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- Celebrating Eid Al Fitr – the end of Ramadan
- AANHPI Heritage Month Forum
- AANHPI Heritage Celebration
- Alice in Wonderland
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- Let's Talk about Race
- Celebrate Spring by Walking with the League
- Volunteer for the Lacey Spring Fun Fair!
- LWVTC Annual Meeting
- Coffee with the League
- Two-Year Tribal Study Process at the Finish Line
- Seeking Volunteer Writer, Director, and Readers
- In memoriam - Julie Frank
- Thank You. Thank You, Thank You
| | | | LWVWA State Convention, May 5-7 in Pasco, Washington
Alice in Wonderland, May 5-28, Olympia Family Theater
Hunger Walk, May 7, 3:00 pm, at Huntamer Park in Lacey. Benefits the Community Kitchen and Thurston County Food Bank
Let’s Talk about Race Book Group: Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng, May 9, 2:00-4:00 pm, at the Tumwater Public Library
AANHPI Heritage Month Education Forum, May 10, 2023, 6:00-8:00 pm via Zoom
Celebrate Spring by Walking with the League! May 16, 1:00 pm, at Marathon Park
| | AANHPI Heritage Celebration, Saturday, May 20, 11:00 am-4:00 pm, at the Olympia Center
Register Voters at the Lacey Spring Fun Fair! May 20 & 21 at St. Martin’s University
LWVTC Annual Meeting, May 25, 5:30 pm, at the Lacey Community Center, Lacey
Questions for the 2023 LWVTC Candidate Forums? Contact Karen Tvedt or Shelley Kneip
Volunteer for Readers Theater. Project seeks a volunteer writer, director, and readers. See article below for more information and contacts.
Coffee and Breakfast with the League: Tuesday mornings, 10:00 am at River’s Edge Restaurant, Tumwater | | | Celebrating Eid Al Fitr – the end of Ramadan …
The Holiday of Breaking the Fast at the Islamic Center of Olympia - Masjid Al-Nur | Join Us! Get to know a Muslim.
First Friday Open House - every month
What’s the best way to support the local Muslim community? Get to know a Muslim. Here is a site with a great deal of information.
About the mosque:
The Olympia area is home to about 500 American Muslim families. There are about 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide, with about 3.3 million Muslims living in the United States — about 1 percent of the nation’s population. The Islamic Center of Olympia is on land purchased in 1992 by several Cham refugees from Cambodia. The Cham people are an ethnic group from Southeast Asia who practice Islam. Nearly 100,000 Cham people were killed in the mid- to late 1970s during the Cambodian genocide, which was orchestrated by the ruling Khmer Rouge party. About 40 ethnicities are represented at the Islamic Center of Olympia. | AANHPI Heritage Month Forum
May 10, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
You are invited to this panel presentation on May 10 to discuss and present what the different ethnic groups of AANHPIs have experienced in the past, how we are doing, and what the community can do in the future! Through the speakers' presentations and open dialogue, we as a community can participate in this forum to be informed of what AANHPI ethnic groups experienced becoming part of this community in Washington state, and the challenges we have been able to overcome. We also aim to empower everyone with more knowledge and tools to have subsequent constructive conversations in the context of our own unique lived experiences within our communities. Please make time to join us in this virtual conversation!! Questions? Contact us here. Register here. |  | AANHPI Heritage Celebration
Saturday, May 20, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
Olympia Center
222 Columbia St NW, Olympia
Help the Thurston League table at this event or just stop by and say, “hi.”
May 20, in person AANHPI Celebration event at Olympia Center to celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander heritage and cultures with performances, food vendors, arts and crafts, resource tables, and free activities for the entire family. It is an open event so join us please, to celebrate the heritage and the contribution of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in our community! Please join us and help spread the word - Look forward to seeing you! |  | A DEI&J Recommendation: Alice in Wonderland - A New Musical
You are invited to Olympia Family Theater's production of Alice in Wonderland: A New Musical. This is an immersive and modern twist on the beloved story. Suitable for anyone age 5 and older, and written by Lavinia Roberts with music by Ahmed Alabaca, this modern day musical features many of your favorite classic characters – like the Mad Hatter, the Caterpillar, the March Hare and more – while bringing up the maddening themes of environmentalism and climate justice. It runs May 5-28, 2023.
Get tickets and more information here. | | | May is Mental Health Month
Darlene Hein, LWVTC President
Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in May in the United States since 1949. Every day, all over the country and here in our community, people are working on their recovery from a variety of mental health related illnesses, while many more are still seeking their path forward. It always pains me that there are not enough behavioral health services available for them, and even when people can access services what they receive is often inadequate. On the positive side, there has been an increase in recognition and a better understanding of the reality of the needs of people experiencing a mental health problem, whether diagnosed or not. | | | Currently, Washington state ranks 32nd in mental health services for adults and 39th for youth. It is also well known that people who have mental health issues and are poor often end up homeless and involved in the criminal justice system. People with serious mental illness who are jailed experience declines in their mental health and often wait months for court-ordered treatment. They often are released onto the streets without a place to live or to receive needed treatment.
Many people agree about what is needed, including adequate funding for service improvements, the need for a well-supported and trained workforce including peer counselors, along with the integration of all aspects of behavioral and medical health care. The bottom line is that anyone who needs mental health services should have access to them from preventative care to inpatient hospitalization. The League at local, state, and national level supports access to affordable and quality behavioral healthcare for all. |
Let’s Talk about Race
May 9, 2023, 2:00-4:00 pm
Tumwater Public Library
By Annie Cubberly
Our next selection is Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng. Since libraries are central to the story, we will meet at the Tumwater Public Library, 7023 New Market Street.
We are a welcoming group. Please come and share the thoughts and feelings that this book provokes for you. Even if you don’t read the book, you are welcome. I’m loving it on Audio. | | | Our Missing Hearts is an old story made new, of the ways supposedly civilized communities can ignore the most searing injustice. It’s a story about the power—and limitations—of art to create change, the lessons and legacies we pass on to our children, and how any of us can survive a broken world with our hearts intact.
“Thought-provoking, heart-wrenching…I was so invested in the future of this mother and son, and I can’t wait to hear what you think of this deeply suspenseful story!” – Reese Witherspoon
| Celebrate Spring by Walking with the League!
Tuesday, May 16, 1:00pm (after Coffee with the League)
Marathon Park,
by the restrooms at entrance off Deschutes Parkway
1011 Deschutes Parkway SW, Olympia, WA | “We were there – where were you?”
Our scheduled walk on April 18th was too cold and wet – let’s try it again on Tuesday, 5/16 at 1:00pm … same place. | Volunteer for the Lacey Spring Fun Fair!
May 20-21, 2023
By Susan Fiksdal
The Voter Services Committee will have a table to register and pre-register voters at the Lacey Spring Fun Fair: 10am-6pm, Saturday, May 20 and 11am-5pm, Sunday May 21st at St Martin’s University 5300 Pacific Ave. SE in Lacey.
We’ll be inside the Worthington Center in the Kids Space. We need 10 volunteers for two or three-hour shifts. Our focus is to invite kids to vote on their favorite animal and ask teens and adults with them to pre-register and register to vote. This is a large event with food, music, nonprofits, and artisan vendors. It’s relatively quiet inside Kids World and fun talking to kids and their families.
I will provide training if you’ve never tabled before, and I’ll try to pair you with someone who does have experience. To participate, contact Susan here. | LWVTC Annual Meeting
May 25, 2023, 5:30 pm
Lacey Community Center
By Julie Frick
Be sure to mark your calendars for May 25 to attend the Thurston League’s Annual Meeting! It will be held at the Lacey Community Center located at 6729 Pacific Ave S.E. in Lacey, which is situated in the Woodland Creek Community Park. Beginning at 5:30 pm with a chance to socialize and enjoy some light refreshments, the business meeting will commence at 6:00 pm.
On the agenda are the election of new board members and adoption of the proposed Operating and Education Fund budgets. We will also have reports from the committees who have done outstanding work on the Tribal Study, Water Study, Local Good Governance Coalition, and Speak Out for Equity. This will be a chance to learn how you can help keep the League a vital voice in our community.
The meeting agenda and related documents including the proposed budgets will be sent electronically to all members two weeks prior to May 25. The meeting will also be available on zoom. | Coffee with the League
If you haven’t been able to attend Coffee with the League you’re missing out! Every Tuesday morning from 10:00-11:00 am we discuss local Thurston and WA state topics. Come to hear about what’s going on and ways you can influence local issues and state legislation. Contact Paula Holroyde for information about attending in person.
| | | THOUGHTS ON LEAGUE EVENTS
| Two-Year Tribal Study Process at the Finish Line
By Loretta Seppanen for the Tribal Position Committee
Following the League’s process that requires a study and written report, followed by consensus discussion before taking positions on issues, the LWVTC Tribal Position Committee recently finished its work. On April 20, the committee sent seven proposed positions to the LWVTC Board for its consideration. The results of the Board deliberation will be shared at the May 25 annual membership meeting.
Three of the statements proposed by the committee are revisions of existing positions last reviewed 23 years ago:
- Tribal health care
- Sustainable fish and orca management
- Education (in public schools) about tribes
Based on interests local tribes shared with the committee, the committee drafted positions on four new topics:
- Tribal youth attainment of a high school diploma
- Sovereignty and tribal rights to self-governance
- Infrastructure planning
- Local tribal history and awareness of tribal culture
The committee urges members to read the study report that led to these positions. Members can download the study here.
For those wanting to feel comfortable engaging with local tribal members, the committee recommends a recently released, free, self-paced online course (about 20 hours total offered in six units) called The Indian Country 101 developed by The Whitener Group, which is owned by the Squaxin Island Tribe, and the Washington Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. This course will feel different than other diversity, equity, and inclusion training courses for its focus on much you did not know about Washington tribes (after the introduction to U.S. tribal history and law) and for the delightful dry wit of the commentator. Increase your tribal history and culture awareness any time at this link.
The main objective of the Indian Country training series is stated simply to “help you offend Native people 50 percent less and engage with tribes 25 percent more effectively.” | Seeking Volunteer Writer, Director, and Readers
By Loretta Seppanen
The LWVTC DEI&J committee is seeking a volunteer to translate selections from the book, The Untold Story of Women of Color in the League of Women Voters, written by Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins, 2020, into a script for a Readers Theater performance next fall (more information about the book here). The committee also seeks a volunteer Readers Theater director and readers. What is a Readers Theater? Who is Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins? Why is DEI&J undertaking this Untold Story project?
In Readers Theater, readers use only the script and vocal expression to help the audience understand the story. Readers stand in front of microphones and speak directly to the audience, not to the others on stage as they would in a play. Readers Theater brings the written word to life for the audience.
Long-time League member Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins served as President of the LWVUS from 1998 to 2002. She was the first person of color in that leadership role and was among only a small number of women of color to ever serve on the LWV National Board. Her book is based on her research of the LWVUS archives after her tenure as president. The focus of the book is League efforts - and lack of efforts - to promote voting rights for people of color and League leadership from women of color.
The DEI&J committee is undertaking the Untold Story project this summer with a goal of offering an engaging member event next fall. That event will examine the history of exclusion and white centeredness in the LWV, and recent efforts to be more inclusive and diverse.
Volunteer your talents by contacting any project members: Angela Jefferson, Annie Cubberly, Carolyn Byerly, Judith Carter, Kyrian MacMichael, Nicole Miller, or Loretta Seppanen. | In memoriam - Julie Frank
Julie Elizabeth Frank: September 27, 1962 - March 25, 2023
In memoriam and appreciation of Julie Frank, a very thoughtful and generous donor to the Thurston League, who passed away on March 25, 2023. She is survived by her husband, Scott Royer; daughters, Leah and Rebecca Dornfeld; stepson, William Winokur-Royer; father, Herbert Frank; and brother, Richard Frank. She is predeceased by her mother, Barbara Frank, who was an active Pennsylvania League member for many years.
More about Julie’s adventurous and community-driven life can be found here. | | | |
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
We’re grateful to everyone who helped create the April 26 Community Conversation with local leaders on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Racial Justice & Belonging. This includes Lin Crowley, Asian Pacific Islander Coalition South Puget Sound (APIC-SPS), and members of the LWVTC’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Committee.
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We are especially grateful to our moderator and panelists, who include:
- Moderator, Doug Mah SPSCC Trustee, Consultant, Former Mayor of Olympia;
- City of Lacey Commission on Equity: Shannon Kelley-Fong, Assistant City Manager;
- City of Lacey Commission on Equity: Cliff Brown, Chair (2021-2025);
- City of Lacey Commission on Equity: Commissioner Dr. Thelma Jackson (2021-2024);
- City of Olympia Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Social Justice & Belonging: Keli Drake, DEI Coordinator;
- City of Olympia Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Social Justice & Belonging: Tobi Hill-Meyer, DEI Programs Manager she/her;
- City of Tumwater: Mayor Debbie Sullivan, District 6 representative to the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Cabinet;
- Thurston Board of County Commissioners Racial Equity and Inclusion Council: Ramiro Chavez, County Manager; and
- Washington State Office of Public Defense (OPD): W. Larry Jefferson Jr., Director, substituting for Thurston County Office of Public Defense Director, Patrick O’Connor
| EMPOWERING VOTERS. DEFENDING DEMOCRACY.
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
Copyright © 2022, League of Women Voters of Thurston County, Washington
Our mailing address is:
P.O. Box 2203
Olympia, WA 98507
http://www.lwvthurston.org/ | |