirmed but so far marchers will meet Jan. 6, 6:30 p.m. at the at First Christian Church, 335 W. Main St., Kent. They will gather and then march to the oowntown gazebo.

All League members are invited to attend. There will be more specifics soon. In the meantime, please hold the date.

LWVK's Voter Girl 2022, a popular Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio program!

From Voter Girl Co-coordinators, Sherry, aka "Voter Girl" Rose and Amie Cajka: Thanks to our amazing Voter Girl volunteers from the start of the project in 2017 to 2022. They are Alberta Bowman, Sara Ashley-Cook, Jane Preston Rose, George Rose, Gail Pytel, Barb Tittle, Jen Kinney, Lorraine McCarty, Ann Ward, Rhonda Richardson, Leanne Biltz, Janet Noden, Jackie Peck, Deborah Austin-Sanders, Penny Graves, John Graves, Chris Schjeldahl, April Secura, Rosanne Winter, Leah Mckeen, Mariah McKeen, Jennifer Caldwell, Janine Button, Stacy Yaniglos, Barbara Hipsman Springer, Terrie Tarchinski-Nielsen, Erin Myral, Cynthia Brennan, Tammy Hargrove Schomo, Debbie Barber, Jill Hazelton, Audrey Kessler who created the manual and Margaret Shaw. Hundreds of girls from GSNEO's 16-county council have gone through the Voter Girl program, created by Kent League members. Girls earn citizenship badges and learn about voting. This year saw for the first time girls who have attended for three years to earn badges as they "fly up" in scouting. And thanks to our GSNEO team of Katie Hewitt, Fallon Pulley and CEO Jane Christyson.

Read the latest from the LWV Kent Observer Corps. Click here. Interested in an outreach activity that puts you in the rooms where it happens? Click here.

SAVE THE DATE...All events are free except where noted

Jan 6 | Friday | 6:30 p.m. | Support Democracy Rally | Meet at First Christian Church, 1066 S. Water St., Kent

Jan 14 | Saturday | 10 a.m. - Noon | Portage NAACP Annual Martin Luther King Jr Prayer Breakfast | More information to come

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