Fall Edition

LWVNLM Calendar

September 28: 3-4 pm – Membership Committee meeting; Zoom

October 3: 9-10:30 am - Board of Directors meeting; Zoom

October 3: 7-8 pm - Presentation Ballot proposals and Election Process: What you Need to Know; Mackinaw Women’s Club

October 6: 10-11 am – Health Care Committee; Zoom

October 11: 2-3 pm - Environment and Natural Resources Committee; Zoom

October 12: 5:30-6:30 pm - Public Forum: Book Banning: The First Amendment & Democracy, Val Meyerson & Charles McCaffery; Zoom

October 24: 6:30-7:30 pm – Presentation Ballot proposals and Election Process:

What you Need to Know; Charlevoix Public Library

November 7: 9-10:30 am - Board of Directors meeting; Zoom

November 8: ELECTION DAY

November 9: 5:30-6:30 pm - Public Forum: Local Native Boarding Schools – Eric Hemenway; Zoom

November 16: Member and Friends In-Person Evening Event – SAVE THE DATE

All members are welcome to attend any of the events listed! Email info@lwvnlm.org for links.

Presidents Notes

What a busy early summer we had! On the same day we held our annual meeting on June 8th, we were awarded independent League status by the Board of Directors LWVUS. Because of the work many members contributed over four years to achieve this goal, we’re in a strong place to be an effective organization. 

Thanks to all LWVNLM members and friends who participated in gathering signatures to protect our voting rights and reproductive rights; our League did quite an amazing job, submitting over 2000 signatures! We had a wonderful in-person celebration to share our experiences gathering signatures and toast to the success of each proposal having more signatures than required to make it onto the ballot. 

And just like that – summers over, and fall signals the re-start of our LWVNLM activity season. Since it’s a midterm election year, there’s a lot of action. We are already registering new voters, informing the community about VOTE411, and educating the public about the ballot proposals, read more below. We have a lot of great programming coming up this fall and winter season, stay informed by visiting our webpage and our Facebook page. 

SO many issues demand our attention, it can be hard to focus on one issue and easy to feel overwhelmed. But we ARE making a difference. Together, we’re learning about local issues through our Observer Corps and member meeting guest speakers, and about national issues through our committees and State League. Together, we’re promoting democracy in action by registering voters, educating community members about voting rights and providing reliable sources of voter information. Together, we are serving to keep elections reliable and running smoothly by serving as poll workers, poll watchers and canvassers. Together, we’re promoting the adoption of renewable energy in our community, and supporting our local libraries and the freedom to read. And together, we’re having some fun! I am looking forward to the fall League season where we will continue to show up for democracy and for each other. 

Robin Jordan

Voter Services News

National Voter Registration Day: Our League participated in the National Voter Registration Day on September 20, at North Central Michigan College. We greeted hundreds of students and faculty and registered 17 new voters! Thanks to members Lisa Blanchard, Kate Cohen, Connie Doherty, Rose Fitzgerald, Betsy Lawrence and Phyllis Ledyard who made this event happen!

Voter registration: We have launched an effort to provide voter registration and information services at our area Farmers’ Markets.  It’s fun! Lots of people stop by to chat, some want to find out if they are registered, where they vote, etc. It’s easy to help them with the Michigan SOS website, we’ll show you how. We still need volunteers for 10/6 in Charlevoix, 10/8 and 10/15 in Cheboygan,  and 10/15 in Harbor Springs. You can get more information and sign up here:   Thanks to members Susan Baker, Penny Crim, Mary Clinton, Connie Doherty, Rose Fitzgerald, Susan Hannah, Jackie Pierce, Carole Shane and Sue VanDeventer who have participated in these farmers market voter registrations! 

Voter Information in VOTE411:  Our online guide VOTE411.org has information on candidates and ballot proposals available for public review, check it out!  You can go to Vote411.org, type in your mailing address, and see everything that will be on your ballot for the November election. We urge members to tell your family and friends about Vote411. It’s a great tool, with comparison information on the candidates. Yard signs promoting VOTE411 as a source of reliable voting information are available to members at $5.00 per sign donation. Get yours now and you can proudly display it every election year! We ask that no political party or partisan candidate signs are in the same yard as VOTE411 signs.

Printed Voter Guide: Watch for your printed LWVMI voter guide with information on state races and ballot proposals. We are printing an INSERT on our local races that will be placed inside the state guides.

Candidate Meet and Greets: The Voter Services Committee is working on creating a virtual “meet and greets” with candidates recorded statements combined into a video to be shared on our social media for public viewing.

GOTV Postcard Project: A goal of the LWV is to educate voters and encourage voter turnout. Research has shown that handwritten postcards sent to voters had a positive effect on turnout in both the 2018 & 2020 elections. Postcards, a list of people with address, and stamps will be provided. We need 15 members minimum to help write postcards! This is a time limited project running only until October 21st. From the comfort of your own home or at a postcard writing party (to be announced), you can encourage voters to go to the polls November 8th. Want to write some cards? Send an email to info@lwvnlm.org

Volunteer opportunities: 

• Help distribute the printed voter guides

• Place a VOTE411 sign in your yard

• Take a slot registering voters at farmers markets– sign up with a friend!

• Help organize/create the candidate video

• Join the Observer Corp

• Sign up to write postcards

It’s election season and we need as many volunteers as possible. If you are interested in helping in any way with these activities or if you want a yard sign, please contact chair Dibby Smith at 231-881-3804 or dibbys@aol.com

Thank you to everyone who has signed up for training to work this season’s elections! Hats off to all of you  - Penny Crim, Christine Gebhard, Susan Hannah, Ethel Larsen, Phyllis Ledyard, Eileen Mikus, Jackie Pierce, Caroline & Dave Penniman, Dibby Smith, and Cherly Staats and Verle Hansen for your service! If you have taken the training in the last few months and/or are working the election and do not see your name, please email Sue VanDeventer susan.vandevener@gmail.com

Environmental & Natural Resources News

2nd Annual Solar Tour: The Environment Committee of LWVNLM collaborated with Groundwork and Michigan Interfaith Power and Light to bring the 2nd Solar Tour to the Petoskey area and it was another success!

The weather cooperated and approximately 30 people toured the new solar arrays installed in 2022 in the neighborhood near Petoskey High School as part of last year’s Solar Tour Group-Buy offer!  Student volunteers from the PHS Sustainability Club helped to serve as guides.  At the follow-up meeting at City Hall, Shane Horn, the new Petoskey City Manager, spoke about the accomplishments and the goals that the city has for Clean Energy.  Information was also presented about the Access MI Solar Group-Buy being offered by Groundwork in 2023.  We are excited that many more people were interested in adding solar power to their homes or businesses and hope to surpass the 13 new sites that were added in 2022!

Thanks to Penny Crim, Nancy Dwan, Mary Netzky, Marcia Meyer and Kevin Meyer who made this event happen!

The ENR Committee is also planning a Rain Garden Tour for spring of 2023.  Rain gardens are beneficial for many reasons: they reduce and filter runoff, they encourage increase wildlife and biodiversity and can create aesthetic landscapes. Participants will learn about rain gardens and participate in a self-guided tour of Petoskey area rain gardens. The committee is also looking at how neighboring areas are supporting their municipalities with tree councils and citizen involvement relating to the trees in our community.  

Anyone wishing to join us on these topics or other environment concerns can join our meetings on the second Tuesday of each month at 2:00.  Email co-chair Marcia Meyer marciakmeyer@gmail.com or Ann Scott alscott2050@gmail.com for the meeting link.

Healthcare Committee News

The price of prescription drugs is one of the most contentious and misunderstood issues in health care. We are planning a public forum via Zoom scheduled for January 11th  2022, which will focus on the opaque and complicated issue of the cost of prescription drugs.  Several experts in the topic have been invited to present, details will be forthcoming!

Welcome to our newest committee member Deanna Kosinski.  The next Health Care Committee meeting is Thursday, October 6th, 10 am via Zoom, all are welcome to join, email co-chair Eileen Mikus eileen.mikus@gmail.com or Patty Fralick plfralick@gmail.com for the meeting link.

Membership News

Welcome new members  Julie Shea DePudt, Elizabeth Lohman, and Christine Gebhard & Tom Renes! We now stand at 91 members.

An in-person member and friends event is scheduled for November 16, save the date! Time to meet and greet old LWVNLM friends and make some new ones! Details including time and location are still being finalized in the Membership Committee.

The LWVNLM member renewal campaign starts in October. Please be on the lookout for the renewal letter in your email and respond quickly. 

The next Membership Committee meeting is September 28 at 3:00 via Zoom.  All are welcome! Contact chair Ethel Larsen at larseneu@gmail.com if you would like to attend.

A Push to Ban Books is Sweeping the Country

In the ever -worsening culture wars, schools and libraries have emerged as the new battlefields. Almost every day we read about another actual or threatened book ban in a school or public library. Conservative donors and organizations have drafted model legislation and providing playbooks on what gets banned and how to do it.  According to PEN, a group that advocates for free speech and literature, 41% of books banned in the 12 months have LGBTQ+ themes or characters, 40% have non-white characters, and 21% address the issue of race and class (read more from PEN). We are certainly not immune to these threats to freedom of expression here in Northern Michigan. Our own library has been the target of calls to remove select books from their shelves. What can we do?

• Learn about the groups pushing for banning books.

• Our League already has a published Letter to the Editor on Book Banning. Read here

• Attend our next public forum on Wednesday 10/12 5:30-6:30 on Book Banning and Democracy : Historical and Current Perspectives. Learn about book censorship in history the relationship to the democracy and the First Amendment from speakers Charles McCaffery, NCMC History professor, and Valerie Meyerson, Director of the Petoskey District Library. Register here. The link for the Zoom public forum will be sent to all members several days prior.

• Support our schools and public libraries. Show up to school board meeting and local township meetings where library funding is determined. The most potent voices in opposing censorship are local. Read more about what you can do.

Northern Michigan and Upper Pennisula Network

Six Leagues located in Michigan’s northern lower and upper peninsulas met on Zoom on September 13 to share common challenges and share suggestions for how to meet them. Copper Country, Delta County, Eastern Lower Peninsula, Marquette, and Northern Lower Michigan attended and Darlene Allen, past president of LWV Marquette, led the discussion.

The group plans to meet quarterly on Zoom. If you would like to join these quarterly meetings to brainstorm with other Northern Leagues, send a note to info@lwvnlm.org

Want to Counter Mis and Dis Information?

Misinformation and disinformation have a foothold in today’s public discourse. It can be frustrating to hear continued outright lies on issues such as voting security and the January 6th insurrection, for example,  and even more difficult to know how to respond.  The LWV has sponsored the Democracy Truth Project and part of the project is the creation of a presentation on how to respond.  Consider spending 1 hour viewing this presentation on how to counter dis and misinformation, it’s totally worth it. Click here 

Member Appreciation

LWVNLM are highlighted in our newsletter. This helps us get to know each other better in an era when we conduct much of our business remotely. This quarter, we are getting to know two members who are active in local government.

Holly Angileri

I was raised in a small town and never really felt comfortable in a city. When it was time to settle down, my husband and I moved north with our three children.  Now all 3 live elsewhere: Japan (with my 3 grandchildren), Louisville and Chicago.  It was quite a privilege to be an at home mom for my family.  I think the kids turned out delightful even with my constant presence.  In return they have provided me many travel opportunities and I am grateful their doors are always open.

When the League of Women Voters announced its first meeting in Petoskey to form a local chapter, I was over the moon. The League has an incredible reputation for integrity, impartiality and information.  Unfortunately, due to other commitments I was unable to attend that meeting.  Time passed, schedules and commitments changed.  Dibby Smith recruited me to her Voter Services committee, I jumped at the opportunity to finally join the League of Women Voters. I continue to be impressed with the focus and work our local chapter accomplishes: observing local elections, providing pertinent information to voters and holding all levels of government to the highest standards.  The League is a beacon in these challenging times, providing clarity and consistency to our communities.  Attributes that benefit everyone.

Before I joined the LWVNLM, I was a member of the township planning commission and had been attending  Resort Township Trustee board meetings for a few years.  In 2020 I decided it was time to get more involved and I ran for township trustee.  I was overwhelmed by the support I received from friends and neighbors. Accessibility, transparency, fiscal responsibility and doing what’s best for our residents, even if it is more work for the board, are important goals for me, as a trustee.  

At the beginning of my term, I shadowed existing board members to better understand their day-to-day responsibilities and the nitty gritty of running the township.  This was very helpful, much of the work happens behind the scenes not at the monthly board meetings.

I endeavor to share information and am always recruiting new faces to bring more people to the table.  Everyone’s viewpoint matters and should be heard and respected.  The area has changed considerably since I moved here in 1993, it is continuing to change. We must adapt and continue to plan for an unknown future.

Katie Parker

I grew up on a farm in southwest Michigan several miles from the town of PawPaw.  My mother was a teacher with a long career that began in one room country schools, transitioning later to a 7th grade classroom.  My father, a fulltime farmer, served 27 years as township supervisor. Both parents, as well as older sisters throughout their lives, demonstrated the importance of community responsibility, activism and service. In 1966 I graduated from MSU, soon marrying a fellow MSU grad, Tom Parachini. We moved to Washington DC, where Tom completed a law degree, while I worked at the Foreign Area Studies Division of American University. During the subsequent four years that Tom served in the US Army JAG Corps, there were more relocations, before settling as new homeowners with two young children in the city of Kalamazoo. In 1977, I entered a graduate program at Western Michigan University, with a dual focus on North American archaeology and paleoethnobotany. Concurrently, I met a number of new friends who happened to be active in the local LWV and encouraged her to join. Soon I was involved in voter registration drives, election observers and candidate forums. Fifty years later, several of those Kalamazoo LWV members, among them Susan Hannah, are still counted as dear friends! For a couple of years, along with parenting, grad school and the LWV, I was appointed to the Kalamazoo zoning board of appeals, and served a term as vice chair of the Kalamazoo County Republican Party. 

The early 1980s brought big changes with completion of a Master’s Degree, a divorce and a move to central Illinois, where I was employed by the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign. My first position with the state archaeological survey program provided critical introduction to Illinois regional geography, but within a year I became director of the paleoethnobotany lab. In 1984, my second husband, Bert Ebbers, and I, moved to northern Michigan, where two more children were born in 1986 and 1988. Our family settled for good at the northeast end of Burt Lake near the University of Michigan Biological Station. 

I continued to work as a consulting paleo-ethnobotanist, employed by archaeologists to identify and interpret plant remains recovered from excavations in areas of mid-latitude North America. 

I wanted to better understand issues that were important to my neighbors and community so started attending Burt Township Board and Planning Commission meetings. In 2016 I decided to run for local elective office as a candidate for township trustee. The job of trustee includes participation in all board meetings and “fiduciary responsibility to manage the affairs of the township in the best interests of the public”. I was re-elected for a second term in 2020.

Because of my long-ago Kalamazoo LWV experience, it was exciting to learn that there was to be a new northern Michigan chapter initially sponsored by Leelanau LWV.  For me, awareness of LWV voter education and outreach has led me to explore how I might, as an elected local official, contribute to the best interests of township residents.

LWVMI State News

Nothing Normal in 2022 Midterms

In 2022, there is nothing normal about the midterm elections. The amount of mis-and disinformation that circulates on a daily basis has created a whole new dimension of work for the League. But because we’re determined to continue educating people about the truth, LWVMI and all of our local Leagues have a list of educational events in the next 2 months. We are proud that our members are so committed to spreading trustworthy information to Michigan voters. 

Some upcoming LWVMI events

Oct. 5:  LWVMI is hosting a panel discussion with election experts to explain the process of certifying elections in Michigan. The recording of this event will be available to all Leagues and to the public the following day. It is our hope that this event, to which members of the press are invited, will result in news articles about the importance of this piece of our democracy.  Watch for details in an email from LWVMI.

Nov. 9:  LWVMI will begin the county Board of Canvasser observation program. It will be an "all hands-on deck" effort as we are trying to cover as many of Michigan’s 83 counties as possible. Our BOC program has gained notoriety since it began in 2020, and our election protection partners rely on the League to monitor the BOC as they complete their work. Watch for a sign-up notice in a few weeks and help us with this important work. No experience is necessary, but as before, all observers will be asked to attend a training session. 

-- Paula Bowman, LWVMI Co-President

Conference - Restoring Lake Michigan: Her Past, Present & Future

The League of Women Voters Lake Michigan Region invites you to attend the 2022 Annual Meeting and Conference, taking place Friday and Saturday, October 21-22, in Sheboygan, Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Michigan at the beautiful Blue Harbor Resort. The conference and annual meeting will be offered in a hybrid format. All members and friends are invited to attend, especially those with an interest in environmental policies impacting the Great Lakes Region. 

Attend in-person or via Zoom* 

• In-person registration is $135 for both days, through September 30 ($145 thereafter)

• $70 for either the Friday or Saturday session through September 30 ($80 thereafter)

• On-line attendance for both days is $30; field trips are not available online.

• Discounted rooms are $149 per night

• A discounted room block of 30 rooms is available until September 23. 

Conference and lodging details: https://files.constantcontact.com/c57e4575101/eb40e66d-c535-4b14-b436-57b556374982.pdf?rdr=true 

Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lwvlmr-2022-annual-meeting-and-conference-in-person-tickets-406914420987 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lwvlmr-2022-annual-meeting-and-conference-on-line-tickets-415475397097 

LWVNLM Board of Directors

President: Robin Jordan, 2022-2024

Vice President: Eileen Mikus, 2021-2023

Secretary: Penny Crim, 2022-2024

Treasurer: Jessica Shaw-Nolff, 2021-2023

Directors:

Susan Hannah, 2021-2023

Ethel Larsen, 2021-2023

Marcis Meyer, 2021-2023

Ann Scott, 2022-2024

Dibby Smith, 2021-2023

Committee Chairs

Environment and Natural Resources: Marcia Meyer & Ann Scott

Membership: Ethel Larsen

Health Care: Patty Fralick & Eileen Mikus

Contact the LWVMI

info@lwvnlm.org

LWVNLM.org

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