PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Susan Dollar
In the summer of 1970, I was fortunate to be offered a role in the outdoor musical, Texas, that is performed in the Palo Duro Canyon State Park Pioneer Amphitheater. It was the best summer of my life. I was only 17 and the world of professional performance and college life was a wonder to me. Working outdoors under the stars with university professors and talented kids from all over the state made me proud to be a part of Texas.
Now, at almost 70, I feel a deep sadness for the state of Texas. It's no longer a place of pride for me. After this past week's tragedy in Uvalde and the subsequent lame and predictable responses from our state politicians, I am further disheartened. I almost get caught in despair and anxious paralysis, but then I remember what Beto said when he was here in May, "The antidote to despair is action." He reminded us that there is no cavalry coming to rescue us - we must save ourselves. We have to do the work it will take in order to win in November.
I often think of that frog in the pot of boiling water. It's easy to sit back and take no action...until it is too late...and we are cooked. We must realize what is at stake now and then implement ways to preserve our democracy. We have a hard and rocky road ahead of us over the next six months. Don't be a frog.
For now, take sometime off this summer to rest, relax, and recharge. Then be ready to act, get involved, and get to work!
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JUNE MEETING IN-PERSON
Thursday, June 9
Evening meeting at 6:00 p.m.
Longhorn Cafe, 369 S. Esser
IMPORTANT:
If you plan to eat at the meeting, plan to arrive early and order in person.
DO NOT call in or order online; they do not have enough staff.
Note: No BAD meeting in July
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We are pleased to announce that Angi Aramburu, Democratic candidate for TX House District 122, will be our guest speaker this month!
Angi is a dedicated public servant who has spent her career working for non-profits and volunteering in the community. She is a first-generation college graduate, receiving her BA from Purdue University and her MA from Indiana University. She began her career at a public relations firm, serving clients at several non-profits, government agencies, and larger companies like Rolls Royce.
Growing up in rural Indiana, she dreamed of working in theater. With a lot of hard work and an eye on this goal, she earned her masters degree in Non-Profit Arts Management and was hired for a competitive Broadway internship. She went on to work in management at several NYC theatre companies and a consulting firm. During this time, she was awarded the prestigious Indiana Governor's Award for Tomorrow's Leaders.
While in NYC, she met her husband and started a family. In 2016, she and her husband made the decision to raise their family in his hometown of San Antonio. Angi quickly went to work partnering with the San Antonio Parks Department to provide free classes to the community, and joined the Mayor's Fitness Council, where she currently serves as co-chair of the communications committee to encourage health and wellness in SA. She has also served on the PTA board as President, VP of Ways & Means, and chair of Healthy Lifestyles, earning the TX PTA Lifetime Membership Award in 2021 and the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for the past three years.
Angi has a clear commitment to serving the community and the tenacity to make things happen. She sets her standards high and will not stop fighting until Texas is a place where everyone has an equal opportunity for success. Make plans to attend the BAD meeting to talk with her about any questions you have.
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THINGS TO BRING
TO THE JUNE BAD MEETING!
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The Center for Refugee Services (CRS) assists more than 1,000 clients a year. It is not unusual for the Center to have 400 client visits per week from legally resettled refugees who have come from more than 20 countries torn by violence, war, and human rights abuses to make their home in San Antonio.
Due to the overwhelming demand, the CRS is in desperate need of many items to restock their pantry.
In particular, they need these food items: rice, lentils, pinto beans, salt, flour, vegetable oil, and green tea.
They also need toiletries: soap, shampoo, toothpaste, razors, and deoderant.
A special request has been made for baby items: baby bottles, baby wash or shampoo, baby blankets, towels, wash cloths, onesies, sleepers, bibs, and socks.
Please remember this the next time you are out shopping. Just grab a few of these items, put them in your cart, then bring them to the next BAD meeting or drop them off at the office on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
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BYOS!
NOW IS YOUR CHANCE!
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Rather than buy a bunch of one-type- fits-all t-shirts, we have a new plan! Now is your chance to buy your own brand new shirt of your choosing, then bring it to the June BAD meeting so that we can take it to be embroidered or screened with the logo on the left for just $10 per item!
If you forget to bring it to the meeting, you can drop off your item(s) at the office by Monday, June 13. Be sure to put your name on your items.
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BECOME A RECURRING DONOR!
We currently have 28 recurring donors and we sincerely thank those generous folks. We haven't quite haven't met our goal of 50 recurring donors, so please consider setting up a recurring donation through ActBlue at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/boerne-area-democrats-1. You can use a credit card or you can set up an auto-withdrawal from your bank. If you prefer, you can make a one-time donation to BAD via ActBlue or by donating online on our BAD web page; you can also mail a check to BAD.
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Speaking of donations...at our June meeting, we will be setting up a member committee to make recommendations to the Board about how to divide up our donation funds. We anticipate that we will have between $6,000-8,000 to donate to candidates and causes. We want to wait until the end of the second quarter to establish the exact amount. After the committee recommendations are approved, the funds will be dispersed in late July.
If you would like to serve on this committee (one meeting in early July), please let Sharon Noack or Susan Dollar know.
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BROOKE ORR
Membership
The Boerne Area Democrats club now is now 210 members strong! If your membership is up for renewal, you will receive an e-mail from me, so be sure to add bko57bko57@yahoo.com to your contacts. Also, be sure to check your SPAM folder for messages from BAD.
To become a member of BAD or to renew, you can pay online with PayPal by following this link to https://www.boerne-area-democrats.org/become-a-member. Fill out the payment form and submit and also complete the application and submit it. You can also mail your check to BAD Membership, PO Box 2132, Boerne, TX, 78006. Dues are $40 a person for those under age 60, $25 a person for those aged 60 and older, and $10 for students. If you have already submitted your payment, thank you very much for your support of the club.
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LAURA BRAY
Kendall County Democratic Party Chair
Notes from the Chair: Yet Another Dark Day
Once again, we are all plunged into heartbreak, despair, and anger as we watch the news unfold from Uvalde. I wanted to share a few tweets, some poignant, some angry, some inspiring:
· “If demanding elected leaders do something to stop kids from getting shot at school is politicizing something, well, I dunno, guess I’m gonna politicize it.” – Matt Largey (@MattLargey), KUT Radio
· [corollary to above] “Dear Republicans, please stop telling us to ‘not make this political’ when you are cashing checks from the NRA.” – Will Rice (@PastorWill), a communications professional and a personal friend
· “What might we be if only we tried./What might we become if only we’d listen.” – Amanda Gorman (@TheAmandaGorman), poet
· “It takes a monster to kill children. But to watch monsters kill children again and again and do nothing isn’t just insanity—it’s inhumanity.” – Amanda Gorman
· “There is a concerted effort right now to convince you that ‘nothing can be done.’ It is designed to make you give in to the exhaustion of this moment. Don’t believe it. It’s a lie. We have the power if we mobilize it.” – Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF), President of the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund
· “State GOP leaders lash out at imaginary enemies—critical race theory, COVID mask mandates, transgender children and their parents. Are these the priorities we want our officials wasting their time on when our kids are dying?” – Austin American-Statesman editorial, May 24
On the Wednesday after the shooting, Beto interrupted a news conference being given by Abbott and law enforcement officials. After being escorted out, he spoke to reporters outside, visibly angry. “I am going to do something about this, and I am not alone. The people of Texas are with us. The majority of the people of Texas is with us.”
[another corollary, speaking to the criticism Beto immediately generated: “The last GOP president incited a mob to try and overturn a free and fair election so he could stay in power. Don’t you dare tell me a candidate for governor interrupting the current governor and demanding he be held accountable is uncivil.” – Nathan Ryan (@NthnRyn), CEO of BlueSky Partners]
Texas Republicans have had twenty years to act against gun violence and the widespread availability of firearms. Instead, they continue to sit on their hands, do nothing, and take buckets of money from the NRA. We must do all we can to elect Democratic leadership this fall. Our phone banking, texting, block walking, postcard-writing, and other “get out the vote” efforts will begin in earnest this summer. Please sign up to help when you see our calls to action.
Thanks for everything you do to work for gun violence prevention in Texas.
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CANDIDATES COME TO BOERNE!
On Thursday, May 28 , we were fortunate to host three candidates for state offices! Jay Kleberg, candidate for Texas Land Commissioner, Janet Dudding, candidate for Texas State Comptroller, and Susan Hays, candidate for Texas Agriculture Commissioner, spent the morning discussing their plans and positions on issues. They also took questions from the folks in attendance. Now our job is to get out and help these candidates win!
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Opening June 3 at the Palladium in The Rim - a documentary film produced by Jay Kleberg and Katy Baldock!
Deep in the Heart is a visually stunning celebration of what makes Texas unique — its diverse landscapes and remarkable wildlife behavior that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Told through the eyes of wildlife species ranging from the mysterious blind catfish to the elusive mountain lion, the story follows our ever-changing relationship with the natural world and showcases our ability to destroy, conserve, and recover wildlife and the habitat we mutually depend on. Narrated by Matthew McConaughey and featuring state-of-the-art cinematography, this family-friendly film journeys from the highest peaks in West Texas, through our aquifers, rivers, and bays, and deep into the Gulf of Mexico. Deep in the Heart aims to conserve our remaining wild places, to show the connectivity of water and wildlife, and to recognize Texas’ conservation importance on a continental scale.
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Join us at the BOERNE PRIDE WALK!
Saturday, June 11, at the Patrick Heath Public Library.
The march begins at 10 a.m. and will proceed down Main Street to River Road and back.
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BAD BOOK CLUB
The next meeting of the BAD Book Club will be on Wednesday, June 15, at 5:30 p.m. at the Democratic Headquarters.
The book selection is Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy. R.S.V.P. to Janice Bloodworth at 210-632-6974.
Even if you aren't a member of the BADBook Club, summer is a great time to catch up on your reading. Future book club selections include The Age of the Strongman and Forget the Alamo.
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Congratulations to Schyla Hernandez, our 2018 BAD scholarship winner! She graduated from the University of Texas in May. We wish her the best of luck in the future! |
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We received a very nice than you note from Calvin Perryman, our 2022 scholarship winner. He will be attending Connecticut College this fall. Good luck, Calvin! |
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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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Our Democratic Headquarters at 216 E. Blanco is now open on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Stop by to visit with other Dems and pick up campaign materials and other goodies.
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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 9 Topperwein Road, 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.
The Planning and Zoning meetings are held on the 1st Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at the Boerne Police/Municipal Court, 124 Old San Antonio Road.
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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
Newsletter: Judy Dewey
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
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