News from the Skagit County Democrats

Skagit County Democrats Action Newsletter for August 23, 2021

DEMOCRATIC EVENTS

1. UPDATED – New Headquarters Office Space
We are now in our new Headquarters Office Space. The address is 2021 East College Way, Suite 104, Mount Vernon. Our telephone number (360-336-1555) remains the same. We are located right next door to Munros’ Driving Instruction. We are not yet ready for business as we continue to organize and put things away. This will be an on-going process for at least a couple of weeks. Our old downtown office is no longer open for business.

PLEASE NOTE – Our mailing address has changed. We are closing our Post Office Box. The new mailing address is: 2021 East College Way, Suite 104, Mount Vernon, 98273-2373.

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. The 40th Legislative District Democrats Executive Board Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Aug 26, 5:00pm – 7:00pm, via Zoom
Click Here for the connection link.

3. Door-knocking for Joe Burns, candidate for Sedro-Woolley City Council, Saturday, Aug 28, 8:30am, 908 Talcott Street, Sedro-Woolley
“The campaign has gotten off to a spectacular start and we are deeply appreciative of everyone who has helped out so far! We are currently seeking volunteers for door knocking on August 28th. Meeting at 908 Talcott St in Sedro-Woolley, 8:30 am. The ward will be broken down into walk lists of around 60 homes, so we don’t ask to much of your time. I would deeply appreciate your help in generating voter support. If you or someone you know can help out, please let us know. It’s people like you who are going to help guarantee we have a successful campaign!
Sincerely, Joe Burns, 360-474-7223, campaign@electjoeburns.com , https://electjoeburns.com/.

4. NEW – The 39th Legislative District Democrats next meets Sunday, Aug 29, 10:00am (Executive Board) and 10:30am (General Meeting), via Zoom
Click Here to register for the meeting.

5. NEW – Fidalgo Democrats will next meet Tuesday, Sep 14, 7:00pm via Zoom
“Fidalgo Democrats have decided to go with Zoom for the Sept 14th meeting. The surge of the COVID Delta variant makes meeting in person too much of a risk. We will be having an Anacortes candidate forum for Mayor, City Council, School Board and Pool. Details to follow.” For more information contact Barbara Cooper, 360-293-4123.

6. Soups for the Democratic Soul, POSTPONED
“The 40th Dems’ Soup Cookoff Planning Committee decided to postpone the upcoming event in light of the ongoing surge of COVID’s Delta variant across Washington and the risk it may pose to our attendees. As soon as it is safe to do so, we plan to reschedule the event. The committee appreciates everyone who volunteered to be a contestant and we hope you will still be able to participate once it’s safe again. We can’t wait for when everyone can get together in person.”

7. 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.

8. ATTENTION: 39th Legislative District Democrats
The Snohomish County Democratic Central Committee has cancelled their planned booth at the 2021 Evergreen State Fair due to the current COVID-19 surge.

9. UPDATED – Stronger TOGETHER Skagit (STS) card writers
The GOTV postcard campaign is ready to roll, and here are the basics:

• 1. ORDER your cards with a SEPARATE, NEW email to Carol Sullivan at carolosully@yahoo.com:
  • Use the following convention: Last, First names, Number of cards (20 minimum), Pickup/drop off location: (Mount Vernon or Anacortes)
  • • Mount Vernon: Skagit Dem Headquarters, 2021 East College Way, Suite 104 (east end of the building)
  • • Anacortes: 1319 8th Street, Anacortes (Robert & Andrea Doll’s front porch)
• 2. PICKUP at your location when an email notification is sent. NO POSTAGE required!
• 3. WRITE your cards using prepared script.
• 4. RETURN them to your pickup location by Oct. 9 for bulk mailing.
• 5. REPEAT steps 1-4 – and together, we’ll reach thousands of Skagit Democrat voters with an important GOTV message!

P.S. It may take a few days to ready all the orders, and you’ll get an email; first acknowledging your order and then another when the packet is ready.

10. NEW – Redistricting News
The following was taken from Friday News & Action with Tina Podlodowski of Aug 20
“Now that the final census data has been released for our state’s redistricting process, the bipartisan Redistricting Commission has released their planned schedule for major dates to track in the rest of the process:

• End of August – DrawYourWA mapping tool will be updated with the official Census Bureau redistricting data and the state’s adjusted data based on relocation of persons in state custody to their last known address for purposes of redistricting.
• Tuesday, September 21 – Commissioners will each release their proposed state legislative district map.
• Tuesday, September 28 – Commissioners will each release their proposed congressional district map.
• Tuesday, October 5 (7 p.m.) – Statewide Virtual Public Outreach Meeting to receive feedback on state legislative map proposals.
• Saturday, October 9 (10 a.m.) – Statewide Virtual Public Outreach Meeting to receive feedback on congressional map proposals.
• Friday, October 22 – Deadline to ensure full consideration of third-party map submissions by the Commission.
• Monday, November 15 – Deadline for Commission to submit final maps to the Legislature.

. . . If you want to learn more about immediate steps for getting involved, our state party’s Redistricting Committee hosted a great webinar training on how to use the Draw Your WA tool along with third-party mapping software like the free Dave’s Redistricting tool. We encourage folks who want to get involved and learn more about redistricting and their communities to watch the webinar here.”

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

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.

12. Skagit County Democrats 2021 Endorsements
The membership has endorsed the following candidates running for office or a board position this year.

• Anacortes
  • Ryan Walters
    • Position Sought: Mayor, City of Anacortes
    • Campaign name: Committee to Elect Ryan Walters
    • Campaign E-mail address and phone number: campaign@ryanwalters.com; (360) 610-7770
    • Campaign website: https://www.ryanwalters.com/
    • Campaign mailing address: 1803 10th Street, Anacortes WA 98221
  • Amanda Hubik
    • Position sought: Anacortes City Council, Position 4 (At-Large)
    • Campaign name: Friends of Amanda Hubik
    • Campaign E-mail address and phone number: Amanda4Anacortes@gmail.com; 360-499-3856
    • Campaign website: https://www.amandahubik.com/
    • Campaign mailing address: PO Box 3014, Anacortes WA 98221
  • Sara Holahan
    • Position Sought: Anacortes City Council, At-Large Pos. 5
    • Campaign name: Citizens for Sara
    • Campaign E-mail address and phone number: sara@saraholahan.com
    • Campaign website: http://saraholahan.com/
    • Campaign mailing address: PO Box 1702 Anacortes, WA 98221
• Burlington
  • Tonya Bieche
    • Position Sought: Burlington-Edison School District 100, Director District 2
    • Campaign name: Tonya Bieche
    • Campaign E-mail address and phone number: biechebieche@gmail.com; (360)757-1020
• Mount Vernon
  • Iris Carias
    • Position Sought: Mount Vernon City Council, Ward 1, Position 2
    • Campaign email and phone number: VoteIrisCarias@gmail.com; (360)-333-7836
    • Website: http://voteforiris.com/wp/
  • Juan Morales
    • Position Sought: Mount Vernon City Council, Ward 1, Pos. 1
    • Campaign name: Juan Morales
    • Campaign E-mail address: morales2021.citycouncil@gmail.com
    • Campaign mailing address: PO BOX 2261, Mount Vernon, WA 98273
  • Richard Brocksmith
    • Position Sought: Mount Vernon City Council, At-Large Position
    • Campaign name: People for Richard Brocksmith
    • Campaign E-mail address and phone number: electrbrocksmith@gmail.com; 360-826-2094
    • Campaign website: https://www.richardbrocksmith.com/
    • Campaign mailing address: PO Box 372 Mount Vernon WA 98273
  • Melissa Beaton
    • Position Sought: Mount Vernon City Council, Ward 3, Position 2
    • Campaign name: Re-Elect Melissa Beaton to Mount Vernon City Council
    • Campaign email and phone number: melissabeaton@comcast.net; (360)630-7070
  • Chris Sadler
    • Position Sought: Mount Vernon City Council, Ward 3, Position 2
    • Campaign name: Christopher Sadler for Mount Vernon City Council
    • Campaign E-mail address and phone number: csadlercitycouncil@gmail.com, (360) 540-9902
    • Campaign website: https://www.facebook.com/csadlercitycouncil
  • Stefanie LeJeunesse
    • Position sought: Skagit Public Hospital District Commissioner Pos. 6
    • Campaign name: Vote Stefanie: Stefanie LeJeunesse for Skagit Public
    • Hospital District Commissioner
    • Campaign E-mail address and phone number: info@votestefanie.com; (360)223-3741
    • Campaign website: http://www.votestefanie.com/
• Sedro Woolley
  • David Baer
    • Position Sought: Sedro Woolley City Council, At-Large Position
    • Campaign E-mail address and phone number: votedavidforcitycouncil@gmail.com
    • (360) 320-6838
  • Joseph Burns
    • Position Sought: Sedro Woolley City Council, Ward 6
    • Campaign name: Friends to Elect Joe Burns
    • Campaign E-mail address and phone number: joe@electjoeburns.com; (360) 474-7223
    • Campaign website: https://electjoeburns.com/
  • Enrique Lopez Cisneros
    • Position Sought: Sedro Woolley School District 101, Director Dist.1
    • Campaign name: Enrique Lopez Cisneros
    • Campaign E-mail address and phone number: sedrounited@gmail.com

13. UPDATED – Skagit County Democrats Volunteer Opportunities

• Are you willing to help us staff our new Headquarters Office? Please email staff@skagitdemocrats.org to let us know your interest and availability.
• 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.

14. 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.

15. NEW – Correction
In our last newsletter, Lynn Campbell suggested we email and thank Skagit County Auditor, Sandra Perkins, for advocating for Spanish language Voter Guides. The email address we provided was incorrect. The correct address is: scauditor@co.skagit.wa.us. (Thanks to Ellen Bynum for catching that.)

16. 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.

• We All Lost Afghanistan – Two Decades of Mistakes, Misjudgments, and Collective Failure
• Why You Stay Up So Late, Even When You Know You Shouldn’t
• Nearly 10 Million Acres of Land Are Burning in Siberia
• The invisible addiction: is it time to give up caffeine?

COMMUNITY EVENTS

1. NEW – City of Sedro-Woolley and the Central Skagit Library District Grand Opening, Saturday, Aug 28, 11:00am, 110 West State Street, Sedro-Woolley
Click Here for more information.

2. NEW – Applicants sought for Skagit County Planning Commission vacancy
“New members are invited to apply for a District 3 seat on the Skagit County Planning Commission. Interested applicants must reside within the boundaries of District 3; residents of all three districts are encouraged to express interest for future vacancies.” Click Here for the full vacancy announcement. Click Here for the Planning Commission webpage.

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
“Governor Inslee announced that the existing statewide mask mandate will be expanded to once again include vaccinated individuals in indoor settings effective Monday, August 23. The mask mandate will apply to most all indoor public places across the state, including restaurants, grocery stores, malls, and public-facing offices, regardless of an individual’s vaccination status. . . “

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.

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:

• WEEKLY VACCINE CLINIC: Wednesdays, 6-9pm at the Skagit County Administrative Building Hearing Room
• Wed, August 25: Immaculate Conception Regional School from 11am-1pm
• Thu, August 26: LaVenture Middle School, Mount Vernon from 4-7pm
• Thu, August 26: Skagit Valley Family YMCA from 4:30pm-7:30pm
• Fri, August 27: Burlington-Edison High School from 10am-1pm
• Sat, August 28: LaVenture Street Fair, Mount Vernon from 8am-12pm
• Sat, August 28: Samish Elementary, Sedro-Woolley from 9am-12pm
• Sat, August 28: Mount Vernon First United Methodist Church from 5-7pm
• Wed, September 1: Chinook Enterprises, Mount Vernon from 11am-1pm
• Tue, September 7: Skagit Valley College from 4-7pm
• Sat, September 11: Anacortes High School from 9am-12pm
• Wed, September 1: Chinook Enterprises, Mount Vernon from 11am-1pm

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.

“Skagit County Public Health will now make third doses available to immunocompromised individuals. People are asked to speak with their healthcare provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them.”

“Gov. Jay Inslee today announced a vaccination requirement for employees working in K-12, most childcare and early learning, and higher education, as well as an expansion of the statewide mask mandate to all individuals, regardless of vaccination status.” Click Here for more information.

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 – “With case numbers on the rise and delta circulating in Skagit County, Public Health wants to remind everyone that getting tested is still essential in our fight against the spread of COVID-19. As a reminder, whether you have been vaccinated or not, if you’ve been around someone who has a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19, you should get tested 3-5 days after your exposure, even if you don’t have symptoms.

For a list of local testing options, go to: https://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/HealthDiseases/coronavirusTESTsites.htm.

Skagit County Public Health is now offering free antigen testing at our Wednesday evening vaccine clinics at the Skagit County Administrative Building (700 S 2nd St., Mount Vernon, WA 98273). We accept anyone 5 years and older; no appointment or insurance required. Test results are available in 15 minutes. Note: This is NOT intended as a pre-travel test.”

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. NEW – Speak Up, Speak Out
Although Speak Up, Speak Out (SUSO) has not been airing new broadcasts, past broadcasts going back to March 2006 are still available for the next year at their website: http://speakupspeakoutradio.org/.