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| Message from the President
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LWVCC President
Teresa Stohs
The Urgency of Now
Fall has arrived, and coming with it is a flurry of activity. The League of Women Voters of Collier County (LWVCC) committees are meeting, and plans are being made. Our Voter Services Committee has a great deal of work to do as an election year approaches. We need your help.
Democracy is not a spectator sport! On October 24, Vincent Keeys, President, NAACP Collier County, gave an inspiring presentation to the Juvenile Justice Committee. Keeys quoted Martin Luther King Jr. from his “I Have A Dream” speech given in 1963:
“We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of Democracy.”
The League of Women Voters prides itself on Empowering Voters and Defending Democracy. But to do this, we need your help.
I know we are all very busy and have many choices about how to spend our time. But I am asking you to commit to volunteering for the LWVCC once a week for the next year. Your 52 days can be broken down in many ways. I am suggesting you reach out to younger voters (under age 40) to explain the importance of voting. Research shows that younger voters are disillusioned about the impact of their vote. Remind them of the importance of local voting. While the Presidential Election is indeed important, electing local leaders has a direct, often daily, influence on our lives.
Step up and join Voter Services activities, especially our Tabling Events. Right now, we have a dozen or more civic groups in Collier County who want us to help their members check their voter registration and request VBM ballots. These events last between one and two hours.
Now is the time to make the commitment to help LWVCC Empower Voters and Defend Democracy.
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Join the League of Women Voters of Collier County for a fun and creative Empty Bowls Paint and Sip Party at 6300 Janes Lane, Naples, FL 34109, on Tuesday, November 4th, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Paint a ceramic bowl that will be used at the 20th Annual Empty Bowls Naples event on January 17, 2026. We suggest a $10 per person donation to cover the cost of art supplies. We'll have refreshments available, and we encourage you to bring a friend to share in the fun! No artistic experience is needed—just a desire to help a great cause.
The net proceeds from that annual event fund the Empty Bowls Naples Inc. Grant Program, which distributes grants to local organizations combating hunger in our community. This past June, the program awarded $225,000 to 14 organizations in Collier and Lee counties, directly supporting the mission to eliminate hunger in our community.
Space is limited to just 30 participants, so be sure to register early to secure your spot!
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Unlock Your League Potential: Attend League 101!
Ready to move beyond the basics? Join us for League 101, the essential dive into how the League of Women Voters of Collier County truly drives change.
This one-hour session connects you directly to the heartbeat of our organization—from our local chapter to our powerful State and National Leagues. You'll learn:
- What does it mean to be non-partisan and political?
- How do our committees tackle today's most pressing issues?
- How do we balance Education and Advocacy to achieve our mission?
This session is the mandatory first step for anyone interested in the LLP leadership program.
Date & Time: Wednesday, November 12, 2025, 4:00-5:00 PM by Zoom
Presenters: Julie Wade, Diana Walsh, Ellen Hannan, Sarah Cass Berg, and Laura Hansen Reynolds
Don't just be a member—become an informed force!
Register for League 101
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Environmental Affairs Committee
Lynn Martin, Patti Forkan, Co-Chairs
Everglades Detention Center Update
At the Environmental Affairs Committee October meeting, Eve Samples, Executive Director of Friends of the Everglades, discussed the environmental concerns and the legal battle against the immigrant detention center in the Everglades.
She highlighted the parallels between the current situation and the original campaign led by Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, which successfully opposed the previous airport proposal. Eve discussed the environmental concerns surrounding the construction of a detention center in the Everglades, emphasizing the lack of proper environmental review and compliance with laws such as NEPA, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act. She highlighted the need for water quality monitoring, which the Miccosukee tribe has initiated, and expressed concerns about the site's impact on local ecosystems and the broader Everglades restoration efforts.
Eve explained the organization's lawsuit under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and recent court victories, including a preliminary injunction that was later stayed by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Eve highlighted the importance of continued public support and outlined next steps in the legal case, including oral arguments for the 11the Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta scheduled for the week of January 12th. The Committee will report on the outcome of the Appeals Court hearings in January.
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Juvenile Justice Committee
Libbie Bramson, Chair
TWO POWER SPEAKERS - FALL 2025
First, wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving holiday and many thanks to all of you who attended our Fall Kick-Off meeting, featuring Vincent Keeys, President of the Collier County NAACP and Naples on the Golf Coast Kiwanis chapter. There was excellent information about these organizations’ deep commitment to youth and their ongoing programs to help kids reach their full potential. In addition, there were many excellent questions from the audience.
Looking ahead to our next meeting, Friday, November 21, 2025, 10:00 a.m., Finemark Bank Waterside:
Truancy/Chronic Absenteeism. Did you know that in K-12 public schools across the US, truancy (aka chronic absenteeism) is the primary predictor of lack of academic achievement and whether a child is likely to become involved with Law Enforcement? Did you also know that recently, in the State of Florida, Collier County Public Schools (CCPS) ranked #1 best with the lowest percentage of students absent 21 days or more during the 180-day school year? The State average was more than double that of CCPS. Despite our #1 ranking, chronic absenteeism remains an ongoing, complex issue and strategies to increase attendance remain works-in-progress.
Dr. Rachel Dawes, CCPS Senior Director of Safety, Security, and Student Relations will be the featured speaker at the Juvenile Justice Committee’s meeting. Dr. Dawes’ portfolio includes safety initiatives and threat assessments, as well as attendance, discipline, and alternative placements. All of these are Hot Topics in most American communities and school districts in 2025!
We invite all interested LWVCC members and their guests to join us at this timely presentation. Our meeting room has limited space so please RSVP now. Again, best wishes for a safe, sane, peaceful Holiday Season. | 
Voter Services Committee
Laura Hansen Reynolds, Chair
Changes to the “Ways to Vote” in the Upcoming Naples City Council Election
In late August, the Naples City Council met and Pat Rambosk, City Clerk, presented four ordinances needed to set up the February 3, 2026 Municipal Election for the City of Naples.
There are 3 open seats on the council, with Terry Hutchison not running for re-election as he’s met his term limit. Ray Christman is running for re-election for his seat and Beth Petrunoff is choosing not to run for re-election at the expiration of her term. As of this writing, there are nine candidates qualified to run for the three open seats, which are elected at-large, meaning that candidates with the top three voter totals win a seat.
The City Clerk introduced the four election ordinances and outlined the election costs quoted by the Supervisor of Elections (SOE). Rambosk explained that the cost of a solo Naples council election (not combined with a county/state-wide/federal elections) is borne by the city, which must reimburse the SOE for the costs to execute the election. Melissa Blazier (Collier’s Supervisor of Elections) provided a quote of $55,000 for collecting, processing and counting vote-by-mail and election day ballots. To include 8 days of early voting days would cost an additional $45,000, and in the last council-only election (2022), only 1,184 people (18% of city voters) cast early voting ballots. That is a cost of about $41 per ballot cast. Nationally, costs range from $2 to $15. She reported that more people cast mail-in ballots, and that number is growing. City Council agreed with Rambosk’s recommendation to not fund early voting, voting 6-1 with Petrunoff voting no.
So, Naples’ citizens have two ways to vote in upcoming the City Council election: cast a Vote-by-Mail (VBM) ballot or vote in person on election day, 2/3/2026. A new Florida law requires voters to file a new request for a mail-in ballot after 12/31/2024. So far, only a small number of voters have filed a re-request for a VBM ballot.
City Council members requested increased communication to citizens that early voting will not be offered for the upcoming election. Our League’s Voter Services committee has begun outreach to the City of Naples’ civic organizations, with information on the voting changes and offers to send volunteers to help their members check their voter registration and re-request a VBM ballot. Every member of our League can help with this outreach – watch the weekly Update for opportunities to volunteer with Voter Services.
Additionally, Voter Services volunteers will set up the national League website VOTE411.org with information from candidates’ running for office in the City Council election.
LWV Collier is also partnering with Greater Naples Leadership (GNL) to produce a Candidate Forum for the city council election. The forum will take place in Council Chambers, next to City Hall, on Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at 5pm.
It is important to check your voter registration to make sure everything is up to date, request your mail-in ballot by 1/22/2026, and mark your calendars if you decide to vote in person on February 3rd at your assigned precinct. If you are not yet registered, you must do so by January 6, 2026. Just visit www.colliervotes.gov or call 239-252-8683.
This is what democracy looks like! |
Membership Committee
Beth VanDamme, Chair
Welcome New Members!
Please join us in giving a warm welcome to our newest members:
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Nancy Armocida
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Pamela Blaskey |
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Susan Goff |
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Judith Harrison |
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Nancy Hoying |
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Keira Lucas |
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Hannah Rinaldi |
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Blanche Speiser |
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Michael Troop |
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Rebecca Troop |
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We are excited to have you join our community!
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Recapping the Movies That Matter Film Series & Inviting You to the Finale! 🎬
We've had a wonderful time engaging with the community through the film series being presented by the Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center! We were delighted to see 12 League members attend the screenings of the first two films. As always, the post-movie discussions that followed were insightful and engaging—thank you to everyone who came out to share your thoughts!
Don't Miss the Final Film:
Facing Fear, November 6, 2:00 PM, Holocaust Museum and Cohen Education Center, 975 Imperial Golf Course Blvd.
We invite all League members to join us for the final documentary and panel discussion in this powerful series.
The film is the Academy Award-nominated short documentary, Facing Fear. It recounts the story of Matthew Boger, a gay 13-year-old who was viciously beaten by Neo-Nazis. Years later, he meets Tim Zaal, a former skinhead, and they realize Zaal was one of Boger's attackers—a meeting that sets the stage for an incredible story of confrontation and forgiveness.
Special Reservation for League Members: The Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center is reserving 25 seats specifically for our League members!
Register for film screening
Tie-In Discussion: Following the screening and panel, the League will host a brief post-meeting discussion to tie the film’s themes of hate, conflict resolution, and forgiveness directly back to our local League work and advocacy efforts.
We look forward to seeing you there for this impactful conclusion! |  LWVCC Communications Team
The Communications Team has been running a video series titled “Civics Unplugged” posted on all of LWVCC’s social media sites.
The goal of these short reels is to educate viewers on the basics of national and local civics, such as Branches of Government, Voting Rights, Constitutional Amendments, City Council, and more. We post these 1-minute videos approximately once a week on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube. As always, the more “clicks” on the postings we get, the more engagement we will see in our community! Please make sure you check-in to our social media to view, like, comment, and share our reels.
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LWVCC Book Club
Join us for our Book Club Sessions led by Ida Margolis and Linda Denning
Monday, December 8, at 3 p.m. - The Devil’s Element, by Dan Egan
Every member interested in the environment should read 'The Devil’s Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance' by Dan Egan. It may sound like a scientific book, but this bestseller is a fascinating and eye-opening account of a perilous, serious environmental issue. Florida plays a large part in this book, from the Bone Valley of Florida to “dead zones” in its waterways.
The location will be emailed to you upon registering for the event.
Monday, March 16, at 3 p.m. – Lovely One, by Ketanji Brown Jackson
If you're looking for a memoir that is inspirational and candid, showing the importance of determination and family, and offering an intimate look into a woman’s personal and professional journey, then “Lovely One” by Ketanji Brown Jackson is the perfect book for you. Jackson’s book was recommended by League members who read it, knowing it would lead to a great discussion of this Miami-raised, first Black woman appointed to the Supreme Court. As an FYI, a young adult version will be available in January.
The location will be emailed to you upon registering for the event.
| League News From Across the Country
| National League News
For more information, visit LWV.org.
State League News
For more information, visit LWVFL.org.
| Please refer to the LWVCC Weekly Update for a complete list of upcoming events or visit the LWVCC website: lwvcolliercounty.org.
Members should log in to ensure they see members-only events and registration options. | Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in Government. We influence public policy through education and advocacy. Our goal is to empower citizens to take an active role in shaping better communities worldwide. The League of Women Voters of Collier County does not support or endorse any candidate or political party.
League of Women Voters of Collier County
P.O. Box 9883, Naples, FL 34101
Sent by lwvcc@lwvcolliercounty.org
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