TULSA METRO VOTER September 2008

Transcription

1 TULSA METRO VOTER September 2008 A newsletter for members, local officials, and supporters of the League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Tulsa LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF METROPOLITAN TULSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SHEILA SWEARINGEN CO-PRESIDENT JAY ENGLE CO-PRESIDENT GLORIA CALDWELL VICE PRESIDENT DONNA GARRISON SECRETARY JENNY LIZAMA TREASURER DIRECTORS JAN CURTH LISA FRANKENBERGER JIM HILL KATHY HINKLE GINNY KING RUTH E. RICHARDS JANET SPAULDING LINDA L. TEAGUE DEBBIE ZANOVICH LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF METROPOLITAN TULSA EDUCATION FUND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OFFICERS GLORIA CALDWELL CHAIR DEBBIE ZANOVICH VICE CHAIR SUE FORNEY SECRETARY JENNY LIZAMA TREASURER TRUSTEES HERB BEATTIE SANDY COZIER JAY ENGLE DOROTHY GIBBONS JIM HILL ARLEEN RIGGS SHEILA SWEARINGEN NOTES FROM THE BOARD Board Officers and Directors Serving the League of Women Voters during this active election year, an active Board has pledged to serve members and community. Co-Presidents Jay Engle and Sheila Swearingen are pleased to work with this committed Board. Gloria Caldwell, Vice President, Donna Garrison, Secretary, and Jenny Lizama, Treasurer continue to provide excellent support. Directors Jan Curth and Jim Hill will be co-chairs of the membership committee; Debbie Zanovich continues as fund development chair; Ruth Richards is community development chair; and Kathy Hinkle and Lisa Frankenberger are co-chairing the voter services committee. Board Transitions and Appointments Director Debbie Zanovich accepted a continuing appointment to the Board; Nancy Bolzle resigned to focus on the upcoming Gala; Lora Marschall accepted a continuing appointment as voter registration coordinator; and Ginny King, Leadership Tulsa intern, has accepted an appointment as the Voter editor beginning in October. Tulsa League Membership Meetings and Local Study The Board approved holding monthly membership meetings with programs of interest to members and potential members, to be held the second Thursday of the month. The September meeting, "Back to the Future: Updating Tulsa's Comprehensive Plan, will be held Thursday, September 11, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Nathan Hale Library, 6038 E. 23rd St (just south of 21st and west of Sheridan). The Tulsa League membership voted to study the comprehensive plan and infill at the May annual meeting. The City of Tulsa will be engaged in an update (dubbed PlanIt Tulsa) through the end of To begin the League study by understanding how planning affects all of Tulsa, featured speaker Jack Crowley, an experienced urban planner working with the City of Tulsa on revitalizing downtown and updating the comprehensive plan, will present a general background on the process and invite questions from the audience. 1

2 DEVELOPMENT NOTES League Education Fund Update It's an Election Year! and the League's Education Fund discussed ambitious and exciting plans for public education and voter services at its annual meeting July 23 and is very grateful to its many donors for having the resources to execute those plans. Trustees serve one-year terms, and the board will be: Chair Gloria Caldwell Vice Chair Debbie Zanovich Secretary Sue Forney Treasurer Jenny Lizama Trustees Herb Beattie Sandy Cozier Jay Engle Dorothy Gibbons Jim Hill Arleen Riggs Sheila Swearingen Thanks to the work of Fund Development Chair Debbie Zanovich, Community Development Chair Ruth Richards, and Pathfinder Gala Chair Nancy Bolzle, the League is pleased to acknowledge great community support this year Pathfinder Gala to honor Norma Eagleton, Patty Eaton and Penny Williams on October 7 A stellar evening, celebrating not just one but three great leaders, is in store Tuesday, October 7, at the Downtown Doubletree Hotel, as the League presents its fifth annual Pathfinder Gala. The evening begins at 6 p.m. with a reception and the opening of the silent auction; dinner and the live auction will be at 7; the program will begin promptly at 8 p.m. Each of this year s honorees, Norma Eagleton, Patty Eaton and Penny Williams, began a career in public service through involvement with the Tulsa League of Women Voters, and the evening will be a tribute to these three Golden Girls who have done so much for our community and for our state. Nancy Bolzle, chair of the Gala Committee, and committee members Ann Domin, Sally Frasier, Toni Garner, Ben Jarmon, Kathy LaFortune, Susan Lively, Lori Malone, Christine Marsh, Ken Neal, Mary Pearce, Sarah Stewart, Mike Thornbrugh, and Debbie Zanovich are putting final touches on the program, the auction and the gala plans. Sally Frasier and Mike Thornbrugh, Co-Chairs of the Gala Patron Committee, and committee members Carol Axley, Patty Brown Bryant, Sharon King Davis, Nancy Feldman, Janet Gaskins, Melani Hamilton, Ellen Hartman, Brenda Hellweg, Sandra Mallory, Nancy Meinig, Penny Painter, Madelyn Rosenthal have encouraged generous support from a growing list of contributors. Invitations are being mailed to all members and friends of the League, and both tickets and sponsorships are still available. For more information, call the League office, The board expressed its appreciation for a job well done to retiring trustees: Violet Patterson, Norma Eagleton, Joyce Grane and Carmen Rossiter. Voter Information Voter Guides There was lots of activity this summer as the Voter Services committee, assisted by part-time Voter Education Specialist Susan Singh and Publications Coordinator Mana Tahaie, produced an excellent voters guide for the July 29 statewide primary and then revised it for the run-off election on August 26. The League of Women Voters of Oklahoma gathered candidate responses from candidates at the state and national levels. The Tulsa League Website, will be the place to look for the latest version of the Voters Guide through the November general election, and it will have other vital information and links to other resources like the State and County Election Boards for voters. 2

3 Voter Information (continued) KIDS CAN VOTE TOO! Tulsa League Working in Coalitions to Increase Voter Turnout Particulars of the 2008 Mock Elections Election tabloid for the students and the teachers. Special features in the Tulsa World. Voter Registration, September 17-October 10 Creation of a voter registration precinct list for each school. Middle and high schools will become the electoral college with the most populous standing in for California. Election: October 30 th thru November 4 th. November 5 th : results printed in the Tulsa World The Tulsa League is pleased to partner with the American Dream Coalition to offer rides to the polls. The service was available for the July primary election and will be offered again for the November general election. The Tulsa League enthusiastically supports a project with the Tulsa World to set up mock elections in Tulsa County public schools this fall. Students will register to vote, study voters guides, learn about parties and campaign history, then vote between Oct 30 and November 4. They will even participate in a schools-only electoral college. The League believes that informed students are more likely to get their parents out to vote and later to become voters themselves. Ruth Richards is coordinating for the League. As an added service, the League s voter registration coordinator, Lora Marschall, is fielding many requests from schools to set up voter registration at back-to-school nights. The Board accepted a proposal made by Gary Percefull, publisher of the Tulsa County News, for a joint-project with the League on voter education and activation. Vote it Forward will be a series to be published in the News until the general election. The League will also be sponsoring or co-sponsoring candidate forums with the American Association of University Women, Tulsa Interfaith Alliance, and Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry. Look for details in the October Voter newsletter. Sharon King Davis speaking at annual meeting, May Community Forum on the Fix the Streets Plan At the League s annual meeting in May, League member Sharon King Davis, pictured left, who co-chaired the Complete our Streets Task Force, talked about the extensive work done by the mayor s committee to understand the issue and then to put forward a proposal fix Tulsa s streets. Lisa Frankenberger, Co-Chair of Voter Services and a member of the original Complete our Streets Task Force, is putting together a community forum on the details of the proposal. In late August, the city council and the mayor approved a $451 million package to go before voters on the November 4 ballot. The League s forum will provide voters an opportunity to understand the details of the package and to ask questions about it. The forum will be held on Tuesday, October 21 at All Souls Church, from 7 to 9 p.m. Look for complete details on the forum in the next issue of the Metro Voter. VOTER SERVICES HAS PLENTY OF VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES. This is one of the busiest seasons in a busy election year. Please call the League Office ( ) if you would be willing to help with any voter services activity, such as voter registration, making phone calls or mailings.

4 ANOTHER VOTER SERVICE OPPORTUNITY While this isn t an official League activity, we are proud of a number of members who serve as precinct election officials. The Tulsa County Election Board is working hard to employ a sufficient number of election officials this year. All League members are encouraged to apply and make elections part of the voter services our members offer to the community on November 4. New precinct officials must be registered voters and must attend a one-day training workshop at the Tulsa County Election Board, 555 North Denver. Contact Carolyn Johnson or Shirley Ayers ( or ) for more information about working at the polls. Membership News Jan Curth and Jim Hill, co-chairs of the membership committee, have big plans for making this a growth year. Monthly Membership Meetings and Orientations Throughout the Year This year, the League will hold monthly membership meetings as a way to increase members opportunities to meet and network, as well as learn about important issues. Each meeting will have a featured guest or speaker and will be held on the second Thursday of the month, from 7 to 9 p.m. The first fall meeting will be held Thursday, September 11, at Nathan Hale Library (see calendar for details). The first membership orientation has been set for Tuesday, October 21, from 6 to 7 p.m. at All Souls Unitarian Church. Snacks will be served, as it s almost a certainty that those who come to this orientation will want to stay for the Fix the Streets forum to follow immediately from 7 to 9 p.m. Membership Outreach Co-chairs Curth and Hill want to do more outreach in North Tulsa, West Tulsa, East Tulsa, Claremore, Owasso, Collinsville, Broken Arrow, Sand Springs, Sapulpa and other nearby communities. The co-chairs note that they d like to see: More members in the 20 to 35 age group Recent retirees (as well as long-time retirees); More Hispanic, Asian-American and African-American participation in the League More men in the League (the League of Women Voters has welcomed men since the 1970 s!) Joining or Renewing Membership: The Time is NOW September 15 has been set as the closing date for members to be included in the Tulsa League Directory which will be published the first of October. Membership dues have not increased this year and are still just $50 for the first member in a household. Other members in the same household are $25 each. Call the office at between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. if you need a membership form. Welcome New Members The Tulsa League welcomes the following new members who have joined since the publication of our last newsletter: Judy A. Averill, Kay Bridger-Riley, Kalan Chapman, John Davis, Pat Dillard, Carl Engle-Laird, Willa Hughes, Venetia "Vee" Jorgensen, Marian McUsic, Penny Painter, Eleanor Smith and Preston Van Hanken. 4

5 Tulsa Member Highlight: Lisa Frankenberger Lisa Frankenberger, serves on the LWVMT Board of Directors and co-chairs the Voter Services Committee. As a new member, what kinds of volunteering have you done so far with the League? I have had the opportunity to work mostly with voter services, registering folks to vote at a neighborhood block party, helping to produce voter guides as well as general brainstorming to look at what voter services should do next. What do you do outside of League life? I am a civil engineer working for a firm that designs necessary construction documents for municipal and state public works projects. I am very interested in local government and have attended or have been a part of numerous civic activities. I love bicycling and in addition to riding for hobby, sport and transportation, I am also very involved with the bicycling community. I ve worked with groups that promote bicycling through bike-to-work events, assisted in coaching a middle school team to race in the Little 100, helped with Tulsa Toughs bike-build to provide bikes to kids and with numerous other activities. I recently signed up with Partners in Education and am looking forward to helping out with science fairs, eating lunch with my "lunch buddy" and coming up with presentations to show middle school kids that engineering is an exciting career that they may want to look into. I very rarely find myself without something that sparks my interest and try to keep myself pretty busy. What was the thing that helped you decide to join the League? I have always felt that as a citizen it is extremely important to be informed and to have a voice in what goes on around you because it has such a significant impact. However, like many others, the more I observed the process of government, the more I realized how little I actually understood it and how little I understood the issues and how complicated and multi-dimensional they can be. I wanted to join the League to help myself become more acquainted with the political issues that affect me. What do you think the Tulsa League can do increase participation in the community? I think the League needs to work hard to become more known in the community as a group of trusted, nonpartisan, informed individuals who provide reliable information to the public. I believe the number one reason citizens do not vote is feeling as though they aren't informed enough to make the right decision. This would include increasing candidate and issue forums and providing well produced and widely distributed voter guides, including issue clarification and the pros and cons on issues to get voter's interested in what is happening out there that affects them. What is your vision for the future of the Tulsa League? I would love to see us increase our membership in numbers and active hours spent promoting the League's goals so we can gain sponsorships and media coverage in order to get our word out and promote educated, informed and voting citizens. 5

6 ACTION/ADVOCACY League to Initiate Study of Tulsa s Comprehensive Plan The League of Women Voters has a long history of contributing to needed change. (sidebar) A BRIEF HISTORY OF LEAGUE ACTION AND ADVOCACY The National League of Women Voters was founded in 1920 after passage of the Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote. The Tulsa League organized in A few highlights of the Tulsa League s history are below: 1920s Study and action leads to the availability of pasteurized milk in Tulsa. 1930s League is responsible for the first female member of the Tulsa Police Department. 1940s Study of civil liberties and segregation laws leads to a civil rights position. Black women join the League. Fourteen years of lobbying result in a constitutional amendment to permit Oklahoma women to hold major state political offices. Members support the war effort. 1950s Seventeen years of lobbying result in a state constitutional amendment to permit women to serve on juries, and the League provides training to these future jurors. 1960s 22,000 signatures are collected in support of judicial system reform, preventing judicial corruption on the bench in elections. 1970s Leadership role in establishing a national model for voluntary school integration and supporting city charter revision. Men are welcomed into membership. 1980s Leadership in the coalition that drafted and promoted passage of Tulsa s current city charter providing district representation. 1990s Instrumental in the creation of the Storm Water Management system in Tulsa. 2000s Study leads to improved services for those with mental illnesses. The League initiates study and action on barriers to reentry and reintegration of women offenders. Over the next year, the Tulsa League will study the city s comprehensive plan and participate in updating it. While this may not seem as dramatic as some League actions of earlier years, consider what it might mean to live in a city that looks to the future and ensures attention to developing all parts of our community, including North Tulsa, West Tulsa, East Tulsa as well as midtown and South Tulsa. This is another way that the Tulsa League can improve life in this city. We will encourage members to get involved in various ways with the community-wide meetings for updating the comprehensive plan being presented this month by the City of Tulsa. The overall project is called PlanIt Tulsa. In September, this year s study will begin with a program at the monthly meeting that will provide an overview and background on the comprehensive planning process.. "Back to the Future: Updating Tulsa's Comprehensive Plan, will be the program for the membership meeting, Thursday, September 11, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Nathan Hale Library, 6038 E. 23rd St (south of 21st & west of Sheridan). The Tulsa League voted to study the comprehensive plan and infill zoning at our May annual meeting. Our featured speaker, Jack Crowley, an experienced urban planner working with the City of Tulsa, will present general background on the upcoming PlanIt Tulsa communitywide comprehensive planning process and invite questions from the audience. In October, the study will focus more on neighborhoods and the best way to preserve them. Unit meetings will be studying the same issues and providing an opportunity for members to learn more about planning for the future. The League is committed to including all of our community in this important activity: planning for our shared future. Democracy is not a Spectator Sport. 6

7 League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Tulsa Calendar of Events for September and October 2008 September 2008 Monday, 8 th Thursday, 11 th Tuesday, 16 th Thursday, 18 th Monday, 22 nd 12 1 p.m. Unit Leaders meeting, League Office conference room 7 9 p.m. Membership meeting, Nathan Hale Library, 6038 E. 23rd St, with guest speaker Jack Crowley on Tulsa s comprehensive planning process 11:30 1 p.m. Mid-Day Unit meeting, League Office conference room Call Marjorie Swofford, , for information 6 8:30 p.m. LWVMT Board Meeting, League Office conference room 12 1 p.m. North Unit meeting, North Pointe Center Community Room Call Violet Patterson, , for information 6 9 p.m. PlanIt Tulsa city-wide comprehensive planning workshop, Greenwood Cultural Center, 322 N. Greenwood (Snacks provided) Info: Tuesday, 23 rd 7 8 a.m. Breakfast Unit meeting, Blue Dome Diner Call Jay Engle, , for information 1 4 p.m. PlanIt Tulsa city-wide comprehensive planning workshop, BOK Event Center,200 S. Denver Ave. Speakers at 11:30 a.m. (Box lunches for purchase) Info: Tuesday, 30 th 11:30 a.m. 1 p.m. LWVMT Education Fund Trustees Meeting, League Office conference room October 2008 Tuesday, 7 th Thursday, 9 th Thursday, 16 th Tuesday, 21 st 6:00-9:00 p.m. Pathfinder Gala, honoring Norma Eagleton, Patty Eaton and Penny Williams, Downtown Doubletree Hotel 7 9 p.m. Membership meeting, All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 South Peoria, with guest speaker Lee Anne Ziegler, Tulsa Foundation for Architecture, on preserving our heritage in comprehensive planning 6 8:30 p.m. LWVMT Board Meeting, League Office conference room 11:30 1 p.m. Mid-Day Unit meeting, League Office conference room Call Marjorie Swofford, , for information 6 7 p.m. LWVMT Membership Orientation (everyone welcome) 7 9 p.m. Community Forum: The Tulsa Streets Plan Emerson Hall, All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 South Peoria Monday, 27 th Tuesday, 28 th 12 1 p.m. North Unit meeting, North Pointe Center Community Room Call Violet Patterson, , for information 7 8 a.m. Breakfast Unit meeting, Blue Dome Diner Call Jay Engle, , for information Be sure the check the calendar on the website, for the latest information about upcoming events. 7

8 . League of Women Voters of Tulsa 3336 East 32 nd Street, Suite 1B Tulsa, OK Return Service Requested NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID MAILED FROM ZIP CODE Permit No TULSA METRO VOTER September 2008 Our Mission The League of Women Voters, a non-partisan political organization, encourages the informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy The Tulsa Metro Voter is a publication of The League of Woman Voters of Metropolitan Tulsa 3336 East 32 nd Street Ste. 1B Tulsa, OK Phone: lwvtulsa@sbcglobal.net Website: State and National League Contact Information LWV of Oklahoma LWV of the United States 500 N Broadway # M Street, NW Oklahoma City, OK Washington, DC Phone: Phone lwvok@aol.com Website: Website: LeaguE-Voice To subscribe to the e-newsletter from the LWVUS, send a blank to league-voice-subscribe@lists.lwv.org 8 IN THIS ISSUE Notes from the Board 1 Development Notes 2 Voter Information 2-3 Membership News 4 Tulsa Member Highlight 5 Action/Advocacy 6 Calendar of Events 7