President Katha Hartley's Message - Squarespace
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Volume 2021, Issue 3 Marcia Karasoff, Editor May-June 2021
June
May
President Katha Hartley’s Message
So much has happened, right before our very one, with an eye to see and a clear conscience,
eyes in this era of visibility, recorded history that agreed and breathed a sigh of relief.
is played and replayed so that we can be sure There are forty trillion minutes in an average
that what we see is real. We listened person’s life and, like many of us,
to the witnesses, none of whom volun- most of my trillions have been used.
teered to discover their life purposes So, what do I and all of us do now
on a street in Minneapolis but who with the minutes remaining? I hope
found it within themselves to become that we, imperfect works in progress
the truthtellers that this moment in who claim allegiance to the promises
time demanded. They were everyday of our republic, will spend our time
people, ordinary, of all kinds, ages, becoming even brighter beacons of
races, male and female. They knew. hope and activism.
They reacted. A police dispatcher 2022 is almost upon us. We must
called her Sheriff boss to tell him, support, campaign, and elect more
“something is very wrong at 38th and Democrats who work for social and
Chicago.” The EMT firefighter insisted criminal justice and a reimagining of
that she could help, was refused, called 911. The our economic, educational, and health structures.
martial arts expert called the police…on the po- All men (and women in 1920) really are created
lice. The seventeen-year-old, with her nine-year- equal, and all deserve liberty, justice, and peace.
old cousin in tow, used her smart phone, the How wonderful that we can celebrate the election
prized possession of every seventeen-year-old of a man who is already leading us to the work of
to record and share – her social connection to a more perfect union. We regained Democratic
her teenage world – the horrific story of a mur- Party leadership of the Senate, kept our leader-
der. The Facebook posting became the docu- ship in the House although not by enough, and
drama of our time and unleashed a world-wide now we demand that our local, state, and federal
protest – Enough is enough! We watched. Death governments adopt just laws, policies, and mind-
came in nine minutes and twenty-nine seconds. sets. The forces of evil remain – and that is not
The witnesses told their stories – what they saw an exaggeration! The perpetrators of the Big Lie
with their own eyes. The verdict came in ten de- continue, the trials of the insurrectionists have not
liberative hours – Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! And any- President’s Message Continued on page 2
Visit www.democratsofrossmoor.org for more information 1
The Rossmoor Democrat May-June 2021
President’s Message continued from page 1
yet begun, the cult of gun worshippers scoffs at George Floyd, to testify to the need for the sig-
attempts to curb gun access – 146 mass shoot- nificant changes that we know (if we have eyes
ings this year so far. to see and clear consciences) must happen?
Our Democrats of Rossmoor priorities are There is so much to do, personally, by the Demo-
protection of voting rights, racial justice, climate crats of Rossmoor, in our community, state, and
change/environmental justice, health care, eco- nation. Our common purpose as a country is to
nomic recovery, immigration reform, and foreign/ deliver the safety, health, and protection of all our
policy and diplomacy. Our diplomats are work- people – our fundamental responsibility to make
ing today to restore our world leadership on ad-
real the promise of the Declaration of Indepen-
dressing climate change, we support passage of
dence and our Constitution.
the John Lewis Voting Advancement legislation,
Our President Biden, the ultimate empath-
police reform, COVID recovery and expansion
of the ACA and Medicare, finding pathways to ic optimist, has committed us to do the work
citizenship for Dreamers, asylum seekers, and necessary to become that honorable, decent
the immigrants we need to do our essential work, nation we have always aspired to be. He ex-
job creation and the infrastructure bill – HR1 and horts us, “We CAN do this! We are America!”
more. And we strongly oppose the politically mo- We don’t have a minute to waste.
tivated recall of our Governor Newsom! Thank you, Democrats of Rossmoor, for your
Are we called now to witness, like the cou- work, your support, your loyalty and, most of all,
rageous Americans who became the voice of for your commitment to truth and justice.
Welcome to new DoR Board member Marilyn Weiss
By Susan Hildreth
When our club representative to the Democratic Party of Contra Costa Party
(DPCCC) stepped down, Marilyn Weiss graciously agreed to serve as the new Demo-
crats of Rossmoor (DoR) club representative. In serving in that role, Marilyn will rep-
resent the views of DoR to DPCCC; and she’s excited to be involved in discussions at
the Board level to allow her to clearly represent DoR issues, concerns and priorities
to DPCCC.
Marilyn has lived in Rossmoor for several years and has served on the Walnut Marilyn Weiss
Creek Design Review Commission. She is a DoR member and an experienced, well-connected Demo-
crat. She and her husband led the highly successful Monument Crisis Center campaign https://www.
rossmoornews.com/rossmoornews/2020/04/14/rossmoor-couple-answers-the-call-for-crisis-center/.
Thanks for stepping up Marilyn. We look forward to working with you and electing Democrats!!!
Visit www.democratsofrossmoor.org for more information 2
The Rossmoor Democrat May-June 2021
Democrats of Rossmoor Vote to
Oppose Recall of Governor Gavin Newsom
By Rose Holmes
In an online survey conducted April 13 and 14, Democrats of Rossmoor membership overwhelmingly
endorsed the Board of Directors resolution “Stop the Republican Recall of Gavin Newsom” (http://
democratsofrossmoor.org/oppose). The request for an up or down vote on the resolution was emailed
to all members in good standing. Out of 319 responses returned, 316 responses opposed to the recall.
Thank you for your support!
The recall effort has officially qualified for the state’s ballot in the fall. It will be so important to
VOTE in the recall election. It’s not enough to oppose the recall. We must defeat it by voting
against recalling our elected democratic governor!
If you want to get more involved in the recall opposition check out these links:
Website: https://StopTheRepublicanRecall.com
Launch video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD23893IYgI
Signup to say you oppose recall: https://act.gavinnewsom.com/signup/no-recall-signup/
Volunteer: https://act.gavinnewsom.com/signup/campaign-volunteer/
Donate: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/stop-the-republican-recall
Mayor Kevin Wilk Webinar May 12 at 4:00pm
On Wednesday, May 12, at 4:00pm, Walnut as liaison to the Chamber of Commerce, work-
Creek Mayor Kevin Wilk will be the featured ing with them to help Walnut Creek businesses
speaker at a webinar hosted by the Democrats of rebound from the economic hardship caused by
Rossmoor (DoR). The club has forwarded to him the COVID shut-downs.
the DoR members’ priorities and He was born in Los Angeles.
the Mayor will give us an update on After spending two years in Ke-
where the city stands with each of nya, the family returned to northern
them. Current members of the club California.
will receive an invitation to register Wilk graduated from UCLA with a
a week before the event. degree in Political Science. He was
Kevin Wilk was first elected to an intern in the office of Congress-
the city council in November of man Anthony Bielenson of West Los
2016. He has served on several Angeles. After graduating, he stud-
City committees including Legisla- ied acting and appeared in several
tive, Finance, Housing & Commu- movies, TV shows and commercials
nity Development, Public Educa- before starting his own business. He
tion and Public Safety. During his Mayor Kevin Wilk volunteered for various community
first term he led the effort to bring free wi-fi to the commissions including eight years on the Trans-
downtown area; He pushed for 100% clean ener- portation Commission where he served three
gy in city buildings and initiated the Resolution for terms as Chairman.
Pride Month. During the pandemic, Wilk served For more formation on this event, email ross-
moordem@gmail.com
Visit www.democratsofrossmoor.org for more information 3
The Rossmoor Democrat May-June 2021
Get Involved! Join the Democrats of Rossmoor Candi-
dates Committee Election Tracking Efforts
By Rose Holmes
• Did you know one of the Sedition Republicans, Mike Garcia, won his seat by only 333 votes
in 2020?
• Did you know that four Democratic Congressional seats from California are targeted by the
National Republican Party to flip in 2022? Big Money is already coming into these districts!
• Did you know there will be an open Senate seat in Pennsylvania in 2022 with multiple strong
Democratic candidates already declaring they are running for that seat?
• Did you know that identifying a progressive candidate to run against the current Contra
Costa Sheriff, David Livingston, is a high priority for the Democratic Party of Contra Costa?
These are only some of the races the Candidates Committee is trying to monitor so the Democrats
of Rossmoor can do what we do best - help get Democrats elected!
We could use your help to determine action priorities for 2022.
• Do you have ties to another district in California or family in another state who are telling you
about a Congressional or Senate race they are excited or worried about?
• Would you enjoy “adopting a race”, reading local news reports, checking out candidate web-
sites, getting on mailing lists, checking out organizations that are working on these races?
• Are you worried about redistricting?
• Would you like to monitor local, state and/or federal programs dealing with the impacts of the
2020 Census?
A Candidates Committee member can help you get started with candidates or races we have priori-
tized. If there is a race you are interested in, we can get you going on that. The Candidates Committee
meets once a month to review information we have so we can make recommendations to the Board on
priority races for Democrats of Rossmoor support and action. It’s such important work, we must keep
the Congress and Senate blue in 2022! it’s not hard to do and it’s fascinating to learn about politics
outside the Bay Area Blue Bubble.
If you’d like to do this important work, contact Rose Holmes at roseholmes2016@gmail.com.
First time in history:
Madam Vice President,
Madam Speaker
as the President
speaks to
Congress
Visit www.democratsofrossmoor.org for more information 4
The Rossmoor Democrat May-June 2021
Way s Yo u C a n
S u p p o rt T r i n i t y C e n t e r
Join the Democrats of Rossmoor Trinity Center Committee
Trinity Center in Walnut Creek provides food, showers, counseling and more to our homeless and
working poor neighbors. Would you like to join our Democrats of Rossmoor (DoR) committee to support
Trinity Center in the face of today’s difficult challenges? We are a very active committee and will be
particularly busy once DoR events resume, so could use the help of a few more members. To join or find
out more, contact Sydney Rosener at sydneyrosener@yahoo.com. Thanks!
Save The Date
Trinity Center, Democrats
of Rossmoor’s designated
charity, hasn’t let Covid stand
in the way of their good
works. And they’re not going
to let it stand in the way of a
good time, either. Unable to
hold their 7th Annual Gala
in person, they’ve created
a fantastic, virtual event
instead. They’ll hold their
“Night of Hope” June 11,
2021, from 5:30 to 7:30pm, via Zoom. Everyone is invited to join them for a silent auction, an art
show featuring their clients’ work, and for inspiring and enjoyable presentations.
Trinity supported the homeless during this time of crisis, and Democrats of Rossmoor supported
Trinity. It’s time to come together to celebrate our mutual, hard-won success.
The price of a ticket? Only the ability to join the festivities on Zoom. We’ll have more details as
the date approaches. So watch our Weekly News Update and our website. And thank you, as al-
ways, for your generous support.
Trinity Center Committee, Penandinc3@gmail.com.
Visit www.democratsofrossmoor.org for more information 5
The Rossmoor Democrat May-June 2021
Democrats of Rossmoor May 10 Zoom Film Program
By Lynne Thorner and real, yet this engaging film is also emotional-
Rossmoor Residents are invited to participate ly beautiful, thought-provoking, and well crafted.
in May’s Film Program, sponsored by the Dem- Film critic James Berardinelli suggests that:
ocrats of Rossmoor, on Monday May 10th from “director Tillman wants viewers to be aware of
2:00 – 3:30pm via Zoom. The featured film, avail- what it means to be black in America, and he al-
able on Prime ($3.99), will be The lows images and emotions to con-
Hate U Give (2018). vey the message. Thematically,
Directed by George Tillman Jr., thought-provoking material forces
screenplay by Audrey Wells based viewers to confront prejudices and
upon Angie Thomas’ young adult ask questions that may not change
novel, the film stars Amandla Sten- minds but will surely challenge
berg, Regina Hall, and Russell viewers to consider their position
Hornsby. Clearly, The Hate You on issues of race.”
Give is an unconventional coming- Film enthusiast Lynne Thorner
of-age movie, revealing the after- will facilitate a post-viewing discus-
effects of George Floyd’s brutal sion of the film. Interested Ross-
killing (on May 25th, 2020 in Min- moor residents are asked to view
neapolis), plus the impact of gun The Hate U Give prior to the May
violence, police brutality, and the 10th program, available on Prime
activism of the Black Lives Matter movement. In Video ($3.99). Then, please RSVP on or before
fact, this powerful movie articulates the frustra- Friday May 7th by emailing rossmoordems@
tion of oppressed people in ways that feel raw gmail.com and you will receive the program’s
Zoom link.
Visit www.democratsofrossmoor.org for more information 6
The Rossmoor Democrat May-June 2021
Democrats of Rossmoor June 14 Zoom Film Program
By Lynne Thorner vard in the 1935-1936 national championship!
Rossmoor residents are cordially invited to The film critic Cynthia Fuchs writes: “The
attend June’s Film Program sponsored by the Great Debaters delivers on every level encom-
Democrats of Rossmoor, on Monday June 14th passing the evil of oppression, the resilience of
from 2:00 – 3:30pm via Zoom. June’s featured idealism, and the beauty of triumph. Although
film, available on Hulu and Prime daily life is fraught with racial peril for
Video ($3.99), will be the Golden the team of four, these experiences
Globe nominee for Best Motion Pic- inform the content of their debates
ture, The Great Debaters (2007). and contribute to their growth as
Directed by Denzel Washington, powerfully dramatic debaters.”
with a screenplay by Robert Eisele Film enthusiast Lynne Thorner will
that was inspired by an American facilitate an interpretive film review
Legacy article, this uplifting film is the and a post-viewing discussion of the
fact-based story of Melvin B. Tolson, film. Interested Rossmoor residents
an English professor at Wiley Col- are encouraged to view The Great
lege in rural Marshall, Texas, an all- Debaters, available for streaming
Black institution in the Depression- (with NO extra fee) through Prime
era Jim Crow south of the 1930’s. Video – prior to the June 14th pro-
Tolson inspires students to form the gram. To obtain the Zoom link, please
school’s first debate team, and as their coach, RSVP on or before Friday June 11th by emailing
the team of four will eventually challenge Har- rossmoordems@gmail.com.
Proposal:
You can only purchase a gun one time every two years. It can only be a Tuesday in
November. You must go and wait in line. There is only one place in your county where you can
purchase it. You must have multiple forms of ID. No one can give you water while you wait.
Visit www.democratsofrossmoor.org for more information 7
The Rossmoor Democrat May-June 2021
See the
difference?
The Democratic Party of California Convention
By Katha Hartley who are struggling, assisting small businesses,
Three of our Democrats of Rossmoor will rep- expanding equitable access to vaccination, pro-
resent us as delegates to the California Demo- tecting those who are at-risk of losing their homes
cratic Party Convention which convenes from and getting Californians back to work.
April 29 through May 2nd. This year, the California Democratic Party will
Susan Hildreth, already a Democratic Party of be hosting our 2021 Convention while highlight-
Contra Costa County elected official, Katha Hart- ing the strength of ALL Californians. Leaders
ley, President of our club, and Brad Waite, a DoR from across the Golden State will convene to dis-
member and one of our texting leaders, will rep- cuss the groundwork that was put in place to take
resent us as delegates to the convention. back the White House, flip the Senate and main-
Rusty Hicks has been reelected to lead the tain a majority in the House. More importantly,
California Democratic Party. Before leading the Democrats will highlight the road to recovery and
state party, Hicks was President of the Los An- the work to protect California Democratic values.
geles County Federation of Labor, which repre- CADEM’s 2021 Convention will be hosted on
sents 800,000 members. a digital platform – much like the organizing and
Other state party officers elected Saturday in- grassroots work we’ve done over the past year.
cluded state Treasurer Betty Yee as female Vice Although we’re not able to assemble our dele-
Chair; former San Francisco Supervisor David gates in one physical space, we will gather “virtu-
Campos as male Vice Chair; Melahat Rafiei as ally” and CADEM is pleased to be working again
Secretary; and April Verrett as Controller. with our long-term convention partner, Frontrun-
The Democrats of Rossmoor hosted Chair- ner Productions. Frontrunner is working with
man Hicks, and newly elected Vice Chair Betty Team CADEM to produce a user-friendly, engag-
Yee, Vice Chair Campos, and Secretary Melahat ing and unique 2021 virtual convention.
Rafiei on Zoom this spring. We hosted other can-
didates as well in order to provide our members
with an opportunity to meet available candidates.
From CADEM: California Democrats are
focused on working to help every person recover
from the COVID-19 crisis. We believe that recov-
ery will take prioritizing the health and safety of
every person, providing direct relief to individuals
Visit www.democratsofrossmoor.org for more information 8
The Rossmoor Democrat May-June 2021
2021 Membership Form
Democrats of Rossmoor (DoR) – 2021 Membership
Membership dues through Dec 31, 2021 are $25 per person.
See Instructions below for paying your dues
Are you a NEW member or a continuing/returning member
Name(s) #1 and #2, if applicable (1)_____________________________ (2)_____________________________
My information is the same as last year (if any of your information has changes please enter the changes)
Address:_______________________________________________________________________________
(cell#1) _______________________ (cell#2) _____________________ (landline) ___________________
email#1 ____________________________________ email#2 ___________________________________
PLEASE answer the following questions because our club’s representation in the Democratic Party of
Contra Costa County is determined by the number of primary club members who are registered as
Democrats in Contra Costa County.
1. Is the DoR the only (or primary) Democratic Party club to which you belong? ....Yes or No
2. Are you registered as a Democrat in Contra Costa County? ....................................Yes or No
3. Are you interested in hearing about opportunities for volunteering? ......................Yes or No
Payment of Annual Dues: (checks are preferred to save fees and phone calls)
Please indicate which of the following two ways you will pay your dues:
Mail this form with your check for $25 (payable to Democrats of Rossmoor) to:
Joyce Brock, 2224 Pine Knoll #1, Walnut Creek, CA 94595
Pay by credit card by contacting Andrea Gourdine at argourdine@gmail.com . A member of our
membership committee will contact you within two days to securely take your card information.
All club communications are by email, so your email address is important
Information about club activities is available at our website: www.democratsofrossmoor.org
If you do not have online capability please check the Rossmoor News for our major events.
____________________________________________________________________
Thank you for joining the Democrats of Rossmoor
Visit www.democratsofrossmoor.org for more information 9
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