News from the Skagit County Democrats

Skagit County Democrats Action Newsletter for January 11, 2021

DEMOCRATIC EVENTS

1. NEW – Ginny Wolff in Memoriam
From the Skagit County Democrats Facebook Page: “Skagit County Democrats has lost a long time member, Ginny Wolf, after a 30 year struggle with Parkinson’s.We mourn her loss. Ginny has been involved in both Skagit County Democrats and Indivisible Skagit. She has worked tirelessly for campaigns as well as being an important activist on local issues.

We invite you to contribute your memories of Ginny to Indivisible Skagit so that they can compile them into a memorial to Ginny. You can attach your document to Invisible Skagit at: info@IndivisibleSkagit.org or send them emails with your thoughts and wishes.”

2. NEW – Inauguration Eve virtual reception, Tuesday, Jan 19, 6:00pm – 7:00pm sponsored by Washington State Democrats
“This week has been a roller coaster for our democracy. Yesterday’s events in Washington DC are disheartening to say the least, but we must remember three important truths. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ victory has been certified, they will assume office on January 20th, and the voters of Georgia delivered them a much-needed Senate majority — allowing for the passage of progressive policy for years to come! We are so excited to close the books on this dark era in American politics and drive forward to a brighter, more hopeful future.

Although we cannot be together in person this year, we will be holding a virtual celebration here in Washington State to honor our new President and Vice President! As a devoted PCO, this celebration would not be complete without you, and we hope you will join us for a virtual reception on “Inauguration Eve” – Tuesday, January 19th!

We are excited to hear from terrific Democratic leaders from Washington State and across the nation including superstar Jaime Harrison! It will be a celebration you do not want to miss — and stay tuned for more speaker announcements in the coming weeks!

• Tuesday, January 19th
• 6:00pm to 7:00pm
• Event Details Provided upon RSVP
• Please RSVP here: https://act.myngp.com/Forms/7588427292742780672

Please direct all questions to WA Democrats Development Coordinator Anjali Narula at anjali@wa-democrats.org.

Your efforts as a PCO are incredibly valuable to the party, and in such an unprecedented year, you played a vital role in helping get Joe Biden and Kamala Harris elected. Given the myriad of events this week, please do not forget all the hard work that you put in, and remember to celebrate the wins. Please join us in celebrating a new day in American politics and preparing for future victories!”

3. NEW – The 10th Legislative District Democrats Executive Board is scheduled to meet Sat, Jan 16, 10:30am – 12:30pm, via Zoom
“Register in advance for this meeting (Click Here). After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.”

4. NEW – The Skagit County Democrats conducted their Reorganization Meeting Jan 9
The following officers were elected:

• Chair – Lynn Campbell
• Vice Chair – Marco Morales
• State Committee Man – Bennett Massey-Helber
• State Committee Woman – Mayra Velazquez
• County Commissioner District 1 Representative – Velit Seyfettin
• County Commissioner District 2 Representative – Jim Byron
• County Commissioner District 3 Representative – John Smith
• 10th Legislative District Representative – Kurt Huber
• 39th Legislative District Representative – Jeremy Harrison-Smith
• 40th Legislative District Representative – Rita Sullivan
• Secretary – Brenda Cunningham
• Treasurer – Cindy Lane

5. NEW – The 40th Legislative District Democrats conducted their Reorganization Meeting Jan 10
The following officers were elected:

• Chair – Spencer Lively
• Whatcom County Vice Chair – Aimee Powell
• Skagit County Vice Chair – Janet McKinney
• San Juan County Vice Chair – Geri Turnoy
• State Committee Woman – Laura Jo Severson
• State Committee Man – Ralph Schwartz
• Secretary – Suzanne Munson
• Treasurer – Rosemary Ryan

6. NEW – The 39th Legislative District Democrats conducted their Reorganization Meeting Jan 3
The following officers were elected:

• Chair – Jordan Sears
• 1st Vice Chair – Jessica Corbman
• 2nd Vice Chair – Ryiad Cooper
• Secretary – Karen Dix-Colony
• Treasurer – Eric Halvorson
• Sergeant-At-Arms/Parliamentarian – Bill Phillips
• State Committee Representative – Tiffany Kelly
• State Committee Representative – Paul Kelly
• Snohomish County Committee Representative – Brad Bowman
• Snohomish County Committee Representative – Kayla Meduna
• Skagit County Committee Representative – Jeremy Harrison-Smith

7. The 10th Legislative District Democrats conducted their Reorganization Meeting Dec 19
The following officers were elected:

• Chair – John Amell (Island County)
• 1st Vice Chair – Alida Booth (Snohomish County)
• 2nd Vice Chair – Bennett Massey-Helber (Skagit County)
• Treasurer – Cindy Lane
• Secretary – Allison Warner
• State Committee Member #1 – Mary Kanter (Island County)
• State Committee Member #2 – Scott McMullen (Skagit County)

8. Fidalgo Democrats
Fidalgo Democrats has a new Chair – Barbara Cooper. Fidalgo Democrats is suspending the January meeting while continuing to reorganize.

9. NEW – The 39th Legislative District Democrats Chair, Jordan Sears issued at statement on Jan 10 regarding 39th LD Republican Representative Robert Sutherland’s recent behavior and the attack on the Capitol
Click Here to read the statement.

10. Skagit Democrats Fundraisers

• Political Collectibles for Purchase: These are the first of the political collectibles being offered for purchase. If you are interested in a listed item (or what else is available), please email staff (staff@skagitdemocrats.org); note the item of interest and include a phone number. Staff will contact you with information needed to proceed with the purchase (pay online or pay by cash or check at Headquarters at time of pick up by arrangement at the door). This is a fun project for staff. Provenance connected with some of the items has been very educational. Click Here for sample pictures.
• 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.

11. UPDATED – The Skagit County Democrats Headquarters, 300A South First Street, Mount Vernon, is CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC for the time being
As a temporary measure in response to recent events and pursuant to direction from the Executive Board, we have removed Executive Board and PCO names and addresses from our website and Facebook page.

“HQ will still be closed to the public into the New Year. However, volunteer staff will be onsite on Tuesday and Thursday from 12:00pm – 4:00pm to answer the phone and process any requests for information that you may have.”

• There are “In our America” signs still available at $10. Call or email to arrange details on purchasing and pick up.
• The “Luke” button mentioned in previous articles was donated to the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience in Seattle. It was donated from Skagit Democrats and will be credited that way when displayed.
• The memorabilia project is ongoing. There will be some changes in the way it is marketed. How soon depends on the skill sets of those available to work on the project.
• Please pay for membership on our website (Click Here) or you can mail your checks to our Post Office Box – Skagit County Democrats, PO Box 761, Mount Vernon, WA 98273-0761.
• Staff will continue to check voicemails and emails. They will get back to you and will continue to perform the essential work.
• Memorabilia will continue to be sold on-line through our website or you can write to staff@skagitdemocrats.org to make arrangements if you want to purchase memorabilia. Click Here for sample pictures.
• Please take any food donations you wish to contribute directly to the foodbank.

12. NEW – Organizing works – a message from Tina Podlodowski
” This Wednesday we witnessed nothing less than an insurrection incited by the president against our democracy. While it was a dark day for our republic, we are on the verge of a new dawn for our nation.
In Georgia on Tuesday night, hope triumphed over fear — and with Senators-elect Warnock and Ossoff officially securing victory, Democrats have retaken the Senate. The work to rebuild our democracy will be hard, but we’ve won the battle for the soul of this nation.
 
By giving to support us, you helped support the important work of the Georgia Democrats. And because of you, their standard-bearers, Senators-elect Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, are now headed to Washington, D.C.
 
There’s a lesson here about the right and the wrong way to campaign. The wrong way is to dump dark money, a toxic ideology, and overpaid Beltway consultants into a pot and then stir — that’s the recipe the minds behind the Perdue and Loeffler campaigns chose to cook up, and it probably doesn’t taste too good to them right now.

The right way to go? Organizing. Year-round. Doing incredible work like Stacey Abrams, my friend Nikema Williams, and countless others did. All across the country, Democrats must build organic relationships with our communities that don’t expire after Election Day. And we must empower Americans of color to vote and to run for public office — the way forward from one of America’s darkest chapters lies in correcting the calamitous inequity this country was built on.

Wednesday represented the ugliest side of America. The only way forward from this is to keep supporting the Democratic candidates and organizers who are confronting this reality on the ground.
 
Organizing works, and we can’t ever let up. It’s constant. You get out what you put into it.
 
I’m asking you to put something in right now. Will you help us celebrate these crucial wins by donating, helping us expand our own grassroots organizing and grow the same kind of infrastructure that just flipped the Peach State twice? Here’s the link to give: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/wa-state-dems-ro.
 
I’m so incredibly grateful for whatever you can contribute. Just like with organizing — whether it’s a door knocked on, a leaflet left by a bulletin board, or a phone call made to a neighbor — every little bit counts.
 
These victories have been your proof. Tina”

13. 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.

• How Much Did Grandmothers Influence Human Evolution?
• The Astronomical Price of Insulin Hurts American Families
• A Brief History of Peanut Butter
• Three Mathematicians We Lost in 2020

COMMUNITY EVENTS

1. Skagit County Public Health is scheduling a public hearing to consider civil penalties for public health violations, Wednesday, Jan 20, 10:30am, Commissioners’ Hearing Room, 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon
Click Here for more information.

2. Skagit League of Women Voters (LWV) Action Group
“The newly formed Skagit LWV Action Group via Zoom meeting is open to League and non-league “citizen lobbyists” statewide who want to learn more about legislative issues as they voice their opinions to WA state legislators. The group meets each Monday, 10 – 11 am via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/72866957807, Meeting ID 728 6695 7807, and offers training/education/issue focused discussions on 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th Mondays. (Fourth Monday reserved for Observer Corp). The LWV is non-partisan, with dual missions of Empowering Voters and Defending Democracy. Use this link to find League Position and Issue Papers on a topic of interest to you.

Please invite anyone who has an interest to join us! For questions, contact Carol Sullivan, Skagit LWV Action Group chair at carolosully@yahoo.com.”

3. Sale of National Archives repository located at Sand Point, Seattle
The Federal Government has made a decision to move the material currently being maintained at the National Archives repository in Seattle. The current plan is to transfer that material to locations in Riverside, California, and Kansas City, Missouri. “The archives here has about a million boxes of documents. It is the repository of all federal records generated in the Pacific Northwest, and includes military, land, court, tax and census papers.” (Seattle Times article) Those records include tribal treaty and other tribal information. “The plan to sell the building as soon as early next year and move its contents to archive centers in California and Missouri set off a fight between the Trump administration and regional historians, political leaders and Native Americans, who say that preserving local access to the collection is crucial.” (LA Times article)

Attorney General Bob Ferguson is opposing the move. “Ferguson’s legal team is finalizing a lawsuit to stop the federal government from proceeding with an expedited sale of the National Archives facility in Seattle.” He is hosting a remote public comment meeting on the topic Tuesday, Jan 19, via Zoom from 3:30pm to 5:30pm. The Zoom link and other information about the meeting is included here.

4. Options for the public to comment on the U.S. Navy request to conduct training operations in some Washington State Parks
Click Here for information on how to contact Washington State Parks to comment. Click Here for the Navy Training Proposal. Last February the Washington State Democratic Party passed a resolution opposing military training in Washington State Parks. Click Here for the resolution.

5. Drive-through COVID-19 testing is Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10:00am TO 4:00pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:00pm – 7:00pm, Skagit County Fairgrounds, South Gate Entrance, 501 Taylor Street, Mount Vernon
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. If you have had a known or probable exposure to COVID-19, you cannot get tested right away. You must wait 8 days before being tested. COVID-19 has a relatively long incubation period, so being tested before 8 days has passed could result in a false negative. If you have questions about this, or any other questions related to COVID-19, please call Public Health at 360-416-1500. Skagit County Public Health 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

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, Jan 12, 5:00pm and Sunday, Jan 19, 5:30 – Conor Casey and Crystal Rogers, Archivists for the Labor Archives of Washington, Part 1
Interview by Mike Dumovich: Crystal and Conor report on the ‘Women in Labor History’ project. Song – “Rebel Girl”, written by Joe Hill, arranged and sung by Hazel Dickens. For more information, go to https://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcollections/laws/ or email cmcasey@uw.edu.

We Do The Work Comments:

• Some good news from the 2020 election.
• What should happen to Social Security in 2021?
• #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 – Part 2 of remembering Ginny Wolff and her many contributions to our community.
If others care to share a brief story or encounter, they may send that to jimj.in.skagit@gmail.com, preferably in audio format via Dropbox or Google Drive.

3. Coffee ‘n Cards – on hiatus