THE VOTER
January
2015
`
T H E V O T E R
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
OF SONOMA COUNTY
Volume 20 Issue 1
Visit us at www.lwvsonoma.org
January 2015
Immigration:
A Community
Forum
A lawyer, a dreamer, an immigrant,
and an immigration counselor
discuss immigration law and the
challenges faced by immigrants and
refugees in our society – followed by
Q and A
Thursday, January 15 th , 2015
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Glaser Center
Unitarian Church
547 Mendocino Ave.,
Santa Rosa
Co-sponsored by the Santa Rosa,
Petaluma and Healdsburg Branches
of the American Association of
University Women and the League
of Women Voters of Sonoma County
On December 2, 2014, LWVSC President
Juanita Roland read a letter endorsing the
work of the Mayor’s Open Government
Task Force. You can read the letter on
page 6 of this newsletter.
LWVSC Now a 501(c)(3)
LWVSC has been IRS approved as tax
exempt under 501(c)(3). As a 501(c)(3)
organization, our membership dues and
contributions are now tax deductible.
FACT: In last November’s election, 2014, with roughly 244,000 registered voters in
Sonoma County, 146,000 people voted. The Sonoma County Registrar of Voters
reported that was a 60% voter turn out. Not our historical best, but not as bad as
some of us estimated in our trivia game at the Holiday Party.
See page 4 for a photo from the party.
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THE VOTER
January
2015
2015 Bay Area League Day
Saturday, January 31, 2015
9:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Registration and refreshments: 9:00 – 9:30 AM
MetroCenter Auditorium, 101 Eighth Street, Oakland, CA 94607
Addressing Climate Change in the Bay Area
Keynote Address – Annie Notthoff, Natural Resources Defense Council
State Climate Change Laws , Target Reductions and the Bay Area
Measures to Achieve the 2050 GhG Target Reductions
John Gioia,Member, BAAQMD, Calif. Air Resources Board
Ken Kirkey, Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Stuart Cohen, Transform
Adapting to Sea Level Rise
Richard Gordon, Assemblymember, Select Committee on Sea Level Rise
Bruce Riordan, Climate Change Consultant, Joint Policy Committee
Linda Dismore (Diz) Swift, Berkeley Public Works Commission
Local Impacts of Climate Change
Jenny Bard, American Lung Association
Timothy Burroughs, City of Berkeley
Paloma Pavel, Breakthrough Communities
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------REGISTRATION :
Send check payable to LWVBA by Friday, January 23rd to LWVBA, Attn: Bay Area
League Day
NAME: ______________________________
LOCAL LEAGUE: _____________________
PHONE: _____________________________
E-MAIL: _____________________________
REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE ONLINE USING PAYPAL. THE COST IS $35 PREPAID ($20 WITHOUT
LUNCH) AND $40($25 WITHOUT LUNCH) AT THE DOOR. THE DEADLINE FOR PREPAID
REGISTRATION WILL BE FRIDAY, JANUARY 23RD. IF REGISTERING BY MAIL, PLEASE MAKE CHECK
PAYABLE TO LWVBA, ATTN: BAY AREA LEAGUE DAY AND MAIL TO:
436 14TH ST, SUITE 1213, OAKLAND CA 94612.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL ALEC MACDONALD AT (510) 839-1608 OR
WWW.LWVBAYAREA.ORG
WANT TO SHARE A RIDE FROM SONOMA COUNTY? CALL 539-5770
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THE VOTER
January
2015
Bill Kortum
The League was saddened to learn of the recent death of Bill Kortum who, along with
his wife Lucy, was a long time member and supporter of our League. It is a great loss
to us and to all of Sonoma County as he did so much to initiate and fight for
environmental causes that League could strongly support. There was an excellent
article on his life and contributions in the Press Democrat on Sunday, December 21
and a Close to Home article by a fellow Supervisor on December 24. The celebration
of Bill’s life will be 1:00 to 4:00 PM Saturday, January 24 at Sonoma Mountain Village,
1400 Valley House Drive, Rohnert Park.
We extend our deepest condolences to Lucy and their family. We have all lost a
treasure.
In Memoriam
Len Swenson
1918-2014
The League was saddened to learn of the recent death of past
member Dr. Leonard Swenson. Len was one of the first men to
become a member of LWVSC.
A generous donation was made in his name by
Jean Schulz.
The tide rises, the tide falls
The tide rises, the tide falls, The twilight darkens, the curlew calls; Along the seasands damp and brown The traveler hastens toward the town, And the tide rises, the
tide falls.
Darkness settles on roofs and walls, But the sea, the sea in the darkness calls;
The little waves, with their soft, white hands, Efface the footprints in the sands, And
the tide rises, the tide falls.
The morning breaks; the steeds in their stalls Stamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;
The day returns, but nevermore Returns the traveler to the shore, And the tide rises,
the tide falls.
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THE VOTER
January
2015
downloaded from a link on that page. The
League of Women Voters of California positions
can be found on its website.
The question to answer for each position is
“Should we keep the position as it is, update it,
or drop it?” If you answer is “update” or “drop”
then please describe why. If you want to
propose a new study, please describe the scope
of the study and the need for it. Send your
proposals to the office or email them to us
([email protected]).
MESSAGE FROM OUR
CO-PRESIDENTS:
League’s work begins with “program planning.”
“Program” encompasses both study and action
and exists at every level of the League.
Program planning begins with a review of current
positions and suggestions for study and
consensus on new positions.
According to our local bylaws, “The board of
directors shall consider the recommendations
sent in by members resident within the
jurisdiction(s) of the local government(s)
concerned, two months prior to the annual
meeting and shall formulate a proposed
program.” A similar rule governs both state and
national program planning, each of which occur
every other year before a convention. This May,
the League of Women Voters of California will
meet and consider program for the next two
years. The League Board considers forwarding
suggestions for LWV California program.
For many years we have attempted to gather the
suggestions of members at a general meeting,
attempting to cover both local and state or
national planning at that one meeting.
Sometimes these meetings have been poorly
attended. In addition, proposals for updates or
new studies have not always been fully thought
out.
This year the board proposes to ask members to
submit their program suggestions in writing to
the board. Our goal is to broaden thoughtful
participation. To participate you need to review
the current program. A summary of our local
positions can be found on the local positions
page of our website, and the full text can be
Recommendations for state program should be
submitted to the local board before February 4,
2015. Recommendations for local program
should be submitted before the April 1, 2015
board meeting.
League members are always welcome at board
meetings, and members who submit suggestions
will be notified of the meeting where their
suggestions will be considered. Also, according
to our bylaws, suggestions for local program
changes that are not recommended by the
board, but that have been submitted two months
in advance of the annual meeting, can be
considered if two thirds of the members present
at the annual meeting vote to consider them.
Juanita Sue Roland, and Lynda Hungerford
**********************************
Fun at our Holiday Party at
La Rosa Grille!
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THE VOTER
January
2015
Task Force for the Homeless
Report
The Task Force meets on the first
Monday of the month from 9:30 to
11:00 pm in the McMullin Room at
the First United Methodist Church in
Santa Rosa.
At the December 1st meeting the
main topics of conversation were the
Cold Weather Plan and Emergency
Winter Needs.
The Cold Weather Plan is basically
about how to shelter the homeless
when it is very cold outside (38
degrees or less), very windy or very
wet. There are tents available at
some homeless shelters during
these times, but a place to store
belongings and pets are additional
problems that need solutions.
The Emergency Winter Needs are
additional indoor shelter and legal
encampments. The Task Force
believes that legal encampments are
a top priority. In the past there have
been sweeps by police, probation
and the water agency. Many times
personal possessions are taken
away and the encampments broken
down and discarded. There is not
enough shelter or housing for the
homeless in our county. It is
estimated that there are 4280
homeless in our county.
Catholic Charities Cold Weather
Programs are recruiting volunteers.
If you are interested please call:
Jennielynn Holmes at 707 542-5426
ext.210. Catholic Charities is also
requesting the following donations.
Please let them know that the League of Women
Voters is helping the homeless.
Warm Items Needed
Adequate clothing helps prevent hypothermia. Hats
are especially crucial as up to 50% of a person’s
body heat can be lost through an uncovered head.
Here is a list of the in-kind items we will need:
Tents
Tarps
Sleeping Bags
Pillows
Blankets
Cots
Mats
Gloves
Hats
Jackets
Jeans
Sweatshirts
Scarves
Patio Heaters
Propane
Shoes
Backpacks
Undergarments
Towels
Socks
Snacks (Granola Bars, Trail Mix, Water, etc.)
Hygiene Items (deodorant, shampoo, soap, feminine
hygiene items, etc.)
DeeDee Bridges
Task Force for the Homeless
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THE VOTER
LWVSC’s Letter Endorsing the
Work of the Mayor’s Open
Government Task Force.
November 24. 2014
To: Mayor Bartley and Members of the City
Council:
The League of Women Voters of Sonoma
County applauds the work of the Mayor’s
Open Government Task Force. Its diligent
study, discussion, conclusions, and
recommendations in many ways mirror
positions of the League.
League has studied and advocated for open
government at the national, state, and local
levels for many years. Our Mission
Statement, in part, states that we encourage
informed and active participation in
government. We encourage active citizen
participation, which entails the right and
responsibility to be informed, to be heard,
and to be involved. We believe that
government bodies must protect the citizen’s
right to know by giving adequate notice of
proposed actions, holding open meetings
and making public records accessible.
The Task Force’s recommendations for open
and transparent government, increased
accessibility, increased opportunity for
community engagement, a higher degree of
public participation and collaboration, a
better informational website - all are in line
with League positions.
We urge Mayor Bartley and members of the
City Council to accept the Task Force report
and to instruct staff to begin implementation
of the recommendations. And we urge the
new Council to fully back the
recommendations of this report.
January
2015
LWVSC Calendar
Board Meeting: Wednesday,
January 7th. 10-12 noon
Please note the above time change.
Advocacy Committee Meeting:
Wednesday, January 14th, 10:30 am.
Book Club: Thursday, January 15,
10:30 am. See page 5 for details.
January Program: Immigration: A
Community Forum. Thursday,
January 15th. 6:30-8:30 pm.
Glaser Center, 547 Mendocino Ave.,
Santa Rosa. See page 1 for details.
Bay Area League Day: Saturday,
January 31. 9:30 am to 2:30 pm.
MetroCenter Auditorium, 101 Eighth
Street, Oakland, CA 94607.
See page 2 for further details, and
registration information and form.
Voter Service Committee Meeting:
No January meeting. The next meeting
is Thursday, February 5th, 10 am.
LWVSC meetings are held third floor
Conference Room at the LWVSC office,
555 5th Street, Santa Rosa.
LWVSC Board meetings are open to all
LWVSC members, and to the public upon
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015
TO YOU AND YOURS!
FROM
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
Lynda Hungerford and
Juanita Roland
LWVSC Co-Presidents
SONOMA COUNTY
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THE VOTER
January
2015
ADVOCACY NOTES
Advocacy Committee Report:
Advocacy Committee didn't meet in December. January’s agenda will have juvenile justice and
SRJC area redistricting on its agenda.
The committee meets on Wednesday, January 14th, 10:30 am in the third floor Conference
Room of 555 5th Street, Santa Rosa,
Gene Zingarelli
Advocacy Committee Chair.
[email protected]
BOOK CLUB READS
January 15th, 2015:
A Fighting Chance by Elizabeth Warren, 384 pages, led by Lynda Hungerford.
In this passionate, funny, rabble-rousing book, Warren shows why she has chosen to
fight tooth and nail for the middle class—and why she has become a hero to all those
who believe that America’s government can and must do better for working families.
Book Group meets the 3rd Thursday of each month listed above at 10:30 am in the third
From LWV California:
2015 Convention – Select Your Delegates Early:
The 2015 Convention is only five months away. LWVC urges us to make a New Year’s
League resolution to choose our delegates early in the year. The number of allotted
delegates depends on our League’s membership count. If we have members who
would like the opportunity to attend as a non-voting member, LWVC welcomes them as
well. The only difference is voting privileges. Non-voting members have the
opportunity to attend all the workshops, plenary sessions, luncheon and dinners, and to
hear featured speakers. 2015 Convention Tours and Dinner:
The Leagues in San Diego are very busy preparing for our Convention. They are
organizing tours that occur before and during Convention.
One of the add-on events is a border tour, focusing on immigration. It will be an all-day
event on Thursday, May 14, 2015 – the day before Convention officially begins. There will also be free walking tours of the San Diego Gaslamp district both Friday and
Saturday during the lunch break. These tours will give attendees the opportunity to
catch up with old friends and make new friends. LWV San Diego is hosting the
traditional Friday Night Dinner, which will also be within the Gaslamp district.
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THE VOTER
January
2015
Connect with the League
LWVSC Board of Directors
Juanita Roland, Co-President
Lynda Hungerford, Co-President
Maggie LaRue, VP Administration
Carrie Anabo, VP Administration
Gene Zingarelli, VP Advocacy
Karen Welmas, Secretary
LWVSC
www.lwvsonoma.org
www.facebook.com/lwvsonomacounty
LWV of Bay Area
www.lwvbayarea.org
Terry Wall, Treasurer
LWV of California
Nancy Burrington, Membership Chair
LWV of US www.lwv.org
www.facebook.com/leagueofwomenvoters
Mary Lou Velasquez, Media Outreach
Shirley Johnson-Foell, Media Outreach
SmartVoter
www.ca.lwv.org
www.smartvoter.org
Addresses of Members Only websites are in the front
of the LWVSC directory.
Susan Novak, Voter Service
Nancy Richards, Program
Remember to sign up for email alerts and
newsletters when you visit these websites.
Dee Dee Bridges, Program
Willard Richards, Member-at-large
Marsha Taylor, Editor
Because of privacy concerns, we do not
include email addresses for the Board in
the Voter.
Readers can find email
addresses in the directory or they can
send email to Board Members from the
contact us page of the LWVSC website.
www.lwvsonoma.org
Tell us what you think!
Send in your comments, questions, and
suggestions. Email, snail-­‐mail, or call!
We want to hear from you!
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THE VOTER
January
Become a Member of the
LWV of Sonoma County
2015
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The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government
and influences public policy through education and advocacy. We do not support or oppose any political party or any candidate.
We do, however, take action on selected government issues in the public interest.
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The Voter is published nine times a year by the League of Women Voters of Sonoma County.
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