85th Birthday Gala

The League of Women Voters of Duluth celebrated its 85th birthday and kicked off its 2005-06 year of political activities with a live radio broadcast of "A Voice for Citizens" hosted by Pat Castellano, radio announcer for LWVN radio station, Channel 1920.  We gathered at the Duluth Depot Great Hall for an afternoon of music, interviews, stories, news flashes of League action through the decades, updates on League events planned for the coming year, and commercials from the program's sponsors.

We also had an opportunity to hear Dorothy Davies, live and in person all the way from Willmar, Minnesota, sing her latest hit song, "A Voice For Citizens."  Ms. Davies is a charter member of the Willmar League of Women Voters,  

Annual Membership Tea
Program "How Far We've Come"

League members and guests gathered for tea to celebrate and remember two courageous women who endured hostility, violence, arrest, jail, and beatings to achieve the right to vote for women and people of color.  League members Gail Schoenfelder, Anita Larson, and Portia Johnson presented a program on "Unsung Heroes: Women Who Dared to Resist" to highlight the heroic contributions of Alice Paul, an early twentieth century radical suffragette, who was instrumental in the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920; and Fannie Lou Hamer, organizer of the Mississippi Freedom Party, who was instrumental in the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 

Pat Castellano, Rachael Loeffler-Kemp, and Cheryl Skafte, known as the "Unsung Heroes Trio," added a special touch to the afternoon with their songs from the suffrage and civil rights periods.

LWV and Congdon Park School Work Together to Send Books to Nicaraguan Children

League member and media specialist, Julie Seidelmann made it possible for Congdon Park Elementary students and parents to purchase Spanish books at their annual Spring Book Fair.  The Congdon students and parents provided 123 books which were sent to children in the Nicaraguan community of El Regadio, who are not  able to afford the fees for books and school supplies.  League members Lyn Clark Peg, Gail Schoenfelder, and Portia Johnson learned first hand while visiting this rural village in January how teachers struggle to keep as many children as possible in school.  Because education in Nicaragua is not financed by the government, families must pay a fee for their children to attend.  Eighty percent of the people in Nicaragua are either unemployed or underemployed.  As a result, almost a million children do not attend school because their families cannot afford to pay the fees.  A donation of books from an outside source helps to cut costs and make education available to more children. 

The Year in Review

 

ACTING ON OUR MISSION  LWV DULUTH 2006- 2007 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS §                     Voter Registration efforts included seniors at local high schools, New citizens at the October Citizenship Ceremony, community members at the Juneteenth and Harvest Festivals, citizens at nonprofit agencies including Life House, Women¹s Transitional Housing, Patch, and CHUM¹s Neighborhood Night Out. §                     A community forum, “Can We Count On Minnesota¹s Voting System?” was held to increase voter confidence in the fairness and reliability of our elections.  This public meeting was attended by approximately 100 people. §                     5000 Voter Guides were distributed throughout the community prior to the election to inform voters about candidates and their positions on issues. §                     Three candidate forums were held to meet the candidates and help voters make an informed vote. These forums were attended by approximately 200 people and reached additional voters through rebroadcasts on PACT TV and KUMD radio. §                     Post-it Note stickers appeared on the front page on election day of 30,250 Duluth News Tribune daily newspapers to remind people to vote and of the Vote411.org website.  §                     An Election Hot Line was made available on Election Day for voters to gain nonpartisan information about voting locations and registration. §                     Bookmarks and information cards, “5 Things You Need to Know on Election Day”, were distributed throughout the community to provide voters with important election information. §                     Our 9th annual Citizens in Action Workshop was held to educate citizens about how to have an impact on public policy.  This workshop was attended by over 150 people. §                     Sponsored an event addressing current issues in Africa, “Why Africa Matters”, with Derrick Ashong, held at St. Scholastica, and funded in part by a grant from the Millennium Campaign and the LWV Education Fund to raise public awareness of issues contributing to poverty in the world. §                     A Saturday morning information program, “What Do You Know About Infrastructure?”, to learn about the national, state, and local  physical infrastructure, how it is planned, funded, and maintained, was attended by about 20 members and guests. §                     The Annual Legislative Roundtable with Local State Legislators was held in December before the start of their session in January to provide opportunity for members and guests to discuss issues of concern with their representatives that included committee functions, session priorities, budget and finance, health care, natural resources and firearm safety. §                     Members are kept informed of legislation at the state and national levels and asked routinely write to elected officials to express support or opposition to proposed legislation in keeping with League positions. §                     League representatives continue to monitor the progress of city planning and housing issues in accordance with League study and participate in city planning, school board, and environmental citizen and advisory committees. §                     Participated in ISD 709 Long-Range Facility Planning Input Session. §                     KUMD bi-monthly radio shows Tuesdays at 8:15am.  Great opportunity to raise awareness of the League’s activities in Duluth.  §                     The League of Women Voters of Minnesota issued a report, “Examining a State Agency: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency” to members for study and discussion. It is the first of a proposed series of such reviews. The report details the findings in answer to three questions:  Do Minnesota state agencies’ actions match their charters? Are they providing adequate protection and enforcement for Minnesota citizens according to their charters? Is the agency modeling good government?  The study is available to the public on request. §                     Cascade Park, located at First Avenue West and Fifth Street, is one of the oldest parks in Duluth  For the past six years our League has worked with the City of Duluth in planting and maintaining two gardens in this park. §                     The Duluth League publishes a newsletter, The Voter, approximately nine times a year to communicate with our members and donors.  League events and programs are reported regularly in the newspaper and TV and citizens are kept informed through letters to the editor and op-ed pieces in the daily newspaper.   ACTI