Thanks to everyone who attended our Program Planning meeting on January 28th. We were all excited to see each other in person and to feel the energy in the room. A big thanks to Victoria Khoury for hosting us at her lovely coffee shop---it was a cozy place to come together and "percolate" ideas. We heard loud and clear that you want more opportunities to get together, and we're thrilled to share that our next event will be on Wednesday, March 15. More information is below---please make sure you RSVP so we know that you're coming! In addition, we welcome your participation on any of our committees and observer positions. See below for more details about ways you can be involved. We are also looking for folks to serve on our Nominating Committee and to get involved in Membership activities. Please let one of us know where your interests lie, and we will get you in touch with folks leading those efforts. As you are no doubt aware, our city is wrestling with some serious and contentious issues at the moment and the more well-informed civic participation we have, the better. The LWVLY plays an important role in educating city residents and ensuring that all local voices can be heard. Thank you again for all you do to support democracy! Sincerely, Jennifer Gauthier
On behalf of the Co-Presidents |
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Voters Service: Call for Participation! |
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We are eager to get a new group of folks working on our Voters Service activities. As you all know, this work was done heroically by Molly McClenon and Carla Heath over the past few years. We need an energetic and enthusiastic crew to take on the tasks of setting up tables at local events, visiting community centers, and generally being the face of the LWVLY. Thanks to those of you who signed up at the Program Planning meeting to be involved with Voters Service activities. If anyone else would like to be added to the Voters Service list, please contact Jennifer Gauthier (maximumjen@yahoo.com) or Jennifer Woofter (jennifer@sustainabilityconsulting.com) to express your interest. Thank you! |
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City Council Observer Team: Call for Participation! |
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LWVLY monitors the activities of the Lynchburg City Council by attending their meetings, held on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month with work sessions at 4:00 pm and public hearings at 7:30 pm in council chambers. Sue Stengel has volunteered to attend these meetings but has requested that other members volunteer to attend the meetings when she is out of town. If you are willing to attend City Council meetings periodically and take notes (we can provide guidance!), please email Sue at kkg4mecolost@gmail.com. |
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School Board Observer Team: Call for Participation! |
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RSVP NOW: Environmental Justice in Lynchburg: Building Resilience in Our Vulnerable Communities |
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Spend an evening with the League of Women Voters Lynchburg, to learn about flooding, heat island effect, and water-quality risks in the City of Lynchburg as well as how they will disproportionately impact our low-income neighborhoods of color---and what we can do about it! A collaborative stakeholder team that includes the City of Lynchburg, University of Lynchburg, Randolph College, Jubilee Center, Leslie King Consulting and Resilient Virginia, has received an EPA Environmental Justice Grant. Representatives from the project team will share with us the details of the project, their learnings so far, and how citizens can support the development of a local resiliency plan.
Date: Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Time: 6pm - 7:30pm
Location: GLTC Transfer Station Meeting Room (800 Kemper Street, 2nd Floor)
Notes: Free parking, wheelchair accessible location
If you care about environmental sustainability and wish we had more opportunities to get involved locally, this is a must-attend event! The event is open to the public but you MUST register in advance here. We look forward to seeing you on March 15th! |
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We honor LWVLY member Carla Heath |
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Our League lost a special leader on January 29th when lifetime member Carla Heath passed away. Many of you recall seeing or reading about her over the last year as she and Molly McClenon chaired the Voters Service Committee. Indeed, that group held over 30 public registration/rights restoration events, distributed over 1,900 Voters Guides, and put together an impressive CIty Council Candidates Forum in September. But Carla's involvement with the League started many years ago in January 1958, when she joined the New York League of Women Voters. Carla moved to Lynchburg in 1986 to teach Communications Studies at Randolph College and became part of LWVLY a few years later. Over the following decades, she served as Public Relations Chair (1994-1998), Bulletin Editor (2003-2005), Action Chair (2005-2006), and Membership Chair (2018) as well as two terms as President, most recently 2019 -- 2021. She provided significant local leadership during the 1995 celebration of LWV founders and the Fall 1995 study "Participation in Local Elections." Carla also excelled at representing the League as she worked with other community organizations; members especially remember her work with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority surrounding the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and her commitment to a special Martin Luther King, Jr. exhibit at the public library. Lastly, we would be remiss if we didn't mention Carla's significant contributions to many other organizations, including the Legacy Museum, Many Voices-One Community and the Community Dialogue on Race and Racism. No doubt, Carla Heath was an impressive woman, and LWVLY was fortunate to witness her passion and talents for almost 35 years. As her good friend Molly recently wrote, "Carla was a feisty fighter for women's rights and for dignity for everyone." She will be deeply missed. Note: A memorial is being planned for Spring. We will share details as we know them. Submitted by Jan Dunning Willinger |
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