April 2022 VOTER - League of Women Voters
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April 2022 VOTER
IN THIS ISSUE:
• Leader's Letter from Cathleen
• Community Conversation on Sustainability, April 21, 4 pm
• "Healing Our Democracy", virtual Town Hall, April 20, 7:30 pm
• Voter Services events and activities - multiple dates!
• Civil Discourse Success at Board of Supervisors
• Pros & Cons: Planning Ahead
• State Healthcare Report Issued
• Hazardous Materials Commission vacancies
• Board Briefs from March Meeting
• Membership Updates and Information
• Calendar of Monthly Board and Action-Advocacy Meetings
• LWVDV Board List
The PDF of this issue is available on the website.
President’s Letter
Hello LWVDV Members!
My name is Cathleen Kirk (some of you may know me as the Membership Chair) and
I’m your PM- or President of the Month - for April.
• April is Black Women’s History Month and what better way to start than
honoring the President’s nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to take the
seat which will be left vacant by Justice Breyer at the end of the current
SCOTUS term. If her nomination is confirmed by the Senate (vote is due on
April 4), Judge Brown Jackson would be the first Black woman to hold a seat on
the highest court in the United States. As Vice President Kamala Harris noted,
Judge Brown Jackson “stands on the shoulders of giants.”
• One of those giants is, of course, the Vice President herself
as the first woman and Black woman to hold the
office. From Ida B. Wells to Ruby Bridges, who is still an
activist today, and so many more, April is a good month to
learn more about these trailblazers. Good for kids, but also
for adults who like to read about important figures and
unsung heroes, Women in Black History: Stories of
Courage, Faith, and Resilience (Williams Jackson) is a
good choice as is Righteous Discontent: The Women’s
Movement in the Black Baptist Church, 1880–
1920 (Higginbotham).
[Photo: Lydia Flood Jackson, Oakland suffrage leader –
see more on our webpage]
• Your League is in full gear preparing voters for the upcoming mid-term
elections: the California Statewide Primary Election on June 7, 2022, and the
General Election on November 8, 2022. We need volunteers to help with
upcoming Candidate Forums for the Primary election. See the
article Election Season is a Busy Time for All below for details. Contact Martha
Goralka at voter.services@lwvdv.org for more information and training -- this is
a great opportunity to learn more about the candidates while helping the League
and voters.
• An Election Reminder: April 5, 2022 Special Primary
Election, Assembly District 11. District 11 includes parts of Contra Costa,
Solano and Sacramento Counties* This is a special primary to fill the Assembly
seat vacated by Jim Frazier in December 2021. For more
information: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/2022-ad11
* Antioch, Brentwood, Discovery Bay, Oakley and 22% of Pittsburg.
As always, there are several articles and dates to note in this April issue of the Voter –
please do read all issues fully and see where you might want to plug in as a volunteer
for any of our activities and events. If you don’t know where to start, you may email us
at lwvdv@lwvdv.org and someone will follow up as soon as possible. And anyone can
contact me at membership@lwvdv.org; if I don’t know the answer, I’ll find someone
who does.
Yours in League,
Cathleen
LWVDV Voter April 2022 2
All Hands on Deck: A Path to Our Sustainable Future
Thursday, April 21, 2022, 4:00-5:30 pm
We live in a climate-changing world. For Californians, year-round wildfires, a mega-drought
and looming sea level rise paint the picture. You may have also seen it in the changes in your
garden or the increasing number of trees dying from
beetle bark infestations.
During our pandemic, in September 2020, the Contra
Costa Board of Supervisors declared our County was in
a climate emergency.
This is not just an emergency about our climate: over
29 medical societies, including the American Medical
Association, name it the top public health emergency
we face. We measure this crisis in things like human
lives prematurely lost, huge economic costs borne by taxpayers, animals facing extinction,
and homes gone forever.
There is good news here: We have a window of time to avert the worst.
Are we ready to face this 21st Century challenge? What does a sustainable future mean for
us? What can a busy person really do that has the highest impact? Where are the community
resources and places that spotlight the paths to the future we want?
Come and learn the latest thinking on how each of us can work toward a sustainable future
in our lives and in our communities. Discover new resources, tools, and ideas for how we can
be part of the solution in our daily lives as we journey to get our environment and
communities to a sustainable condition.
Marti Roach, from 350 Contra Costa, will moderate a panel that includes Albert
Garcia from Contra Costa Library Educational Services, Laura Wehrley from Sustainable
Contra Costa, Alex Walker-Griffin, Vice Mayor of Hercules, and Zoe Siegel, Director of
Climate Resilience at Greenbelt Alliance.
Register here to receive a link to the Zoom event.
Healing Our Democracy in a Digital World
Wednesday April 20, 2022, at 7:30-9:00 pm
Professor Stephen Woolpert of the Politics Department at
St. Mary’s College is hosting an interactive webinar,
“Healing Our Democracy in a Digital World.” A second
webinar is planned for September 2022. The program will
begin with a discussion between the panelists, conservative
John Gale and progressive Joan Blades. The discussion
LWVDV Voter April 2022 3
will be followed by small group conversations when attendees will be invited to join
breakout groups to discuss several questions.
The breakout groups will last no more than 45 minutes total, and will be limited in size
to 5-6 people each. The groups will receive prompts to discuss, with time limits for
each. Each breakout room will have an assigned facilitator. The facilitators’ role will be
to keep track of the time and keep the group’s discussion on topic. Guidelines will be
provided for the facilitators to use. Professor Woolpert has asked if the League
of Women Voters can provide volunteer facilitators for this event. Before the
event, he will host a Zoom meeting with facilitators to discuss their role and answer
questions.
This non-partisan event is an opportunity for the League to partner with others and
support civil dialogue about how much social media affects our polarized democracy,
for better or for worse. To keep groups small, we need plenty of facilitators. Please
contact Diane Bianchi at programs@lwvdv.org by March 31st to volunteer. And please
share this with others who may wish to attend!
Election Season is a Busy Time for All
There are a lot of upcoming Voter Services
projects – helpers are needed!
• Wednesday, April 6th, 4:00 -- 8:00
p.m. Forums for Contra Costa County District
Attorney, Sheriff/Coroner and
Clerk/Recorder. Rossmoor Event Center, 1021 Stanley Dollar Drive, Walnut
Creek.
• Friday, April 22nd, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Candidate roundtable tapings,
CCTV studios in Martinez. Timers needed for morning sessions!
• Saturday, April 23rd, Earth Day, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Broadway
Plaza, W.C. Registering voters.
• Wednesday, April 27th, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Martinez. Vote
Counting for Co-Operative Federal Credit Union
• Thursday, April 28th, 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Martinez. Final vote
counting and reporting of election results for Co-Operative Federal Credit Union
• Tuesday, April 19th or April 26th, Antioch. Forum for Contra Costa
District Attorney and possibly a second race – stay tuned.
• Monday, May 2nd, 5:00 p.m. on Zoom, Forums for Contra Costa County
District Attorney and Sheriff/Coroner – separate forums for each race for
approximately 20 minutes per candidate, followed by a joint District Attorney
and Sheriff/Corner Q & A. (Co-sponsored with LWV West Contra Costa County
and CCTV)
LWVDV Voter April 2022 4
• Wednesday, May 4th 5:00 p.m. on Zoom. Forum, Congressional District 8.
(Co-sponsored with LWV West Contra Costa County, CCTV and possibly, the
LWV of Solano County.
• Monday, May 9th, 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Zoom. Two forums, Clerk
Recorder followed by County Assessor. Co-sponsored with LWV West Contra
Costa County and CCTV.
Check the LWVDV website for updated information and additional election events.
Supervisors Adopt LWVDV's Civil Discourse Pledge
On March 22, the Board of Supervisors unanimously passed Resolution 2022/73, the
pledge to employ Civil Discourse developed and presented to them by the LWVDV Civil
Discourse Team. The presentation was well received and the Supervisors expressed real
public appreciation for our League.
This was a real team effort. Everyone had a hand in determining how best to proceed.
The team spent a year researching Civil Discourse resources, personally attending and
vetting Civil Discourse programs, and
meeting as a committee to determine what
direction was appropriate for a Civil
Discourse initiative. The League in San
Luis Obispo very generously shared their
research, materials, and experience
creating successful Civil Discourse
programs - our project is the beneficiary of
this innovative League.
Anne Granlund spear-headed our work with the Supervisors. Peggy Huston created our
PowerPoint. The whole committee and leadership team provided helpful input to our
talking points and slides. Supervisor Diane Burgis deserves recognition for her support
and initiative moving this resolution forward.
We’re hoping to leverage Board of Supervisors support into more local publicity for
Civil Discourse, and more invitations to share our talking points and slides with school
boards, colleges, city councils, public agencies and more. Supervisor Burgis has
suggested we make a presentation to the Council of Mayors. We can supplement and
back up these presentations with materials and resources, and with skilled facilitators
who can offer a variety of local Civil Discourse-oriented workshops.
The team meets monthly on Zoom. Please contact me at melanie@lwvdv.org if you’d
like to join us - more participation and more volunteers would be great!
Melanie Speir, Civil Discourse Team
LWVDV Voter April 2022 5
LWVDV Pros and Cons Team Planning for November Election
The LWVDV prides itself on offering well-researched information about ballot
measures to its members and the broader community. As part of our efforts, we
provide a program to educate voters about California’s ballot propositions
during the General Elections called “PROS AND CONS”. In presenting Pros and
Cons, we are nonpartisan, offering supporting and opposing arguments. The
arguments come from many sources and are not limited to those presented in the
Official Voter Information Guide.
The information includes how propositions are funded and names of organizations
supporting and opposing the propositions. The State
League offers two important documents that are the
basic source of our information. One is the LWVC PROS
AND CONS document. After more research has been
done, LWVC issues the IN DEPTH document, which is
an internal document we use to further refine our
scripts.
The Pros and Cons -- explanations of the ballot
propositions -- are usually given as part of a program to
community groups. In 2020, during COVID, due to
limited ability to meet in person with groups, Kay James
and I worked with a film professor at St. Mary’s College in Moraga to produce a 5-7-
minute video presentation of each proposition. We wrote the scripts. The scripts were
rehearsed and presented by student actors, accompanied by PowerPoints, “B-roll” and
music. The videos were then presented in the Zoom format to audiences of 10-250, with
hosts from the LWVDV facilitating the program and answering questions.
This fall we will again be working with St. Mary’s College to produce
similar videos. We are investigating how to partner with other local Leagues and/or
LWVC to make these available to all Leagues. Due to relaxation of many COVID
restrictions, our LWVDV Pros and Cons team will also be creating scripts to be used by
members who would like to do in-person or virtual presentations without the videos.
If you are interested in participating in Pros and Cons this year, either as a
researcher/writer of the scripts, facilitator of programs or presenter,
please contact Janet Thomas at pros.cons@lwvdv.org.
And finally, I want to thank and commend our outgoing Pros and Cons chair, Kay
James, for her years of tireless dedication and wonderful work on this program.
Janet Thomas, Pros and Cons Chair (at right in photo, Kay James at left)
LWVDV Voter April 2022 6
Draft Report Released by Healthy California For All Commission
The Healthy California For All Commission, which was established in December, 2019,
has released a draft of its final report. It is available on the Commission website under
Reports/Key Design Decisions https://www.chhs.ca.gov/healthycaforall/#key-design-
considerations.
The report will be revised based on Commissioner comments, and the final version will
be released one week in advance of the last Commission meeting, scheduled for April
25. Following final consideration, the report will be sent to Governor Newsom. It will
the be posted on the Commission website with guidelines regarding submitting public
comment. Public comment which meets these basic guidelines will be posted as part of
the public record.
Pat Snyder, LWVDV Health Care Committee
Do you know someone who would be a great addition to the Contra Costa Hazardous
Materials Commission? The Commission is filling vacancies in the Environmental Justice
and General Public seats (LWV has its own seat). For more information, see
the Commission webpage.
Board Briefs for March 2022
At its meeting on March 10, the Board took the following
action:
• Established a Bylaws Committee to review the bylaws prior
to Annual Meeting. Members include Paul Derksen, Cathleen
Kirk, and Carol Boyd.
The Board also
• Discussed LWVDV participation in the St. Mary’s College virtual Town Hall on
April 24.
• Acknowledged with regret that Izzy Martinez has left the Board and that the
position of Observer Corps Chair is vacant.
• Was informed that the Communications Team is providing monthly guest
columns to The Pioneer, a community newspaper covering Concord, Clayton and
Pleasant Hill.
• Received reports and updates on Membership, Voter Services activities,
Community Conversations and Civil Discourse.
LWVDV Voter April 2022 7
Membership Updates and Information
Welcome new members Annika Claassen, Thomas Cramer, and Michele
Sheehan!
If you have an April membership anniversary, watch for your renewal
reminder. We need you, so please renew!
If you have been a League member for 50 years or more, you are a Life Member. Life
Members do not pay dues. Contact Membership Chair Cathleen Kirk
(membership@lwvdv.org) to upgrade your status!
Membership: Join Us or Renew!
Sign up online or send a check to the address at the end of this Voter.
Membership is not based on ability to pay. To request dues assistance, please
email membership@lwvdv.org, or call the League office at (925) 283-2235 and
request a callback from the Membership Chair.
$80 Individual Membership
$120 Family Membership (2 members)
$40 Additional Family Membership
$10 Student Membership
(LWVDV is a 501(c)3 organization. Dues and donations to LWVDV are tax-deductible.
Tax ID number supplied on request -- call the LWVDV office at 925-283-2235.)
CALENDAR
MONTHLY MEETINGS
All meetings are virtual at this time, usually on Zoom*.
Thursday, Apr. 14, 7:00 pm Board Meeting
Saturday, Apr. 23, 10:00 - noon Action/Advocacy Committee
Thursday, May 12, 7:00 pm Board Meeting
Saturday, May 28, 10:00 - noon Action/Advocacy Committee
*To participate in a Zoom meeting, leave a message with your email address on
our email or on the office phone (925-283-2235) and the meeting link will be sent
to you.
LWVDV Voter April 2022 8LWVDV Board Members:
Cathleen Kirk, Monthly President for April
Shawn Gilbert, First Vice President
Karen Dolder, Secretary, Office Manager
Paul Derksen, Treasurer
Mary Schreiber, Action/Advocacy
Ann Flynn, Community Conversations Co-Chair
Diane Bianchi, Community Conversations Co-Chair
Cathleen Kirk, Membership Chair
Martha Goralka, Voter Service Co-Chair
Suzan Requa, Communications Chair
Sue Brandy, At-Large Director
Janet Hoy, At-Large Director
Melanie Speir, At-Large Director
Anne Granlund, At-Large Director
Our Mission: Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.
LWV is an organization fully committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in
principle and in practice.
The League of Women Voters
of Diablo Valley
Voter
Published monthly except
July and December
925-283-2235 lwvdv@lwvdv.org
Editor: Leslie Stewart
Current/past issues are posted on our website.
LWVDV Voter April 2022 9LWV of Diablo Valley 500 St. Mary’s Road Lafayette, CA 94549 LWVDV Voter April 2022 10
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