Tonight, Monday, October 17, the elimination of plastics issue is going to be on the Village Board Agenda. This will be an in-person board meeting at the Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison, starting at 6:30pm. The Environment Committee is asking any interested members who care about this issue to come to the meeting for a show of strength. Between our Environment Committee, Go Plastic Free, and Interfaith Green Network, we collected over 400 signatures at the Farmers Market during the month of July from residents who want to see plastic packaging, utensils, and to-go containers eliminated from Village businesses. Contact Beverly Graham with any questions. 

Last Call: Concerned about climate change and flooding? Protecting breathable air, drinkable water, our native habitat? This Wednesday, October 17, 7:00pm, Laura Davis of the Cook County League of Women Voters will speak on the Forest Preserve Referendum and what's at stake. To attend this 1-hour program, click here. Tell your friends and neighbors too!

You can listen to the LWV Evanston's Ranked Choice Voting panel discussion from October 11 with Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and Alisa Kaplan, Executive Director of Reform for Illinois, here. You can learn more about RCV and hopefully have some of your questions answered. Interested in a more "nourishing" way to learn about RCV? LWV LaGrange is having a Beer and Cheese Ranked Choice Voting social this Thursday, October 20, at 7:00pm, at Imperial Brewing, 9526 Ogden Avenue, Brookfield. Enjoy flights of beer and cheese and then use RCV to rank them. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here. Scroll down to the invite.

Our Fundraiser donut day is coming up this Saturday, October 22, at the Oak Park Farmers Market at Pilgrim Congregational Church, 460 Lake Street. Please come by and support our League by purchasing some delicious donuts and coffee for your Saturday and for your weekend. This is an easy way to support our League and get delicious donuts too. Thanks to everyone who has already signed up and volunteered their time—you will receive an email with more details about the day. If you have any questions about this event or still want to sign up, please contact Joan Petertil. 

The Cook County District 9 Commissioner Candidate Forum scheduled for Wednesday, October 19, at 8:15pm has been cancelled. Candidate Matt Podgorski no longer could attend, and with only one candidate, the forum could not take place.  

Voting is the bedrock of democracy. But who can we vote for if no one puts themselves forward as a candidate? So many local, state, and national elections are pre-ordained because there is only one person on the ballot. The municipal elections are coming up in April, 2023. Do you know of someone who would make a good candidate for a school, park, library, township, or village board? How and what do they need to do to get on the ballot? Well, on Wednesday, October 26, at 7:00pm, we will be having a Zoom presentation by legal experts Jonathan Priest and Anne Skrodzki from Klein, Thorpe, & Jenkins on "How to Get and Stay on the Ballot." Register for this event here. This presentation will be open to all interested citizens. 

The fundraising committee is planning an excursion to the Goodman Theater for a matinee performance of "Swing State," a new play by Rebecca Gilman and directed by artistic director Robert Falls. "Swing State" is a contemporary portrait set in America's Heartland at a time when it's hard to know who your friends are in a world that's more divided than ever.  We’ve reserved a block of 20 seats in the balcony of the Owen Theater for the 2:00pm matinee performance on Sunday, November 13. Tickets are $15, and we are asking for an additional $15 donation to the League. As our deposit is due on October 24, this date will be the deadline for purchasing tickets. Go here to purchase tickets.

Reduced parking is available across the street.

For their October Feminist Four, the LWV of Berkeley Heights, New Providence, and Summit, NJ, highlight Women Journalists. Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin, Ida Tarbell, Gloria Steinem, and Jessica Bennett were women who influenced journalism during their lifetimes. Read more about these women here.

LWV Cook County October Newsletter

LWV IL October News to Use

LWV Lake Michigan October 21-22 Annual Meeting Conference

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