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President’s Message
Al and I returned from a week in Bordeaux, with COVID. It wasn’t too bad, but it was annoying. France is an interesting country. Their national motto, which grew out of the French Revolution, is liberté, égalité, fraternité. Right now, as you may know, there is quite a bit of opposition to President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. One thing the French do very well is go on strike. Work stoppages in major cities shut down garbage pickup for several weeks as other opponents of the change marched on train tracks and through the streets. The French people have not lost the spirit of the Revolution.
All of this was fine with me until it was time to fly home. Because the air traffic controllers also were on strike, that meant flight delays.
Upon returning home, I quickly caught up with the insanity known as SJR2 and HJR1, now mirror bills. There was an excellent webinar on April 18, which I would encourage you to watch on You Tube titled “Protecting Ohio Citizens’ Voices: One Person One Vote.” Click here to see the video. The speakers, our own Jen Miller, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio, and Michael Curtin, former member of the Ohio House and publisher of the Columbus Dispatch, really laid out what is at stake. I hope you’ll take time to watch this. Here are some key points from the presentation:
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Bottom line: If passed, citizens’ initiatives in Ohio to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot will require 60% approval. This would be the highest barrier to amending the constitution of all 18 states that offer this kind of citizen initiative.
- Three organizations are behind this push: the Heritage Foundation, Americans for Prosperity and the Buckeye Firearms Association.
- They want to make the constitutional amendment process a nearly impossible hurdle to overcome, thereby thwarting the passage of amendments for (1) an independent redistricting-reform commission, (2) women’s reproductive rights, and (3) a waiting period for gun purchases.
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The shortsightedness of this 60% approval threshold would have a devastating impact on vital bond issues in Ohio. The same bar would exist for trying to pass bonds for school construction, housing assistance, basic infrastructure and environmental conservation programs, just to name a few.
In short, this is a grab to wrest control of the state constitution from the people of Ohio and give it to those in power. Both Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt warned Ohioans about this in the past.
According to Curtin this is the highest insult to Ohio voters: he said it is "bad faith, bad judgment, graceless and contemptuous."
It’s time to contact everyone in power in Columbus. Make phone calls, send texts, write letters to the editor, make lots of noise. We have worked too hard for this democracy to hand it over to a few power-hungry “elected” officials who are beholden to special interests and dark money.
Maybe the French have it right...
In League, Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity,
Debbie
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DEI Committee to focus on K-12 education
in Ohio at May 11 All Member Meeting
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“Preserving All Voices: DEI Challenges Facing Today’s Education” is the title of presentations at the May 11 All Member Meeting that pull from statewide and local perspectives about how diversity, equity and inclusion practices are struggling in Ohio schools.
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Cynthia Peeples (at left), founding director of Honesty for Ohio Education (HFOE), will introduce us to her organization, which has partnered with the League of Women Voters of Ohio, among other organizations, to promote honesty in Ohio education. She will talk about nonpartisan efforts to promote an inclusive K-12 education in Ohio by keeping citizens informed about what officials at the statehouse, the state board of education and local schools are doing to promote DEI in Ohio schools. HFOE is a nonpartisan statewide coalition that believes every child deserves an honest high-quality education grounded in truth, facts and diverse perspectives.
The LWV Kent’s DEI Committee will then discuss the issues that arose during a series of meetings held by the Kent Interfaith Alliance for Racial Reconciliation and Justice (KIFA) during the past school year. The series featured panels of faculty members, administrators, parents, students and a local school board member talking about their experiences dealing with racial issues in the Kent City schools.
League members can attend in person at Kent Social Services, 1066 S. Water St., Kent (see map), or via Zoom at 7 p.m. The recording of the meeting will be available online in the June Voter.
For Zoom access...
Go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3305748650
Meeting ID: 330 574 8650
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Meeting ID: 330 574 8650
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcCUpmsNBd
To download the flyer with a link to the Zoom session to share with family and friends, click here. This is also a pdf for printing.
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Attending the May 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!
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Annual Meeting is right around the corner! Join us June 3 for a potluck brunch, elections and speaker Aaron Ockerman, executive director of OAEO | |
Mark your calendar now so you don’t miss our Annual Meeting on Saturday, June 3, at the Kent United Methodist Church, 1435 E. Main St. We will begin to gather at 8:45 a.m., with a potluck brunch at 9 a.m. This is a very important meeting when we will elect new officers, approve the budget and set our programing for the next year. Our guest speaker is Aaron Ockerman (at right), executive director of the Ohio Association of Election Officials and president of Ockerman Consulting, a full-service government affairs firm. Learn more about Ockerman here.
All materials for the meeting will be in in a separate email to all members.
Can't find the packet? Click here to download and print. Please bring the packet with you to the meeting along with a place setting for our potluck brunch.
Problems accessing the packet? Email us at lwvkent@gmail.com.
From the 2022 Annual Meeting...
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League members Jane Preston Rose (left) and Jan Rusnack. | |
The potluck brunch begins! | |
Lynn Vogel, stormwater educator for the Portage Soil & Water Conservation District was the featured speaker. | |
2023 Edith Chase Symposium on May 18 to focus on 'Invasive Species in Ohio: A Threat to Biodiversity'; LWV Kent a cosponsor of the event | |
Mary Mertz (at right), director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, will be the featured speaker at the 2023 Edith Chase Symposium on Thursday, May 18, 7 p.m. in the Kent State University College of Architecture and Environmental Design, 132 S. Lincoln St. Kent.
The annual event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Edith Chase Symposium Association, Inc. Mertz will talk about how invasive species can disrupt food webs, alter habitats, and reduce biodiversity, all of which can have far-reaching consequences in Ohio and across the Midwest. Mertz also will discuss actions that individuals can take to protect Ohio’s natural resources.
In conjunction with the Edith Chase Symposium, a “Songs for Wild Ohio” poetry reading will be held on Saturday, May 20, 4 p.m. at the Wick Poetry Center Plaza, 120 S. Lincoln St. Kent. Local writers read original poems at this free event.
For more information about the Edith Chase Symposium and the sponsoring organization, click here. For more information about Edith Chase, long-time member of both LWV Kent and Kent Environmental Council, click here.
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In conjunction with the Edith Chase Symposium, a “Songs for Wild Ohio” poetry reading will be held on Saturday, May 20, 4 p.m. at the Wick Poetry Center Plaza, 120 S. Lincoln St., Kent. Local writers read original poems at the free event. MAP | | |
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SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER AT CONVENTION AND EARN DISCOUNTED REGISTRATION RATES!
The League of Women Voters of Ohio needs volunteers for State Convention, Friday, Saturday and Sunday (June 9-11) to help with a variety of tasks including staffing the registration table, taking photos, setting up for workshops and helping with the plenary session.
Click here to view and sign up for volunteer roles. If you volunteer for at least 4 hours during the convention, you'll get a discount off the convention registration fees!
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Cuyahoga River Days coming May 20
| To print the flyer, click here. |
Join us for the next LWV Kent TECHLab,
Thursday, July 13, 6 p.m.
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The first TECHLAB before the April All Member Meeting went well. Five members brought their laptops and got to work with our team: Ethan Lower, Leanne Biltz, Barb Hipsman Springer, Bob Springer and Amie Cajka. The lab is a high-comfort zone to help members work on their social media presence. The team can help you set up a Facebook page, learn the basics and introduce you to League social media sites we know you will find informative. It will be a go-at-your-own-pace experience.
The next lab is Thursday, July 13, 6 p.m., before the All Member Meeting. Ethan will give a presentation on social media security. The lab will be offered quarterly, and we will put the dates on our website calendar.
Bring your laptop or tablet!
Need more information? Email us here. The instruction is free, no registration needed. The All Member Meetings are held at Kent Social Services,1066 S. Water St., Kent. Here is a map.
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Next LWV Kent Book Club meeting set for June 7 | |
The next LWV Kent Book Club meeting is set for Wednesday, June 7, 1:30 p.m. The selection for June is How to Stand Up to a Dictator: The Fight for Our Future by Maria Ressa. All are welcome to join. Contact Jane for details about the meetings. Click here to email her.
Selections for July, August and September are . . .
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July 5 - Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America by Cody Keenan | |
August 2 - The Vagabonds: The Story of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison's Ten-Year Road Trip by Jeff Guinn | |
September 6 - Untold Power: The Fascinating Rise and Complex Legacy of First Lady Edith Wilson by Rebecca Boggs Roberts | |
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Congratulations to members doing
great work in the world!
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DENISE A. HARRISON
A professor in the KSU Department of Africana Studies and LWV Kent member, Denise was awarded this year’s Distinguished Honors Faculty Award. Harrison teaches both honors and non honors courses, and is currently teaching one of the freshman honors colloquium courses.
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RENEE RUCHOTZKE
LWV Kent board member Renee Zimelis Ruchotzke was honored with the award for Environmental Activism from the Portage Park District Foundation. She serves as the pastor of the Kent Unitarian Universalist Church and president of the Kent Environmental Council.
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BETH BUCHANAN
LWV Kent member Beth Buchanan's professional work as a multi-talented aquatic ecologist, urban forester and arborist was recognized by the Kent Environmental Council with the Edith Chase Conservation Award. Edith was a long-time Kent League member who was passionate about environmental protection.
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Thomas-Anderson Memorial Garden work for May 6
WHERE: 1110 Walnut St., Kent MAP
WHEN: Sat May 6...weather forecast is 73.
WHAT: Spreading compost and manure.
Bring rakes and hand tools for de-weeding.We will have some available including gloves as we begin to stock our garden tool shed.
Projects to complete in preparation for planting beginning late May:
Spread Mulch and Compost
- Miss Tweet's Soul Garden
- Indigenous Garden
- Brown and Peoples Fruit Grove
- Ciccone Italian Garden
De-weeding and Pruning
- Culinary Herb Garden
- Miss Rita's Pollinator Garden
Last preparation will be spreading wood chips on the walkway. Chips are being donated compliments of a neighborhood machine shop. Come and enjoy the group, donuts and bagels in the morning and good eating at lunch!
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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. | |
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SAVE THE DATE...All events are free except where noted
May 11 | Thursday | 7 p.m. | All Member Meeting | DEI Presentation – Preserving All Voices: DEI Challenges Facing Education Today | Kent Social Services, 1066 S. Water St., Kent | Open to public
June 3 | Saturday | 8:45 – 11:30 a.m. | Annual Meeting | Kent United Methodist Church, 1435 E. Main St., Kent | Potluck Brunch; please bring your place setting | Free Program starts at 9:30 a.m.
June 7 | Wednesday | 1:30 p.m. | LWV Kent Book Club | Click here to email for details.
July 5 | Wednesday | 1:30 p.m. | LWV Kent Book Club | Click here to email for details.
July 13 | Thursday | 6 p.m. | TECHLAB | Kent Social Services, 1066 S. Water St., Kent | Free; bring your laptop or smart phone
July 13 | Thursday | 7 p.m. | All Member Meeting | Kent Social Services, 1066 S. Water St., Kent
Aug 2 | Wednesday | 1:30 p.m. | LWV Kent Book Club | Click here to email for details.
Aug 7 | Monday | 7 p.m. | All Member Meeting | Kent Social Services, 1066 S. Water St., Kent
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