 |  | Fluoridation and the Board of County Commissioners
I think that most of our membership has been made aware, either through newspaper articles or various other media, of the controversy that erupted as a result of the actions of our Board of County Commissioners in regard to fluoride in the drinking water of Mims. Our LWVSC Board of Directors took a position in support of fluoridation after study and recommendation from our Social Justice Committee under the sixth item of their approved program of work: “Monitor and advocate for various health care issues such as oral, mental, and children’s health.” The Board authorized representation at the June 21st Mims community meeting.
There was a coincident question that arose in regard to governance that became the center of the Local Government Committee’s response to this event. It prompted a look at Sunshine Law requirements and what the Attorney General’s office declared in its Sunshine Manual as appropriate actions of governmental bodies when dealing with controversial issues. After careful review of the recording of the County Commission meeting, the Local Government Committee recommended that our Board of Directors contact the Commissioners to express concern regarding the disturbing method employed by the Commissioners in this instance. Because only the members of the Local Government Committee and our Board of Directors had an opportunity to view what LWVSC expressed to the Commissioners, I thought it appropriate to make the letter available to all of our members. It is reprinted below and I welcome members’ comments.
|  | June 15, 2021
Brevard County Board of County Commissioners
2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way
Viera, Florida 32940
Dear Commissioners:
I am writing to you on behalf of the League of Women Voters of the Space Coast (LWVSC) regarding your recent action to end fluoridation of the Mims water supply. We are concerned that this action was taken without providing an opportunity for public comment. Near the end of the May 4, 2021 regular meeting, you held a brief discussion but the matter was not on the published agenda.
Florida’s Sunshine Law does not require notice of all topics to be decided at a meeting. However, the Attorney General has advised boards to postpone formal action on any added items that are controversial in order to give the public advance notice and the opportunity for meaningful participation on controversial issues. One of the basic guiding principles of the League of Women Voters is that “… democratic government depends upon the informed and active participation of its citizens and requires that governmental bodies protect the citizen’s right to know by giving adequate notice of proposed actions, holding open meetings and making public records accessible.”
The LWVSC commends Commissioner Pritchett for scheduling a meeting on June 21st in Mims to air arguments on both sides of the fluoridated water issue and obtain input from Mims residents. We encourage you to expand your efforts to seek public comment by bringing the issue back to the Board of County Commissioners at the earliest practicable meeting as a listed agenda item for discussion and full input from the public and knowledgeable medical and public health professionals. While the action was limited to Mims, the LWVSC believes that this is an issue which is of interest to all county citizens as it could set a precedent for similar actions in other parts of the county and in regard to other issues.
Thank you for your dedication to the citizens of Brevard County. We appreciate your hard work on behalf of our community. The League, locally and nationally, has always viewed its role as a pertinent and meaningful citizen voice in governance. If you would like to meet to discuss our concerns, I would be pleased to do so.
Sincerely,
Rob Grisar, President
League of Women Voters of the Space Coast
321-783-6995
| | MLK and the Struggle for Black Voting Rights
Join us on Saturday, July 17, 2021 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. for this zoom event using materials and strategies from Harvard Business School and The Case Method Institute. Case method teaching brings history into the present.
Jennifer Jolley, Palm Bay High School social studies teacher and 2020 Florida History Teacher of the Year, will facilitate this event.
The event is free and open to League members and non-members.
However you need to register. Registrants will receive a link to copyrighted materials in preparation for active participation at the event.
For more information, contact Hilah Mercer at 321-223-5244 or hilahmercer@gmail.com.
| | | | Marilza Novaes-Card
Congratulations to Marilza Novaes-Card, LWV of the Space Coast's (LWVSC) member of the month.
Marilza has been a League member since 2006. She was involved in Observer Corps and Chair of the Children's Committee. (now called The Education Committee). She continued as a League member during the 5+ years she lived in Busan, South Korea. She and her husband are back in Brevard County now and Marilza continues to be very involved in the Education and Social Justice Committees. Along with League activities she is very involved in Guardian Ad Litem for Children.
| | | LWVFL 38th Biennial Convention | LWVFL Convention
Our Board of Directors authorized several of our members [in addition to myself as President] to attend the LWVFL 38th Biennial Convention as voting delegates. Like much of our lives this past year or so, the meetings took place in the virtual world of Zoom. While the plenary and workshops were open to all members free of charge, I’m sure that many of you did not find the time to check in on the meetings to see what was happening.
Well, fear not. It was all recorded. And you can access those recordings by following the links below:
Workshops
(you need to copy and paste this link into a new window)
Of particular note, in addition to approving our 2021-2023 State Program, civil rights lawyer Cecile M. Scoon, Esq. has made history as the first Black woman elected to lead the League of Women Voters of Florida.
| Voter Services Report
by Diane Callier
Okay, it’s voting trivia time!
All third-party voter registration organizations (such as the LWV) must inform potential registering voters:
a. that the organization might not deliver the application to the Supervisor of Elections on time,
b. that they may deliver the voter registration application in person or by mail,
c. how to register online,
d. how to determine whether the voter registration application has been delivered,
e. all of the above
The answer is e. This is just one of the changes in the Florida voting legislation that was passed and signed into law this year.
Due to these changes EVERYONE has to retake the LWVFL voter registration quiz to be eligible to register people to vote in Florida. The updated quiz and training information can be accessed by the link found on the LWVSC Voter Services page.
In addition to this quiz the LWVSC Voter Services Committee is holding an in-person voter registration training session on July 22. We held this training last year and received very positive feedback. It is open to LWVSC members who have passed the updated quiz and have registered for the training on the LWVSC website.
We hope you will join us for this informative and fun training. If you have any questions or are uncertain of your certification status, please contact Diane Callier - e-mail is cleo1227@cfl.rr.com
| Redistricting Process
The Local Government committee is scheduling regular monthly meetings in preparation for Brevard County's Redistricting effort taking place this fall. County redistricting consists of changing our county commission district boundaries based on the 2020 Census data. To prepare for this important effort, our committee will be researching and discussing redistricting rules and norms to educate our members interested in observing the process this fall.
Meetings will be scheduled the first Monday of the month at 1pm, beginning July 5th. If you are interested in participating you can register for our meetings on the LWVSC calendar. A Zoom link will be sent to those who register.
For more information, contact Joanne Terry at (321) 684-3295 or joanneterry31@gmail.com.
|  | Education News
The Education Committee is urging all League members to join us for the LWVSC Hot Topic: MLK and the Struggle for Black Voting Rights on July 17, 2021, from 2:00 - 4:00 via Zoom. This timely event will be facilitated by Jennifer Jolley, Palm Bay High School social studies teacher, 2020 Florida History Teacher of the Year, and James Madison Fellow (FL '10). Ms. Jolley will be utilizing materials and strategies from Harvard Business School (HBS) and the Case Method Institute. Case method teaching, used for decades at HBS, brings history into the present. In preparation for the event, participants will receive background information that puts the fight for Black voting rights into historical context. In this case, the materials strive to put the participants in Dr. King’s shoes on March 9, 1965, as he led 2,000 marchers at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma Alabama, intent on marching to the state capitol in Birmingham just two days after the violent events at the same bridge on what became known as Bloody Sunday.
Registration is now open and available on the LWVSC homepage www.lwv-spacecoast.org. There is no fee and non-members are welcomed. Registrants will receive a link to copyrighted case material in a separate email. Participants are urged to read the material prior to the event. Case method teaching utilizes active participation as a teaching tool. Participants will want to be ready to engage. Our League chose this case just as multiple states pass laws restricting voting rights and making access to the polls more difficult. History will indeed be brought into the present. Participants will be urged to use their new knowledge to develop their own arguments about current policy and to become active participants in governance by making their voices heard.
On June 10, 2021, the State Board of Education approved an amendment to Rule 6A-1.094124. The entire rule is not included here but can be found on-line. While there were many questionable aspects to the amendment, of particular concern to our committee at this time was the following: "…teachers serve as facilitators for student discussion and do not share their personal views or attempt to indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view." Our concern is that teachers will face unfounded accusations and intimidation in our current deeply divided political climate. Our committee is committed to supporting Brevard Public Schools and its teachers as they teach the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards and the Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards.ah
|  | Forever Chemicals, Are They In Us?
by Maureen Rupe
I have seen a lot of reports concerning Forever Chemicals including 16 stories since 2018 in Florida Today. It’s not limited to Florida. Forever Chemicals are everywhere. In March 2021 Consumer Reports (CR) there was an article titled “How Safe Is Our Drinking Water?” CR partnered with the US Guardian News organization. They had 120 people around the U.S. collect water samples from their drinking water to test for arsenic, lead, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), and other contaminants. The water systems sampled, go to more than 19 million people. 118 of the 120 locations had higher levels of PFAS or arsenic. CR’s tests revealed about 8 percent of samples had arsenic levels above CR’s recommended maximum for drinking water and almost every sample had measurable amounts of lead, which is considered unsafe at any level. “In response to the report by CR, Environmental Protection Agency spokesperson Andrea Drinkard said that 93 percent of the population supplied by community water systems gets water that meets 'all health-based standards all of the time' and that the agency has set standards for more than 90 contaminants. That includes arsenic and lead but does not include PFAS.”
In another story from June 10, 2021, Wisconsin State Journal, health officials are warning anglers to limit consumption of fish from all but two of Madison’s lakes after new test results revealed high levels of toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. In the Wisconsin State Journal story, Nathan Kloczko, site evaluation program coordinator for the Department of Health Services, said people who’ve been eating fish from the lakes may want to talk to their doctors about individual health concerns. This is definitely not just a United States issue, as I also read an article in a German website DW Akademia. In a June 11, 2021 story titled "Teflon and Forever Chemicals: The hidden toxins in your body” stated that 98% of US Americans have PFAS in their blood. Studies from India, Indonesia and the Philippines found the toxic substances in nearly all breastmilk samples tested. Every child in Germany has forever chemicals inside them, and in a fifth of those cases, concentrations exceed critical levels.
The University of Florida plans on releasing what they have found out so far in a 3-year study on PFAS in Brevard County. They have collected water samples from Titusville, Rockledge, Merritt Island, Melbourne and Satellite Beach. I just hope it’s not as bad as I expect.
|  | Sustainability Report by Terry Mott
If you've attended a Sustainability education program, you may have heard the term wicked problem to describe many of the types of challenges we face in the world today.
In 1973, design theorists Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber first introduced the term wicked problem and offered several characteristics. For example, a wicked problem is complex having multiple layers where there is no single solution. And where the effort to solve one aspect of the problem may create other problems.
Also because of their complex nature, wicked problems need a systems-driven approach with multiple stakeholders--government agencies, businesses, nonprofits, and individuals--all coming together and agreeing to work harmoniously with one another if there will be any hope of getting the problems resolved.
An example of a wicked problem in Florida is the devastating record loss of manatees this year due to starvation. As of May 14, 2021, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported 739 manatee deaths. About 300 have been in Brevard County. Since pollution and algae blooms have killed off seagrass beds in the past few years, the manatees have been left without enough food to make it through the winter.
To address the myriad wicked problems in Brevard, the Sustainability Committee has recently launched a two-part strategy:
►Conduct monthly educational webinars via Zoom that promote an understanding of the principles of the Sustainability field of study: incorporating a systems approach to problem solving by simultaneously addressing the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of a problem. The Zoom webinars are free and open to the public; and
►Create a series of Sustainability Action Teams (SATs) to address each of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Each SAT will create its own Sustainability Action Plan to tackle its target SDG.
A special thank you from Sustainability Committee for our June 2021 guest speakers: Amanda Muzaurieta, Event & Compost Coordinator for Keep Brevard Beautiful and Sally Scalera, Urban Horticulture Agent and Master Gardener Coordinator, University of Florida IFAS Extension Brevard County, for their recent stellar presentations to kick off our Restore Our Land educational series (Parts 1 & 2), respectively.
Upcoming events:
On Saturday, July 24, 2021 10 am-11 am, Co-Chair Leigh Ann Lindsay will lead the Sustainability Committee Book Club’s review of the book Building the New American Economy: Smart, Fair, and Sustainable by Jeffrey D. Sachs.
On Saturday, August 28, 2021 10 am-11 am, Holly Abeels, Florida Sea Grant Extension Agent, Certified Climate Change Professional® (CC-P®), University of Florida IFAS Extension Brevard County, will give a presentation entitled: Restore Our Oceans.
The programs are conducted via Zoom and are free and open to the public. See www.lwv-spacecoast.org to register for the events.
If anyone is interested in learning more about the Sustainability Committee’s programs and opportunities to get involved with our newly forming Sustainability Action Teams, please contact Terry Mott at terrymott93@gmail.com.
|  | Membership Book
LWVSC members have all the updated information on Club Express regarding members and membership guidelines. Previously, members were mailed a booklet with this information. Now you can follow these 3 easy steps to obtain whatever information you may need:
1. Sign into Club Express.
2. On the Menu, go to Members Link on right hand side and slide down to Member Booklet.
3. In the Member Booklet you will find all the information that was in the previously
printed booklet along with additional valuable information:
a. Membership Directory which includes name, phone number, email address of members
b. Members of the Board of Directors
c. Governing documents, including Bylaws; Budget; Policies & Procedures; Programs of
Work; and more.
d. LEAGUE 101
e. Updated “In Memory Of”
f. 2021 Susan B. Anthony Members
| July Zoom Meetings
Local Government Meeting - Monday, July 5th 1 pm to 2 pm
MLK & Struggle for Black Voting Rights - Case Method - Saturday, July 17th 2 pm to 4 pm
Social Justice Committee Meeting - Monday, July 19th 6 pm to 7 pm
Education Committee Meeting - Wednesday, July 21st 10 am to Noon
Sustainability Committee Meeting - Saturday, July 24th 9 am to 9:45 am
Sustainability Committee Book Club Meeting, Saturday, July 24th 10 am to 11 am | | We Welcome 3 New Members
Cameron Donaldson
Erika Maier
Carole Townsend | | | Photos from May Meet & Greet
| | Frank & Enid Naranjo-Rosado | | | | Linda Scales & Terry LaPlante | | | 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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