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Date: 3/6/2023
Subject: March 2023 League Lookout
From: LWVNAZ




 
March 2023 League Lookout - LWVNAZ News/Events Northern Arizona and Greater Verde Valley
 
 

LWVNAZ Members and Supporters:

 

Our goal with the monthly newsletter is to provide you with a quick snapshot of our monthly events and activities all in one place.  Hope you enjoy it!

 

We are providing information that the League is sponsoring as well as information about events that you might find of interest. Feel free to share this information with anyone you think would benefit from this information!

 
To get information about other league activities, see our website.

Message from the President

Hello fellow Leaguers,

 

Last month I commented on how nice it was to be leaving the cold, wet days of Jan… well then came February.  Still, despite the lousy weather we’ve had several League events.

 

Our Feb 10 social was a great success – good food, good company and good wine enjoyed by all!  Thanks again to Charlotte Hosseini and Kathy Davis for arranging and hosting. On Feb 9 four members traveled to Phoenix for Legislative day.  Listening to legislators and seeing the Legislature in session was an interesting learning experience.

 

The coming months have more events – Book Club, a voter Ed Program, State Convention, and mark your calendar for our Annual Meeting June 7.  More details on this in a future newsletter.

 

During the annual meeting we will be installing the board for next year.  Our nomination committee is hard at work.  If you find value in what the League does – the many events we hold to serve voters in our community – please consider becoming a part of our board.  We only prosper if we have people willing to help. 

 

Wishing you the coming of an early spring!

 

Maryann Kenney

President LWV Northern Arizona

 

 


 
 
 
Political Book Club
 


Beginning in March 2023, the new facilitators for the Political Book Club (PBC) will be LWVNAZ members Ann Holland and Gail Digate. They will be responsible for gathering and distributing the book selections, facilitating the monthly book discussions, and keeping members up-to-date. Their email addresses are ann.holland99@gmail.com and ggdigate@gmail.com.


Jan Anderson, the previous facilitator, would like to thank everyone who has contributed to and participated in the book club. LWVNAZ is grateful that the PBC has been able to continue the legacy of Barbara Litrell. Two members, who knew Barbara, have continued to join us from New York and joined the League there. We appreciate the lively and learned discussions.

 

Political Book Club (PBC)                                               Let’s Talk Politics (LTP)

March 27, 2023                                                            March 27, 2023             

3:00 - 4:15 pm MST                                                     4:15 - 5:00 pm MST

 

PBC - The book for March 27th is Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism by Anne Applebaum (June 2021, 224 pages) The Pulitzer Prize winning historian explains, with electrifying clarity, why elites in democracies around the world are turning toward nationalism and authoritarianism. Applebaum contends that political systems with radically simple beliefs are inherently appealing, especially when they benefit the loyal to the exclusion of everyone else. 


The only requirement to join the book club discussion is that each participant has read the book. The standard format consists of each person giving a brief (1-2 minute) statement concerning the book’s overall impressions and implications. This segment is followed by group questions and discussions of the material. If you would like to join the book club, or want to submit the title of books you are interested in reading and discussing, or if you would like any other information about the book club, please contact  jananderson46@gmail.com .
 
Lets Talk Politics: At 4:15 pm, those who have not read the book can join the group to share thoughts, concerns, insights, and predilections about current political and societal events. As one member stated, we can talk about “those issues which keep you awake at night.” Everyone has a chance to speak, while we all listen. Topics for discussion usually evolve from the group concerns. Whatever your political persuasion, you are welcome to join this accepting and respectful group.
 
To join the Zoom meeting, click here and use passcode 220148. You will need to be admitted by the host.

 
 
Voter Education

The League of Women Voters Northern Arizona will present a Voter Education Program entitled “Housing Equity in our Verde Valley Community.” There will be three speakers, each presenting her perspective on this crucial topic: Shannon Boone, Housing Manager for Sedona and Cottonwood; Mary Chicoine, Executive Director of the Verde Valley Regional Economic Organization; and Mimi Maher, a benefactor who, with her husband, is creating  privately funded projects to make affordable housing available for rent; currently they are preparing to convert empty classrooms into apartments for local teachers in the former Big Park School in VOC. Please note that the program will be held in the Terracotta Room of the Camp Verde Community Library from 11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m in order to accommodate members and guests who are employed.


                

Voter Education Program

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

11:30 PM – 1:00 PM

 

“Housing Equity in Our Verde Valley Community”

Camp Verde Public Library, Terracotta Room

 

 

Shannon Boone is the Housing Manager for Sedona and Cottonwood. She came to the Verde Valley in September of 2021 to lead the cities’ implementation of affordable and workforce housing initiatives.  Shannon has 25 years of affordable housing and real estate development experience spanning the public, nonprofit and private sectors, providing a broad understanding of development challenges. In a prior position, Shannon was instrumental in forming the Milwaukee Community Land Trust and ensuring quality affordable homeownership options for all families.

Mary Chicoine is the Executive Director of the Verde Valley Regional Economic Organization (VVREO).  VVREO has worked to forge relationships in the Verde Valley and beyond to support its vision to be a regional collaborative resource building sustainable economic prosperity.  In 2021, VVREO facilitated the development of the Verde Valley Regional Housing Study.  The Verde Valley Housing Alliance (VVHA) is an outgrowth of the study.  VVHA’s vision is housing for all in the Verde Valley with a mission to facilitate regional public/private collaborations that support a broad range of housing opportunities.

Mimi Maher was a New Jersey native until she moved to Sedona in July of 2020.  With her husband, she is supporting several community organizations related to children and education in NJ, UT, and ME. In Sedona, they have added housing to their focus.

 

Mimi started BCT Sedona Realty, buying homes to rent at affordable rates to families and teachers. The Mahers have two other teacher and workforce housing projects underway:  Big Park teacher housing in the Village of Oak Creek and work force apartments in West Sedona.

This program is free and everyone is welcome.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization open to all individuals.  It encourages informed and active participation in government and works to influence public policy through education and advocacy.  LWVNAZ is fully committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in principle and in practice.

 

The League never supports or opposes political parties or candidates for elective offices. For more information about the League of Women Voters, see www.lwvnaz.org.


A Nominating Committee has been formed to boost interest in our League’s Board of Directors. The President and Treasurer positions will be open in July. If you are interested in more information or know someone who would be a good fit for the Board, please email marianne.schaeferLWV@gmail.com.

"The Team has been talking to LWVNAZ Members. There are several who are interested in knowing more and perhaps joining the Board. I am hopeful some of these folks will join us at the next Board Meeting to review our process and (hopefully!) choose to join the Board of Directors. Thanks to Kathy Henry for providing the LWVNAZ Bylaws for clarification of Board Member responsibilities."

It’s a great opportunity to work with committed folks on issues affecting us all!


League Social February 10
a good time was had by all!
 
Virginia Kase Solomon, CEO of LWVUS and Pinny Sheoran, Pres of LWVAZ joined us for the festivities
 
More of our members enjoying the wonderful food on offer.

 
 
State Legislative
Advocacy Continues
Bills are starting to transmit from one house to the other in a process known as "Crossover".  A bill must clear committee and floor votes in both houses to be transmitted to the Governor.  We continue to monitor bills of interest, especially in the area of voting rights.  Many bills the League does not support have cleared election committees and may be on their way to crossover. 
 
Once in the second house, the process starts again.  So, there is another window for RTS comments prior to committee hearings.  Keep alert to your news feeds and subscribe to the LWVAZ Advocacy newsletter if you like to be informed of activities at the Legislature.
 
 
It's your vote, and your legislator at work.