LWV Cuyahoga Area

February 3 First Thursday Features Janice Murphy

2011-01-13T15:49:00.004-05:00

Janice Murphy, president of Lakewood and Fairview Hospitals, is the featured speaker at the February 3 First Thursday event. Ms. Murphy began her career at Fairview Hospital as a bedside nurse in oncology in 1978. Since then, she has served in various leadership roles in the Cleveland health care community.

Celebrating Women Who Know Their Place, the event is scheduled at Trinity Commons at Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. This program is free and open to the public.

LWV Book Club Winter Meetings

2010-11-16T18:21:00.002-05:00

Plan to attend one of the spirited discussions the League's book club always has!

The next discussion will take place on Sunday, January 30 at 7 pm, at the home of a Lakewood member. The January book selection is a witty take on the Supreme Court, "Supreme Courtship," by Christopher Buckley.

On March 6, 2011, the book club will meet in Cleveland Heights to discuss "The Triumph of Hope" by Jonathan Alter.

For more information, contact Carol Gibson at CarolGibson4042@gmail.com.

First Thursday Speaker Series

2010-09-07T15:40:00.005-04:00

Since 2003, the popular First Thursday programs have been introducing interesting, cutting-edge topics and expert speakers to our audiences. Continuing the theme, Women Who Know Their Place, five forums are planned for the 2010-2011 season. The 7 PM events will again be held in Trinity Commons at Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, beginning Thursday, November 4, and continuing in December, February, March and April.

All First Thursday programs are open to the public free of charge with complimentary coffee and tea provided for guests.

Mock Elections at Area High Schools

2010-09-07T15:25:00.005-04:00

For the third election year, Engaging a New Generation of Voters: Mock Elections for High School Students, was held in four area public high schools in Cuyahoga County. Schools participating included Maple Heights, Garfield Heights, Rocky River, and Cleveland Heights.

The three day program in each school included voter registration and precinct assignments, a published Voters Guide, and a Candidate Forum Assembly with actual candidates appearing to answer student questions. The program culminated with a ballot election overseen and verified by Board of Elections staff. The 2010 Mock Election focused on candidates for Cuyahoga County offices.

Since 2008, the High School Mock Election project has reached approximately 2700 soon-to-be voters and involved an additional 1400 students in 2010.

Changing Cuyahoga County Government

2010-07-13T17:48:00.002-04:00

In November, 2009, voters in Cuyahoga County approved a charter to establish a new form of government for the county. The commissioner-row officer model that has been in effect for more than 200 years will end on December 31, 2010. A County Executive and eleven County Council members will take office on January 1, 2011.
The planning process is underway for the new county government. Three senior county staff members have been appointed to the Transition Advisory Group (TAG) to manage the transition process.
TAG is being assisted by an appointed 7 person executive committee, the Greater Cleveland Partnership, and New Cuyahoga Now. Assistance is also provided by citizen volunteers and current county staff in Planning Workgroups which include: Public Engagement, Justice Services, Human Services, Information and Technology, Human Resources, Procurement and Public Works, Economic Development, Boards and Commissions, Campaign Finance, and Code of Ethics.

Best sources for further information:
Cuyahoga County homepage: www.cuyahogacounty.us/index.asp then click on the "CHARTER TRANSITION" logo
League of Women Voters Cuyahoga area: www.lwvCuyahogaArea.org
Cuyahoga County Board of Elections: http://boe.cuyahogacounty.us/

Women's Equality Day Celebrated

2010-04-21T21:40:00.003-04:00

On August 26, 2010, one hundred League members and friends celebrated "90 Years of Women Making Waves" on the Goodtime III. It was a wonderful evening filled with good food, fellowship, and acknowledgement of the sacrifice and dedication of the women who helped promote women's equality in the United States.

The League of Women Voters was founded ninety years ago. Today the LWV has more than 150,000 members and supporters and 850 Leagues throughout all 50 states.

The colors of the suffragist flag are purple, white, and gold. They stand for justice, purity (of purpose), and courage. There are thirty six stars on the flag and they represent the states that ratified the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Ohio was one of these. In fact, it was the sixth state to do so, along with Kansas and New York on June 16, 1919. click here to read more

LWV Ohio News

2010-04-21T09:30:00.000-04:00

The Ohio League is really being sought out to give input on legislation —from the drafting stage to legislative hearings and media interviews on issues including redistricting, campaign finance reform / transparency, election administration and energy conservation.

Since mid-January, League issue specialists have met with more than three dozen legislators to provide expert information; testified six times; wrote an op ed requested and published by the Toledo Blade; and participated in two press conferences, a variety of newspaper interviews, and a radio and a television program.

For more Ohio League information, visit www.lwvohio.org and visit their new blog: lwvohio.blogspot.com

LWV United States

2010-04-21T09:20:00.000-04:00

The projects and programs that LWVUS are currently working on:

For more LWVUS information, visit www.lwv.org and visit their Facebook page

Regionalism and County Govn't Information

2010-04-21T09:10:00.000-04:00

Background information on the League's work regarding Regionalism and County Government can be found in our "Program" section of the website.

**Please Note: The 'announcement' section has a search tool if you need to find specific information from a past post.

Dr. Sheila Bailey, NASA Physicist, Speaks at LWV Event

2010-03-16T20:50:00.001-04:00

Dr. Sheila G. Bailey, Senior Research Physicist at NASA Glenn Research Center, is the featured speaker at the League of Women Voters’ public meeting series titled, Women Who Know Their Place. Her talk, “Science and Petticoats,” is set for Thursday, April 8, 2010, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, at Trinity Commons at Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland. The public is invited to attend, with free parking for attendees behind the Cathedral off Prospect Avenue.

Dr. Bailey will talk in general about women in science, and more specifically, about women at NASA, especially Glenn Research Center (GRC). She will discuss Science and Engineering as careers for women. Bailey has a B.S. from Duke University in physics, a M.S. in physics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Ph.D. in solid state physics from the University of Manchester in England. She has authored or co-authored over 165 journals and conference publications, 9 book chapters, 8 patent disclosures and two patents. She is known as an active and ardent mentor, introducing women to physics.

For more information about Dr. Bailey, click HERE.

Sunshine Week 2010 National Panel Discussion

2010-03-15T08:27:00.001-04:00

On Friday, March 19, from 12:00 to 2:00 PM (ET), LWV United States Education Fund will co-host the 5th Annual Sunshine Week National Dialogue. This year's theme is "Building Transparency" and includes representatives from the White House, the Dept. of Justice, the newspaper industry and open government organizations. The program will be webcast live and participants can email questions to the panelists. It also will be available for download immediately after the session (for future viewings).

To learn more about the program, visit www.OpenTheGovernment.org. For an event guide and other logistical information, click here.

LWV Ohio Brochure: The Sunshine Law: Ohio's Open Meetings Act

LWVO Statehouse Day/Council

2010-03-14T11:48:00.000-04:00

LEAGUE MEMBERS: You do not want to miss the LWV Ohio 2010 Statehouse Day/ Council on April 14, 2010. Topics such as the potential effects of federal health care reform and judicial selection will be highlighted. Our Lobby Corps will be on hand to share information on hot state legislative topics and will have a special presentation by Terry Pastika, Executive Director of the Citizen Advocacy Center of Illinois on open government.

We will also celebrate the League’s 90th birthday!

Continue to check out the LWVO website for information on www.lwvohio.org

Registration due by April 6.

Redistricting 2011: It All Starts Now

2010-03-10T21:55:00.000-05:00

In 2011, Ohio will redraw its state and congressional districts based on the results of the 2010 Census. How this is done will determine the political landscape of the state for the next 10 years or more. There are a number of proposals to change the process. Join us to learn what these proposals are, how they might change the process and the importance of the 2010 census.

Presented in Partnership with the League of Women Voters of Ohio Education Fund's, Impact Project.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010; 1:00-3:30 p.m.; Cleveland State University; Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs; Glickman Miller Hall; Roberta Steinbacher Atrium; 1717 Euclid Ave.; Cleveland. Click HERE for more information.
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WCPN had a report on redistricting on Monday, March 1, 2010. Ann Henkener, Director and Legislative Director of the LWV Ohio was one of the panelists. Listen to the broadcast HERE.

Broadcast information:
Every ten years, a few state leaders get together behind closed doors to draw a new map that has considerable influence over which of their elected colleagues will have to fight to keep their jobs. It's called redistricting, and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are pushing proposals to throw open those closed doors. Listen to a conversation about the Republican and Democratic ideas, the suprisingly fertile middle ground between them, and why this all matters for democracy.

Guests
State Sen. Jon Husted (R-6, Kettering)
State Rep. Tom Letson (D-64, Trumbull)
Ann Henkener Ohio League of Women Voters
Myrna Perez Brennan Center for Justice, New York University School of Law

Westlake and North Olmsted School Levies-3/16

2010-03-04T21:55:00.000-05:00

An information meeting about the Westlake City Schools levy and the North Olmsted City School levy. The Westlake Schools will be represented by Cathy Axcell, President, Westlake Council of PTAs *or* Dr. Daniel Keenan Jr., Superintendent The North Olmsted City Schools will be represented by Robert Matson, Treasurer, North Olmsted City Schools and Dr. Cheryl Dubsky, Superintendent. There will be time for a Q & A. The meeting is set for Tuesday, March 16, 10 am - Noon at the Westlake Porter Library, 27333 Center Ridge Rd., Westlake. Click HERE for more information.

CENSUS 2010: Questionnaires Are Arriving!

2010-02-15T11:10:00.000-05:00

March is here, which means Census questionnaires are being mailed out as we speak! Census takers have begun hand-delivering questionnaires to over 12 million U.S. addresses, with most of the nation receiving the forms in two weeks. Ensure your community is fully counted by locating and volunteering at questionnaire assistance centers in your area.

Women's Leadership Advocate Speaks at League Meeting

2010-02-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

Barbara Anne Ferris, President and Founder of the International Women’s Democracy Center (IWDC), is the featured speaker at the League of Women Voters’ “First Thursdays” meeting series now in its seventh season. The event is set for Thursday, March 4, 2010, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, at Trinity Commons at Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland. Ferris’s presentation is titled, “Altering the Political Landscape.” The public is invited to attend free of charge, with free parking behind the Cathedral off Prospect Avenue. click here to read more

League Offers Historical Look at Suffragist Josephine Irwin

2010-02-14T21:57:00.000-05:00

Commemorating the 90th Anniversary of the League of Women Voters, the Fairview Park Chapter of the League of Women Voters Cuyahoga Area invites the community to a special meeting celebrating the legacy of Fairview Park native and suffragist Josephine Irwin. It is set for Saturday, February 27, 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., at the Fairview Park Library, 21255 Lorain Road.

League's Youth-in-Govern't Project Set for Fairview Park

2010-02-13T21:30:00.000-05:00

The Fairview Park Chapter of the League of Women Voters Cuyahoga Area begins its annual Youth in Government Project starting Tuesday, February 16 through Friday, February 19, 2010. Initiated in the year 2000, it is a four-day program for high school government students to learn about local government and the election process.

New County Government

2010-01-31T12:00:00.002-05:00

"Thanks to the wisdom of 234,349 voters last November, Cuyahoga County has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rebuild its government virtually from scratch. The challenge is huge: Create a new structure that will deliver services efficiently and humanely, foster desperately needed economic growth and be a model of civic cooperation." Cleveland Plain Dealer Editorial 1/31/10

"A dozen committees will rethink the work of Cuyahoga County governance... More than 1,000 community volunteers have signed up to work on the transition -- a testament to the importance that ordinary citizens attach to this task."

"The transition group needs to produce a proposal for reorganization by fall, in time to present it to the newly elected leaders and to make sure outgoing officials can approve measures to assure needed continuity. It also should generate ideas not just on short-term operations, but on long-term ways to rethink independent agencies, intergovernmental relations and even state or federal mandates. If that interests you, there's still time to volunteer at":
cuyahogacounty.us

Another Plain Dealer article from January 29, 2010, outlines, in detail, the structure of the effort

Sec of State Jennifer Brunner Headlines LWV Event

2010-01-06T17:51:00.006-05:00

Jennifer Brunner, Ohio’s Secretary of State, is the featured speaker at the League of Women Voters’ First Thursdays, the League’s meeting series open to the public free of charge. Titled “A View From the Top,” Brunner’s talk is set for February 4, 2010, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, at Trinity Commons at Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland. There is free parking for attendees behind the Cathedral off Prospect Avenue. MORE

Susan Jankite Named G.A.L. of the Year

2010-01-06T17:49:00.005-05:00

Lakewood resident and Attorney at Law Susan Jankite has been named “2009 G.A.L. of the Year” by the G.A.L. (Guardian ad Litem) Project of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. Guardian ad Litem literally means “guardian at law.” A G.A.L. is an attorney appointed by the Juvenile Court to advocate for the best interests of a child (or, in some instances, an adult) in a juvenile court proceeding. Currently there are approximately 100 qualified G.A.L.’s who have received special training from the G.A.L. Project. MORE

Regionalism Update

2010-01-03T21:20:00.001-05:00

In the flurry of County government reform, which gave our Cleveland region a better engine for cross-jurisdictional collaboration, you may have gotten the impression that our Regionalism interest is on hold. Not so. The Northeast Ohio "Regional Prosperity Initiative" (www.neo-rpi.org) has produced detailed interim reports and final to-do lists on a 16-county plan for regional land use planning and "New Growth Tax-base Sharing." The latter proposal is expected out in its final form by late March.

Additionally, the "Ohio Commission on Local Government Reform and Collaboration" (www.ohioreformandcollaboration.org) is working hard to craft legislative carrots and/or sticks to make these and other collaborations more advantageous and achievable statewide.

LWV Cuyahoga Area regionalism program positions* have already been adopted by two other League chapters and, through additional presentations, LWV Cuyahoga Area will be encouraging more League chapters to adopt the regionalism program positions. It is because of program positions that the League is able to do advocacy work.

For additional information about the Regional Prosperity Initiative, visit their website.

A new "Google Group" on Regionalism has been established by LWV Ohio. It will facilitate communication between League members across the state. If members have information on regionalism to be shared or are interested in being a resource to Barbara Guy, Google Group facilitator and member of the LWV Shaker Heights, please contact the state office at 1-877-LWVO-OHIO (1-877-598-6446).

*To learn more about LWV Cuyahoga Area's program and how it adopts positions, visit: www.lwvcuyahogaarea.org/program.html

LWV Celebrates 90th Anniversary

2010-01-02T08:53:00.000-05:00

League Through the Decades

Since the beginning, when the League was created in 1920—just six months before women won the right to vote—League members promoted full participation of citizens in our democracy because they understood that’s what it takes to build a strong democracy. League members walk in the footsteps of those early pioneers. Thanks to the work they started, the League has become one of the most influential organizations in America and around the world with nearly 850 local and state Leagues in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and more than 150,000 members and supporters.

Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority

2009-11-16T18:17:00.003-05:00

The League of Women Voters position the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority (CCCPA) is available HERE. The League's complete study is HERE.

An excerpt from the study:

August, 2007
To the Citizens of Cuyahoga County,

In 2002, voters passed a levy in support of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority (Port Authority). The Port Authority is a special district government that exerts considerable influence on land use planning, use of the waterfront and financing economic development. In 2007, the voters of Cuyahoga County could be asked to approve a renewed or significantly increased tax levy for the Port Authority.

Because it appeared that the community at large knew little about the Port Authority, the League of Women Voters of the Cleveland Area established a committee to study this important body.

Since that time committee members have attended Port Authority Board meetings, studied documents, researched the Ohio Revised Code governing port authorities, and interviewed officials in an attempt to understand the role and functions of the Port Authority. They also interviewed Board members, staff, Cleveland City officials and executives of companies that have direct contact with the Port Authority.

This study attempts to illuminate the workings of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, its functions within the community, its spending of tax money, its impact on shipping and its plans for the future.

This is the committee’s best effort to accurately present complex information to the voting public.

Sincerely,
Penny Jeffrey
Penny Jeffrey, President
Chair, Port Authority Committee

The Sunshine Law: Ohio's Open Meetings Act

2009-11-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

In an effort to help elected officials and the public to better understand the provisions and requirements of this important legislation, the LWV Cuyahoga Area Ed Fund, in March 2009, purchased 250 copies of the new LWV Ohio brochure, THE SUNSHINE LAW: OHIO’S OPEN MEETINGS ACT. It was distributed to our 48 community Mayors. Presidents of Councils and other local officials as well as the Cuyahoga County Commissioners and other elected county officials.

The Open Meetings Act is to be liberally construed “to require public officials to take official action and to conduct all deliberations upon official business only in open meetings unless the subject matter is specifically excepted by law.”

On Friday, March 20, 2009, the LWV United States Education Fund co-hosted the 4th Annual Sunshine Week National Dialogue. The event, “Opening Doors: Finding the Keys to Open Government,” was held at the Center for American Progress in Washington, DC. It featured panels of experts from inside and outside government, who discussed federal openness policies and opportunities for people to use government. To learn more, visit www.openthegovernment.org