Fall edition of the Northern Voter

Fall Edition 2023

President Notes

The League of Women Northern Lower Michigan has hit the ground running this fall with activities to further the mission of empowering voters and defending democracy. Talking with voters, registering new voters, informing our communities about the new voting laws that will take effect in 2024, observing local governmental meetings, informing the public about Solar Energy options, hosting candidate forums and putting together expert-panel public forums. A huge THANK YOU to so many of you who have volunteered to help with any aspect of these activities! These events only happen because of you, our member volunteers.

The upcoming 2024 election cycle will be a busy one. Your League is already preparing to be well positioned to provide accurate voting and candidate information, combat disinformation, register voters and help our county and township clerks as they navigate the new voting changes. We’re participating in 2 LWVMI grants to promote turnout in local elections and to inform the public about the expanded voting laws enacted with the passage of Prop 2. See our calendar section for the details.

We all learned that democracy is not a spectator sport. I imagine many of you are ‘politically fatigued”, and I hear you. We’ve been working hard and there’s still more work to be done. But you don’t have to do everything; you can do just one thing. You can work a 2-hour shift at the polls or a voter registration table, volunteer to bring refreshments to one of our events, put a Vote411 sign in your yard when election season approaches, attend a committee meeting to learn more about issues important to you, and tell your friends why you joined the League. There are many ways to support League activities that don’t take a lot of time or money. Your participation in the League, no matter the amount, contributes to the LWV mission and will make a difference!

Robin

Upcoming Events

The calendar reflects the dates of our meetings and events, with some of the programming still in development. Our website calendar will be updated as each event is finalized. Our meetings and public forums continue to be held on the 2nd Wednesday of every month, time TBD.

October 2023

October is Voter Education Month

October 2-6: National Voter Education Week & High School Voter Registration Week

October 9: Indigenous People’s Day

October 11: Mental Health Issues and Services in Northern Michigan Public Forum

October 16: LWVNLM Presentation on expanded voting rights to Charlevoix Lions Club

October 19-20: Voter registration and Information Beards Brewery 7-9 pm

October 25: Boyne City Commission candidate forum at East Jordan Chamber of Commerce

October 26: Vote Early Day

October 27: VOTE411's 17th Birthday

October 30: Boyne City Commission candidate forum at Boyne City Library

November 2023

November is Native American Heritage Month

November 6: LWVNLM BOD meeting 9-10:30 am, members are welcome to attend

November 7: ELECTION DAY local races in Charlevoix, Cheboygan and Emmet Counties

November 8: Board of Canvassers Observation

November 8: LWVNLM Meeting at the LTBB Tribal Center 5:30-7:30 pm

November 29: LWVNLM Presentation on expanded voting rights to Cheboygan Rotary Club

December 2023

December is family and holiday time!

December 5: LWVNLM Presentation on expanded voting rights to Emmet Sunrise Rotary Club

December 6: Annual Members and Friends Holiday Party Crooked Tree Arts Center 5:30-7 pm

December 11: LWVNLM BOD meeting 9-10:30 am, members are welcome to attend

Voter Registration Events: While we haven’t risen to Taylor Swift levels (where over 30,000 new voters registered at her prompting!) we had great success with LWVNLM visibility and engaging voters at multiple events this fall.

We had LWVNLM tables at the Water is Life Festival on September 2nd and at the Harvest Festival in Boyne City. The events were well attended and many voters approached our volunteers for voting information and for our LWVNLM cards with the registration QR code.

We participated in National Voter Registration Day on September 18th and 19th at NCMC. We had a great time supporting back-to-school activities by registering new voters, answering voting questions and sharing our LWVNLM cards with QR codes that enables students to register to vote on their own time, check their voting status and find out where they vote.

We held a 2-day evening voter registration event at Beards Brewery highlighting our efforts to engage younger voters. Beards was very welcoming, giving us 25% off coupons for those stopping by! We even had an afternoon at Roast and Toast handing out voter information/registration cards. Every person we register and every voter we assist in understanding the voting process is a success and contributes to an engaged voter!

Thank you to Voter Registration volunteers: Joanne Astolfi, Lisa Blanchard, Mary Clinton, Penny Crim, Rose Fitzgerald, Beth Freeman, Christine Gebhard, Phyllis Ledyard, Marcia Meyer, Emily Meyerson, Eileen Mikus, Jackie Pierce, Dibby Smith, Carole Shane, Peggy Swenor, Sue VanDeventer.

Candidate Forums: We have planned three candidate forums this local election season. The best part is that our League was approached by other agencies to conduct the forums, because, “the LWV is the expert in doing these”! There are local races in Charlevoix, Emmet and Cheboygan counties that include city council and city commissioner and other local official races, as well as some school bonds and road proposals. Local races matter!

Thank you to volunteers: Penny Crim, Emily Meyerson and Dibby Smith for organizing and implementing the candidate forums!

New Voting Laws Public Education: All local Michigan Leagues have been tasked with educating our communities about the expansion of voting rights under Prop 2- 2022, and we’re doing our part! We have 3 civic group presentations planned for this year and 1 so far for next year. Thank you to Dibby Smith, Emily Meyerson, and Eileen Mikus for speaking at these events!

What’s on the Ballot November 7th? Find out at VOTE411! Click here to learn about the Petoskey School Bond proposal, the City of Petoskey Ward races, the Boyne City Commission races and other local elections occurring November 7th! Send the link to your friends, and be an informed and prepared voter before going to the polls. Thank you to Nancy Byers, Penny Crim, Rose Fitzgerald, Christine Gebhard, Susan Hannah, Eileen Mikus, Maureen Radke, Karen Ragland, Sue VanDeventer for your work on this valuable resource!

Please contact Voter Services Chair, Dibby Smith at dibbys@aol.com to learn more about joining voter service activities or if you have a related idea that you want to share.

Observer Corps: Our Observer Corp is growing! We now have observers in all 3 counties we serve. Currently, we observe meetings of the Emmet County Commission, Boyne City Commission, Petoskey City Council, Petoskey Public Schools, Bear Creek Township, Harbor Springs City Council, Petoskey District Library, Pellston School Board, and The Health Department of Northwest Michigan. Reports from these meetings are found on our website, and updated monthly.

We need Observers in Cheboygan and Indian River. Attend one meeting a month or join with buddy and split the time. If you are interested, please contact Penny Crim at paigeacrim@charter.net

The ENR committee hosted a table at the Water is Life Festival at the Petoskey waterfront on September 2nd and had fun talking with voters and handing out League information. Thanks Pam Carpenter, Marcia Meyer, Mary Clinton, Mary Netzky for staffing the event.

We hosted a Solar Celebration at The Back Lot in Petoskey on September 24th, in collaboration with Groundwork. There was a great turnout of people interested in learning more about solar energy and there was significant interest in another group solar buy. Thanks to the Back Lot for the drinks and tacos!

The ENR committee is currently discussing sewer ordinances in our communities, which can significantly impact the health of our waters. Surprisingly, the Great Lakes State of Michigan is THE ONLY state that does not have statewide regulations for sewers. Click here to learn more. They are also looking into carbon emissions and emergency climate plans. Please contact Marcia Meyer marciakmeyer@gmail.com or Ann Scott alscott2050@gmail.com if you’d like to learn more.

The ERA committee met in person in September and on ZOOM this month. We are hosting the March forum and had discussions on our topic of the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) report and how it affects women in our community. We will be meeting again, on ZOOM November 30th at 10am for more discussion, and as always supporting and keeping an eye on the status of the Equal Rights Amendment. Follow efforts at the ERACoalition.org.

Contact Jessica Shaw-Nolff at jnolff6@gmail.com, if you’re interested in joining our committee.

LWVNLM Member-only Program and Meeting LTBB Odawa Tribal Government Center

You won’t want to miss our next meeting where we’ll hear from Tribal Chairperson Regina Gasco-Bentley and Historian & Archivist Eric Hemenway! We’ll learn about tribal governance, the many services provided in our community, and how the tribe was formed. If you’ve never been to this beautiful facility, you’re in for a treat! A brief member meeting will follow. Refreshments will be provided. Please join us as we learn about our Odawa neighbors!

November 8th, 5:30-7pm. 7500 Odawa Circle, Harbor Springs, MI 49740

While not required to attend, we kindly ask you to register here so we can plan for food.

REGISTER

We’re excited to have Andrea Coronado join our communications team next month! Andrea will coordinate the publicity of our events and help devise strategies to increase the reach of our League activities.

We have an active presence on Facebook and Instagram where we post our activities, voting facts and other messages. If you are using these platforms, please “follow” so you get the posts in your feed, and then click “like” on each post as every click boosts the algorithms that spread our posts. “Share” a post to your own page and even more people will see it!

Algorithms are powerful and we can use them to get our message out there. These small actions can help counteract dis-and misinformation as we approach November 2024 election cycle.

holiday invite red gold wildlife theme

Annual Membership Renewal

If you received a dues notice in your email, its time for your annual dues’ renewal. Our bylaws state that dues are payable by October 31st. The dues’ structure is the same as it’s been for the last 5 years.

$70.00 - Individual Membership
$90.00 - Household Membership - 2 people same household
$5.00 - Student Membership

Confidential financial assistance is available to any member. Please renew when you receive your dues’ email (and miss out on the reminder letters!).

Payment can be made by Venmo @lwvnlm, PayPal or send a check to LWVNLM, PO Box 795, Petoskey, MI 49770

Welcome to Merry Baxter, Karen Cole, Andrea Coronado, Pamela Pynnonen-Moyer and Karen Ragland! As a member, you have access to the “members only” page, and receive LWVNLM newsletters and our quarterly Northern Voter via email.

We’re hosting four new-member Meet and Greet gatherings this fall on two dates:

Oct. 30th & Nov. 1st

10am, Roast & Toast , 309 E. Lake Street, Petoskey
4pm, Palette Bistro, 321 Bay Street, Petoskey

Join us for coffee or wine to meet other new members and learn more about our local League what we are doing, and how you can become involved. Click here to register.

Our T-shirt Campaign is Back!

Did you miss out on our last t-shirt campaign? Choose from 4 different styles and 6 colors of LWVNLM t-shirts and sweatshirts and show your proud support of “empowering voters and defending democracy”! We earn close to $5.00 for each item sold.

The campaign closes November 2nd so order now!

ORDER YOURS NOW

Linda Yaroch

I joined the League this spring to work with other women to advance a better understanding of the facts as they relate to elections, health and science. I was introduced to the League through Patty Fralick, a well know advocate and friend of the same interest. I am retired from the Health Department of Northwest Michigan after working as a public health nurse and administrator for over 40 years. My husband, John, and I live in Charlevoix and have 2 children with families who live in Traverse City. We enjoy our 4 grandchildren, friends, boating and spending 3 months a year on Anna Maria Island in the winters.

I have enjoyed getting to know new friends and reconnecting with old friends through the League and the Healthcare Committee! Thank you for the opportunity and the great work of the League!

Carole Shane

I’m a newer member of LWVNLM and an even newer member of your Board of Directors. I was invited to join the League by friend and former colleague, Penny Crim, and it did not take much convincing on her part. I believe strongly in democracy and have become acutely aware of the need to strengthen our democracy through expanding and improving access to voting for all citizens. Fact-based information on the voting process, candidates and ballot initiatives is crucial for an engaged and informed electorate, so rather than complain, I decided to get involved. LWVNLM was a logical choice!

I’ve lived in Northern Michigan since 1978 with my spouse, Michael Shell. My career as a Speech-Language Pathologist allowed me to work in the public schools (28 years with Char-Em) and later in healthcare (McLaren Northern Michigan). Now retired, I spend my time biking, hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in this beautiful area. I’m an avid reader of history and politics and an aspiring pianist. Fun fact: Certified Nurse-Midwife, Robin Jordan helped me deliver my son in 1993!

The LWVMI Advocacy section is very active right now! Read here to find current legislation being watched, learn which bills the LWVMI supports and opposes.

The LWVMI supports the National Popular Vote. The LWVMI supports House Bill 4156 and Senate Bill 126, which are in their second reading in committee and are apparently stuck there. Contact your Representative or Senator and let them know you'd like to see it brought to a vote this session. Here's a link to a recent Bridge Magazine article authored by our LWVMI co-presidents, Paula Bowman and Denise Hartsough, about the importance of having a National Popular Vote.

Did you know there LWVMI hosts regular meeting on topics of interest to the League? These advocacy groups learn and discuss their topic and investigate policy changes to support democracy. All members can join any meeting to learn more about the topic and LWV actions.

Money in Politics Advocacy Group: Meets monthly, 2nd Thursday at 7 pm via Zoom. Click here for the group website page and how to join a meeting.
Firearms Safety Network: Meets monthly, 2nd Tuesday at 7 pm via Zoom. Contact: Christina Schlitt bcschlitt@aol.com
Environment Network: Meets monthly via Zoom. Click here for group website and how to join a meeting.

“Action Alerts” is the tool the LWVMI uses to engage members statewide in advocacy. This 3 minute video explains the power of Action Alerts in accomplishing the League's mission.

There are FOUR action alerts active right now on the following issues: mental health, protecting victims of domestic violence, clean energy, and reproductive health. If you missed those recent emails, click here to contact your elected representative on issues important to you.

The John R. Lewis Voter Registration Act HR 14 has been reintroduced in Congress. This bill will fully restore and modernize the Voting Rights Act. League members are asked to contact their Representatives to urge passage to protect voting rights. It’s easy - CLICK here and type in your name and address, and in less than a minute Representative Bergman will receive your email.

Committee Chairs and Meeting Times

Observer Corp Chair: Penny Crim, paigecrim@charter.net. Meet as needed.

Health Care Committee Chairs: Patty Fralick, plfralick@gmail.com and Eileen Mikus, eileen.mikus@gmail.com. Meet 1st Thursday of the month, 10:00am.

Environment & Natural Resources Committee Chairs: Marcia Meyer, marciakmeyer@gmail.com and Ann Scott, alscott2050@gmail.com. Meet 2nd Tuesday of the month, 2:00pm.

Equal Rights Advocacy Chair: Jessica Shaw-Nolff, jnolff6@gmail.com. Meet 3rd Thursday of the month, time varies. Check events page.

Membership Committee Chair: Mary Netzky (lead), mary.netzky@gmail.com. Meet 2nd Monday of the month, 3:30

Voter Services Committee Chair: Dibby Smith, dibbys@aol.com. Meet 2nd Friday of the month, 10:00am

LWVNLM Board of Directors

President: Robin Jordan, 2022-2024

First Vice President: Lisa Blanchard, 2023-2025

Vice President: Eileen Mikus, 2023-2025

Secretary: Penny Crim, 2022-2024

Treasurer: Jessica Shaw-Nolff, 2023-2025

Directors:

Katie Parker, 2023-2025

Carole Shane, 2023-2025

Marcia Meyer, 2023-2025

Ann Scott, 2022-2024

Dibby Smith, 2023-2025

Susan VanDeventer, 2022-2024