 |  | Reflections and Best Wishes for a Happy Holiday Season
It has been a challenging year as we all grappled with providing voter education and getting out the vote while working within the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. The month of November seems to have brought the most challenges to us as an organization as we are processing how we are going to continue with the loss of two LWV of the Space Coast icons, Tony Dutton and Doreen Archer. Both Tony and Doreen were wonderful leaders, mentors and had such a wealth of knowledge that it will be hard to go on without them, but we know that is what they would want us to do and of course we will. Please read the tributes to these valued longtime League members which are included in this newsletter.
I also want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for all the great work they did before the election to get out the vote and provide voter information. Due to the pandemic we successfully switched to using a social media platform to share important voter information and I think we can take some credit that the election in Brevard was safe and secure.
The Board anticipates an exciting program for you in 2021 and hopefully, with 3 vaccines almost ready for distribution, life will soon return to normal.
Wishing all LWV of the Space Coast members a happy holiday season.
Thank you for all that you do.
Stay well, stay strong and take care!
In League,
Jo Shim
LWVSC President
| Voter Services Committee Letter to State Board | FINAL THOUGHTS ON AMENDMENT 3
With the 2020 election more or less in the past, the Voter Services Committee of the LWVSC spent time at our last meeting evaluating what went well and what could be done differently in the next election. The State Board’s late position reversal on Amendment 3 was cited as a significant area for improvement for the year.
There are several reasons for this conclusion.
• The reversal did not seem to fit the League’s philosophy of deliberate study leading to a factually well supported position. Rather, it appeared to be (whether true or not) the direct result of lobbying by politically powerful groups., including the NAACP and the Democratic Party.
• The reversal caused delayed release of the League’s PowerPoint on the amendments that had to be revised several times. Many Brevard residents had already voted by mail before members of the speaker’s bureau were able to schedule a presentation on the amendments.
• The reversal alienated members who had assisted with the petition campaign and/or supported Amendment 3 up until we were told that we should not do so. In August 2020 LWVSC invited Michele Levy, who was at the time a member of the State Board, to speak in support of Amendment 3 on a radio show that we sponsored. The State League position that we all speak with a single voice on the matter caused added frustration.
• Because members felt unheard and/or discounted on this issue, it is not surprising that the conversation about the reversal (and the process by which the Florida League made this decision) ended up in the op ed section of newspapers with large daily circulations. There were back and forth accusations by members who had resigned over the issue versus our League leaders.
Here are some of the lessons the Voter Services Committee of LWVSC learned from the state’s reversal and suggestions for State League further actions:
• No League position should be taken without substantive independent study, rather than using statistics collected and interpreted by other groups who have purposes different than our own. Such study should be made available to all state chapters well before the election commences. If there is any question about whether a position should be taken, the Florida League should err on the side of caution and non-partisanship and take no position at all.
• Positions should be published well in advance of the election. In the 2020 election the amendments had been in play for a very long time and there was no reason for the late publication of the League’s positions. The delay increased stress in an already contentious election season.
• Since the League has ended up on the op ed page of newspapers, we suggest that our League Leaders respond with calm and balanced perspectives that demonstrate commitment to our nonpartisan position.
• The remaining League work resulting from this decision include:
Our State League needs to have a conversation about the perspectives related to how this decision was made and how they affect our current work (from all levels of the League). And then, on-going discussions that clearly define the processes by which we make our decisions in the future and how to ensure that our processes are followed.
In addition, we need to have conversations about open primaries, determine if the League supports the concept and, if so, in what specific form to avoid a repetition of this year’s position reversal.
In conclusion, the Voter Services Committee of the LWVSC urges the state leadership to take positive actions to address the variety of perspectives resulting from this year’s decision-making on the Amendment 3 recommendation. We look forward to opportunities to work together in the future. | | Calling all League members who are interested in serving on LWVSC Board
The Nominating Committee would like to hear from members who might be interested in a leadership position on the upcoming 2021-2022 LWVSC Board which would begin in April. Being on the Board provides an opportunity to become more directly involved in the League and its Mission. It also provides the opportunity to grow and utilize your leadership skills as well as enjoying the camaraderie of other dedicated Board Members. Please feel free to contact Debra Mischley – Chair of the Nominating Committee and let her know that you may be interested. Call or contact her at: Mobile: 321-453-3025 or mischleyd@yahoo.com | | | | Ordering Name Tags
Members who are interested in ordering a League name tag will find the information our our website.
1. Sign into the LWVSC website as a member.
2. Click on Event Calendar under Meetings and Events Tab.
3. Go to Tuesday, December 15th entitled LWVSC Nametag Orders. Information there will tell you that cost is $13 to be paid in advance.
4. Click order now. Name tags will be mailed to you. Contact Barbara Williams if you have questions.
| | | Diversity Equity and Inclusion | Dear Friends,
As our focus on "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" continues for the year, how well did we as a nation do with regard to combatting Voter Suppression?
Join me in playing "Voter Suppression Bingo" to find out!
- How many squares can you cover with stories of Voter Suppression from this year's Presidential Election?
- Did you get any Bingos?
- Did the topics you remembered have any underlying themes beside Voter Suppression?
- What would it feel like if you thought someone was trying to keep you from voting or from your vote being counted?
- What actions should we take as a League to address some of the issues?
- Do you want to continue the conversation about Voter Suppression? Let me know at
sueebersberger@comcast.net and I'll set up a time for a group conversation.
Peace,
Sue Ebersberger
|  | Education Report for December
by Fran Baer, Chair of Education Committee
“Threats ToThe Future”, is a quote from Dr. Stephanie Soliven, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Leading and Learning, Brevard Public Schools, Nov. 18, 2020.
Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020, CBS Sixty Minutes aired a feature on student enrollment down during the pandemic. Viewers followed a Social Worker in a school community going door to door looking for students not enrolled in school, in person or on line. For members of the League’s Education Committee, this episode echoed and reinforced the message our speaker, Dr. Soliven, delivered at our Nov. 18th Zoom meeting.
Her data brought the COVID crisis into focus here in Brevard County. The pupil absentee rate is double from pre-COVID, worse in Kindergarten, First and Second Grades, and disproportionately affecting students of color. High School students are choosing to work and help provide for their families rather than attend classes, either in brick and mortar or on line platforms. Grade point averages have dropped for eLearning students in all categories as posted for the first semester. “Incredibly alarming”, says Dr. Soliven. Even with the outreach and support offered to families the challenge is overwhelming and requires the attention of our whole community.
Our other guest at our Nov. 18th meeting was Deacon Bernard Bryan, retiree from Collins Aerospace and leader of a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Program for at-risk students in South Brevard called UMOJA designed to spark at risk students’ interest in the sciences. He shared his concern for African American students’ low proficiency levels in reading and math in the Brevard County Public School System. Currently 64% of African American students are one to two levels behind in Language Arts and Math. African American students make up 15% of the district's current enrollment of 63,599 students.
In Mr. Bryan’s own words, he proposes solutions. “Parents need to read to their children and ensure that their children work hard in school. Schools need to intentionally select African American students to participate in STEM related activities. Our students are more than athletes; they can become engineers, doctors, and teachers. We all need to do all we can in our homes as well as in our communities”.
Many thanks go to these two speakers who spoke openly and knowledgeably about conditions that the League of Women Voters of the Space Coast has recognized and adopted as part of its Education Program of Work: “Monitor and support equitable access to and achievement in all educational programs in Brevard Public Schools”.
Come join us at our next meeting on Zoom, December 16, 2020 as we develop strategies the League can pursue to address the effects of the COVID crisis on our children, our future.
Janice Kershaw will make a presentation on the Brevard Schools Foundation and its role in meeting the challenge. As always, we welcome you and your comments.
| The International Relations Committee will have a Zoom meeting on Tuesday December 8th at 1 p.m.
Francine Pease will lead our discussion on The Philippines and the U.S.
Great Decisions Topics for 2021 are:
• Global Supply Chains and National Security
• Persian Gulf Security Issues
• Brexit and the European Union
• Struggles Over the Melting Arctic
• China’s Role in Africa
• The Korean Peninsula
• Roles of International Organizations in a Global Pandemic
• The end of globalization?
| | |  | Water Boards
by Maureen Rupe
The Florida Legislature created five Water Board Districts in 1972 after the state experienced its worst drought in history and at the same time, uncontrolled development had drained Florida’s water resources. The districts were given charge of issuing permits for water use and wetlands destruction as well as protecting developed areas against flooding. They have the power to levy taxes on property owners in their regions in order to pay for what they do. These five water boards are very close to being ineffective as new committee members have not been appointed. The Southwest Florida Water Management District is a 13 Member board but has only seven appointed members. The Suwannee River Water Management District which covers north central Florida is also a 13 member board with only seven appointed members. The Northwest Florida Water Management District covers much of the Florida Panhandle. They are in the worst shape as they have only three appointed members out of what should be a nine-member board. The St. Johns River Water Management District which covers the Florida east coast from the Jacksonville area to Indian River County has three appointed members out of what should be a nine member board. The South Florida Water Management District covering the state’s southern most counties has a nine-member board but from their website two members expired in March 2020. By state law there is a 180-day time period members can remain on the board. These are important boards as each board has million-dollar budgets and can levy taxes on people within their districts.
|  | Can Sustainability Help Heal A Divided America?
by Terry Mott- Co-Chair of the Sustainability Committee
One lesson learned from the 2020 elections is that America is a divided country--as if anyone needed more proof of that devastating fact.
And while many feel lost and are still trying to figure out how we could have become so divided, one thing is certain, in this state of affairs we will not be able to effectively resolve the serious challenges facing our country.
But the answer to this dilemma may be readily available if we can redirect our focus to the field of Sustainability, which espouses collaboration across all sectors: government, academia, business, nonprofits, and individuals.
Also, synonymous with this field are the concepts of open and transparent systems where knowledge is freely shared across all sectors and where everyone representing each of the three pillars within Sustainability--environmental, social, and economic--gets an equal voice in the process of governance.
Another resource to guide us was created in 2015, when 193 United Nations Member States joined together in a collaborative partnership to identify the greatest challenges facing the world and agreed to a collection of seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are:
1. No poverty
2. Zero hunger
3. Good health & wellbeing
4. Quality education
5.Gender equality
6. Clean water and sanitation
7. Affordable and clean energy
8. Decent work and economic growth
9.Industry, innovation and infrastructure
10.Reduced inequalities
11.Sustainable cities and communities
12. Responsible consumption and production
13.Climate action
14. Life below water
15. Life on land
16. Peace, justice and strong institutions
17. Partnerships
In sum, if representatives from 193 countries can come together to agree on a single set of goals to help resolve the problems of the world, that should be enough of an example in leadership to inspire us to work together and follow their lead. And it has.
The LWVSC’s Sustainability Committee is creating an Initiative to research each of the seventeen areas identified by the SDGs. And we are asking people to consider joining us as we work together to assess how well Brevard County is doing in each of the seventeen categories and to help us discover solutions to any of the challenges identified that are threatening our collective quality of life.
Finally, in answer to the question above: While today we may be divided in spirit, there are clearly opportunities available to help us heal as a nation, and we each can choose to play a role in that process.
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals
| | Tony Dutton
Anthony (Tony) Dutton was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1956 and University of Pennsylvania law school in 1963. He served in the U.S. Navy flying reconnaissance flights and later transitioned to the Naval Reserves. He worked for the law firm, Hodgson, Russ LLP and became a partner in 1971 and lived in Buffalo and Albany, New York and Boca Raton and Palm Beach, Florida.
Tony was an advocate and activist for those who were underserved. Working tirelessly for equal housing opportunity, civil rights and the environment. While in Florida, he provided pro bono services to the Legal Aid Society and served as President of the Florida Visiting Nurses Association and the Boca Raton Library.
Tony and Barbara joined League of Women Voters of the Space Coast in 2011. They were both involved with getting out the vote and worked on several committees. Tony served as 1st Vice President, Voter Service Chair and also served on the board of League of Women Voters of Florida. He will be remembered for providing information on ballot amendments to Brevard residents and for mentoring many Space Coast league members as they moved into leadership positions.
Donations in memory of Tony Dutton can be made to LWV of the Space Coast Education Fund LWVF Education Fund - Donations - League of Women Voters of the Space Coast (clubexpress.com), Brevard County Legal Aid Brevard County Legal Aid or Chateaugay Lake Foundation, PO Box 222, Lyon Mountain, NY 12952 https://chateaugaylakefoundation.org/how-to-help/donate/.
| | Doreen Archer
Doreen Archer was born in Durban, South Africa. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. She was employed making Yellow Fever vaccine at the South African Institute for Medical Research, under the guidance of Dr. James Gear, who was a renowned research scientist. A polio vaccine was developed there at the same time that Dr. Salk was working in this country. Doreen and her husband, Alva and children moved to the United States in 1961.
A passionate advocate for social justice and the environment, she was an active volunteer leader with the PTA, Girl Scouts, United Way, League of Women Voters, American Association of University Women, NAACP, and Child Care Association of Brevard County. She joined League of Women Voters of the Space Coast in 1997 and served several terms as President. Doreen was an active member of the sustainability book club, and the natural resources, education and justice committees. She also served as LWVSC Board Secretary and as a valued advisor and mentor to new board members and LWVSC presidents.
Doreen’s daughters have shared that if anyone wishes to make a donation in her memory, the two organizations the family has suggested are the Southern Poverty Law Center Southern Poverty Law Center - Donate (splcenter.org) and the Environmental Defense Fund Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org) .Cards may be sent to her two daughters: Jennifer Archer-Denton, 55 Stonebridge Crossing, Newman, GA 30265 and Helen Archer-Duste, 472 Marietta Dr., San Francisco, CA 94127.
| | |  | Top picture on the left is Tony and Jo Shim. Top picture on the right is Tony with wife Barbara.
Lower left picture is Tony and Doreen. Lower right picture is Audrey Grayson and Doreen. | New Members and December Zoom Meetings
| | We welcome our newest members
Annette Burgess
Angelica Zamora-Duran
| | Tuesday, December 1st 5:30 p.m. League Board Meeting
Saturday, December 5th 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Sustainability Book Club
Tuesday, December 8th 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. International Relations Meeting
Saturday, December 12th 2 p.m. to 4 p.pm. Annual Holiday party - Details to be announced
Wednesday, December 16th 10 a.m. to Noon Education Committee Meeting
| | | The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
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