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News from the Skagit County Democrats

Posted on November 2nd, 2020

Action Newsletter for November 2, 2020

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DEMOCRATIC EVENTS

1. NEW – Election Day is Tuesday!!!
If you have not yet submitted your ballot, please, please, please, take it to a Drop-Box. Drop-Box locations are listed below. We have also been told the Skagit County Auditor’s Office will be open Tuesday night until 8:00pm.

2. NEW – Angie Homola is scheduling sign-waving events 3:45pm, Monday, Nov 2, Lincoln School, 1005 South 11th Street, Mount Vernon
Click Here to sign up to participate.

3. UPDATED – Phonebanking Opportunities

4. NEW – Skagit County Democrats is inviting you to an Election Night Party, Tuesday, Nov 3, 7:00pm, via Zoom
This is a great time to honor our candidates, the many volunteers, and members who helped get us all to the finish line.

  • Click Here to join the Zoom Meeting
    • Meeting ID: 836 6574 2448
    • Passcode: Choose2Win
  • One tap mobile
    • +12532158782,,83665742448#,,,,,,0#,,5808398891# US (Tacoma)
    • +13462487799,,83665742448#,,,,,,0#,,5808398891# US (Houston)
  • Dial in
    • +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
    • Meeting ID: 836 6574 2448
    • Passcode: 5808398891

5. NEW – The Washington State Democrats are hosting a Virtual Election Night Party, Tuesday, Nov 3, 7:15pm via Facebook Live and YouTube
We’ll be joined by Governor Jay Inslee, Washington Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, the Washington Democratic Congressional Caucus, statewide candidates, local House and Senate candidates, and musical guests Lady A and more! Click here to register.

6. NEW – 40th Legislative District Senator Liz Lovelett is hosting an Election Night Party, Tuesday, 6:30pm – 9:00pm, via Zoom

  • Click Here for the Zoom link
  • Meeting ID: 883 1704 1347
  • Passcode: 172949

7. NEW – Angie Homola is hosting an election night celebration, Tuesday, Nov 3, 7:30pm – 8:30pm, via Zoom to celebrate our incredible campaign and view the first night’s election results together
“We’ll have about a 40 minute program to showcase the campaign and recognize the many volunteers and contributors who have made my campaign so incredible. Bring your favorite beverage and pet.” Click Here to register for the Zoom link.

8. NEW – Island County Democrats and 10th Legislative District Democrats are hosting an election night celebration Tuesday, Nov 3, 8:30pm – 9:30pm, with possible after hours fun via Zoom
“The event will be moderated by Art Huffine and Grethe Cammermeyer and includes short presentations by our six Island County and 10th LD candidates, updates on election results for county, 10th LD, state and national races, short presentations from ICD and 10th LD leaders as well as young democratic leaders. And….Music!!” Please click this link to join the webinar.

9. NEW – A “Count Every Vote” rally is being organized for Wednesday, Nov 4, 3:00pm, Anacortes, if Donald Trump declares victory before all votes are counted
The rally is part of a nationwide coalition called “Protect the Results” to demand that all votes be counted and call for a peaceful transfer of power. It will activate if the GOP calls the election for Trump before all votes are in. Click Here to sign up for the rally. You will be notified early Nov. 4th about activation and exact location. Wear masks, stay six feet apart, bring signs like “Protect the Results” and “Count Every Vote”. We are committed to non-violence in speech and action. Over 300 events are planned.

10. NEW – The 39th Legislative District Democrats will host a Post-Election Party, Sunday, Nov 8, 5:00pm – 6:00pm, via Zoom
Click Here to register.

11. NEW – Fidalgo Democrats will meet Tuesday, Nov 10, 7:00pm via Zoom
Prof. Kurt Dunbar of Skagit Valley College will give his response to the 2020 elections and “Regaining Civil Discourse.” Please RSVP to Corinne at 360-293-5161 to be sent the link.

12. NEW – The most recent Fidalgo Democrats Zoom Meeting is available to watch on YouTube
Click Here to see Zain Butler’s YouTube video of the most recent Fidalgo Democrats Zoom meeting. Our guests were Mary Hudson (candidate for Skagit County Commissioner District 2) and Ken Goodwin (candidate for Skagit P.U.D. Commissioner, Position 1). There was also a statement from Elizabeth Yost Neidzwski, candidate for Skagit County Superior Court Judge. All three are endorsed by Skagit County Democrats.

13. Drop Box Info
The general election is Nov 3. Both the Skagit County Auditor’s Office and the Skagit County Democrats urge you to complete you ballot early and return it via Drop-box.
Ballot Drop-box Locations:

  • Anacortes
    • Anacortes Public Library (behind library near drive-up book-drop), 1220 10th Street
    • Skyline Beach Club – 6041 Sands Way
  • Burlington
    • Burlington Parks and Recreation Building, 900 East Fairhaven Street
  • Concrete
    • Skagit Upriver Services/Library, 45770 A Main Street
  • La Conner
    • La Conner Regional Library, 614 East Morris Street
  • Mount Vernon
    • Mount Vernon Police Department, 1805 Continental Place, Mount Vernon
    • Skagit County Auditors Office [Courthouse], 700 South 2nd Street, Room 201, Mount Vernon, (in U-shaped parking lot accessed from 3rd Street near Kincaid)
  • Sauk-Suiattle
    • Last Chance Casino & Bingo, 6020 Mountain Goat Way
  • Sedro-Woolley
    • Sedro-Woolley Post Office, 111 Woodworth Street, Sedro-Woolley (in alley between Eastern Ave and Metcalf)
  • Swinomish
    • Social Services Building (in front), 17337 Reservation Road

NOTE: Persons can still register to vote or update existing registration information in-person at the Skagit County Auditor’s Office, 700 South 2nd Street, Room 201 (corner of 2nd & Kincaid), Mount Vernon, (Hours: M-F 8:30-4:30) through Tuesday, Nov 3. Click Here for the on-line Voter’s Guide or Click Here for your personal voter information.

14. Voting Concerns? Dial (206) 309-VOTE (8683)
PLEASE makes sure you connect with our Voter Protection Team at (206) 309 – VOTE (8683) if you have any questions, issues or concerns. Please don’t hesitate, and make certain you are getting us ANYTHING that is happening in your area so we can coordinate a proper and swift response. Remember, we have a team of 26 standing by! You can also contact our Voter Protection Director, Clyde Shavers, at clyde@wadems.org. Don’t forget to use our I Will Vote link for checking voter registration, registering to vote, ballot status, and CORRECT dropbox locations: https://www.wa-democrats.org/iwillvote/. Here is the Spanish-language version: https://www.wa-democrats.org/voyavotar/.

15. Any Tech Questions?
Any Tech Questions? is a weekly Zoom meeting hosted by the Skagit County Democrats to assist anyone in the community with technical questions about the use of Google Apps and Zoom. It also includes some other topics specific to the Democrats’ mission to nurture democratic values in our elected officials. The sessions are scheduled for every Wednesday at 5:00pm. The Zoom link is available by emailing Tech@SkagitDemocrats.org. To learn more about how to use our Google Drive, Click Here.

16. Skagit Democrats Fundraisers

  • Coronavirus Face Mask Fundraiser: For a donation of $20 you will receive a hand-made face mask especially designed by an engineer/industrial designer at the request of the Medical Director of Pediatrics at Mission Hospital in California. The masks provide full coverage and are comfortable. Click Here or Here to see examples of the masks. If you would like to donate, Click Here. Under purpose on the donation, please indicate “Mask” and indicate which fabric you would like: #1 first on the left, #2 the middle, #3 on the right (for example: “Mask #3”).
  • Greeting Card Fundraiser: Social distancing and staying safe makes it difficult for us to get out and look for cards to mark special occasions or just say hello. For a donation of $15.00 you will receive a box of 6 – 8 beautiful hand-made greeting cards. These are one of a kind cards so no two boxes are the same and aren’t made to order. Let us choose your lovely card set. Pictured on the web site (Click Here or Here) are samples of the kinds of cards you will receive. If you would like to donate, Click Here. Under purpose on the donation, please indicate “Cards” and the number of boxes you want.

Thank you for your continued support of the Skagit Democrats.

17. UPDATED – The Skagit County Democrats Headquarters, 300A South First Street, Mount Vernon, will be staffed from 12:00pm – 4:00pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays
It will not be open to the public. We ask that masks be worn at all times. You may call (360-336-1555) or email (staff@skagitdemocrats.org) after hours and the message will be relayed to the volunteers staffing the HQ. Just call or email to inquire. Please note the hours of operation have changed.

18. Our candidates’ Websites & Facebook Pages

19. NEW – From The Chair’s Corner
“We are near the finish line! I am looking forward to positive results on Tuesday night! We as Skagit Democrats have worked extremely hard this election cycle to get our candidates over the finish line to a WIN! We are all working hard to see Joe Biden and Kamala Harris elected, Trump out of office, and a new beginning where our country can begin to heal and become united once more as Americans. I look forward to a stronger county as our legislatures and county commissioners take office.

The amount of hard work by so many of you has been amazing, and I am proud of every single one of you.

Please join us for the election night festivities where we can celebrate each other, all of our collective hard work, and most of all our candidates. I can’t remember a time when I have felt more excited to vote and excited that all of our candidates have been so talented, hard working, and deserving of our vote.

I look forward to the continued efforts to abolish the amount of racism we are all witnessing on a daily basis. Five of us attended (by Zoom) a Racial Justice and Inequality class. It was a 28 day challenge with required reading, listening to podcasts, and other homework. It was so well done, we all requested a Part 2.

Plans are underway to hold these classes for all PCOs , Executive Board members, volunteers and members after the Reorganization meeting. This is an important issue, and I have learned so much! We have been reaching out to our Latino community, but there is still much work to be done!

The number of volunteers, and the hard work will pay off! I have faith! We have had a Communications Technology team who have all worked tirelessly to get better facebook, twitter and the website available to everyone. It certainly needs to be acknowledged that due to hard work and commitment, we have been able to host forums, meetings, and now a celebration on election night. It remains a work in progress, but boy what progress we have made. The entire team, led by Eric Hall, has really come together and performed extremely well!

Janet McKinney, Eric Hall, Mayra Velazquez, and Kat Lohman have really assisted in posting all of my last minute requests on facebook and our website and I owe them a debt of gratitude. Don Ambrose has published consistently great newsletters week after week.

Shirley Viscalla led the way in trying circumstances, to order signs, have them available at the office and organize the many volunteers who staffed the office in order to get those signs distributed.

Brenda Cunningham, Eric Hall and Wim Houpperman along with countless volunteers have really helped Skagit Democrats “cure the vote” in order to make sure every vote is counted this year. We can’t afford to lose any votes due to missing signatures, or signatures that didn’t match. Coffee ‘n Cards has stepped up once again to write more postcards in order to reach those volunteers who didn’t have phone numbers available to us. What an incredible group of folks!

But, our work doesn’t stop here. No matter the results on Tuesday night, we have to keep pushing forward and never lose our momentum. Tonight, there will be a group of folks from agencies all over our county who will meet and discuss safe measures and rallies we can hold, if by chance we are stuck with Trump. Please watch your inboxes, our facebook, twitter and our website for important details about events planned. Any and all events will keep safety as our number one priority.

In December we will be welcoming newly elected PCOs who will make up our Central Committee. I am excited to meet them, and I hope you will attend our meeting on December 12 and get to know your PCOs. At that meeting I also plan to honor the many volunteers who have been working tirelessly for Skagit County Democrats. There has been so much unseen work that has taken place behind the scenes.

On January 9, there will be a Reorganization Meeting. It is at that meeting that new Executive Board members will be voted into office. Only elected PCOs may vote, but all members are welcome to attend and to run for office. We have had such terrific momentum and forward thinking members, that we welcome all members to run for office, especially those of you who have shared the same vision for Skagit County Democrats.

More details on that are to come. Some of us will be meeting on November 8th to learn about the best way to conduct the meeting via technology. Our new Executive Board will be facing many difficult decisions this year. One of which is whether we maintain our office space, find a new office space, or keep the status quo. That will require some aggressive fundraising efforts. We hope to hold an on-line gala/auction sometime in February.

Our essay contest, open to all high school students, is under way. It will be an exciting and fun event to award 3 high school students an award in the Spring of this year.

Our work never stops, and there are many facets involved. We will be actively recruiting volunteers to be on committees. Some of those committees consist of the Finance Committee, Fundraising Committee, an active Outreach Committee, Membership Committee, Communications/Technology Committee, a volunteer Coordinator, Resolutions, Platform, and By-laws to name a few.

It has been an exciting year for me as your Chair. I remain committed to Skagit Democrats and the growth and direction as we continue to grow. Now, more than ever, we need and want every single one of you. We truly are Stronger Together!”

Lynn Campbell, Skagit County Democrats Chair

20. NEW – Links of the Week
The Link of the Week provides in-depth pieces the Editor has found to be relevant, insightful, and thorough on important issues of the day.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

1. NEW – Soroptimist “Live Your Dream” awards
“Soroptimist’s Live Your Dream Awards program is a unique education grant for women who provide the primary financial support for their families. Every year, Soroptimist distributes more than $2.6 million in education grants to about 1,700 women all over the world. Over half of our Live Your Dream Awards recipients are survivors of domestic violence, trafficking or sexual assault. Nearly all of the women and families we serve have overcome enormous obstacles including poverty, teen pregnancy, and drug or alcohol addiction. Live Your Dream Awards recipients may use the cash award to offset any costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education, such as books, childcare, tuition and transportation.” Click Here for more information.

2. Washington Firearm Tragedy Prevention Network Fall 2020 Meeting, Wednesday, Nov 4, 11:00am – 12:30pm, via Zoom
Click Here to register. Topics include: Beyond Gun Politics: A Toolkit for Conversations About Preventing Gun Violence and Harm Reduction & Firearm Violence Prevention Interventions.

3. Vote411
Vote411 is a website sponsored by the League of Women Voters that provides election information and combats misinformation. Click Here for the Washington State English language version. Click Here for the Washington State Spanish language version.

4. Referendum 90
“Referendum 90 will uphold the new Washington state law requiring all public schools to teach age-appropriate, inclusive, comprehensive sexual health education to K-12 students . . . In 2020, a coalition of parents, educators, medical professionals, and advocates passed a law in Washington state focused on keeping young people safe and healthy. This law requires all public schools to teach age appropriate, inclusive, comprehensive sexual health education to K-12 students. This law was backed by a massive statewide coalition and has strong support from a strong majority of Washington state voters. In early 2020, a group of extremists launched a misinformation campaign attacking inclusive, age appropriate, comprehensive sexual health education and gathered enough signatures – during a pandemic – to put that law up for a public vote this November.” Click Here for the Approve 90 website. You can now contribute to “Donate to Safe & Healthy Youth Washington” through ActBlue – Click Here.

5. Drive-through COVID-19 testing is OPEN MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS from 8:30am – 4:00pm and TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS FROM 11:00am – 7:00pm at the east parking lot of Skagit Valley College
Online registration is not required. No appointments are needed. Spanish speaking interpreters on site to assist with registration and testing. Skagit County Public Health will test anyone who lives in or works in Skagit County, is five years of age or older and feels they should be tested, and is encouraging anyone who fits into the following guidelines to get tested:

  • Those who are essential workers
  • Anyone with any COVID-19 symptoms
  • Anyone whose physician recommended they be tested
  • Anyone who lives or works in a congregate setting
  • Pregnant women
  • Anyone who is a close contact or has a known exposure to COVID-19
  • If you have had a known or probable exposure to COVID-19, you must wait 8 days before being tested. COVID-19 has a relatively long incubation period, so getting tested before 8 days has passed could result in a false negative.
  • Use of the Drive-Thru testing site will be limited to those who live in or work in Skagit County. Those who do not live in or work in Skagit County should seek testing in their own communities or through their medical provider.

Click Here for more information.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Listen to We Do the Work, Tuesdays, 5:00pm, and Sundays, 5:30pm at KSVR, 91.7 FM or KSVU, 90.1 FM
A weekly local worker radio program that features news, interviews, music, and comments, “We Do the Work” believes American workers are at the heart of our economy and culture, deserving dignity, respect, and a decent family wage. To hear our other shows, go to We Do The Work Archives. Questions about interviews? Email – ksvrwedothework@gmail.com.

NEW – We Do The Work’s program for Tuesday, Nov 3, 5:00pm and Sunday, Nov 8, 5:30pm – Gordon Zurn, Financial Secretary for USW Local 12-591, & Les Leopold, Director of The Labor Institute and author of “Runaway Inequality, Part 1”
Interview by Ken Winkes: Gordon and Les discuss what inequality is, how it happened, and what to do about it. For more information on ‘Runaway Inequality,’ go to https://runawayinequality.org.

We Do The Work Comment: Trump’s trade policies are a disaster for workers.
#LaborRadioPod

2. Listen to Speak Up! Speak Out! Radio
Listen to Speak Up! Speak Out! – a half hour weekly radio show committed to community, peace, justice, and non-violence issues. The show airs on Community Radio stations (times subject to change) – KSVR 91.7 FM (Skagit Valley College), Wednesdays 5:00pm, rebroadcast Sundays 8:00pm; KSVU 90.1 FM, Hamilton, Sundays 8:00pm and Thursdays 8:00am; KMRE 102.3 FM, Bellingham, Sundays 11:00am and Wednesdays 7:30am. Our shows are available online. Stream or download a show at http://speakupspeakoutradio.org/ anytime.

NEW – SOSU for Wednesday, Oct 28 – Farmer’s Market 2020 Update
Host Jerry Shackette talks with Tia Entrikin, the manager of the Mount Vernon Farmer’s Market, about the 2020 market season, managing the market during the current pandemic, and what lies ahead for this key element of the food system in Skagit County. What’s happening with the food access programs in place at the Market? Will they continue to support our neighbors who need food assistance? Join Jerry for an update on Skagit County Farmer’s Markets.

3. Coffee ‘n Cards via Zoom: Each Monday, 10:00am, Zoom meeting ID: 728 6695 7807, password: 3G1teP
You are invited to attend. Contact Carol Sullivan at carolosully@yahoo.com for details. 2020 card total: 4,737, Grand Total: 12,891.

4. Anacortes Weekly Demonstrations
Do you have a cause or a candidate that you are passionate about? If yes, join us at the “protest corner” in Anacortes, 12th Street and Commercial Avenue (the Safeway Corner) EVERY Sunday from 12:00pm – 1:00pm – wet or sunny, hot or cold, all year around. Bring your own signs or use one of our extras.

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