Staten Island Democratic Association est as Staten Island s reform Democratic Club At our Next Meeting:

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1 Staten Island Democratic Association est as Staten Island s reform Democratic Club At our Next Meeting: February 2011 Charlie King Executive Director NYS Democratic Committee Introduction of Newly Established Committees 50th Anniversary Year of S.I.D.A. in motion Tuesday, February 15, 2011, 8:00 P.M., at Karl s Klipper, 40 Bay Street - (718)

2 Editorial Policy Items for publication must be submitted to the newsletter no later than the last Friday of the month before the meeting. Please send items to: Unless explicitly stated, the views herein are those of the authors and not of S.I.D.A. Chris Bauer, Editor (917) Table of Contents Charlie King...3 Social Security Commemoration...4 Minutes...5 Letters...8 View from the First Row...10 Flashback...11 Lathrope Voorspuy Memorial Scholarship...13 South Shore Democratic Club...15 Staten Island Pride Events Dinner...16 Democratic Organization of Richmond County Dinner...17 Advertising...18 Upcoming Meetings...19 Join/Renewal Form...19 Executive Committee...19 I hold it, that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms are in the physical. S.I.D.A. President s Message - Thomas Jefferson 1787 February 2011 n January 18, 2011, S.I.D.A. held its annual meeting and elected officers and members at large. The O new S.I.D.A. Executive Committee is as follows: President Dennis A. Brown, Vice President John F. Lavelle, Executive Secretary Mark Herman, Corresponding and Recording Secretary Marie Dwyer, Treasurer Tom Shcherbenko, Social Secretary Liz Price, Members at-large Susan Chew, Peter Killen, Roy Moscowitz, Rosemary Palladino, and Loretta Prisco, and Ex-Officio Richard Reichard, Belinda Dixon, Shawn Dwyer, Joann Olbrich, John Sollazzo, and Mark Zink. Thank you for electing us to serve as your leaders and co-workers. Our first Executive Board meeting was held on January 31, 2011 and, as a team, we are moving forward with a renewed mission and enthusiasm to reform and assist good government on all levels. S.I.D.A. has a great heritage of 50 years of service and we have been a strong voice and vehicle for positive change all those years. We remain ready to study the issues, to influence public policy and to encourage and support highly qualified candidates for public office. The members of this Club will find that our new Executive committee team made up of former Executive Committee members as well as four newly-elected members will each chair an active committee and will be asking for your participation on those committees as we gear up to meet the challenges that face us in this critical time. Staten Island has just lost a Democratic Congressman who served only one term after the seat was held for the last 30 years by the Republicans. We have lost a member of the Assembly who hadserved two terms. The Democrats are now in the minority in the New York State Senate. The Tea Party is making a dramatic move to take over the splintered Republican Party on Staten Island. Our national debate is weighted against the fulfillment of the Democratic Party s ideals because, while we maintain the - 2 -

3 Presidency and United States Senate, we have lost our majority in the House of Representatives after suffering the worst mid-term election defeat since If ever there was a time when progressive politics and the ideals that our club has always stood for are threatened, this is it. Our borough, which has shown itself in the recent elections to be dramatically conservative and Republican, our city which is run by a maverick Democrat turned Republican turned Independent Mayor, our State which is facing major economic tribulations which will necessitate tremendous upheaval through its budget process, and our Federal Government, which continues to need focus in stopping two wars and getting the American people back to work while making strides to curb the Federal deficit, all have need for major political and social change. We, as a progressive reform club, are faced with the need to debate and work on all of these issues in the hopes that our country will continue to move forward and rise to the challenges that have resulted in the precarious position that our governments are in now. Obviously our efforts are vital so that the Democratic philosophy and platform does not get diluted and put aside. Rather we need to redouble our efforts to foster the Democratic agenda and to convince the general public that our Party and its Platform are more relevant now than ever, and that we can t retreat in the face of the political losses we have recently suffered. We believe that while it s important that we understand the concerns and anxiety that have brought us to this moment, nevertheless we must neither be silent nor capitulate to the reactionary forces of the Republican/Tea Party/Corporate business-as- usual mentality that has descended upon our country at this time. As I wrote in my letter in the January issue of our Newsletter, This has always been a Club of activists and I call upon you now to significantly increase your efforts; to attend and participate in our activities; to debate issues and vote for solutions. As was said by Tip O Neil years ago, all politics is local. S.I.D.A. has a proud history of working for lasting change to benefit all the people in our society. We know how to think globally and act locally. Now is the time for us to exert leadership and be the positive force that our country needs as we face so many tremendous challenges in our nation and our world. Dennis Brown President Charlie King The guest speaker at our February 15 General Membership Meeting will be Charlie King, the Executive Director of the New York State Democratic Committee. The following biography was taken from the N.Y.S. Democratic Party website. C harlie King has dedicated over twenty years of his life serving New York in both the private and public sectors. King was named Executive Director of the New York State Democratic Committee (NYSDC) starting April King previously served as Acting National Director for National Action Network (NAN), one of the nation's leading civil rights organizations. During his tenure at NAN, King served as an advisor on education and worked closely with Reverend Al Sharpton and Speaker Newt Gingrich on education reform. In 2006 King ran unsuccessfully for New York State Attorney General and then served as Chair of Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's Transition Committee on Civil Rights. In 2002 King ran for Lt. Governor with Cuomo. King was appointed by President Clinton in 2000 to serve as top official for the New York and New Jersey region of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. King's legal experience spans over fifteen years. While Of Counsel at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, King focused on commercial litigation and directed the firm's pro-bono program. King also served as a lawyer to Mayor David Dinkins' Mollen Commission. Internationally, King was selected to serve as an election observer in South Africa during Nelson Mandela's run for President in 1994, the first free and fair elections in South Africa's history

4 King currently serves on the board of the Anti-defamation League, and is the first African- American to receive a board nomination. King is a graduate of Brown University and New York University Law School where he was honored as a Root-Tilden Scholar. Born and raised in New York City, King lives in Rockland County with his wife and two daughters. Social Security Commemoration O n Monday, January 31, at 2:00 p.m. at Karl's Klipper, 40 Bay Street S.I.D.A. commemorated Social Security's 71 st anniversary of distribution of monthly benefit checks. Below is a picture of the cake and the text of the flyer distributed at the event. Celebrating Social Security s 71 st Year of Providing Benefits to Seniors Social Security was signed into law by President Roosevelt on August 14, Up until 1940, recipients received a lump sum payment. On January 31, 1940 the first monthly benefit check was given to a legal secretary from Ludlow Vermont named Ida May Fuller. Ms. Fuller, who was 66 when she received her first check, received a check every month until her death at the age of 100. Social Security is part of the three-legged stool of retirement. The other two legs are pensions and savings. Seniors 65 and over receive about 40% of their income from social security, 20% from pensions and less than 15% from savings. Many seniors still need to work. Income from work accounts for about 25% of seniors income

5 Income distribution changes with age. The biggest change occurs in the percentage of income a senior receives from social security and work. While a senior under 70 receives less than 30% of their income from social security and more than 40% from work, a senior 85 and over receives almost 55% of their income from social security and only 6.5% from work. The decrease in the number of retirees who will be receiving a traditional pension will change the income distribution for future retirees. In 1980 almost 40% of private-sector workers had private pension plans, today that figure is closer to 15%. As the percentage of income seniors receive from a pension decreases, seniors will become more reliant on social security, savings and work. The ability of social security to continue to provide full monthly benefits has become a major public policy issue. The Congressional Budget Office just announced that by 2037 the social security trust fund will have been exhausted and will therefore require a cut in monthly benefits. The debate now is whether we should restore solvency to social security s trust fund so as to continue to provide full monthly benefits as Democrats want to do, or move towards privatization as Republicans advocate. THE STATEN ISLAND DEMOCRATIC ASSOCIATION Celebrating our 50 th year of fighting for progressive causes Minutes P Annual Meeting January 18, 2011 resident Reichard called the meeting to order at 8:12 p.m. A motion was made by Susan Chew to accept December s minutes as published in the newsletter. Peter Killen seconded the motion. The motion carried. Jeff Stonehill made a motion to close ballots for the evening s election of officers at 9:30 p.m. The motion carried. President Reichard reviewed rules for members regarding their eligibility to vote in the evening s election. 1 st Guest speaker New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio thanked S.I.D.A. for inviting him to speak. He also apologized for not being able to attend our annual dinner. He said that he is determined for the office of the Public Advocate to be a five-borough office. He also explained that the mission of the Public Advocate s Office is to work directly with New Yorkers to hold New York City government accountable equally and effectively. Mr. de Blasio mentioned that there was an extraordinary breakdown of leadership during the December 26 blizzard. He feels that a snow emergency should have been declared and said that they don t seem to have an answer for what happened. He said that city government leaders need to know when to call a snow emergency. Mr. de Blasio also feels that it wouldn t be good to have a Wal-Mart here. He feels that the company will set back the middle class. He said Wal-Mart is one of the reasons that the middle class is down right now. He mentioned that the company is one of the biggest retailers in the country and he asked members to join him to fight against Wal-Mart. Mr. de Blasio also spoke about the recent New York Post editorial regarding the city buying guns from Glock. He said we need to stop buying guns from Glock as their 30 round clips are not good and will lead to the death of more innocent people. Mr. de Blasio talked about making sure that landlords take care of their tenants. He has fought to hold landlords to account when they fail to provide basic housing standards. After Mr. de Blasio s presentation he took questions from many members in attendance regarding various issues i.e. hydro-fracturing, his position on Mayoral control of schools, and fighting anti union - 5 -

6 Wal-Mart, to name a few. In closing, Public Advocate de Blasio thanked the members and said that he looked forward to working with everyone. President Reichard reviewed rules for voting again. Vice President s Report Vice President Dennis Brown presented highlights from the last executive committee meeting held on January 4, President Reichard discussed the layout of the club s election ballot. He announced that members that have not paid their dues up to 2010 should see Gary to pay so they can vote. He also mentioned that Gary would be handing out the ballots after members pay their dues. Maryann Bernice, Cindy Lowney and Carmen Cognetta volunteered to count the evening s ballots. 2 nd Guest Speaker Congressman Michael McMahon thanked the S.I.D.A. members for all their help and support during his recent re-election campaign. He apologized for not being able to speak at our meetings because Congress is in session on Tuesdays. Congressman McMahon says that we need more civility. He also thanked members for their support and prayers for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D.Arizona). He feels we need to do a better job with gun control. He said that the need for more mental health services is also clear. He said that member Phil Jonas asked him to mention that Rep. Carolyn McCarthy will again be introducing legislation on gun control. She wants Congress to restrict the sale of gun magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. He urged members to write letters to Congress to support the bill. Congressman McMahon announced that he had some information regarding the recent election. It was an interesting election and unpredictable. There was a higher turnout and there was fertile ground to get more activists out to vote. He said that whoever is the Congressional candidate going forward can make a difference. Congressman McMahon said he wants to work together and get a unified force to take back the congressional seat and the assembly seat (60 th AD) He said he is committed to working together. He wants to listen and learn from us. Rep. McMahon said that we are greatly diverse and we need one message that moves things forward. After his presentation he took questions from many members. Treasurer s Report Treasurer Gary Carsel gave the following balances: Balance $7, Balance $6, Gary reviewed expenses and income from the last month. He said we did significantly better for the recent holiday party than we did before. He also mentioned that he expects we have gained $500 - $600 from the party. S.I.D.A. Executive Secretary Mark Herman thanked Gary for his hard work as Treasurer over the last two years. The members applauded. President Reichard announced that as required by the bylaws, Nick Popolo and Phil Blitz are going to audit the club s books. Legal Committee Chair John Lavelle announced that the next meeting of the Legal committee will be around February 6. Social Secretary s Report Social Secretary Liz Price announced that plans are underway for S.I.D.A. s 50 th Anniversary Dinner. She also mentioned that two committees had been formed, the planning committee and the journal committee. Members interested in helping out should contact her. Old Business President Reichard mentioned that his goal is to be able to launch the club s new web site by next month. New Business President Reichard turned the meeting over to Vice President Dennis Brown so that he could make the following motions

7 Motion #1 Motion for Executive Committee to send letter to the Advance criticizing Congressman Grimm for his opposition to Congresswoman McCarthy s bill to limit the number of bullets in a magazine clips. Motion passed unanimously Motion # 2 Motion to have the club participate in a press conference celebrating social security. Motion passed unanimously. Motion # 3 Motion to have the club participate in a press conference celebrating the two-year anniversary of the Stimulus Bill. Motion passed unanimously. Steve Harrison said people from Brooklyn would also join in for this. Vice Presidnt Dennis Brown made an informal motion to thank President Reichard for two years of service to the club. Everyone applauded. Joy Robins had brought this motion to the Executive Committee and they recommended it be brought to the membership: Motion that S.I.D.A. donate $500 to the Lathrope Voorspuy Memorial Scholarship Fund. Questions arose about why $500 was requested this year and that S.I.D.A. should not carry half the scholarship. Joy defended this by saying that costs have increased and three scholarships were given last year. After some discussion, Gary mentioned that only $500 had actually been allocated for donations. He also said that we could move $300 from proceeds from the holiday party to the donation line to cover the cost of the $500 donation to L.V.M.S. fund. Motion carried: 26 in favor and 12 not in favor. S.I.D.A. Election Results President Dennis Brown John Lavelle Executive Secretary Mark Herman Corresponding & Recording Secretary Marie Dwyer Social Secretary Liz Price Treasurer Tom Shcherbenko Member at-large Loretta Prisco Susan Chew Rosemary Palladino Roy Moskowitz Peter Killen Michelle Akymepong Bonita Rothman Paul Scublinsky Since there were two candidates for president, the one with the most votes would get the presidency and the other the vice presidency. The rest of the slate for officers ran unopposed. There were eight candidates for Member at- Large, with the top five vote getters getting elected. Therefore the newly elected Executive Committee is President Dennis Brown, Vice President John Lavelle, Executive Secretary Mark Herman, Corresponding and Recording Secretary Marie Dwyer, Treasurer, Tom Shcherbenko, Social Secretary Liz Prize, and Members at-large Loretta Prisco, Susan Chew, Rosemary Palladino, Roy Moskowitz, and Peter Killen. President Reichard spoke about how he enjoyed the last two years and he feels he accomplished what he set out to do. He also mentioned that he wants to get all the Dem clubs on Staten Island together. After, President Reichard turned the gavel over to the newly elected President Dennis Brown. Susan Chew made a motion that S.I.D.A. purchase a full-page ad for $150 and two tickets to Dem Organization of Richmond County s dinner to be held on February 24. Susan mentioned that DORC always - 7 -

8 purchases more than two tickets to our dinner. Motion passed with one abstention. The meeting was adjourned at 10:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Marie Dwyer Corresponding & Recording Secretary Letters We in S.I.D.A. like to make our views known. The following are some of the letters written by S.I.D.A. members that have appeared in print. Unless otherwise indicated, all letters were in the Staten Island Advance and/or posted on the Advance s website Unless explicitly stated, the views herein are those of the authors and are not the views of S.I.D.A. On-line December 27, 2010 Lanza, Tobacco, Opposed Hydrofracking Moratorium he New York State Assembly passed a moratorium bill on T hydraulic fracturing for gas in New York State, allowing time to further investigate the threat to our water from this dangerous drilling method. Unfortunately, Assemblyman Lou Tobacco and Sen. Andrew Lanza didn t vote yes when the bills passed in their respective state chambers. In times of economic downturn, although jobs are a part of a legislator s thoughts on voting on an issue, hydrofracking involves the injection of hundreds of chemicals including endocrine disruptors and carcinogens into our watershed reservoir area. Therefore, the most salient part of the equation should be maintaining the purity of our water. Furthermore, jobs should be created in green, renewable energy technology, not in more fossil-fuel energy such as gas, which emits more CO into the atmosphere during extraction than coal mining! Thanks to Assembly-members Michael Cusick, Janele Hyer-Spencer and Matthew Titone for their yes votes. We ask that all our state legislators consider first and foremost that when our water is contaminated as it has been in other states where fracking is done we will experience a costly and irreversible situation. New Yorkers are fortunate to have a clean and plentiful supply of water. Let s not destroy it. - Susan Chew [The writer is affiliated with New Yorkers for Clean Water.] On-line January 6, 2011 Printed January 8, 2011 Protect Our Water Supply from Hydrofracking The following is the text of a letter being sent to all Staten Island elected officials [on behalf of the Young Democrats of Richmond County]: I respectfully request that you support legislation to enact a permanent ban on all methods of hydraulic fracturing ("hydrofracking") in New York State. In December 2010, then-governor David Paterson signed an Executive Order banning horizontal hydraulic fracturing until July 1, Not only does the Executive Order expire just six months from now, it only bans horizontal hydrofracking, creating a loophole for newer vertical hydrofracking. I call on each of you to put yourselves at the forefront of this issue to support a permanent ban on hydrofracking, and to permanently protect the drinking water of millions of New Yorkers including half a million Staten Islanders. Hydrofracking is a form of natural gas drilling where millions of gallons of water (plus a dangerous cocktail of chemicals) are shot thousands of feet below the earth s surface. The water and chemicals shake loose natural gas that is eventually collected and piped away. The problem is all of that chemically infused water stays behind, eventually contaminating fresh drinking water which lies closer to the surface

9 The repercussions of hydrofracking are terrifying death from extraction accidents; illness; nearby farm animals suddenly losing their fur; and most germane to your constituents: a polluted fresh drinking water supply. (The HBO documentary "Gasland" showed water so polluted that the water itself ignited when a match was held near the kitchen tap.) As you may know, the problem stems from the "Halliburton Loophole" in the 2005 Energy Policy Act that exempted gas drilling companies from the Safe Water Drinking Act of Furthermore, these companies are not required to disclose the 500-plus chemicals used during hydrofracking, although chemicals frequently used include kerosene, benzene, xylene and formaldehyde. If these and other hydrofracking chemicals enter New York City s upstate watershed, it could pollute the drinking water for the 16 million people who live in or near New York City, including Staten Island. I would like to commend and thank State Senator Diane Savino and Assemblyman Matthew Titone for already speaking out against hydrofracking, for supporting legislation banning this dangerous method of natural gas exploration, and for helping to protect Staten Island s fresh water supply. I also ask our Staten Island City Council delegation to work with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Speaker Christine Quinn to support local efforts to protect the New York City water supply. Finally, I ask Congressman Michael Grimm to support a federal ban on hydrofracking, who needs only to ask his congressional colleagues from Pennsylvania about the drinking water contamination in Dimock Township, Pa., in 2009, or the June 2010 well blowout in Clearfield County, Pa., that sent 35,000 gallons of hydraulic fracturing fluids (and chemicals) into the surrounding forest. Sadly, the Central New York Land Coalition recently named State Senator Andrew Lanza a "Friend of Natural Gas." Instead, I ask you all to become a "Friend of Staten Island," and act to protect our fresh water supply. - Michael O Brien [The writer is treasurer of the Young Democrats.] On-line January 7, 2011 Printed January 8, 2011 Why Not Give the Gift of Smoke-Free Living? This New Year, consider giving the gift of smoke-free living. I think many smokers and non-smokers alike, accept second-hand smoke as part of their daily lives. Whether you pass a smoker as you enter your office building, pick up your kids at school or sit on a park bench, second-hand smoke, at any level of exposure, is hazardous. The recent Surgeon General report emphasizes that any exposure to smoke is unsafe and that secondhand smoke contains 7,000 carcinogens. These chemicals impair your immune system, cause a variety of respiratory illnesses from asthma to lung cancer, and can cause heart disease. Annually, cigarette smoke kills one in five people nationwide. As a member of the Staten Island Smoke Free Partnership, I urge smokers and non-smokers alike, to understand that, all of these diseases are preventable. We should encourage friends and family members to create smoke free environments and seek help in quitting if they are smokers. There are free and low cost aids to assist in quitting. Contact NY-QUITS and the NYC Smoke-free partnership for more information at - Angela D Aiuto On-line January 8, 2011 There are Parts of the Health-Reform Law that Most Americans Support This letter was sent to Rep. Michael Grimm: Before you spout the Republican Party line about repealing the Health Care Reform Act, you should be clear about what you want to repeal and be aware that although the Tea Party people may be very vocal, there are many of us VOTERS in your district who SUPPORT: Closing the donut hole for Medicare prescription drug coverage saving seniors thousands of dollars a year; - 9 -

10 Allowing children up to the age of 26 to be covered under their parent s policies; Stopping insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions; Stopping insurance companies from canceling coverage when people get sick or limiting the care they receive; Providing insurance exchanges so small businesses and people without insurance can buy it so NO American has to go without medical insurance. Will you think for yourself and stand up to House Speaker John Boehner? - Susan Rappaport On-line January 11, 2011 Mental Illness, Not Politics, Led to Ariz. Massacre As someone who spent years working in the field of violence risk assessment, I can confirm the obvious about Congressman Gabrielle Giffords shooter. He is deranged. That gave him the motive at least in his twisted mind and with the help of a semi-automatic 9mm Glock, the ability. In the initial discussion about why this tragedy occurred, much has been speculated about his politics and the vitriol that seems endemic to political discourse today. This misses the point. Whether he is a right-wing nut or a left-wing nut doesn t matter. He is a nut, regardless with legal access to a high-powered weapon that caused a massacre within seconds. Unless our society comes to recognize that not all citizens should have unfettered access to weapons, we will have more tragedies. Perhaps Congress will consider the need for sensible gun laws now that the issue is so close to home. - Phil Jonas On-line January 16, 2011 Printed January 20, 2011 Is Rep. Grimm for or against Social Security Privatization? On Jan. 31, Social Security will celebrate 71 years of unbroken distribution of monthly benefit checks. Over the years, Social Security has been one of the issues that had help define the difference between Democrats and Republicans. In the 1930s, while Democrats were voting to create Social Security, Republicans were opposing its creation. A few years ago, when Republicans were advocating privatization, Democrats successfully fought against it. As we debate how to make Social Security solvent for another 71 years, Democrats and Republicans will assume their traditional positions. Republicans have already brought up diverting Social Security taxes to private accounts, which is the first step towards privatization. Democrats will be called upon once again to fight privatization. Over the next two years we should not expect much help from Congressman Michael Grimm in the fight against privatization. As a Sarah Palin/Tea Party Republican, he has already thrown his support behind privatization. What we should expect from Mr. Grimm is some confusing double-talk on the issue of privatization. - Richard Reichard View from the First Row I Went to a School Yesterday and Witnessed Either a Mirage or a Miracle entered the building and got out my I.D. What was I hearing? Could it be? Was I in the Twilight Zone? I The door to the auditorium was open and I heard an aria from a Puccini opera sung by Rene Fleming! There were children, real children, in the auditorium, listening to a recording. The music

11 teacher, a real music teacher, was up on the stage holding a pointer (remember them?) with a huge screen behind him. On the screen was a sort of road map of paths, the background was a gray and the paths white, that symbolized high and low notes. The teacher's pointer moved along as Fleming sang demonstrating to students what high and low notes sound like and look like. I realized that as often as I go into schools, I no longer hear music. My first thought was that it was wishful thinking, so I checked with the security and she said it was for real! Or did I imagine the security guard as well? Or was I even in a school? Was the whole thing a dream? - Loretta Prisco Have you told a Democrat you love them? Flashback We keep our history alive by reprinting articles from past newsletters, minutes from past meetings, or other items of interest from the past. If you have items that might be appropriate for the Flashback column, please call Joy Robins at (718) This month s Flashback is photos from the 1990 S.I.D.A. picnic at Clove Lake Park. Thank you to Ralph Dickar for providing them. Carol Bellamy and Eric Vitaliano

12 Lathrope Voorspuy, unknown, Helen Scolaro, Peggy Johnstone, Ed Scolaro, Jeff Stonehill Anne Taylor, Tyrone Butler, then President Joe Knowles, Jean Brown

13 Lathrope Voorspuy Memorial Scholarship Fund The Lathrope Voorspuy Memorial Scholarship Fund A 501 (c) 3 Nonprofit Community Organization P.O. Box , SI, NY The mission of the Lathrope Voorspuy Memorial Scholarship Fund will be to encourage grass-roots activism by underwriting community members in selected programs that train for community organization or for political candidacies. Name Address Names of candidates must be submitted by March 7, To submit names, call Joy Robins at Send applications by mail to: LVMSF P.O. Box Staten Island, NY or by to joyrobins@si.rr.com or via the web at The winner(s) of the scholarship will be announced at the Award Presentation Breakfast on Sunday, May 15, The event will be used to raise funds for the next award in City/State/Zip Phone Application for the Lathrope Voorspuy Memorial Scholarship

14 Training Program you are applying for: Do you have housing in the location, if not included in the program, and a means of getting to the program? 1. Why are you interested in learning community organizing/campaign skills? 2. What do you most hope to get out of the training program? 3. What previous social justice/organizing/campaign efforts have you been involved in, either as a volunteer or paid? 4. Thinking of your previous experiences, tell more about one particular thing that you did. Explain why you either felt great satisfaction in the experience, or did not feel satisfied. 5. How would you apply the skills you learn in this program? 6. Is there anything else you would like us to know about you? 7. How did you hear about this scholarship? List of Suggested Programs: (Other programs will be considered at the request of applicants.) The Midwest Academy Training That Works For Citizen Organizations Southern Empowerment Project Emily s List The Women s Campaign School at Yale University The Agnes Varis Campaign Institute of the Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Camp Wellstone http// Highlander Center, New Market TN. http// The White House Project

15 South Shore Democratic Club Dear Members of S.I.D.A. South Shore Democratic Club Rosemarie Mangano Cavanagh, President 65 Memphis Avenue Staten Island, New York January 28,2011 PRESIDENT S DAY EVENT The South Shore Democratic Club will host an event on February 21 st, 2011, which is Presidents Day. We will have a tribute to Democratic Presidents. A representative from Richmond Town, Serria Kessler will provide us with information on James Madison. She will be darned in her old fashion traditional clothes to enhance the presentation. In addition Thomas Shcherbenko, who is on the Executive board of the S.I.D.A. as well as a Social Studies Teacher at I.S. 211, Brooklyn, New York will introduce our members and guest to F.D.R. Matthew Savage, the club s Historian, a past employee of the National Park Service, and a Theology student at Saint Thomas will present J.F.K. He will also discuss the Democratic Presidents who have achieved milestones in our history and Presidents who have not. Matthew Savage will provide a poster to demonstrate information concerning the Presidents. This is a community outreach program and there is no charge for this event. Place: The Historical Old Bermuda Inn 2512 Arthur Kill Road Staten Island, NY Date: February 21, 2011 Time: 7:00 p.m. Refreshments and dessert will be served Sincerely, Rosemarie Managano Cavanagh President

16 Staten Island Pride Events Dinner Staten Island Pride Events (SIPE) presents its 3 rd Annual St. Patrick s Gay Dinner Dance honoring the 4 founders of Staten Island Stonewall (& members of S.I.D.A.) Jim Smith Marianne Brennick Rosemarie Palladino Chris Bauer Date: Saturday, March 12 Time: 8:00 p.m. Place: Cichon American Legion Hall 100 Innis Street, Port Richmond Tickets: $30 per person before February 28 $40 after and at the door Reservations: Nancy Ellis, The hostess will be Lady Clover Honey. A buffet dinner will include a selection of traditional food in addition to a vegetarian dish and corned beef, including free tap beer, wine, coffee, dessert and soda. A cash bar will be available

17 Democratic Organization of Richmond County Dinner Tickets $

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19 Upcoming Meetings February 15, 2011 General Meeting Karl s Klipper, 40 Bay Street Charlie King, Executive Director, NYS Democratic Party Introduction of Newly Established Committees 50 th Anniversary Year of S.I.D.A. in Motion March 15, 2011 General Meeting Karl s Klipper, 40 Bay Street Political Journalism Panel including NY 1 s Errol Louis It s Time to Join or Renew Your S.I.D.A. Membership! To become a member, renew membership, or make a donation, call Tom Shcherbenko at (718) , or complete and return the coupon. Voting privileges begin 45 days after joining DUES DONATION $15 - Family $5 $10 - Individual $50 $5 - Senior, Student, Unemployed $100 Other Name Address Apt # City State Zip Phone Make checks payable S.I.D.A. to S.I.D.A. and send to: P.O. Box Staten Island, NY President...Dennis Brown Vice President...John F. Lavelle Executive Secretary...Mark Herman Corresponding & Recording Secretary...Marie Dwyer Treasurer...Tom Shcherbenko Social Secretary...Liz Price Member at-large... Susan Chew Member at-large...peter Killen S.I.D.A. Executive Committee Member at-large...roy Moskowitz Member at-large. Rosemary Palladino Member at-large... Loretta Prisco Ex Officio... Belinda Dixon Ex Officio...Joann Olbrich Ex Officio... Richard Reichard Ex Officio... John Sollazzo Ex Officio... Mark Zink