Volume 25. Issue 1. January 2023

Dictionary Definitions from Oxford Languages  new adjective not existing before; made, introduced, or discovered recently or now for the first time. already existing but seen, experienced, or acquired recently or now for the first time.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Susan Dollar HAPPY NEW YEAR! What a relief to have a brand new start to a new - and hopefully improved - year. Last year was a tough one but we made it through with many successes and bright spots in spite of the fall election results. In contemplating the new year, I realize that we have a great deal to look forward to in 2023. Let me start by recognizing our NEWSLETTER! This is the 25th year of The Voice publication! It has grown from a typed/memeographed newsletter with a circulation of about 25 to our curent electronic version, which has a circulation of 587! Even more notable is that we have a 75% open rate, compared to the industry-wide average of 37%, thanks to you that read the newsletter! BAD has a NEW BOARD! With some returning officers - Robin Prescott (Secretary), Natalie Schun (Publicity), Laura Bray (KCDP) and myself - we will provide historical knowledge and the new officers, Michelle Smith (Treasurer), Shawn Bonner (Membership), and Tom Furhmark (Website) bring a fresh perspective to the club. I'm grateful to each of these individuals for stepping up to serve. BAD will implement some NEW IDEAS on social activities. The Saturday Night Supper Club (SNSC) and the BAD Book Club have been such a big hits that we've decided to increase our social activities. This year, we ill be offering Pop-Up Pizza Parties along with Thirsty Thursdays. The SNSC will continue with more dates planned for us to all get together and socialize. At our meeting on January 12, with the help of the members in attandance, BAD will be selecting NEW TOPICS & SPEAKERS for our monthly meetings. We will also vote on organziations that the club wants to support, so it's important for everyone to attend our meeting this week. The NEW 2023 BUDGET will be presented for approval, too.   BAD has a NEW MEMBERSHIP PROCESS. When you attend the January 12 meeting, you will get to experience a new and improved process for members and their name tags. We're working to simplify our process - and not have to lug so much stuff up to the meeting each month. We are looking for members to form an ad hoc committee to come up with a NEW PLAN for our BAD scholarship. There has not been a standard formalized process and although we follow the area high schools' processes, the board wants input from members in order to streamline our internal processes. If you are interested in serving on the scholarship committee, let Robin Prescott know. The Democratic Headquarters has NEW HOURS. The office will be open from 11:00 a.nm. - 2:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays. We're always looking for vlunteers to staff the office so if you are interested, let Shawn Bonner, Volunteer Coprdinator, know. As you well know, we have a NEW LEGISLATIVE SESSION here in Texas that begins on Tuesday, January 10, and ends on May 29. We will be keeping a close watch on the bills that are proposed. Scroll down for the "Keeping an Eye On Government" section. We finally have a NEW 118th CONGRESS that will be sworn in tomorrow, January 9. Although I an not optimistic about what they can/will accomplish, we must all stay vigilant and not get lazy about following the politics in Washington. The 2024 presidential election nominating process begins next January and the election itself will be here before we know it, so we need to stay informed and be ready to give it our all (again!). And lastly, I personally have a new appreciation for routine mammograms. Back in October, and again in November, I had these routine tests and this year, I got lucky because they discovered a very small, stage 1 lump, so I will have surgery on January 13. It's no big deal and no one is worried, least of all, me. So here's to the new year! May this be the best and brightest of times for us all!

BRING A BLANKET DAY! Please bring a new or gently used blanket to our BAD meeting on Thursday, January 12 12:00 noon Longhorn Cafe The Center for Refugee Services (CRS) is in dire need of blankets (all sizes for all beds but please, no throws) because they are assisting a huge influx of refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine. BAD member Jessica Veilleux is a volunteer at CRS and will deliver the blankets that we collect, so hit those white sales, buy a blanket, and bring it with you to our meeting!

THANK YOU to all those that donated money at the holiday party for the CRS! We raised $150, which was sent to the Center on December 12 to be used as needed.

Remember...if you plan to eat during our BAD meeting, please call in your order (830-331-4011) or arrive early to place your order in person. The cafe does not accept online orders and as we know, they are often backed up at lunchtime, so please come early!

It's time to pay those December and January membership dues! Please go online to join or renew your membership or plan to pay at our January meeting. You will be glad to know that membership dues have not gone up! They continue to be $10 for students, $25 for people over 60, and $40 for everyone else. If you have any questions about your membership, please talk to Shawn Bonner, Membership Chair.

BE A HERO FOR BAD BY BECOMING A RECURRING DONOR!

‌ Please consider becoming a recurring donor! Although there are no major elections this year and we won't be collecting money for candidates, we still have expenses such as office rent, printing, advertising, web page hosting, and our online newsletter. We also want to continue our support of the $1,000 BAD scholarship as well as support for social service organizations. All these things require money. The easiest way to donate is via ActBlue; simply click on the ActBlue logo above and enter your donation information. You can also donate via a credit card, an auto-withdrawal from your bank, or by mailing a check. We do love those one-time donations!

LAURA BRAY Kendall County Democratic Party Chair NOTES FROM THE CHAIR Once again, thanks to all of you for your hard work during the 2022 election cycle. I hope you had a chance to renew yourself and relax during the holiday season. Because it’s time to hit the ground running again! The 88th Texas Legislative Session begins on January 10, and given November’s election results, I’m expecting a *lot* of terrible bills. I’m working on ways to keep you informed of what’s going on and how you can make your voice heard, from phone calls to postcards to visiting Austin to testify. I’ll have more details soon. We are looking for a new volunteer to learn and work with our voter database (VAN), which is supplied by the Texas Democratic Party. This position requires some technical skills but no programming knowledge. Training is provided. 2023 is a great year to learn VAN, as we won’t have much election activity. We need to have a strong VAN leader in place before the 2024 election season kicks off this November. Give me a call (210-884-6843) if you’re interested or want to learn more. We will open the office this year on Tuesdays and Fridays from 11am-2pm. We feel it’s important to maintain a presence in the community, even if we don’t get many visitors. (The Republicans don’t maintain a year-round office.) If you’d like to help, please give Office Manager Shawn Bonner a call at 210-387-3303. On the horizon—stay tuned for more details later: ·      Strategic Planning Meeting to evaluate the 2022 election season and plan our approach for this year. ·      Adopt A Highway: one Saturday in late January/early February. We will have other dates soon. Thank you for everything you do to work for equality and justice in Texas!

KEEPING AN EYE ON GOVERNMENT Watch House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' historic first speech to the 118th Congress HERE. Stay informed about the 1,272 bills that have been filed for the 2023 Texas Legislature. Click HERE to read all about them. One to watch: House Bill 845 (authored by J. Patterson, R-Frisco), reads in part "...an institution of higher education may not use funds from any source to provide financial support, including through the purchase of a membership, sponsorship, or advertising services, to a (non-profit) media organization." This bill is an attack on free speech, press freedoms, academic institutions, and the availability of public information. To learn about the 2023-2024 legislation that is now before the 118th U.S. Congress, click HERE.

Join us for the annual BOERNE MLK WALK  MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2023 10:00 a.m. BOERNE MAIN PLAZA   The walk will begin near the gazebo and after some brief remarks, will proceed down Main Street, then back to the Plaza. RSVPs not required. Just show up!  Sponsored by Touchstone Community Church

BAD BOOK CLUB The next meeting of the BAD Book Club will be on Wednesday, January 18, at 5:30 p.m. at the Democratic Headquarters. We are continuing with the December book selection, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle, by Jon Meacham R.S.V.P. to Janice Bloodworth at 210-632-6974.

A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL! Over 70 people joined in the fun at our annual holiday party on December 11! As you can see from the photos below, there was a lot of great food, fun, and laughter as we enjoyed the afternoon at La Hacienda Scenic Loop. Both Susan and Laura receognized their board and precinct chairs and thanked them all for a job well done. Volunteers and donors were also acknowledged and thanked. The party was such a big hit that you can look for more social activities in 2023!

Next BAD meeting: Thursday, February 9 12:00 p.m.' Longhorn Cafe

Just a reminder: there are always interesting and informative posts on our social media pages so be sure to check them out - and Like them! Web: boerne-area-democrats.org Facebook: Boerne Area Democrats  Instagram: @boerneareademocrats Twitter: @BerneDemocrats

CHANGE IN OFFICE HOURS Our Democratic Headquarters at 216 E. Blanco, Suite 201, will be open on Tuesdays and Fridays from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Stop by and visit - or better yet, sign up for a volunteer shift at the office!

Click on any of these icons to be taken to their web pages.

GET INVOLVED IN YOUR COMMUNITY! Let your voices be heard by attending these community meetings. Click on any of the icons for more information.

Boerne City Council meets at 6:00 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall, 447 N. Main Street, Boerne. The Planning and Zoning Commission meetings are held on the first Monday of each month in the Ronald C. Bowman Council Chambers at City Hall, 447 N. Main Street, Boerne.

The Kendall County Commissioner's Court meets on the 2nd and 4th Monday at 9:00 a.m. in the County Courthouse, 201 E. San Antonio Street, 3rd floor.

The Fair Oaks City Council meets on the 1st Thursday at 9:30 a.m. and the 3rd Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the FOR City Hall, 7286 Dietz Elkhorn Road, FOR.

The Comfort ISD Board of Trustees meets on the 2nd Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at the CISD Central Office, 327 High Street, Comfort.

The Boerne ISD Board of Trustees meets on the 3rd Monday of each month at 5:00 p.m. in the Administrative Offices, 235 Johns Road.

The Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District meets on the 2nd Monday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at 9 Topperwein Road, Boerne.

BOERNE AREA DEMOCRATS BOARD President: Susan Dollar Vice President: Jerry Terry Secretary: Robin Prescott Treasurer: Sharon Noack Membership: Brooke Orr Publicity: Natalie Schun Social Media: Krista Bermejillo-Vasquez Past President: Stacey Gilfillan Ex Officio member: Laura Bray, KCDP

Connect with us! JOIN THE BOERNE AREA DEMOCRATS Membership Form Email: BAD@boerne-area-democrats.com Web: boerne-area-democrats.org Facebook: facebook.com/boerne.area.democrats Notice Regarding Photography and/or Audio/Video Recording The Boerne Area Democrats captures photographs and/or audio/video recordings during our events. Such photographs and recordings may be used in BAD's advertising and social media relations to let others know of our events. In addition, local news organizations may hear of our events, and BAD may allow them to record events for news reporting. If you do not wish to be in photos/videos, please let the photographer/videographer know in advance. This newsletter is intended for people interested in the work of the Boerne Area Democrats and the Democratic Party in general. To be removed from this mailing list, please click on Unsubscribe below or email us at bad@boerne-area-democrats.com.