Knowing your risk factors for a variety of diseases is a simple first step toward good health. Below is a list of quick, easy-to-use online health calculators that will give you a basic understanding of your risk for developing certain health conditions
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COOL TOPIC MEETING
GERRYMANDERING
and the COURTS
Saturday, September 8, 2018
from 10:00 to 11:30 A.M.
at the STEM Center
(located across from Science Museum in Dreher Park, West Palm Beach)
LIVE STREAMING ON FACEBOOK LIVE from 10:10 to 11:30 A.M.
Partisan gerrymandering
is the practice of drawing legislative and congressional district lines to maximize and perpetuate the power of an incumbent political party.Tom Wolf of the Brennan Center for Social Justice at NYU will speak about how partisan gerrymandering has changed the face of America. This year the Supreme Court heard a number of gerrymandering cases. The Court's decisions left open the possibility for future action and laid out several roadmaps for how to proceed. Tom will speak about next steps in the fight against partisan gerrymandering.
There is no charge for this event, but registration is requested. To register, click on the button below.
pictured above
:
Thomas Wolf,
of the Brennan Center for Social Justice at NYU School of Law, is with Brennan’s Democracy Program and focuses on redistricting issues. He regularly participates as an amicus in partisan and racial gerrymandering cases before the United States Supreme Court and advises on litigation strategies for both state and federal courts. His articles and op-eds on gerrymandering and related topics have appeared in
Time
,
The Los Angeles Times
,
The New York Daily News
,
SCOTUSblog
, and other outlets.
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HOT TOPIC LUNCHEON
What's On The November Ballot
Wednesday,
September 26, 2018
from 11:30 A.M. to 1 P.M.
$25.00 before Sept. 19, $35.00 after
Doors open 11 A.M. . Lunch served promptly at 11:30 A.M.
Atlantis Country Club
LIVE STREAMING ON FACEBOOK LIVE from 12:10 P.M.
To register, click the link below or call
Estelle Friedman at 561-968-4123
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For a complete listing of events,
click the button below to go to our Calendar!
You can view streamed events on LWVPBC Facebook Live.
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VOLUNTEERS MAY STILL TAKE "VOTE BY MAIL BALLOTS" TO SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS!
Per Susan Bucher, SOE, "Any person who provides or offers to provide, and any person who accepts, a pecuniary or other benefit in exchange for distributing, ordering, requesting, collecting, delivering, or otherwise physically possessing more than two vote by mail ballots per election in addition to his/her own ballot or a ballot belonging to an immediate family member is in violation of state law. "
This means that volunteers may deliver Vote by Mail Ballots to the SOE, so long as it is not done for their benefit.
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PAY ONLINE - IT'S FASTER & EASIER
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You will avoid a service fee if you log in to our website as a member. Non-members are charged a service fee when making reservations for events for which we charge fees.
If you’ve forgotten your user name or password or last name, scroll down to
Forgot My Username/Password
and follow the prompts to login as a member.
If you wish to pay for multiple events in one transaction:
Complete registration for first event and when you get to payment screen
Return to calendar and register for next event
When you have registered for all the events you want to attend, proceed with your payment (please use your credit or debit card, sorry, no PayPal.)
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THE NOVEMBER 9, 2018 BALLOT
VOTE “YES” ON #4
By Nancy Cohen
Now, all of us can VOTE “YES” on 4 to fix our broken electoral system that excludes from voting 1.5 million people in Florida. Florida is one of only 3 states in the nation with a lifetime ban on voting!
Ballot Summary:
“This amendment restores the voting rights of Floridians with felony convictions AFTER THEY COMPLETE ALL TERMS OF THEIR SENTENCE INCLUDING PAROLE OR PROBATION. The amendment WOULD NOT APPLY TO THOSE CONVICTED OF MURDER OR SEXUAL OFFENCES, who would continue to be permanently barred from voting unless the Governor and Cabinet vote to restore their voting rights on a case by case basis.”
We do not believe in a lifetime exclusion from voting. Once you have PAID YOUR FULL DEBT TO SOCIETY you have earned the opportunity to participate in and give back to your communities.
Floridians from all walks of life, including law enforcement, faith-based groups, families, and businesses support people being able to earn back their eligibility to vote.
We believe in Second Chances and it is time to ensure that Florida law does as well!
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THE CORRECT
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF FLORIDA
AMENDMENT POSITIONS
Amendment #1
OPPOSE
Grants an additional $25,000 homestead exemption for homes worth $125,000 or more.
Amendment #2
OPPOSE
Makes permanent what currently is a temporary cap of 10 percent on annual property value increases for vacation homes, apartments and commercial property, effectively limiting increases on tax bills.
Amendment #3
SUPPORT
Requires approval of any new casino gambling through a citizen-initiative constitutional amendment, effectively barring the Legislature from making those gambling decisions by passing laws.
Amendment #4
SUPPORT
Would restore the eligibility to vote to persons with felony convictions who have completed their sentences.
Amendment #5
OPPOSE
Requires a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to approve any new or increased taxes or fees, rather than a simple majority.
Revision #6
OPPOSE
Vastly expands the scope of victims rights under the state Constitution; increases the mandatory retirement age for judges from 70 to 75; forces courts and judges to interpret laws and rules for themselves rather than rely on interpretations by government agencies.
Revision #7
OPPOSE
Creates a supermajority requirement for universities to impose new or increase existing student fees; enshrines in the Constitution guidelines for the State College System; mandates that employers or the state pay a death benefit to first responders and members of the military killed in the line of duty.
Revision #8
OPPOSE
Mandates term limits of eight years for all Florida school boards; allows the state to create public schools, something only local school boards currently can do; and requires schools to teach “civic literacy.”
Revision #9
SUPPORT
Prohibits oil drilling beneath waters controlled by Florida; prohibits the use of e-cigarettes, also known as vaping, at indoor workplaces.
Revision #10
OPPOSE
Requires the Legislature to hold its session in early January on even-numbered years; creates an Office of Domestic Security and Counterterrorism within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; mandates the existence of a state Department of Veterans’ Affairs; forces all counties to elect a sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections and Clerk of Circuit Court.
Revision #11
NO POSITION
Repeals the state’s ability to prohibit non-citizens from buying, owning and selling property; deletes a provision that forces the state to prosecute criminal suspects under the law they were originally charged under, even if the Legislature changes that law; deletes obsolete language having to do with high-speed rail in Florida.
Revision #12
NO POSITION
Expands ethics rules for elected officials and government employees, notably by expanding from two to six years the time that many officials would have to wait before they could lobby state government.
Revision #13
SUPPORT
Bans wagering on any type of dog racing, notably greyhounds, as of Dec. 31, 2020, while continuing to allow dog tracks to continue offering other types of gambling, including poker rooms.
(This Revision is under court review and may not appear on the ballot)
To see the rational for the League positions, click the button below.
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Intern Sarah Ackerman with fellow Intern, Pam Maldonado, Marcia Halpern & Councilwoman Dr. Julia Botel of Riveria Beach.
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ONLY 97 DAYS UNTIL MIDTERM ELECTIONS
Municipalities and Colleges Seek Immediate Help with Voter Registration
The midterm general elections are looming large. With the future at stake, voter registration and turnout is the key to how local districts, states and indeed, the country will govern going forward.
Palm Beach County municipalities and local colleges have asked for LWVPBC help in expanding voter registration in anticipation of the coming elections.
The Voter Services Committee has a full schedule to meet this demand.
Boca Raton, Greenacres and Lake Park have upcoming Back to School community events booked. Florida Atlantic University has requested our help for an event for the first week of school.Palm Beach State College Loxahatchee and Main campuses plus 2 campuses of Keiser University have requested help for Constitution Week. There will be multiple events on some days.
Due to heavy demand for our help from now until the midterm elections,
we need volunteers to serve as Team Leaders for events.
Team leaders are responsible for getting all supplies needed to the site, supervising the volunteer registrars, double-checking the voter registration forms and making sure they get to the Supervisor of Elections Office in a timely manner.
There will be a one hour training session for team leaders scheduled shortly.
The Voter Services Committee needs you! Sign up ASAP
Please contact Pam Maldonado
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WHEN WILL THE ALGAE BLOOMS END?
Blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, is a type of algae found naturally in freshwater environments. This algae is a microorganism that functions like a plant in that it feeds through photosynthesis and derives its energy from the sun. Blue-green algae can be found all over the world, and occur in Florida’s freshwater and brackish habitats, such as lakes, rivers and estuaries.
Although blue-green algae are found naturally, increases in nutrients from summer storms and stormwater runoff can exacerbate the extent, duration and intensity of blooms. Other factors that contribute to blooms include warm temperatures, reduced water flow, and lack of animals that eat algae. Although they can occur at any time, blue-green algae are most common in Florida during the summer and early fall, with high temperatures and abundant sunlight.
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NEW MEDICARE CARDS!
By Nancy Gau
If You are on Medicare, you will receive a new Medicare card between April 2018 and April 2019. CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid) will mail these new Medicare cards to 60 million beneficiaries. It will
automatically
come to you.
The new Medicare card will no longer display your Social Security number. Instead, it will display a unique Medicare number just for you. This number is called the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI). The obvious reasoning is to protect you from fraud and identity theft. As with the old cards, the new cards will continue to be made of paper. YOUR BENEFITS WILL NOT CHANGE. Your new card will continue to display your Part A and Part B coverage, with your start date.
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Celebrate Where Rivers Meet the Sea!
National Estuaries Week
(NEW) is a nationwide celebration of our bays and estuaries and the many benefits they provide to
our communities. Each year, dozens of organizations host events in celebration of National Estuaries Week, from beach clean-ups to marsh restoration events to kayaking tours. Together, they strive to elevate public awareness about the importance of our estuaries. We encourage everyone to participate.
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SOLAR CO-OP IN PALM BEACH COUNTY MOVING
Solar Energy is
good for the environment,
good for the economy and
good for the consumer.
by Diane Marks
The Kick-Off for Palm Beach County's second Solar Co-op will be held on either September 27
th
or 28th at the Pine Jog Environmental Education Center on the corner of Jog Rd and Summit Blvd. The Center uses solar panels to supply energy. In addition to supportive politicians and partners, we will have a speaker who has already converted to solar energy. A representative from Solar United Neighbors will be on hand to answer any questions we have about solar energy.
Information meetings will be scheduled throughout the county in October and November to explain how solar power works, how the solar co-op works, and financing options. Anyone interested can join the Solar Co-op by going to
solarunitedneighbors.org/palmbeach
after September 10
th
. A selection committee from the co-op members will select the one installer the co-op will use in mid-November.
You are
not
obligated to buy solar panels when you join. You are asked to make an appointment for the chosen installer to talk to you. The installer will check your home, discuss your usage, and offer you several options.
The Co-op closes at the end of the year. If you are thinking about converting to solar energy for your home, take advantage of the Solar Co-op in Palm Beach County.
The Steering Committee for this Solar Co-op is forming now. Iif you are interested in helping, please contact
Diane Marks
at 752-8311 or
dimarks@gate.net
. The commitment will be from August through December, 2018.
Pictured above (l to r):
Kay Gates (Sierra Club), Diane Marks (LWVPBC), Mike Fitzpatrick (Sierra Club) and Debbie Evans (Sierra Club)
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NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY
SEPTEMBER 25, 2018
Tuesday, September 25
th
, designated
National Voter Registration Day
,
is fast approaching! On that day our League, in conjunction with the Palm Beach School District, will be doing simultaneous voter registration in 23 high schools all over the county. It is a huge undertaking and will require a lot of people.
If you want to be a part of this ambitious project, you must be trained and
also
sign up on the "Google Docs" sheet maintained by the School District--
not on the League’s calendar of events
.
Click the "Sign up" button to access the School District’s Google Docs page.
If you have not been trained or have any questions, please contact
Pam Maldonado
at 305-873-4239 or click the "e-mail Pam" button. Look for new training dates in the near future.
Come be a part of this incredibly ambitious initiative!
Let’s reach out to our young people and
GET THEM REGISTERED!
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Welcome to Our Newest League Members
J
ane Abrams
, Palm Beach Gardens;
Sarah Ackerman
, Palm Beach Gardens;
Phyllis Applebaum
(SBA), Boca Raton;
Linda Bates
, Delray Beach;
Jane Berkey
, Boynton Beach;
Maureen Cleary
, Highland Beach; Cheryl and Robert Dodes, Boynton Beach; Joan Federman, Lake Worth;
Jose Garcia
, West Palm Beach;
Nikkie Friedman
, Boca Raton;
A’Lexus Garnett
, Boynton Beach;
Marcia Herman
, Boynton Beach;
Cristian Hernandez-Perez
, West Palm Beach;
Elle Holzhauer
, Boca Raton;
Stephen Horan
, Lake Worth;
Linda and Doug Lamm
,Boca Raton;
Gail Grace Landon
, Lake Worth;
Nancy Lee
, Lake Worth;
Mary Love
, West Palm Beach;
Agnes Maserjian
, Juno Beach;
Suzanne McGrattan
, Boca Raton;
Lavie Michael
, Boca Raton;
Sharon Plonsker
, Wellington;
Ginny Powell
, Lake Worth;
Karina Ramirez
, West Palm Beach;
Jo Robbins
, Boynton Beach;
Jean Schleifer
, Jupiter;
Madeleine Siegel
, Boca Raton;
Susan Slater-Jansen
, Lake Worth;
Millicent Sloan
, Boynton Beach;
Helena Starecki
, Delray Beach;
Joan Starr
, Boca Raton;
Alyssa Stephens
, Riviera Beach;
Tamara Tasini
, North Palm Beach;
Dale Tyroler
, Boca Raton;
Nicole White
, Jupiter;
Brian Williams
, Tequesta;
Judy Williams
, Tequesta.
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ORIENTATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
and OTHERS
INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE LEAGUE
Saturday, September 29
Registration 9 a.m
.
Palm Beach State College, Lake Worth Center Bachelor’s Programs Building—Room CBP-103
Directions from I-95:
Exit west onto 6
th
Avenue South and drive straight to Congress Ave. Turn right onto Congress Ave. Drive to the 2
nd
light and turn right onto Lake Worth Rd. Turn right onto the access road at the first light to enter the college campus. Drive straight toward the Center for Bachelor’s Programs Building. Park in the Blue Parking Lot on the east side of the building. If you get lost, call Darlene on her cell: 561-573-6384 or 561-852-0496.
Carol Nicov and Darlene Kostrub at May Orientation pictured above.
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SPEAKERS BUREAU IN DEMAND
Our popular Speakers Bureau service is accepting requests for presentations. This year we want to put extra efforts to reach out to young and minority voters. If you are a present member of the Bureau or interesting in joining the group, please contact Karen Wilkerson at
karenwilkerson4498@comcast.net
. A training session is planned for
Saturday, August 25, 2018, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the STEM building in West Palm Beach
(opposite the Science Museum). In addition to presenters, we need assistants and people who enjoy scheduling and know how to design power points for the group.
The August training will focus on the November ballot issues. Come join in this service that is valued in our communities.
(Pictured above: Corinne Miller)
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Women's Equality Day
Saturday, August 25, 2018 2-4 PM
Delray Beach Public Library
100 W Atlantic Blvd.
Celebrate 98 Years of Women's Vote for Women's Lives
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MAGNETIC NAME TAGS
LWVPBC name tags which were ordered prior to July 20th have arrived! Your name tags will be available at all upcoming Cool and Hot Topics events. If you prefer to have your name tag mailed to you, send a $5 check to LWVPBC, 9433 Worswick Ct., Wellington, Fl 33414 and notify dkostrub@aol.com or 561-852-0496.
Thanks for your membership support!
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NEWS EDITORIAL VOLUNTEERS
Debra Chandler, Managing Editor
Emilie McKendall, Editor
Ken Horkavy, IT
Carol Hershey, Marsha Vinson, Karen Corbin, Mary Jane Range,
Cecily Feldman, Kristen Murtaugh, Rita Wachs
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Making Democracy Work! The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan, political organization encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
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