| BE INVOLVED
DEI&Justice Book Group: Mecca
Water in Thurston County: Study Consensus Meetings
August 15 Walk with the League
Tour of the Nisqually Indian Reservation
Save the Date: New Member Orienation and Refresher
Coffee with the League | |
YWCA Racial Justice Movie Night
Partnering with the Auditor’s Office at Community Voter Registration Events
Gladys Burns Hope & Opportunity Scholarship
City of Lacey’s Commission on Equity COE) Wants to Hear from You!
Local Off-Year Elections Matter!
Why Are LWV Forums Important? | | | | YWCA Racial Justice Event Series: Film Screening and Community Conversation, August 5 from 3:00-6:00 pm at the Olympia Center. Join League members in viewing, Since I Been Down, a powerful documentary about the impacts of 3-strikes laws on families and communities—and especially BIPOC populations.
Let’s Talk about Race Book Group - Mecca by Susan Straight - August 8 from 2:00-4:00 pm at the home of Susan Fiksdal.
Walk with the League, August 15 at 1:00 pm at the Port of Olympia Billy Frank Jr. Trail.
Tour of the Nisqually Indian Reservation, August 16, 1:00-4:00 pm. RSVP at event@lwvthurston.org. | | Water Study Consensus Meeting, August 22 from 3:00-5:00 pm at the Lacey Timberland Library, 500 College St. SE, Lacey. All LWVTC members are invited and encouraged to attend.
Volunteer to help with the 2023 General Election Candidate Forums, September 16 and 17. Contact Karen Tvedt or Shelley Kneip.
New member orientation and refresher, September 23 from 4:00-6:00 pm, Panorama’s Pavilion Building, 1716 Sleater-Kinney Rd SE, Lacey.
Coffee and Breakfast with the League: Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am at River’s Edge Restaurant, Tumwater.
| | | Let’s Talk about Race Book Group
August 8, 2:00 pm
We are currently reading Mecca by Susan Straight. We will meet at the home of Susan Fiksdal. For more information, contact Annie Cubberly. Please join us!
Books we have read:
Our Missing Hearts, Celeste Ng
Horse, Gwendolyn Brooks
Deacon King Kong, James McBride
Trailblazing Black Women of WA, Marilyn Morgan
On Juneteenth, Annette Gordon-Reed
The Sum of Us, Heather McGhee
Against Civility, Alex Zamalin
The Trouble with White Women, Kyla Schuller
Murder at the Mission, Blaine Harden
The Night Watchman, Louise Erdrich | | | Water in Thurston County: Study Consensus Meetings
Invitation to all LWVTC members
As we all know, water is life. The Thurston LWV Water Committee has been working on water-related issues for many years, including putting on seven public educational forums on water. These efforts build on the LWVTC’s first water study which was completed in 2008.
The Water Committee’s most recent product is an update to the 2008 Water Study, Thurston County’s Freshwater Future: Adaptation Will be a MUST. It is the culmination of years of work and is now ready for membership review and consensus. You can find the study here.
Under LWV guidelines, once a study is complete, the membership is invited to participate in the consensus process to develop LWV positions. This process will take place in August. Here is the schedule:
- At 10:00 am, August 15, the water study will be the topic for Coffee with the League. Members can join and talk about the study and get ready for the Consensus Meeting. Everyone is invited. This will be at River’s Edge Restaurant, 4611 Tumwater Valley Dr. SE, Tumwater.
- From 3:00-5:00 pm, August 22, the Consensus Meeting will be held at the Lacey Timberland Library, 500 College Street SE Lacey. All LWVTC members are invited and encouraged to attend. For members unable to attend in person, there will be a hybrid option. Watch for further information. Please join and add your voice to the consensus process and the Thurston League’s positions on water in our area.
|  | Walk with the League - August 15 | | Walk with the League is a great way to explore the area and get to know each other socially and get some exercise!
Meet at the Billy Frank Jr. Trail within Port of Olympia property – not to be confused with the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge - at 1:00 pm, August 15. We will start at the Port’s boat launch parking lot, adjacent to the KGY radio station (1700 Marine Dr. NE, Olympia 98501). Questions or other walk suggestions? Contact membership@LWVthurston.org. | | | | This 1.2-mile waterfront trail honors Nisqually environmental leader and treaty rights activist Billy Frank, Jr. The trail runs from the intersection of East Bay Drive and Olympia Avenue to the scenic Billy Frank Jr. Park. It provides information about local Tribes, native plants, and salmon—with stops in between at historic sites, public art, small parks, Percival Landing, the farmers market, and other downtown locales.
Website: portolympia.com/community/places-and-spaces
For more information, see the Port of Olympia Billy Frank Jr. Waterfront Trail/Park Website here. | | | Tour of the Nisqually Indian Reservation
By the LWVTPC Tribal Study Committee
League members, family, and friends are invited to tour the Nisqually Reservation and visit the Indian Community. An enthusiastic Chairman Frank extended this special invitation last spring during an exchange at the Centennial Accord Forum, organized by the LWVTC Tribal Study Committee.
Courtesy of Nisqually Chairman Willie Frank III
1:00-4:00 pm, Wednesday August 16. Please RSVP by August 11.
4820 She-Nah-Num Drive SE, Olympia
We are accepting this kind offer and joining him and other tribal members on the tour. There is plenty of parking in front of the Administration Building; however, we encourage carpooling. You might consider meeting up at the Martin Way Park & Ride for carpooling purposes. Please RSVP by August 11 to event@lwvthurston.org and tell us how many will be attending . The Tribe will be providing vans for the tour and would like an estimate.
In addition to a tour of several of the facilities including the Tribal Health Clinic, Youth Center, Library, etc., there will be some time for questions around topics of interest, such as: the new Nisqually Healing Center (focused on substance abuse treatment) to be built on Pacific Avenue in Olympia; recently-passed state legislation and how it will impact the Tribe and its services; and the Tribe’s preferred options regarding the planning and environmental study of the Nisqually Bridge project on I-5 between Marvin and Mounts roads.
Come join us in getting to know our tribal neighbors! | Save the Date: New Member Orientation and Refresher
Saturday, September 23, 4:00-6:00 pm
Where: Panorama’s Pavilion Building
1716 Sleater- Kinney Rd. SE (adjacent to Panorama’s Convalescent & Rehab Center)
Lacey, WA 98503
| | | Meet new members and get your “league on” getting to know each other and engaging your interests and passions to help make our democracy work! More info to come …
| Coffee with the League
Every Tuesday, 10:00 am
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 meet and 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 meeting in person. | | | YWCA Racial Justice Movie Night | The YWCA is honored to continue to amplify the powerful work of local director Dr. Gilda Sheppard and her award-winning documentary, Since I Been Down, on Saturday August 5, 3:00-6:00 pm at The Olympia Center. The film features Kimonti Carter, founder of the T.E.A.C.H. (Taking Education and Creating History), a prisoner-led higher-education program now at three Washington prisons. Kimonti is also a leader in the Black Prisoners’ Caucus and advocate for transformative justice. Following the film screening our YWCA Olympia facilitators will host community discussion around transformative justice and how to continue this work in our community.
Get more information and register here. | Partnering with the Auditor’s Office at Community Voter Registration Events
By Susan Fiksdal
Voter Service members helped staff the County Auditor’s booth two days at Lakefair and one day at the Thurston County Fair. These are great community events where we registered voters, promoted our candidate forums, and recruited more members for the League.
| | | | Thanks to new volunteers Steve Albrecht, Susie Galpern, Christine Garst, Annie Herrera, and Cathy Lake; and our experienced volunteers Barbara Buchan, Vallie Needham, Brenda Paull, Judy Schroeter, and Kate Walsh. Darlene Hein and Carol Goss deserve special mention for helping make Lakefair a success.
Our next tabling event with the Auditor’s Office will be at Harbor Days over Labor Day weekend. Contact me at voterservices@lwvthurston.org if you would like to volunteer, it’s fun!
Watch our Facebook and Instagram pages for information to share with friends and family about being an informed voter!
| | | Gladys Burns Hope & Opportunity Scholarship
A huge thank you to the more than 50 people who attended the Gladys Burns Hope & Opportunity Scholarship fundraiser on July 22 at Karen Fraser’s lovely home. The event was described by one attendee as “One of the most idyllic events that I have ever attended. Women leading and deeply caring for others. A commanding view. Inspiring day.”
As of July 24, more than $14,000 toward our goal of $28,000 had been donated. We’re hoping to get to our goal by Fall so that the money can begin to flow immediately to a student in need. | | | |
You can contribute to this effort as follows:
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By Check – Checks should be made out to the SPSCC Foundation with a note of “Gladys Burns Scholarship” in the memo line or in an included note. Mail checks to: SPSCC Foundation, 2011 Mottman Rd SW, Olympia, WA, 98512.
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By Credit Card – Credit card donations can be made online at: Give Now/SPSCC. In the “Designation List”, choose “Scholarship” and note Gladys Burns in the comments box.
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Additional Options – If you prefer another method of payment (wire transfer, stock transfer, etc.) or would prefer to make a multi-year pledge commitment, you can contact the Foundation at 360-596-5430 or foundation@spscc.edu and Foundation staff will happily assist us.
Pictured at right above are planning group members Pat Dickason, Carol McKinley, Emily Ray, and Karen Verrill. Picture by Rita Robison.
| City of Lacey’s Commission on Equity COE) Wants to Hear from You!
On July 12, the City of Lacey’s Equity Commissioners sponsored a forum to hear from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersexual and asexual (LGBTQIA+) members of our community. Questions and responses invited feedback about what’s needed to be a more welcoming environment. About 40 participants attended, including families and LWVTC members. Here’s a sampling of questions and responses:
How can we create a more welcoming community in Lacey?
- Organize Pride events
- Address lack of diversity of City Council Candidates
- Provide opportunities for families and supporters of LGBTQIA+ people to meet
- Add more physical symbols such as Pride flags and murals reflecting welcome messages
Concerns about racism and inequity in the community?
- Recognize what students are facing in public schools – provide safe spaces for them to share their experiences
- Promote more (diverse) representation in education, health care and law enforcement
- Provide more coordination with other entities beyond Lacey to address homeless crisis - it crosses all city and county boundaries.
How to increase participation from under-represented populations?
- Provide stipend to those volunteering
- Make meetings more family-friendly
- Furnish materials in multiple languages
- Bridge the technology divide – reach more people
- Get more info out about forums
The closing message is that we need to hear more from young people--we need them and we need to learn about their needs so they don’t just fit in--but where they belong and want to stay.
Want to give feedback to Lacey’s COE? COE meetings occur the 4th Monday each month at 5:30 pm in the City Hall Council Chambers. The next meeting is August 28. Get more information here. Written Public Comment may be submitted to the Commission on Equity by emailing COE@ci.lacey.wa.us. For more about this event, also see the Olympian article of July 13 here.
| Local Off-Year Elections Matter!
By Darlene Hein, President
This year is called an “off-year” election since there are no national races on the ballot. Fewer people tend to vote in off-year elections than in years where there is a presidential election or even the midterm for federal congressional seats. It’s easy to see why. Although the presidential election is not until 2024, there is already continuous and endless talk by the media discussing who is running and even where they stand in the polling.
Local politicians and advocates do what they can to get people interested in voting for them with signs popping up in yards and street corners, sign waving events, door-to-door campaigning, political events and forums.
| | | These efforts just don’t signal the same importance as all the media attention on the national races, but the reality is that today more than ever, it is our local elections that affect our daily lives and the livability of our communities. This ranges the quality of the water we shower with in the morning, to how our roads and bridges are maintained, to how good our schools are, to how our public safety entities, fire, ambulance and police, are run. The list goes on and on.
The stakes of local elections might not be as widely reflected in the media, but local elections have real consequences. It is important that our voices are heard. It may take more time and effort to research local candidates and their stances on issues, but the LWV works hard to make that information available to all voters. We need to remind people to be informed and vote in this year’s election. Please take the time to vote and to reach out to your neighbors, friends and family to remind them to vote. | THOUGHTS ON LEAGUE ISSUES
| Why Are LWV Candidate Forums Important?
By Nirja Thaler
Why are LWV Forums important? I asked myself this question on the drive over to watch the Thurston County Commissioner District 5 forum at TCMedia Studios. To be honest, a week prior I hadn’t known what forums were.
I’m a newly admitted student to the University of Washington. I start as a political science major in the Fall. This summer I am interning with the LWVTC. I wanted to work with the LWVTC to learn more about local politics, and there was no better place to start than the candidate forums.
As I soon discovered, in-person forums follow a strict schedule. First, the moderator presents the candidates with an audience-generated question. Then each candidate has one minute to respond. The order of the candidates’ responses rotates. At the end of the forum, each candidate has one minute for a closing speech.
At first, I felt completely out of place. I remember thinking "I’ve never even voted before!" However, as the forums progressed I became increasingly comfortable and even excited to be there. I understood the matter being discussed. I came to realize what issues were most important to me. I got a feel for the candidates and began thinking about who I may vote for. Towards the end, I was even submitting my own questions.
The League forums are about giving candidates the opportunity to appeal to us, and giving us a chance to become more informed and educated about our candidates. Recently, I’ve been talking to friends and family about voting in the primaries. A common theme is people telling me they want to vote, but they don’t know enough about the candidates, and I always tell them to watch the LWVTC forums on YouTube.
Be an informed voter. To learn more about this year’s candidates, visit the LWVTPC YouTube channel here. | 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/ | |