Observer
News from the League of Women Voters of Cook County


January 2020
Why Another League Newsletter?!

Welcome to 2020, the 100th anniversary of the League of Women Voters! 
   
Jan Goldberg and Karin Hribar ( pictured at right ) are sharing presidential duties as co-vice presidents. With the recent resignation of our president, the board also stepped up to take over many tasks. 
 
One of our 2020 Resolutions as a board is to keep Cook County League members better informed. So why another League newsletter? To let you know what we do, the value we bring to our 1,800-plus members, and how you can get involved.
 
We are especially proud of the observer reports, written by our many enthusiastic observers who monitor four Cook County boards ( check out the Observer story below ) and the Cook County League’s committees and interest groups.
 
We hope you will join us as observers or members of one or more of the interest groups.  Send your comments and questions to  [email protected]  or leave a message at (312) 939-5935, ext. 4.
Join the League’s Observer Corps!
  The  Cook County League's Observer Corps    promotes government transparency and accountability. As such, it  plays a vital role in helping to improve county-wide governments and educate voters on decisions that impact their lives. League observers report on the Cook County Board and its committees, the Cook County Forest Preserve Board, the independent Cook County Health Board, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Board.
 
LWVCC observers attend governmental meetings and monitor issues being discussed, as well as the  process  of the discussion.   Observers  write reports after each meeting which are posted at  www.lwvcookcounty.org . 
 
Any League member can be an observer. New observers are mentored by experienced observers to learn how the meetings are run, who the officials and other key people are, and what items should be reported.  This work is critical to the League’s efforts and to the health of our democracy. Diane Edmundson and Carolyn Cosentino are Observer Corps co-chairs.
Peggy Kell (left), of the Oak Park-River Forest League, has observed Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and Forest Preserve meetings. “A benefit of this work is that our presence at board meetings sends a signal to elected officials that we’re watching and that we care,” she says. “Our work has never been more important now that many newspapers are no longer reporting about these meetings.” 
 
Want to join us? Send an email to  [email protected]  or leave a message at  (312) 939-5935, ext. 4.
About the Cook County Forest Preserve District
 
The Forest Preserve District of Cook County is a governmental commission that owns and manages the Cook County forest preserves — a network of open spaces with forest, prairie, wetland, streams and lakes. 
 
The district is overseen by Executive Director Arnold Randall who reports to the Forest Preserve Board of Commissioners (these are the same elected officials as the Cook County board of commissioners). The board typically meets monthly to discuss Forest Preserve operations .  These meetings often take place in the Cook County building, 118 N. Clark, though periodically at forest preserve facilities throughout the county. 

The February meeting is on Tues., Feb. 25 at the County Building, Room 569. You can attend in person, watch the meeting as it is live-streamed or access it later at   https://cook-county.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx .   (Look for the date of the meeting and click on the video at the far right of the listing for that date). You can also look for the observer report afterwards at www.lwvcookcounty.org.
Voter Services Gears Up for the March 17 Primary
 
The Cook County League has once again teamed up with WTTW-Channel 11 to create a  Video Voter's Guide  that will include two-minute videos of candidates for the party nominations for Cook County offices of Board of Review (1st District), Clerk of the Court, State's Attorney, three Board positions on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, U.S. Senate and the U.S. Representatives for districts within the WTTW viewing area. League members and the public will be alerted when the Guide has been posted for viewing, which is expected to be February 17, one month before the Primary.   
LWVCC board members Pris Mims and Ann Bolan at WTTW-TV for one of the tapings.
The League is also working with ABC Channel 7 on its forum for the  State's Attorney primary race . 

With the purchase of new election equipment in Chicago and suburban Cook County, the Cook County League will work with local Leagues to conduct a  Polling Place Project  to survey how well the election equipment is functioning. We hope many League members will help us cover as many polling places as possible. Expect to hear more about this project from your local Leagues. 

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF COOK COUNTY
332 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 634
Chicago, IL 60604

312/939-5935 x 4
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