By Janice Garry
Dear Alachua County,
Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy. The mission of the League of Women Voters is my mission as the newly elected president of the Alachua County League. I’m happy to join you in that endeavor.
In the first month of my new role, I have been dazzled by the dedication of the Board members, behind-the-scenes tech folks, Elected Directors, and chairs of committees who do the important advocacy for each realm of interest. The Voter Services Committee has their sleeves rolled up to present a virtual candidate forum on June 26 at 1:30 that will later be available on YouTube. They are rolling out VOTE411, a LWV national database that includes local ballot and candidate information. Once our local information is live, make sure you click it; you’ll like it. The Natural Resources Committee, with a dynamic duo of co-chairs, has created specific, achievable goals to make Alachua County a place that lessens our harm to the environment while finding ways to reduce the damage of weather events. If we don’t have a habitable planet, nothing else matters. You may be wondering what other committees might be of interest. Find them here. The Education, Social Justice, or Local Issues Committees might be of interest. No matter your best fit, get involved today.
Unprecedented has become a rather commonplace word, hasn’t it? That’s why local, coordinated, effective advocacy is more important than ever. Join us. Whatever your skills and background, whatever your interests, your shoulders are needed. Contact me to discuss your interests and availability to elevate our community to a higher place through the LWV Alachua County.
Janice
[email protected]
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New Member Orientation:
6/21 @ 6:30 PM
New members are encouraged to join us by Zoom on Tuesday, June 21 at 6:30 p.m. where we will share our League orientation video and get acquainted. Find out how you can get engaged in League committees. There will be time for questions. Continuing members may also join us for ‘movie’ night. If you are interested in attending, please contact Sue Legg at least 1 day before the event to receive the Zoom link by email.
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Primary Candidate Forum:
6/26 @ 1:30 PM
Together with the UF Bob Graham Center for Public Service, we are pleased to present a virtual primary election candidate forum on Sunday, June 26 beginning at 1:30 p.m. Candidates will be invited to present their platform and answer questions about relevant local issues. This event is free and open to the public but registration is required to attend the live event. Learn more and register here. Then please invite your friends, family, and neighbors to join us as well.
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Redistricting Updates
On June 2, Florida Supreme Court rejected a request by voting rights groups to stay a decision by the 1st District Court of Appeal, leaving in place a lower-court decision that clears the way for using a controversial plan that Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed through the Legislature. - Tampa Bay Times
The organizational plaintiffs in the redistricting litigation (which includes the League) issued the following statement in response to the Florida Supreme Court's decision to decline the hearing prior to the 2022 election.
“We are extremely disappointed with the Florida Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the stay and to continue to allow the state to move forward with the implementation of the wholly unconstitutional, racially gerrymandered Congressional District 5 that violates Florida’s Fair Districts Amendments.
The Governor’s attempt to delay these proceedings past the point that local Supervisors of Elections can successfully implement a constitutional map is a direct attack on the rights of all Floridians of all races who voted for Fair Districts. This attempt is also a focused assault on the ability of Black voters to choose the representation they deserve.”
Stay tuned as we continue to share more updates surrounding this crucial litigation. One thing to take away: our case is not over! - LWVFL
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To learn more and for background information, follow redistricting in Florida with the ongoing series of articles about the redistricting process in Florida on the LWVAC Redistricting webpage. | |
Introducing Your New Board | |
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I joined the League in 2018 because of the integrity of the organization in working towards a more perfect democracy. I’ve been active in the Natural Resources and Local Issues committees. This year I look forward to being a part of the dynamic and caring leadership of our local chapter. My hope is that together, we will work hard, have fun, promote the values and mission of the LWV, and have a demonstrable effect on Alachua County. Please join us.
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After 30 years of teaching, I served on the county school board for 16 years. I’ve been a 50-year union member, and have become increasingly politically active. Chief among my many priorities are education and climate change, and I have been on the League Education Committee for the last 17 years. I am grateful for the LWV advocacy for public education as I fear it is in grave danger. And I’m delighted to serve as the new Secretary for such an important organization!
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Over a thirty-year career, I enjoyed teaching art in Alachua County schools, at UF’s PK Yonge Developmental Research School, and in UF’s Art Education Department. I represented the state developmental research schools on the United Faculty of Florida’s bargaining team and created and coordinated a staff development program for area teachers to recertify. I was also co-director of the School Board of Alachua County’s outdoor education center, Camp Crystal Lake. Since retiring I have enjoyed concentrating on wildlife photography. I have a keen interest in environmental issues, public education and voting rights. .
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Oak Hammock Committee Chair: June Girard
Throughout my adult life, I have moved around the country following my husband's career as a commercial pilot. As a result, I have been active in many Leagues including President of three and on the state board in two states. When I moved to Gainesville in 2005, I joined LWVAC. Here I worked with Doug Ray of the Gainesville Sun to begin the publishing of our monthly League columns. In 2012, I started the Oak Hammock unit of LWVAC and now chair the Oak Hammock Committee. I am also a Life Member and you can read my full story here.
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Introducing the Oak Hammock Committee | |
The Oak Hammock Committee is for LWV Alachua County members who are residents of Oak Hammock. June Girard is Chair of the Committee. Other members serve the following roles Vice Chair: Mary White, Voter Services: Barbara Herbstman, Membership: Barbara Francis, Zoom Manager: Forrest Crawford, Scheduler/Publicity: Joan Langley, National Program: Catherine Morsink, State Program: Henri Logan, and Local Program: Janet Janke.
We held a Voter Information meeting with a speaker from the Supervisor or Elections office with many questions asked and answered, especially regarding continuing care retirement community (CCRC) voting exceptions for in place voting. Next on our calendar is the July 12 primary candidate forum, an early voting bus on August 13, and a general election candidate forum on September 20.
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The Latest From Your Committees | |
In this section, we bring you updates from your LWV Alachua County committees. Committees are the best way to get involved in LWV Alachua County and your local community. Feel free to reach out to the Committee Chairs to express interest, join their meetings, and get involved. | |
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Contact: Karen McCann
The education committee meets regularly via Zoom on the second Wednesday of the month from 12-1:30 p.m. Our committee is taking a break over the summer months of June and July so we won't meet again until August. We hope everyone has a fun and safe summer!
Be sure to attend the LWV Alachua County Candidate Forum on June 26 at 1:30 PM as four of five Alachua County school board seats are open. The new board will be sworn in November 2022 and charged with hiring the Alachua County Public School superintendent. The candidate forum is a great opportunity for league members to hear from candidates.
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Contact: Jeff Shapiro
Our meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month (next on June 16) at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom. This month, we will focus on study of potential actions to synergize the Gainesville Empowerment Zone Familly Learning Center (FLC). The FLC at Metcalfe Elementary School opens this fall. In particular, it will work with families on pre-natal health, parental education and family support, and education for 6-week through 4-year-old children.
Contact Jeff Shapiro to join our meetings.
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Contact: Jay Rosenbek or Roberta Gastmeyer
Progress is being made at the City of Gainesville with the creation of Chief Sustainability Officer position at GRU and a Chief Climate Officer position within general government. These positions are key to accelerating our move toward 100% renewable energy as they will provide the comprehensive overview and leadership that we have been lacking to date.
We are working on reviewing Transportation Electrification policies and encouraging the City Commission to establish Electric Vehicle (EV) fleet goals and increase access to EV infrastructure with a goal of making it more equitable. We are also interested in hosting an EV showcase later this fall, so please contact us if you would like to help organize.
We have a very special guest lined up for June 22nd, 5:30 p.m. We hope you will join us to talk with Chris Bird who served for many years as Alachua County’s Environmental Protection Officer until his retirement in 2020. Chris will share the “inside scoop” on how to influence policy on the local level.
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Contact: Bennett Brummer
The focus of SCJC is on improving the adult and juvenile criminal justice system. We emphasize deflection and diversion from the criminal justice system through prevention and treatment consistent with accountability and justice.
While the SCJC does not meet regularly, any LWV Alachua County member who would like a committee orientation or would like to initiate a new committee project (and who is willing to do the work to carry that project forward) is also welcome to consult the chair to screen and plan for that project.
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Contact: Gwen Wagner and Diana Boxer
We are getting ready to hold our upcoming virtual candidate forum for the primary election, to take place on Sunday, June 26 beginning at 1:30 pm. The event is free and open to the public but registration is required to attend the live event. If you haven't already, be sure to register today!
A hearty thanks to all committees for supplying us with a host of very good questions, to ask the candidates. The Bob Graham Center for Public Service has been busy meeting with us to get ready for this important event.
We held our last meeting on May 24 and met in person on June 11 to hand out Vote411 materials . This is in anticipation of the big Vote411 launch next month.
Be sure to follow the LWV Alachua County Facebook page for social media posts about the forum and Vote411 that you can share with your friends and groups.
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Cybersecurity: Secure Your Smartphone | |
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The New York Times created a series of articles to help anyone improve their online security regardless of their technical knowledge. Below are some tips to secure your smartphone:
- Set a good passcode: Your passcode, alongside face or fingerprint unlock, is what encrypts your phone, so it’s good to set one up that isn’t easy to guess (like 1234).
- Delete unused apps on your phone: In addition to wasting storage space, unused apps create potential security vulnerabilities if you don’t update them, and they introduce privacy issues if they’re sharing a ton of data about you. It’s best to delete anything you don’t use.
- Give your smartphone a privacy audit: At least once a year, go through your smartphone’s settings and audit the app permissions. Make sure apps don’t access permissions, such as location services or the microphone, that don’t correspond with how you use them.
- Protect against SIM swapping: Most carriers offer a layer of protection against SIM swapping, in which a scammer gains access to your accounts by activating a new phone with your mobile number. Both AT&T and Verizon allow you to create a passcode or PIN to change certain settings or to port a number to a different carrier or phone. T-Mobile offers Account Takeover Protection service, which must be enabled on each line.
Read the full article for more details and instructions.
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LWVAC Leadership Team
President: Lynn Frazier
Vice-President: Deb Shimon
Secretary: Carole Fernandez
Treasurer: Fran Towk
A full list of LWVAC Board Members and Committee Chairs can be found here.
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