 |  | Thank you - Farewell but not Goodbye!
The last two years have been a journey, but it has always been a great honor to represent LWV of the Space Coast. Being president does involve responsibility, lots of emails, texts and phone calls. That being said, I have enjoyed the opportunity to hold the position of president. It still gives me a little thrill each time I say that I am “President of League of Women Voters of the Space Coast” as I know the title carries with it immense power and respect. Running a successful organization requires a successful team and I simply could not have done it without all the support and all the hard work that went on in the background, sometimes without me even knowing it. For my last newsletter submission, I want to take the opportunity to acknowledge all the help and support I received during my term as LWVSC President. Thank you to -
• The LWVSC Board and LWV of the Space Coast members for your continued support.
• League members who worked on membership, maintaining rosters, and reconciling two data bases.
• LWVSC members who worked on the website and newsletter.
• LWVSC Treasurers for working on everything financial.
• A stellar Executive Board and the assistance of a hardworking and conscientious 1st VP.
• League members for your understanding when things did not go to plan.
• My husband who has not complained and helped me put up the tent numerous times.
• All those who helped with voter registration and census events before and during the pandemic.
• Everyone who made an additional donation that allowed us to print materials, sponsor radio shows, host voter registration events, and help with membership costs.
• Committee Chairs for all the hard work they put in.
• Past LWVSC Presidents for their guidance.
• Everyone who contributed to a letter to the editor or opinion piece. We have had many excellent ones printed in Florida Today.
• All members who have represented LWVSC by speaking at events, on panels, and before legislative bodies such as the School Board or the County Commission.
• Contributing members of Observer Corps.
• Everyone who responded to action alerts.
• Zoom – which enabled us to keep functioning throughout the pandemic. My apologies to members who did not feel confident interacting on the Zoom platform. I want you to know that we are anticipating being able to schedule in-person events soon.
• Canva-a great go to program for making flyers, brochures and a host of other helpful materials.
• Everyone who contributed to or supported the work of LWV of the Space Coast.
Thank you again for two great years. I wish Rob Grisar, who will be taking over as President, and the new Board every success!
In League,
Jo Shim
LWVSC President | | LWVSC 2021 Annual Meeting
This is a Zoom Meeting on Saturday, April 10th from Noon to 2:30 pm
The following documents were e-mailed to you on March 6th: Proposed Programs of Work, Nominating Committee Report, Proposed By-Law Changes, and Proposed Budget. These documents will be e-mailed to you again. We hope that you will join us.
Link below is for registering and you will receive the zoom link 24 hours before the meeting. Thank you.
| | | Lobby Day, April 8th.
Last chance to register for the LWV of Florida Lobby Day Scheduled for April 8th. Registration closes soon on March 31st. Usually, this event requires travel to Tallahassee, but this year it will be a virtual event so please take the opportunity to participate. Cost is $35.
Thanks you in advance for responding to action alerts and doing all that you can to oppose harmful legislation and support bills that promote good public policy.
President, Jo Shim
| | Voter Suppression Hot Topic
Please save the date for a very interesting Hot Topic on Saturday, April 17th from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Our speaker will be retired Florida Supreme Court Justice Peggy Quince. Information on Justice Quince can be found below.
Our website will soon have information on registering for this Zoom Event. | | | | Justice Peggy Quince
In January 2019, after serving 20 years as a justice, Quince retired from the Florida Supreme Court. Prior to that, she spent 13 years as an assistant attorney general in the Criminal Division of the Florida Attorney General’s office.
Quince made history by becoming the first black women to serve on a district court of appeal in Florida in 1993. Five years later, she became the first black female to be appointed to the Florida Supreme Court. She became its first black female chief justice in 2008.
| | |
Directions for Logging into Website as a Member | | Diane Conaway
Congratulations to Diane Conaway, LWV of the Space Coast (LWVSC) member of the month for April 2021. Diane is a valued member of the LWVSC Board. She has served as secretary since November 2019 and has just committed to another term in this position.
Diane moved to Florida from Cleveland approximately 10 years ago and joined LWVSC shortly after settling in Indialantic. With a background in administering programs for Alzheimer’s patients, she quickly became a valued member of the Health Care Committee and joined in the ongoing advocacy for Medicaid expansion in Florida. A skilled speaker, Diane has represented LWVSC at forums, led discussions for the International Relations committee and spoken before the Brevard Legislative Delegation.
LWV of the Space Coast thanks Diane for her work as a spokeswoman, her commitment to advocacy for Medicaid expansion and for continuing to serve in a leadership positon as LWVSC secretary.
| | | Voter Services Important Information | Voter Services Article
by Diane Callier
Just five short months ago Florida held one of its most successful general elections ever. Statewide voter turnout for the 2020 general election was 77%, the largest since 1992. Unlike in some years past, the vote count went smoothly and results were reported accurately and timely. Yet there is a proposed Senate Bill, Senate Bill 90 (SB 90), in the Florida Legislature which would change or eliminate some of very voting options that made the 2020 election in Florida so successful. The SB 90 would change the time to request mail in ballots from once every two general election cycles to prior to every election, it would ban the use of all ballot drop boxes, and allow only immediate family to collect and deliver ballots to and from voters. Not only would these changes, if enacted create confusion among Florida voters they would create severe hardships for some voters such as the elderly, those in assisted living, the disabled, and those who may have health issues. These provisions could create even more hardships for voters who are already disenfranchised such as communities of color and the economically disadvantaged.
These proposals are not suggested to “solve” any problems encountered in the recent elections but are promoted as ways to make voters “feel” more secure about our voting system and to avert potential problems that have not yet occurred and may never occur. They do nothing to address the real issues of voting security such as cyber hacking and misleading social media posts.
There are also provisions in this proposal which could improve the consistency of the voting process throughout the state such as state-wide training for Supervisors of Election on signature validation so there is more consistency from county to county.
The SB 90 as currently written has no support from Florida Supervisors of Elections. Despite little to no support outside some in the Florida Legislature this proposal continues to be considered and revised by State legislators.
We must contact our State representatives, write letters to the Editors of local newspapers, and communicate the adverse impacts of the current SB 90 to our friends, families, and community to avert a disastrous situation of greatly curtailed voting rights for all voters of in the State of Florida. Please take action now.
| Dimensions
by Rob Grisar
This is not a call to write to your congressional representative or senator or commissioner. Rather than launch into an exhortation about a particular bill or any pending political action, I wanted to share some thoughts about something that happened this past month.
For the past year we, just as most of you, have been living in a two-dimensional world necessitated by the ongoing pandemic. Instead of interacting directly with one another, many of us have been more or less tucked away in our homes, making phone calls, sending emails and engaging in an endless series of Zoom meetings. My wife and I have become adept at Instacart grocery shopping and have had an endless stream of packages arriving at our door. I’ve learned the art of Duo calls with my grandkids. The last in-person meeting I attended was on March 13, 2020.
Now, being an introvert and having spent the last five years of my career working from home this has not been as much of a stretch for me as it might have been for others. Still, it’s been difficult to live the last year in this two-dimensional world.
But things changed for us in March, March 17th to be exact. Aside from being the day that we all feel informally authorized to drink and party in honor of something with which most of us have at best a fleeting relationship, March 17th marked the two week point since our second Moderna vaccination. And, coincidentally, my birthday. So, with all that in mind, we made tentative plans to go somewhere and do something in the three-dimensional world.
We dressed in clothes that were not exercise outfits or pajamas and headed to Cocoa Village. We went to a restaurant [with outside seating], pondered a menu with multiple offerings [that didn’t include the leftovers from last night’s dinner], ordered food that someone else prepared and yet another person brought to our table, ate, drank and chatted while watching people stroll by. When we were done eating, someone else whisked away our dishes and, well—who cares what they did with them because I didn’t have to wash them.
Now I do admit it was a bit unnerving doing all this. Engaging in the choreography of masking and unmasking as waiters arrived and left and arrived yet again was awkward. I know I got it wrong a couple of times when I wasn’t paying strict attention and found myself fumbling for my mask. The voice of Mr. Myagi telling me “Mask on, mask off!” was in my head, but my timing—well, it was a bit off.
This was a liberating experience. And one which I think more and more of us who have been constrained to hide away during this awful time will soon be having as vaccinations go forward. It will take some getting used to. I spoke recently with the reference librarian at Suntree Library in regard to our meeting room reservations. I cancelled our board meeting reservation through July, but asked her to keep our hold on the room from August forward, thinking that perhaps by then we will be able to again gather in person. While the two dimensions of Zoom have been surprisingly effective and efficient, there is a decided difference between virtual meetings and reality. So, in the coming months I would very much like to hear from you as to whether and when you would feel comfortable gathering there for meetings, albeit socially distanced and masked.
|  | At the outset I said I wouldn’t be exhorting you to take a political action. But I will, as I usually do, ask that you consider one thing. While we have been living in our largely two-dimensional world and are hoping to regain our three-dimensional reality, our politicians continue to exist in some other, fourth dimension, a dimension as Rod Serling so aptly put it, that is “…the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition.” They certainly don’t do a good job of reflecting our reality and to a large extent depend on working in the shadows to engage in self serving actions to the detriment of the citizenry. Our national and state organizations keep excellent track of the goings on at their levels, but local government is our direct responsibility. And so, once again, I ask that you consider joining Observer Corps and helping the LWVSC keep track of what our local elected representatives are doing to us. Please give me a call or drop me an email and we can help you learn to observe and report on what happens in that other dimension, that place we call “The Twilight Zone” of local politics.
| | | Officers for April Annual Meeting |  | | President Rob Grisar
A native New Yorker, I joined the Air Force in 1970. After eight years of service at the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service [including a year of temporary duty at Boston University to complete my B.S. in Broadcasting and Film Production], I returned to civilian life. For the ensuing dozen years, I worked for the Virginia Employment Commission in a variety of positions, mostly managing offices in the Washington, D.C. suburbs. This led to an opportunity to work for the city manager of Alexandria, Virginia with a wide range of responsibilities including consumer affairs, citizen assistance, cable television franchising, and utility rate cases. But in 1990, warmer weather and family beckoned, so I resigned and relocated to Florida.
Here in the Sunshine State, I worked for the Florida Department of Labor. Following stints in child labor and the Job Corps, I joined the Regional Director’s staff, handling welfare reform, food stamps and contract management. Subsequently, I transferred to the Department of Education as the central Florida regional management consultant for apprenticeship training programs. I retired from my position as State Director of Apprenticeship in 2010.
My experience and interest in government translated to joining the Local Government Committee of the LWVSC in 2016, where I have served as Co-chair. I continue to lead the Observer Corps while serving as First Vice President of LWVSC. My bride, Diane Callier, also a LWVSC member and I live in Cape Canaveral with our two cats, Karma and Kenzie, who frequently put in cameo appearances on Zoom meetings.
|  | Secretary Diane Conaway
Highlights of Diane's Professional Career
William Kaplan & Associates - Cleveland, OH
Appraisals for City of Cleveland Block Grant for 7 low income areas
Associated Estates - Cleveland OH
Corporate Leasing Director
Forest City Enterprises - Los Angeles and San Francisco
West Coast Leasing and Marketing Director
Sunrise Assisted Living - Coral Gables, FL
Sales and Marketing Director
Emeritus Assisted Living - Mt. Vernon, OH
Executive Director Assisted Living and Alzheimer’s Facility
Community Activities:
Speaker’s Bureau’s - Alzheimer’s and Operation Stroke American Heart Assn.
VP Heights Regional Chamber of Commerce - Shaker Hts., OH
Business Instructor - Vocational School and Cuyahoga Community College
See other highlights about Diane as she is our Member of the Month
| | |
 | Changes That Matter
by Fran Baer
It has been said, “Change is inevitable”. Some changes are for the best, and some not so much, depending on your point of view. In this, my last article as Chair of the Education Committee, I want to concentrate first on the former.
It gives me great pleasure to introduce our unanimously elected new Chair of the Education Committee of the League of Women Voters of the Space Coast. Many of you already know Hilah Mercer through her accomplishments in the Brevard County School System and her service to our community. Hilah came to Brevard in 1979, obtained her master’s degree in Exceptional Child Education from the University of Central Florida in 1983, taught at Brevard Community College’s Lab School for preschool age children before beginning her career in our public schools in 1988. Her focuses as a teacher and later as an administrator have always been on problem solving, facing the challenges, and providing opportunities to lead and learn for the children, adults, and herself. While earning her degree in Educational Leadership from UCF, Hilah taught at H.C. Andersen Elementary before becoming Assistant Principal of Roy Allen Elementary and later Principal of Challenger Elementary, Quest Elementary and Cambridge Elementary.
Deserving accolades include Brevard Public Schools’ Elementary Principal of the Year in 2012, a finalist for the Outstanding Leadership from the Florida Education Commissioner, and named a University of Florida Distinguished Educator.
Retiring in 2015 has given Hilah time to contribute to her other passions like volunteering to feed the homeless in Cocoa and at the Teacher Supply Zone providing needed supplies to teachers; serving as a member of Philanthropic Educational Organization dedicated to educating women; spending quality time with her husband, daughters and grandchildren; traveling, reading and walking to enjoy nature; adopting retired greyhounds, and joining the League of Women Voters of the Space Coast where she serves on the Social Justice and Education Committees. Hilah says, “The League’s mission which focuses on education and advocacy drew me to membership after retirement. I like to think of myself as a lifelong learner and educator.” To that quote the Education Committee members agree her leadership skills and thoughtful ideas are welcomed as she ably assumes the Chair. We are all here to assist.
Now allow me to introduce the not so good changes presently calling for action to defeat in the Florida legislature. Senate Bill 1014 and its companion in the House, 835, would place unneeded restrictions on teachers’ ability to join together as a Union to improve conditions for learning and teaching. As one teacher said at the hearing committee meeting, “This is big government getting in the way of personal choice”. The other bill of concern is House Bill 51 which would authorize State Universities and Colleges to sponsor charters thus further redirecting accountability, funding and responsibility away from local School Boards. Look no further than the public outcry regarding SB 86 which succeeded in scaling back the linking of Bright Futures funding to specific fields. If you feel these bills are detrimental to our State, please let your voice be heard.
And, finally, a huge thank you to all for your support for our children and their education, your vision for the League, and your friendship.
|  | Letter in Support of Dental Therapist Legislation
by Linda Meeuwenberg
My fellow members of the League, I am soliciting your support for creation of a licensed mid-level provider of oral care. Florida has two counties that do not even have a dentist. Florida consistently gets low scores nationally for access to oral care. The American Academy of Pediatrcs has cited tooth decay AS THE NMBER ONE CHRONIC DISEASE AFFLICTING CHILDREN. According to the Centers for Disease Control, cavities have increased for toddlers and preschoolers. Fifty-nine percent of children, between 12 and 19 have at least one cavity with poor and minority children disproportionately affected.
• Who eats too much sugar, leading to dental trauma? Primarily the poor.
• Who cannot sleep because of continuing dental pain and no available dental care? Primarily the poor.
• The teeth are no match for a life of poverty.
• More than 2.7 million visits to the ER in 2017 were tied to preventable dental problems.
• In 2019, Florida hospitals billed more than $630 million for preventable ER visits and hospital admissions stemming from preventable oral health issues. Florida taxpayers bear the brunt of the bill with Medicaid paying for nearly 40% of those visits.
• Poor oral health has been associated with 57 systemic diseases and illnesses. Patients with serious dental conditions are 25% more likely to suffer from heart disease and more likely to have autoimmune disorders, anemia, GI disorders and renal disease.
These are just a few reasons why a mid-level provider (like a Nurse Practitioner) could help solve the problem. More than 70 organizations listed on the Floridians for Dental Access website, support this legislation including the Florida League of Women Voters. The only group fighting the legislation is the American Dental Association. Dental therapists have improved access to oral care in other countries and in several states in the USA.
Please go to the Floridians for Dental Access website at https://www.floridiansfordentalaccess.com/ to learn more and follow their Facebook page. Contact your legislators to support SB 604 and HB 961. This can be done quickly on the website. | | International Relations Zoom Meeting
The April International Relations meeting will be a zoom meeting on Tuesday, April 13th at 1 p.m.
Joyce Calese will be leading the topic, Struggles Over the Melting Arctic. This is the fourth presentation for 2021.
We use the Great Decisions Publication from the Foreign Policy Association for our topics. League Members and the public are invited. If you have not previously attended our meetings please contact Joyce Calese, chair of the International Relations group so you will receive the link for the zoom meeting. Joyce’s e-mail address is calese37@gmail.com
| | |  | Earth Day
by Terry Mott
Each year on April 22nd environmental advocates from around the world are energized by one special event: Earth Day.
In 1970, the first Earth Day started an environmental revolution. And according to the Earth Day Network--the organizing body for this worldwide event that today has 192 countries participating--Earth Day is considered the largest civic event in the world.
The Earth Day Network designated Restore Our Earth as the theme for Earth Day 2021 to encourage a focus on natural processes, emerging green technologies, and innovative thinking to help restore the world’s ecosystems.
And with the help of our local experts, the Sustainability Committee will celebrate this theme by continuing its educational webinar series focusing on the following topics:
To restore our land, we’ll review such topics as recycling policies and practices, the art of composting, regenerative farming and agriculture, the impacts of deforestation & the importance of trees, and how to identify our individual Foodprint (the environmental impact associated with growing, producing, transporting, and storing our food--from the natural resources consumed to the pollution produced to the greenhouse gases emitted).
To restore our waterways, we’ll learn how we each impact the quality of water in our aquifers and surrounding fresh water bodies (the Indian River Lagoon and the St. Johns River), the best management practices for stormwater management (i.e. caring for our retention ponds), and how to reduce the pollutants and waste entering our ocean.
We’ll also take a look at the many Sustainability Boards and Committees being created in Brevard and learn how we can support their efforts in a meaningful way to help inspire government policies and practices that will restore and preserve our ecosystems.
And finally, we’ll learn how to create an individual Sustainability Action Plan to help restore Brevard’s ecosystems because--as the Earth Day Network reminds us--if we want to ensure quality of life for today and for future generations: Taking care of our planet is not an option, it’s a necessity.
So please consider joining us as we embark on this journey to learn how to become better informed and engaged environmental stewards by celebrating this year’s Earth Day theme to Restore Our Earth--at least our little corner of it!
For more information contact Sustainability Committee Co-Chairs Susan Little at ergajn88@gmail.com and/or Terry Mott at terrymott93@gmail.com or watch for flyers about upcoming webinars at the LWVSC’s website at https://lwvsc.clubexpress.com/
| | We Welcome our Newest Members
Zoie Lindhorst
Craig Mott
Grace J. Ebersberger
Membership Renewals
Thank you to all of our members who have renewed their membership for the coming year.
Membership reminders were e-mailed to all members. If you have not renewed, you can pay with credit card, paypal or mail your check to our Post Office Box. Post Office Box address is P.O. Box 360823, Melbourne, FL 32936-0823. We look forward to your renewals. | | | April Zoom Meetings
Tuesday, April 6th - Board Meeting from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Saturday, April 10th - Recycling Committee Meeting 10 am to 11 am
Saturday, April 10th - LWVSC Annual Meeting - Noon to 2:30 pm
Tuesday, April 13th - International Relations Meeting - 1 pm to 2:30 pm
Wednesday, April 14th - Voter Services Meeting - 3 pm
Saturday, April 17th - Social Media Meeting - 10 am to 11 am
Saturday, April 17th - Voter Suppression Hot Topic - 2 pm to 3:30 pm
Monday, April 19th - Social Justice Committee Meeting - 6 pm
Wednesday, April 21st Education Committee Meeting 1 pm to 2:30 pm (normally it is a morning meeting but changed this month)
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