PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Susan Dollar
February always brings to mind thoughts of Valentine's Days past. I distinctly remember my third grade teacher, Mrs. Ritchie. She was kind and loving and taught me to love learning. In February of 1962, the entire class of 20 little kids got to bring shoeboxes to school and decorate them for Valentine's Day. I can still remember the smell of the glue, the red tissue paper that stuck to our fingers more than the boxes, and the crooked but made-with-love hearts that we endlessly cut out of construction paper. To me, it was a magical time when you got to address each little valentine (everyone got a valentine from every classmate), drop the cards in each classmate's box, and then open up your box of cards and read the sentiments (which were sometimes simply signed with a name but other times, signed with "you're a great pal" or a mysterious "be my valentine"). The party that followed included homemade cupcakes brought by several moms, koolaid, and the ubiquitous candy hearts. The whole class celebrated and at least for a brief moment in the life of third grade, everyone felt warm and happy and included.
I got to thinking about this after watching a documentary, Soul of the Ocean (PBS). It was an eye-opening film about how life in the ocean really works – in surprisingly cooperative communities built on age-old partnerships. The film highlighted a variety of ocean creatures that are part of a vast system that is connected, that need and support each other.
Also, on CBS Sunday Morning a couple of weeks ago, there was a segment on happiness. What makes people happy? What makes for a happy life? Turns out that research has found that 40% of people’s happiness comes from the choices they make. In a Harvard study of adult development, close relationships, more than money or fame, are what keep people happy throughout their lives. The study found that those ties "protect people from life’s discontents, help to delay mental and physical decline, and are better predictors of long and happy lives than social class, IQ, or even genes". Study director, Dr. Robert Waldinger, said there is "a strong association between happiness and close relationships like spouses, family, friends, and social circles. Personal connection creates mental and emotional stimulation, which are automatic mood boosters, while isolation is a mood buster. This is also an opportunity to focus on positive relationships and let go of negative people in your life, or at least minimize your interactions with them."
In these trying times, sticking together and being connected is more important than ever. We know we will have political challenges in the months and years ahead. To strengthen our sense of community, BAD will continue to hold monthly meetings, host forums of general interest, provide volunteer opportunties and, not least of all, sponsor social activities. There are lot of ways to connect so I encourage each and every one of you to join up! Attend the monthly meetings. Volunteer for an event like trash pick-up day. And come to our social events! I promise that you will go away feeling connected and happy to be a part of our group!
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FEBRUARY BAD MEETING
Thursday, February 9
12:00 p.m.
Longhorn Cafe
Our speaker will be Rebecca Bell-Metereau, District 5 representative on the Texas State Board of Education.
The current legistative session has several proposed bills that will impact public education in Texas, so don't miss this opportunity to hear Rebecca and ask her your questions.
THE SBOE began meeting on February 3 . Click here to see the full agenda. To read the bios of the board members, click here.
To read about some of the latest educational issues, click on these articles:
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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! |
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THANK YOU to all those that donated blankets for the Center for Refugee Services!
We collected over 35 blankets and they were delivered to the CRS by Jessica Veilleux!
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This month, the Center for Refugee Services is in need of kitchen supplies - everything from pots and pans to dish towels. Below is the complete list. If you'd like to donate any of these items, please bring them in a box or a bag so that we can easily carry them to San Antonio. |
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Planned Parenthood South Texas has an urgent need for menstrual supplies for newly arrived immigrants and asylum seekers at the Texas/Mexico border. They need these supplies not only to keep women comfortable and clean, but to regain some of the dignity they deserve during a difficult time.
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ANOTHER DONATION OPPORTUNITY |
Many women cannot easily afford to purchase these essentials every month. Period products are expensive, and inflation has pushed up the prices of tampons and pads. Texas is one of 22 states that impose sales tax on period products. Period poverty can worsen already existing inequalities among people with low incomes. Last year, Planned Parenthood began donating period packs to partners in San Antonio like the Center for Refugee Services and Empower House and they continue to expand this work in 2023.
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The Christian Job Corps of Kendall County is seeking volunteer instructors for their Life Skills course which begins March 13th. Please contact Monay Boring at 830-388-9304 for more information.
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It's time to pay those February 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.
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SHOW YOUR LOVE FOR BAD
BY BECOMING A
RECURRING DONOR!
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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!
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LAURA BRAY
Kendall County Democratic Party Chair
NOTES FROM THE CHAIR
2023 Elections
There are two election days in 2023, one for local offices and one for amendments to the Texas Constitution. Both elections are non-partisan. Filing period for the May 6 election is open NOW. Here are details:
Local Elections: Saturday, May 6
Filing period: Wednesday, January 18-Friday, February 17, 2023
City of Fair Oaks Ranch: City Council Places 2 and 6
Boerne ISD, Places 6 and 7.
- Must be a resident of BISD (Places are “at large”)
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More Info: Click the “Election Information” section at https://www.boerneisd.net/domain/2839
Constitutional Amendment Election: Tuesday, November 7
- Possibly also a bond issue.
If you’d like more information about running for office or either election, please contact me at chair@kendalltxdemocrats.org. Early voting dates and voting locations will be available soon for the May 6 election.Thank you for everything you do to work for voting rights in Texas!
- NOTE: The Kendall County Democratic Partry will hold a strategtic planning meeting on Thursday, February 16 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the BISD Administration Building. All interested persons are invited to attend and help craft the plan for the next two years.
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Have a question about...
elections?
local Dem activities?
activity at the Texas Legislature?
Come ask our Democratic County Chair Laura Bray. She will be at the Democratic Headquarter every Wednesday from 11am-2pm.
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KEEPING AN EYE ON GOVERNMENT
New campaign finance data is available for Texas. This new data tracks all campaign raising and spending by candidates and organizations through December 31st. Take a look at https://www.transparencyusa.org/
Texas Freedom Network: Sign up for legislative alerts to stay informed on how your advocacy and activism can be a part of protecting progressive values at your Capitol. Sign up here.
The League of Women Voters makes taking action easy! Their priority issues are voting rights and redistricting. Urgent issues include women's health, public education, and climate change. League volunteers monitor these and other issues important to Texans. Find your elected officials, write letters to the editor, and keep up with voting rights and election law bills here.
Read Indivisible's Guide to Defeating MAGA here.
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Kudos to BAD member Billie Watts! Below is her "Letter to the Editor" that she sent to the Boerne Star in response to the column, “Christian Values Drive Local GOP” (Jan. 8, 2023). The Star declined to print her letter but we wanted people to read it. Thank you, Billie, for speaking up!
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“Christian values” - the very words give me shivers, especially when tied to any political party. What are these values and how are they lived out? If what we have seen these last few years in the GOP, (meaning “Grand Old Party,” NOT “God’s Own Party”) are identifiers for Christianity, then count me out. Traditional, family (Christian) values have not only caused many to become “nones” and “dones,” they have distorted Christianity itself, turning the message of the gospel of love into a message of violence, insurrection, white supremacy, intolerance and even hatred of “others.” When political parties and politicians bastardize religion to pit people against people and exclude and make life harder for the vulnerable, marginalized, oppressed, and displaced, it is not religion they advance but their own political power - manipulation at its worst.
As to the article’s call for respect and submission (obedience) to government, history teaches us otherwise. A deep dive into Scripture often reveals what is descriptive of that time and culture is NOT prescriptive for our time (Titus 3:1). The voting rights of Black Americans and women mark the struggle against the social order that created it and the laws that sustained it, not submission to it.
Christian Nationalism is not synonymous with Christianity. It blurs the lines between religion and politics and is the biggest threat to religious freedom on which this country WAS founded. Privileging one religion over another is contrary to the laws of our land. The First Amendment to the Constitution states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” and Article VI states, “…no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”
May we not be the ones to make it so.
Rev. Billie Watts, United Church of Christ, Boerne, TX
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February is Black History Month. This year, St. Mark Presbyterian Church on Bandera Road will celebrate diversity with a Black History Month speaker: Ken Stewart, Archivist & Museum Collections Director of San Antonio African American Community Archive & Museum. Visitors will gather in the sanctuary to learn about the impact of African Americans in the San Antonio Region, followed by a break to the Hospitality Center for cookies, coffee & lemonade. Everyone is invited!
Wednesday, February 15, 2023
6pm- 7:30pm
45 minute presentation/ refreshments to follow
St. Mark Presbyterian Church (sanctuary)
208 W Bandera Rd, Boerne, TX 78006
For more information, contact Lynn Bellow at bellowmom@yahoo.com. Childcare is by reservation only through the St. Mark Presbyterian Church office (830-816-3000).
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The next meeting of the BAD Book Club will be on Wednesday, February 15, at 5:30 p.m. at the Democratic Headquarters.
We are continuing with the 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.
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We need volunteers for
ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY
Saturday, February 18
9:00 a.m.
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Empty Bowls Boerne is back with big heARTs and hand-crafted bowls to support Meals on Wheels of Kendall County!
Join us Saturday, February 18, 2023 from 11am-1pm at Kronkosky Place.
With the purchase of each hand-crafted bowl you will receive your choice of soup provided by local restaurants and a piece of bread. This simple meal serves to keep us mindful of the hunger and food insecurity faced by our aging Hill Country friends and neighbors. Get tickets here.
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Mark your calendars!
Our first ever
THIRSTY THURSDAY
February 23, 2023
5:00 p.m.
Cibolo Creek Brewing Company
448 S. Main, Boerne
This is our newest social activity so make plans to come out and connect with us! The brewpub also seves soft drinks, tea and wine and has a full menu. Hope to see you there!
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Want to stay in touch via text messaging? Sign up and you will receive texts about our BAD meetings and events. We promise - no spam, never more than 5 texts per month, and you can opt out at any time. Stay in the know! CLICK HERE to sign up!
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Several Democrats turned out to participate in the
MARTIN LUTHER KING walk in Boerne on January 16.
Thanks to Richard Caldwell for his perseverance in seeing that the walk took place!
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Next BAD meeting:
Thursday, March 9
6:00 p.m.
Longhorn Cafe
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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
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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!
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Click on any of these icons to be taken to their web pages. |
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GET INVOLVED IN YOUR COMMUNITY!
Let your voices be heard by attending these community meetings.
Click on any of the icons for more information.
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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.
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
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The Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District meets on the 2nd Monday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at 9 Topperwein Road, Boerne.
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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
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Connect with us!
JOIN THE BOERNE AREA DEMOCRATS
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
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please let the photographer/videographer know in advance.
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