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| Luncheon and General Meeting
May 13, 2024, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Tiburon Golf Club
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Get Ready to Vote in the August Primaries!
Presented by
Sandy Parker
Founder/publisher of Sparker's Soapbox
Florida will hold its 2024 Primary Elections on August 20. Many races will be decided on that date; the winners in others will face off in the General Elections in November. In this presentation, we will review the state and local offices and candidates on the ballot for Collier County voters and give you a jump-start for being a more informed voter.
Registration and Payment Must Be Made Online
by May 7, 2024 at 12:00 p.m.
More information and registration
Walk-ins will be seated in order of arrival on a space available basis.
Late registration/walk in price will be strictly enforced.
| Message from the President
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LWVCC President
Diane Preston Moore
April is a season of transition, as the weather moves from colder winter into warmer spring. April also is a time of transition within our League. We hold our Annual Meeting, elect new leaders, and vote on changes to the way we do business. On April 8th, during our 49th Annual Meeting, members approved the 2024-2025 Budget, Program Plans, several amendments to the Bylaws, and voted in new Officers and Board members.
We welcome our new officers: President: Diane Preston Moore; 1st Vice President: Catherine Hackney; 2nd Vice President: Susan Pezzullo; Treasurer: Ellen Hannan; and Secretary: Connie Fako Shoemake. We also welcome our new Board members: Patricia Aiken-O’Neill, Paul Kardon, Lynn Martin, Tina Palmese, Susan Wendy Riedel, Betty Schwartz, Lisabeth VanDamme, Susan Golden, Paula Schwerin, and Teresa Stohs. We also thank Janet Hoffman, who will continue as Governance Chair.
Thank you to the Board members who have completed their terms, including Libbie Bramson, Pat Plummer and Joanne Huskey. Special thanks to Denise McLaughlin, who served as the Treasurer for the past 3 years, and Linda Scherzinger who served as Secretary for the past 2 years. We appreciate all of your dedication and service to the League.
During our Annual Meeting, I was privileged to recognized two people who have impacted LWVCC and our community over the past year in a positive way. First, Jan Eustis was recognized as this year’s Unsung Hero for her tireless work in making sure our events and programs run smoothly, for founding the League Leadership Program, chairing the Membership Committee, helping draft the new Dues Assistance Policy, serving as a former Board member, and assisting in LWVCC’s conversion to Club Express. Thank you, Jan, for all you do for the League!
Second, LWVCC’s Outstanding Community Partner was awarded to Sandy Parker. Author of Sparker’s Soapbox, Sandy was recognized for her nonpartisan efforts to ensure that our community is informed about state and local government, our county’s political climate, and local elections. Because she is an unparalleled marketer for and partner of the League, the Board created a new role for her – and for us – and Sandy is now our League’s Ambassador. Thank you, Sandy, for your tireless work in informing our electorate.
Finally, we owe a HUGE debt of gratitude to the team that works so hard behind the scenes to ensure that our luncheons run smoothly. Jan Eustis, Tina Palmese, Sara Werder, Beth VanDamme, Ray Kalich, and Denise McLaughlin, we appreciate your tireless efforts organizing our General Meetings each month over the past year.
A video montage recapped many of LWVCC’s activities over the past year. Our League should be proud of the breadth and depth of our education and advocacy efforts! Click here to see the video.
In League,
Diane
| Planet vs Plastics
by Joanne Grady Huskey
The League of Women Voters of Collier County was out in full force to help Naples celebrate Earth Day this year at the Conservancy. The theme of this year’s Earth Day International was Planet vs Plastics. Hundreds of visitors streamed into the Conservancy to listen and learn ways to protect our earth and our animals.
Donning league T-shirts, LWVCC’s Environmental Committee and Plastics Task Force members manned a table full of information about voting, saving the environment, protecting our land, and reducing single use plastics. Members of the league circulated the park with colorful posters and chatted with visitors about how they could reduce plastics. They suggested using one’s own water bottles, instead of plastic water bottles, and bringing reusable bags to the grocery stores, rather than taking the thin plastic ones that are not recyclable. Task force members distributed a resource list of ways to reduce plastics in our daily lives. Most visitors were very receptive to the ideas and realized that plastics were a big problem that we all have to face.
While strollers in the park visited many booths, the League’s table attracted large numbers of families with children. Thanks to the roulette wheel, creatively designed by Sue Savage, kids learned about voting and US history. Children spun the wheel and watched as it landed on questions like, “How old do you have to be to vote in America?” “How many states are there in the U.S?” or “Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?” Some children were surprisingly knowledgeable, while others looked to their parents for the answers. Everyone, including League members, learned a few things. For correct answers, candies were handed out, and coloring sheets about voting and reducing plastics were distributed.
To reinforce the number of states there are in the U.S, American flags were handed out to kids who needed a refresher on that question. The Voter Services Committee’s “Engaging Young Voters” team was also in the park interviewing visitors about whether they planned to vote and asking them what issues most concerned them. Young visitors articulated their concerns and most were ready to vote in the coming election. All in all it was a fun-filled, informative day for Naples families and for League members alike and hopefully most went home with a bit more knowledge about our democracy and inspiration about reducing plastics.
 
| 
Talking to Differently-Minded Folks
by Janet Hoffman, Past-President LWVCC
Dialogue with people who have diverse perspectives can have many benefits. We gain a deeper understanding of an issue when we learn about all its dimensions. This can lead to a more well-rounded and informed understanding of an issue. In a democracy, we need an in-depth awareness, so we can work toward solutions that benefit the common good.
We do not know what life experiences the other person may have had. These life experiences can influence the person’s point of view. Our judgments of others separate us and make it more difficult to build bridges. We must work from a respectful and non- judgmental framework.
Conversing with another who expresses a different opinion can be triggering. Our first step is to converse when we feel calm and centered. Initially, the intention is not to change that person’s viewpoint, but to listen deeply and understand them. The goal is to find common values and/or feelings. It is helpful to reflect back without judgment to check for the accuracy of our understanding. Sharing personal life experiences can be transforming. Having sincere curiosity about the other person builds connection.
Questions to ask to help you listen more and better:
- Tell me more about that.
- How do you feel, telling this story?
- Where does that (feeling, distrust, fear) come from?
- Can I interrupt you? I want to check and make sure I am understanding you clearly.
Questions that help you understand a person’s motivation:
- Why is this important to you?
- What experiences have shaped your views?
- What do you want the other side to understand about you?
- How has this conflict affected your life?
The two links below are to Angry Uncle Bots-to provide learning in how to speak with those who are differently minded.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/11/18/opinion/thanksgiving-family-argue-chat-bot.html
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/11/26/opinion/family-holiday-talk-impeachment.html
If you have ChatGPT 4, you can use a very instructive Angry Uncle Bot. |
Education Committee
Nancy Chism, Pat Plummer, Co-Chairs
Know Your County Government (KYCG)
The 41st year of Know Your County Government (KYCG) culminated in March. A collaborative effort between LWVCC, Collier County 4-H, and Collier County Public Schools, the program’s objectives are two-fold: to develop a cadre of informed young voters who will become active civic participants; and to show students that there are a variety of career pathways.
The program exposes high school students to Collier County Government leaders, departments, and agencies. Tours this year included the Sheriff’s Department and a meeting with Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, the Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, Supervisor of Elections, a courtroom experience hosted by Judge Tamara Nicola, Domestic Animal Services, Emergency Operations Center, and several other offices. On the 3rd and final day, students met with the County Manager, observed a County Commissioner meeting, and lunched with the Commissioners, County Clerk (Crystal Kinzel, LWVCC member), and other County officers.
 
Visit the LWVCC website (Education Committee) to view more photos.
We are all so proud of what this program has accomplished over the years. Every year, we meet a few County employees who are graduates of KYCG. This includes the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Ricciardelli!
If you would like to join the planning team for KYCG, contact the Education Committee. To volunteer as a chaperone next season, keep an eye on the Update in the fall. |
Juvenile Justice Committee
Libbie Bramson, Chair
For more than three decades, the JJC has supported programs that help at-risk kids in our community develop into responsible citizens. We focus on 1) delinquency prevention and 2) programs that give kids a second chance.
Highlights of the past 2023–2024 season have included presentations concerning the numerous juvenile preventive and diversionary programs the Collier County Sheriff’s Office offers; the support the Collier County Public Schools provides for homeless and foster children; and the role of the Children’s Network of SW Florida. We spent a memorable morning visiting PACE Center for Girls, Immokalee and observed the difference an uplifting, positive environment makes! We also met with CCPS staff to discuss their attendance and discipline rates, and approach to these matters. At our March General luncheon, representatives discussed the role of the Guardian ad Litem Office in representing the best interests of the kids in the foster system.
As we look ahead to the 2024 -2025, we will be actively educating the community about Civil Citation, an alternative to arrest that gives kids who have committed low level misbehaviors/misdemeanors a second chance (rather than an arrest record that can negatively affect a youth for the rest of his or her life). We will also be exploring reach-out programs that help develop life skills and sense of worth for at-risk middle and high school students. These programs are appropriate for a variety of settings such as teen centers, community or church-based youth groups, in-school or after-school classes, etc.
Juvenile Justice is rarely front-page news, but it is a complex, often generational issue that is part of our society. In fact, what happens in Juvenile Justice tends to reflect what is happening in families, and/or in the local and state environment. Thus far, there is no magic wand to overnight ensure the futures of these kids. Progress is usually step-by-step; the forward steps can add up. Unfortunately, it is sometimes two steps forward, and one to three steps back!
If you are concerned about vulnerable youth and how we can help (and can withstand the bumps and bruises of a roller coaster ride), we encourage you to join the Juvenile Justice Committee! |
Environmental Affairs Committee
Lynn Martin, Patti Forkan, Co-Chairs
NOTE: This report from the EAC is an abbreviated version of the committee's activities in April. To view the complete text, visit the LWVCC website: EAC Report April 2024.
The regular monthly meeting of the Environmental Affairs Committee took place on April 11, 2024, with discussion of the following:
- Program plans and objectives
- Sea Level Rise: We discussed the ACUNE and ACUNE+ tools for modeling sea-level rise and flooding. EAC members recently presented ACUNE+ to Rotary groups, and plan to meet with the new Naples City council members and the Naples deputy Administrators to educate/train them on ACUNE+.
- Resiliency in Response to Climate Change: The committee will pursue a collaboration with the Botanical Garden to encourage the use of native plants and trees that use less water, and also assisting people with regrowing efforts after storms. We discussed how we could help the City of Naples with efforts to identify “heat islands.”
- Water Quality and Wetlands: The EAC will focus on removing/reducing pollutants that can result in harmful algal blooms. We will also be looking into whether there are PFAS (forever chemicals) in our drinking water.
- Climate Change: We learned that the City of Naples created a wonderful resiliency study using ACUNE and that the City may need $30 billion to address vulnerability to infrastructure.
- 404 Permitting Authority and status of HR 7023: We learned that the State House attached a Rider to HR 7023, the large water bill going through the legislature, which would give the CWA 404 (wetlands) permitting authority back to the State. This would nullify the recent Court decision, which ruled against the State’s 404 authority (in favor of environmental groups), and stayed the State from issuing several of the pending 404 permits, which violated the Endangered Species Act, until the Court could rule on the other issues in the lawsuit.
- Conservation Collier: We received an update on the recent Collier County Commissioners board meeting, where a large number of community members showed up to express their concerns regarding the Commissioners’ removal of $53 million allocated to Conservation Collier. We will question candidates at the County Commissioners Candidate Forum about how they plan to restore the $53 million to Conservation Collier and when this will be accomplished.
- Mangrove Die-off in Tigertail Lagoon and Pelican Bay/Clam Pass: We received an update on mangrove die-off behind the newly dredged Tigertail Lagoon, and a report on a citizen effort to monitor degraded water quality in the impaired waters of Clam Bay.
- Wildlife Corridor: State senator Kathleen Passidomo has stated this is one of her priorities. Even though the state has allotted a large amount of funding for the Corridor this year, if the money is used for easements, which can easily be vacated/reversed at a later time, instead of purchasing land, the land is not truly protected.
| Plastics Task Force
Loralee LeBouef, Charlotte Nycklemoe, Leads
plastics@lwvcolliercounty.org
As the end of our high season approaches, so do our 2023-24 Plastics Task Force meetings.
We’ve had a very active and busy season with our teams of presenters appearing seven (7) times at various community organizations. The critiques from all presentations reflected high marks in educating attendees of the harmful effects of single use plastics to our environment and humans. After our May 23rd planning session for 2024-25, when we will debrief on the past year and refocus on the upcoming year, we will look forward to a summer hiatus for some well deserved R & R.
Our task force members wish you all a very restful, safe, happy and healthy summer. We’ll see you in the fall!
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Membership Committee
Beth VanDamme, Chair
| Please welcome the following new members: |
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Ronnie Blumenthal
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Nancie Samet |
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Lynn Eccleston
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Marianne St Johns |
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Kari Lerner
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Dana Ragiel |
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Elyse Morande
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Laura E. Vasquez |
LWVCC Gift Memberships are now available!
Looking for the perfect Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gift? Look no further. This year, give the gift of knowledge, and help build a stronger democracy. Give the Gift of Empowerment, Give an LWVCC gift membership.
A Gift for Everyone
A gift membership to the LWVCC is perfect for:
- Friends and family who value their right to vote.
- Young adults who are just starting their voting journey.
- Anyone who wants to stay informed about local and national issues.
More Than Just a Membership
By supporting the LWVCC, you are not just giving a gift, you are investing in a stronger democracy. Your contribution helps the LWVCC continue their vital work of educating voters and defending democracy.
Click to buy your gift membership. Or you can go to the LWVCC website under the Member Resources menu to locate Gift Memberships.
Please contact membership at membership@lwvcolliercounty.org for any questions about our gift memberships.
(All gift memberships are non-refundable and non-transferable. Gift memberships not activated by December 31, 2024, will be considered a donation to the LWVCC.) | 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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