News from the Skagit County Democrats

Skagit County Democrats Action Newsletter for August 9, 2021

DEMOCRATIC EVENTS

1. UPDATED – New Headquarters Office Space
Our old downtown office is no longer open for business. We are currently in the process of moving to our new Headquarters Office space at 2021 College Way, Mount Vernon. This will be an on-going process for at least a couple of weeks.

We are occupying the space previously used by Farmer’s Insurance. In addition to the office space, we will have access to a large conference room on the ground floor for meetings. We will also have access to a smaller conference room on the upper floor. The move comes with ample parking and easy access via College Way or LaVenture Road. Click Here for a map. Although we will be downsizing a bit, the move represents a significant monetary saving over the next several years.

2. NEW – The Skagit County Democrats Executive Board meeting, normally scheduled for Saturday, Aug 14, has been postponed
The meeting will be rescheduled and notice provided.

3. NEW – Fidalgo Democrats Will Not be Meeting in August
Save September 14 for (tentatively) our first return to an in-person meeting at the Anacortes Public Library. We plan to host a candidate forum. Please keep in mind that our plan to meet in person could change pending developments with the Covid-19 infections. We can easily revert to Zoom meetings if necessary. Face masks will be required at any in-person meeting.

4. Mark your calendars and plan ahead – Soups for the Democratic Soul, Sunday, Sep 19, 1:00pm – 4:00pm, 628 Old Samish Road, Bellingham
“The 40th Legislative District Democrats are excited to invite you to our first in-person event in over 16 months: our Soup Cookoff! Come vote on your favorite soup and enjoy good conversation and great times. $15 Suggested donation (minimum to vote), free for kids under 12. Registration: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/soups. Music by Sharon Abreu and Michael Hurwicz. It’s a POTLUCK! Please bring a salad or a dessert! We will provide French bread/Rolls and Drinks (water, coffee, juice). We also need chairs so please bring your preferred seat(s) if you’re able! If you or your organization are interested in becoming a contestant and throwing your soup into the ring, please email cedarwaxwings@gmail.com by September 10th for more information! Top 3 winners will win gift baskets.”

5. The 40th Legislative District Democrats are soliciting applications for Board positions
Current vacancies include:

• Finance Committee Chair
• Actions Committee Chair
• Community Committee Chair
• Deputy Treasurer
• Young Democrats Representative

A description of the positions, tasks, and time commitments can be found Here. If you have any questions, please email 40thdems@gmail.com.

6. NEW – Stronger TOGETHER Skagit (STS) card writers
“Last year, we wrote over 12,000 postcards for local candidates as Stronger TOGETHER Skagit (STS) card writers. This year, as part of the Skagit Democrats 2021 GOTV campaign, we will write postcards to urge Democrats across the county to be BLUE voters in the November 2021 election. While card writing is still writing a card, there are changes from last year.

• Pickup/drop-off hub is Skagit Democratic Headquarters at 2021 College Way, Suite 104, Mount Vernon. There will be “remote” collection/drop-off locations in Anacortes, Alger/Bow/Edison area, Sedro-Woolley and Concrete. You can volunteer your porch or covered area to be a collection/drop off location!
• No postage stamps needed! Bulk mailing rates can be used since no specific candidate is mentioned.  
• Cards are returned to Skagit Dems HQ for mailing.
• Your help is needed – and not just for card writing.

One-time tasks (like card counting) or for ongoing tasks (like packet assembly) thru mid-October, when cards will be mailed needs volunteers. Be an STS crew leader, or help with specific tasks, and then with all STS card writers, we can break a big job into smaller tasks that will involve more people – AND make the work easier for everyone. We’ll meet or exceed our 12,000 total from last year! (NOTE: initial batch of cards is just 3,000)

There will be a short “no obligation” information/training session for those interested on both Monday, Aug 9, 7:00pm or Tuesday, Aug 10, 10:00am via Zoom (links below). Attend even if you are only considering being part of the STS crew leaders. If you’d like to volunteer now for one of the areas listed below, please email Carol Sullivan at carolosully@yahoo.com.

• Join Zoom Meeting
  • https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8923370621
  • Meeting ID: 892 337 0621

We need one (or two) STS Crew Leader to monitor each of the following tasks:

• One-time:
  • Postcard Counting: The first batch of 3,000 cards arrives soon, and they’ll be counted into batches of 10 for easy packet assembly.
  • Address Counting: Breaking mailing lists into groups of 10 names each to match with cards during packet assembly.
• On-going:
  • Master List: Recording “orders” on a list that tracks name, number, location details and works closely with Packet Assembly and Delivery/Pickup crew leaders.
  • Packet Assembly: This is ongoing and will be done in MV office in coordination with the Master List and Delivery/Pickup crew leaders.
  • Remote Packet Location: Volunteer your porch or covered area with close parking and easy access for all to contain a bin with packets being delivered or returned when completed. We need locations in Anacortes, La Conner, Alger, Sedro-Woolley, and Concrete areas.
  • Remote Packet Delivery/Pickup: Ideally, this is someone who gets to MV 2-3 times a week to collect from/deliver packets between Skagit Democrats Headquarters and remote locations – ideally a different person for each location! By having remote pickup/return, we save time and gas and enable more people to participate in STS card writing.
  • 6. PoB (Pat on the Back) postcards to writers. Hand written thank you notes on colorful postcard stock can be done during the campaign and sent after all cards are mailed with individual and group total numbers noted. Alternatively, PoB emails can be sent. TBD.

And we can ALL be STS Card Writers! We are, after all, Stronger Together Skagit!”

7. Important dates for upcoming election season
The following is from the Skagit County Auditor’s Office

• August 3, Primary Election
  • August 10 – Canvassing Board Meeting – 1:30 PM*
  • August 17 – Primary Election Certification – 1:30 PM*
• November 2, General Election
  • September 17 – Military and Overseas ballots mailed
  • TBD – Official Logic & Accuracy test
  • October 13 – Domestic ballots mailed
  • October 25 – Deadline to register or update existing registration online and by mail
  • November 2 – Deadline for in-person registration and voter updates – Closes 8:00 PM
  • November 2 – 2021 General Election Day – Closes 8:00 PM
  • November 16 – Canvassing Board Meeting – 1:30 PM*
  • November 23 – General Election Certification – 1:30 PM*

*Times may change if a scheduling conflict arises. Changes will be posted on the Auditor’s web site.

All Logic & Accuracy Tests, Canvassing Board, and Certification Meetings are held at: Skagit County Elections Department, Skagit County Auditor’s Office, 700 South 2nd Street, Room 201, Mount Vernon, WA 98273.

8. Skagit County Democrats Volunteer Opportunities

• Are you active with social media? If you love to Tweet or post Facebook messages, we need you! Please contact Kat Lohman at kat@sidenoteconsult.com.
• Are you a policy wonk and are actively tracking bills? Please be part of a new committee – the Legislative Committee. Contact chair@skagitdemocrats.org.

We have various Committees needing volunteers, including the Candidate Recruitment, Social Media, Finance, Outreach, and Fundraising Committees. Due to Covid-19, all events and meetings are online, and everyone is working from home. If you are interested in learning more about volunteering and being on our Committees, please reach out to our Volunteer Coordinators, and they will help you find the right fit for your skills. We can also connect you to the Committee Chairs or our Party Chair. Please reach out to Larry at Larry.Hilliard@gmail.com for more information about Committees or Ashley at ash.gregorius@gmail.com for Outreach and Candidate Recruitment Committees.

9. Join the conversation with Skagit County Democrats on Facebook and Twitter!
Engaging with our social media content by liking, commenting, and sharing helps us reach more viewers, builds community in a digital space, and provides opportunities to better mobilize when opportunities arise. If you haven’t already, please consider:

• Following us on Twitter.
• Liking our Facebook page.
• Joining the new Skagit County Democrats private Facebook group. This is open to all Skagit Dems members, voters, and like-minded constituents. The link directs you to the group, where you’ll have to request to join and an Online Media Posting (OMP) Committee member will approve your request.

For questions about Skagit County Democrats social media, please contact OMP@skagitdemocrats.org.

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

• The Pandemic and Political Order – It Takes a State
• Exploring Gaps in Arctic Governance
• Why President Biden should ban affective computing in federal law enforcement
• Can You Recycle a Hard Drive? Google Is Trying to Find Out

COMMUNITY EVENTS

1. NEW – Skagit County Fair, Wednesday, Aug 11 – Saturday, Aug 14, 10:00am – 10:00pm, Skagit County Fairgrounds, 501 Taylor Street, Mount Vernon
Skagit County Democrats has a booth! Come by and say “Hi”. Click Here for ticket information.

2. NEW – Concrete Cascade Days will be celebrated Saturday, Aug 21, 9:00am – 4:00pm
Parade begins at 9:00am. Click Here for more information.

3. UPDATED – COVID-19 Information
Case counts are rising again in Skagit County. Click Here to see the Level of Community Transmission in Skagit County. Click Here for the Skagit County Public Health webpage.

Skagitonians urged to get vaccinated; wear masks in light of increasing COVID-19 cases – Click Here for the press release.

Masking – From Skagit County Public Health
“The Centers for Disease Control issued a new recommendation that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, should wear masks in public indoor spaces in parts of the U.S. where disease transmission that is ‘substantial,’ defined by the CDC as at least 50 new cases per 100,000 residents over the last week. Per CDC data, this includes Skagit County. You can view that data here.

Similarly, our Public Health Officer released a statement on Monday agreeing with these recommendations. Masking can get the transmission of the delta variant under control and can protect those who are not yet vaccinated. That said, vaccination is—and will continue to be—the absolute best tool we have to stop the spread of COVID-19. Local data shows that from March 1, 2021 to July 13, 2021 96% of all COVID cases were in unvaccinated individuals. This perfectly highlights the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines. For the full statement: https://bit.ly/3i5DZ23.”

Businesses and local authorities will continue to have the right to be stricter in their masking requirements after June 30. Guidance for employers is available on the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries website.

Masking helps protect those who are unvaccinated, including children who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated and others with auto-immune or other conditions that prevent them from being vaccinated. Parents should be reminded that there is real risk to children until vaccinations are available. Kids who aren’t vaccinated still need to wear masks, though children younger than two years old should never wear a mask due to the risk of suffocation.

Reopening – For more information on what reopening entails, refer to the follow links: FAQs or Reopening Guidance.

COVID-19 Vaccines – COVID-19 Skagit County Public Health DRIVE-THRU Vaccination Site at the Skagit County Fairgrounds HAS NOW CLOSED. Other local vaccine sites can be obtained Here by entering your Zip code.

Pop-Up Vaccine Clinics – Find us at the following Skagit County locations:

• Wed, August 11: Skagit Transit Station, Downtown Mount Vernon from 5-9pm
• Aug 11-14: Skagit County Fair from 10am-10pm
• Sat, August 21: Anacortes Ready-To-Learn Fair from 9am-12pm
• Sat, August 21: Mount Vernon First United Methodist Church from 5-7pm
• Thu, August 26: Skagit Valley Family YMCA from 4:30pm-7:30pm
• Sat, August 28: Samish Elementary, Sedro-Woolley from 9am-12pm
• Sat, August 28: Mount Vernon First United Methodist Church from 5-7pm
• Tue, September 7: Skagit Valley College from 4-7pm

All individuals 12 years of age and older are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Parent/guardian consent to vaccinate will be required for all dependent minors (ages 12-17) and can be provided either in-person or over the phone at the time of the appointment. Please note: 12-17 years old will need to receive the Pfizer vaccine, as this is the only vaccine currently approved for use in minors.

Click Here for the Skagit County Public Health Department vaccine webpage and the most current information about availability. Evening appointments are now available at the Fairgrounds. On March 31, Governor Inslee announced that all adults, ages 16 and older, are eligible for vaccination.

Testing – Skagit County now lists several locations for COVID-19 testing. Click Here for the list.