Link to 4 page article on the history of League of Women Voters
Short History of LWV Park Rapids
LWV Park Rapids State Unit – 2000-2015
2000 – A group of about 15 women gathered to discuss interest in forming a League of Women Voters, in Park Rapids. Two of the women, Jean Grimes and Esther Fieldman, had been League members in our community years before. From this group several went on to seek and win a public office too: i.e. Nancy Carroll (mayor), Brita Sailer (representative), Florence Hedeen (school board) and Nancy Tague (city council)
2001-2002 – About 25 people responded to an invitation to meet with LWV Minnesota out-reach personnel, to make plans for becoming a League. The only man in attendance, Al Undem, took charge of refreshments for upcoming gatherings. Organizational issues dominated the meetings as did our first foray into Candidate Forums and the election.
2003 – Programs included Bob Hanson, Hubbard County Assessor; Superintendents Glen Choido and Doug DeWitt, Park Rapids and Nevis, respectively, speaking about their upcoming votes on referendums; Doug Kingsley, Fisheries on Land Use Planning and Water Quality; and LWV Minnesota President, Helen Palmer discussing LWV positions.
2004 – Legislative issues, as discussed with elected officials; The Road to Elections; the annual catered dinner meeting; Reproductive Health Care; National Health Insurance; and the Sheriff speaking about the proposed County Jail Facilities were offered as programs. Candidate Forums and the election filled the fall.
2005 - LWV Minnesota Voting Systems Study; the County Auditor, Pam Heeren; Headwaters Animal Shelter tour; Alternative Energy presentation by Winona LaDuke; School Safety; Eric Buitenwerf, Hubbard County Environmental Services; Medicare; and Surface Water Issues drew attention from members and the community.
2006 – The LWV Study; Gambling; Greg Larson, County Attorney; Health Care; Alternative Energy; Party Platforms presentation; Immigration; The Electoral College; the Coalition of Lakes Associations and Voter Service activities filled the schedule.
2007 – Progress Park Rapids and a Community Priorities meeting; Parks and Beautification; Renewable Energy; the LWV Study; Mental Health; Habitat for Humanity; the community Drop-in Place; LWV Minnesota Immigration Study; and Judicial Selection kept the membership involved and informed.
2008 – Conservation-MCEA; Biomass; Sustainable Agriculture; “The New Minnesotans”; Electoral College; LWV Minnesota co-Presidents, Judy Stuthman and Vivian Jenkins Nelson; Community Book Read THE APPEAL/Constitution Day forum on Impartial Judicial Selection; Voter Service activities; Park Rapids Suffragists; (Over the years this group has also given performances for other organizations such as the Historical Society, Schools and Girl Scouts.)
2009 - Progress Park Rapids; Health Care, Kip Sullivan; Economic Development-abatement and TIF; Stone Soup Group; Regional Development Commission, Cliff Tweedale; Healthcare in Rural Minnesota; Endangered Rivers; Election Reform/Political Debate; No Child Left Behind; Luncheon with John Weber “Butterflies: Living on the Edge”;
2010 – Census 2010; Certified Forests; Free Press; Judicial Selection; LWV at 90/MN CAFÉ; Membership Tea; ISD 309 Referendum; National Popular Vote; Voter Services activities including forums.
2011 - Broadband Access; LWV Federal Funding of Public Education Study; Photo Voter ID; No Child Left Behind; Promote Open Government Resolution – Park Rapids School Board and City Council and Nevis City Council.
2012 – Chocolate Party celebrating Susan B. Anthony; Hubbard County Tax Assessor, Bob Hanson, Property Tax Assessment; Coalition for Impartial Justice; Politics of Food – Anne Morgan; Campaign Finance LWV Minnesota Briefing Paper; MN VOTE – SOS office presentation, HS and community; Voter Service activities; Social Media;
2013 - Redistricting with Sally Fineday; MLD Team presentation; Missing and Exploited Children Panel discussion; Program for Action consensus; LWV Minnesota Tax Status Change - Stacy Doepner/ Hove, President; Making Democracy Work award – Pam Heeren, Hubbard Co Auditor; Current Events Book Group begins; New Member gathering; Fatherhood Project; MNSURE panel discussion; Bridging Generations;
2014 - 2015, LWV Park Rapids held 6 candidate forums in the area and 9 voter registration events. We registered about 30 voters most of whom had to register because of change of address. We also put out about 30 “Vote Today” signs around the area on Election Day. We had over 300 volunteer hours for these events.
2014-2015, we held 5 educational events for the public. There were 4 events that concentrated on local water issues and one Saturday event that relates to Agriculture. We decided to concentrate on local water issues this year as a result of a forum we held in January 2014 on the proposed Sandpiper Pipeline Construction through Hubbard County. At this forum we had speakers from Enbridge, Department of Natural Resources, Public Utilities Commission and Winona LaDuke from Honor the Earth.
Water issues programs:
12/2/14 “Uniqueness of our local Hydrology”: Darrin Hoverson: MN DNR Area Hydrologist-Ecological and Water Resources
1/6/15 “Water: Why YOU Should Care”: Julie Kingsley, Soil and Water Conservation District
2/3/15 “Water Our Most Precious Resource”: Dean Christofferson, Park Rapids Public Water Works
4/7/15 “Summary of DNR Groundwater Management Committee” : speaker to be determined
3/14/15 This program is sponsored by League of Women Voters Park Rapids, UMN Extension, & Kitchigami Regional Library System and partially funded through the Legacy Amendment Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. The Program “SEEDS to BEES to TABLE: How Agriculture has Changed” will include speakers: Winona LaDuke from Ojibwe Farmers, Ann Morgan from Secret Garden, Sally Shearer from MN Agricultural Extension and Ed Poitras discussing WWII Victory Gardens. The speakers and exhibitors will cover topics from Native American practices to victory gardens to today’s sustainable practices.
Since we have been keeping track of volunteer hours for the monthly report to the LWV MN, LWV Park Rapids has averaged about 200 volunteer hours a month. We have 30 members with 10 to 13 being actively involved each month. Who the member volunteers are varies as some of our members spend some of the winter months in “warmer areas”.
During the summer months League members are planning for the next series of events. The topics will be determined by local interests and LWV MN Program for Action items. On all topics we try to find local speakers and other local organizations to partner with us. This year we have been working with Coalition of Lake Associations (COLA), Chamber of Commerce, Park Rapids DownTown Association, Public Library, 4H, UMN Ag Extension, Ojibwe Farmers and Friends of the Headwaters. We take advantage of free advertising for all events in 3 local newspaper Calendar’s of Upcoming Events sections. We use press releases for informational articles to those 3 papers too. We also inform local public TV and radio stations in Bemidji and Grand Rapids of our activities.
Voter Services activities will be held again during the election years with both candidate forums and voter registration drives.
We hold our events and candidate forums in a local bank that is free for non profit groups to use. It is handicap accessible and is easily found. Some events are at the local library or a town hall which are free or have minimal cost for non profit organizations.
Counties Served
Hubbard County with one small town in Becker County and one small town in Wadena County.
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