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| Luncheon and General Meeting
February 5, 2024, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Tiburon Golf Club
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Beyond Roe: Reproductive Rights in Florida
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Presented by
Amy Weintraub
Reproductive Rights Program Director for Progress Florida
Amy Weintraub, Reproductive Rights Program Director for Progress Florida, will offer reflections on the state of reproductive freedom in our state, including how abortion care has changed in our post-Roe world. She will offer suggestion on how Collier advocates can get more deeply plugged into the movement to defend abortion access.
Registration is closed | Message from the President
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LWVCC President
Diane Preston Moore
As the LWVCC embraces its mission to empower voters, to defend democracy, and to encourage active and informed participate in government, it does so in an effort to build better communities.
During February and Black History Month, the parallels between the League’s goals and the ideal that Martin Luther King, Jr. referred to as “beloved community” become clearer. “Beloved community” envisions a community of nonviolence, peace, love, and trust, without discrimination, bigotry, poverty, hunger, or hate. The League recognizes that our work, alone, cannot create better communities or even beloved community. It takes a village, and reaching the broader goal starts with many small steps.
As we work within the LWVCC and with our community, we find value in speaking with those who have a different history than our own. The League respects and values the differences and varied life experiences of our members and our community. Our nonpartisan status, which sets us apart from many other political organizations, encourages us to listen to and learn from all political perspectives while binding our organization to none. We give each other grace when we disagree because we value different opinions. We listen, not just to hear a person out, but to understand the experience that informs a person’s perspective.
We do not want to operate in an echo chamber. Recognizing that there is strength in collaboration, we partner with the Supervisor of Elections and with other local organizations to host meaningful, thought-provoking events. It is not a coincidence that the LWVCC is sponsoring several events this month with a goal of increasing our understanding of one another and decreasing the incivility that pervades public discourse. See below for more information about our sponsorship of GNL’s February 7th Reduce the Rancor: A Free Community Forum On Civility In Collier County, and of the February 15th, book talk by the author of John Lewis: In Search Of The Beloved Community, with an exhibit on John Lewis’s commitment to voting rights, civil rights and human rights.
Our League continues to strive, step by step, to build better communities. As we work to fulfill our mission, we move that much closer toward the ideal of beloved community.
IN MEMORIAM
The League of Women Voters of Collier County mourns the passing of LWVUS President Dr. Deborah Ann Turner. Dr. Turner was a tireless advocate for women's rights, voting rights, diversity and inclusion, and we join with other Leagues around the nation in expressing our collective grief at the loss of an extraordinary leader. As LWVUS CEO, Virginia Case Solomon, suggests, we can honor Dr. Turner's legacy by continuing to uphold our values to empower voters and build a stronger, more inclusive democracy. Click to read the official statement from LWVUS. | |
LWVCC Co-Sponsors Reduce the Rancor: A Free Community Forum on Civility
Are you tired of talking about nothing but the weather with your neighbors for fear of arguing? Have you stopped talking with your Aunt Mary, or your brother, because it just gets too contentious? Have you stopped looking at the news because the extreme voices have gotten too loud? Do you avoid any talk of politics on the golf course or tennis court? Do we all continue talking about the mundane, while ignoring the elephants in the room? Are we missing the opportunity to talk about what really matters to us and our country? Are we sidestepping what is really important, what is critical to our national survival?
2024 may be a rough year – horrendous wars, political divisiveness, increased incivility in our society, contentious community meetings, rising hate crimes, more COVID, and dysfunctional government. These are big issues. Yet many of us have been silent spectators, upset about the way things are going but feeling hopeless about what we can do. The good news is that there are things you and your friends CAN do to reduce incivility.
If you want to know how to get started, attend GNL’s free community-wide forum, REDUCE THE RANCOR, on February 7, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Naples United Church of Christ, 5200 Crayton Road. The forum is open to everyone. It is co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Collier County, the Naples United Church of Christ, and the Naples Airport Authority.
The forum features a strong lineup of speakers, including:
- The Honorable Francis Rooney - Former U.S. Congressman (R-FL)
- The Honorable Dick Gephardt - Former U.S. Congressman (D-MO.), Citizens to Save our Republic
- Andy Solis - Former Collier County Commissioner
- Nick Penniman - Retired Journalist, Issue One
- Tim Love - Author, Discovering Truth
- Rev. Dr. Sharon Harris Ewing - Interfaith Alliance of Southwest Florida
Please mark your calendars, register at https://www.gnlwebsite.org/, and plan to attend. There really are solutions, and we promise it will be worth your while to hear how we can learn to communicate again.
| Book Talk for Black History Month
| All Members and guests are encouraged to attend an online presentation of League 101: February 28, 2024, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Presented by Diana Walsh and Denise McLaughlin
You will learn about our local Chapter, its work, and its relationship with the State and National League of Women Voters.
You will learn how LWVCC is committed to its non-partisanship while being a political organization committed to empowering voters and defending democracy. You will learn about our committees and the issues they tackle as well as our dual role of providing Education as well as Advocacy.
We look forward to your attendance.
Click for more information and to register for the event. |
This year’s Celebrate the League dinner will be held at The Club at Olde Cypress on February 22. Renovated in 2019, the 34,000 sq. ft. clubhouse has modernized dining and ballroom spaces. Our featured speakers will be Pam James and John Davis of WGCU. Many of us hear John Davis in the mornings and on his show Gulf Coast Life. Pam James, Executive Producer of Content, is leading a growing news team into a multiplatform world. Join them prior to the dinner at a special Speaker’s Reception, which is an add-on to your dinner ticket. The reception ticket includes one drink and hors d’oeuvres.
After dinner, Pam and John will be hosting a “fireside chat” discussing media literacy, and ways they and NPR select election news. The event starts with a cocktail hour and silent auction at 5:30 pm. Proceeds from the event will help support Voter Services activities in this important election year. Get your tickets here.
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Juvenile Justice Committee
Libbie Bramson, Chair
Our Most Vulnerable Kids
As the Juvenile Justice Committee explores factors that are related to delinquency (including homelessness, child neglect, abuse, abandonment, poverty) we realize we are barely seeing the tip of an iceberg. Unlike other icebergs, it is a hot messy iceberg that touches kids’ lives, destroys families, and can also involve mental illness, alcoholism, violence and worse. Fortunately, there are efforts to address these issues, two of which are the McKinney-Vento program for homeless kids in the Collier County public schools, and the Guardian ad Litem Office.
McKinney-Vento is a federal program designed to address the barriers that homeless children face in attending and succeeding in school. Hemi Kafle, CCPS Coordinator of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education program, and Sheila Thebaud, CCPS District Liaison, recently spoke to the JJC about this program. They explained that any child or youth (including migrant students) who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence is considered homeless. These children may be living in motels, trailer parks, campgrounds, cars, parks, abandoned buildings, bus or train stations, storage facilities or other. Any child who is not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian is also considered homeless. Today, there are nearly 2,000 homeless students attending Collier County public schools – about 4% of total enrollment. In addition, it is estimated there are at least 1,000 unregistered homeless kids. Their PowerPoint presentation is available on the LWVCC website or by contacting Libbie Bramson.
Donna Kordek, from the Guardian ad Litem Office, will be the guest speaker at the March 11 Luncheon and General Meeting hosted by the Juvenile Justice Committee. The Guardian ad Litem Office protects the legal rights and best interests of abused, abandoned, and neglected children who are in the Florida dependency courts’ jurisdiction. Plan to attend the March 11th Luncheon. Invite a guest, too!
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Environmental Affairs Committee
Lynn Martin, Patti Forkan, Co-Chairs
At our January meeting, our Guest speaker was Kevin Godsea, Manager of the Southwest Florida National Wildlife Refuge Complex, who provided an overview of the National Wildlife Refuge System. He talked in detail about the Southwest Florida Conservation Area currently being proposed.
The conservation goals for this 7+ million acre area include:
- Everglades Restoration
- Sustain and Recover the Florida Panther
- Protect and Restore Watersheds and Coastal Estuaries
- Maintain the Unique Native Communities and Species Adapted to this Subtropical Area
- Protect Rural Landscapes and Ranch Lands to Combat Habitat Fragmentation
and Provide Wildlife Corridors
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Read our full report of his visit on the LWVCC website.
At our next meeting on February 8, 2024, our speaker will be Gene Wordehoff and Nanette Rivera, talking about Water Quality in Collier County. Nutrient pollution in our water bodies is a risk to our health. Advanced waste water treatment is needed. They will discuss the challenges and opportunities. | Plastics Task Force
Loralee LeBouef, Charlotte Nycklemoe, Leads
plastics@lwvcolliercounty.org
Members of the Plastics Task Force welcomed new member Erica Nathan at our last meeting.
The first session of our Education Series was presented by Sara Werder. We listened intently as she focused on the expansion of WTF’s (waste-to-energy facilities), in Florida and the difference between Chemical Recycling and Incineration of waste disposal.
Minor edits have been added to the “Pass on Plastics” power point presentation in preparation for the presentations at The Conservancy - January 29, NAACP - February 6, The Baker Senior Center - February 16.
Our Plastics landing page is now accessible on the front page of the LWVCC web page. Our focus is to always lead the audiences to our website rather than handing out precious paper resources at meetings.
At our next meeting we look forward to our second edition of our education series and planning a trip to Pembrook Pines to learn about the sourcing of the bundled plastics sent there from Collier County’s Waste Management. Won’t you join us on Thursday, February 8, 3:30 pm, via Zoom?
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Membership Committee
Beth VanDamme, Chair
Welcome New Members:
| Doug, Heather, and Ryan Bladich |
Beth Crable
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| Jen Lapham |
| Nora Marks |
| Peggy Monson |
Nancy O'Dell
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New Member Coffee – March 15, 2024, 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Join us for a New Member Coffee on Friday, March 15 from 9-10:30am. If you are a new member—or have been a member of LWVCC for a while and just want to get reconnected—please join us at the home of Sara Werder. This is a great opportunity to meet fellow members, the Board and other LWVCC leaders, and to learn how you can become involved. Address and parking info will be forwarded when you RSVP.
Click for more information and to RSVP.
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LWVCC Book Club Winter 2024 Meeting
The theme for this meeting is "Banned Books," Thursday March 14 at 4:00 p.m.. Clubhouse at Park Shore Tower, 4251 Gulf Shore Blvd. North. We have selected The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
Join the LWVCC Book Club, submit book suggestions, and find more information on our website.
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This is the first is a series of articles by the Development and Outreach Committee exploring why our members support the League of Women Voters of Collier County (LWVCC) with time, talent, and treasure. Our first article features Dr. Paul Kardon.
Paul was an OBGYN doctor for 28 years. He then served as Vice President of Medical Affairs (Medical Chair) of Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, NY before retiring in 2000 and moving to Naples. He learned about the LWVCC at a Trinity College, Connecticut alumni meeting in 2009. Later he was invited to coffee with four other members. He didn’t feel their presentation was as strong as he expected.
Some time passed and he completed his 10-year position on the Board of Directors for Planned Parenthood of Collier County. Sandy Parker approached him about the League. If Sandy was involved, he felt this must be a strong organization and so he got involved.
Paul has been a member of the LWVCC for about 15 years. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors for 10 years. Paul joined the League because he saw its track record and potential. The issues we advocate for are important to him personally, and to the community. He chooses committees based on his personal interest, where his presence can make a difference, and are effectively run. He currently serves on the following committees: Development and Outreach, Governance, Juvenile Justice, Social Policy, and Reproductive Health Sub Committee which he co-chairs. He recognizes there are few active men in leadership positions.
Paul knows that in addition to volunteerism, the LWVCC needs funds to support our activities and advocacy efforts. Paul is able to support the LWVCC with his time, talent, and treasure. His wife, Chris, is also a LWVCC member. His future hopes for the LWVCC include stepped-up advocacy, taking a stronger stance on issues that matter. He feels it is important we continue to have strong leadership so even more can be done.
Thank you, Paul, for sharing your thoughts. | League News From Across the Country
| National League News
For more information, visit LWV.org.
State League News
For more information, visit LWVFL.org.
| Please refer to the LWVCC Weekly Update for a complete list of upcoming events or visit the LWVCC website: lwvcolliercounty.org.
Members should log in to ensure they see members-only events and registration options. | Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in Government. We influence public policy through education and advocacy. Our goal is to empower citizens to take an active role in shaping better communities worldwide. The League of Women Voters of Collier County does not support or endorse any candidate or political party.
League of Women Voters of Collier County
P.O. Box 9883, Naples, FL 34101
Sent by lwvcc@lwvcolliercounty.org
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