Honoring Florence and Carter Hedeen for 23 years of contributions to League of Women Voters

 Congratulations Carter and Florence!

We fellow members of the League of Women Voters of the Park Rapids
Area want to honor, thank, and applaud your many, many years of
advocacy with us. While the work you have each done has been varied,
your shared commitment to League has always been evident. We
apologize for any omissions, but we all have failing memories!!!

Florence, we had to dig a bit but we know that you have had
considerable involvement at the state level, as noted below. We also know
that you have attended several National Conventions. Board Member, LWVMN Board of Directors  Nominations Chair, LWVMN Board of Directors Member, LWVMN Legacy Circle  and Shur Fellow, LWVUS Membership Leadership Development.

Also Florence we found that you have served as:

• chair of the Events Committee
• chair of the Membership Committee 
• attended Citizenship Ceremonies including others 
• been a part of the Suffragists Play and performed in multiple venues
  as Alice Paul. 
• served as a forum Moderator
• Led the well-received program on Seeds to Table with many stations
• and guest speaker Winona LaDuke
• a longtime supporter of the ERA
• one of a very few who have served as an observer at local government meetings. 
• opening your home to be the pick-up and drop-off location for LWV
  get Out the Vote signs. 
• both of you have donated monetarily to LWV Park Rapids beyond
  your personal dues over a lengthy period.

Carter,
We know that you and Florence have been a tight unit and that the many
accomplishments she has had are in part with your support and at times,
assistance. Thank you.

• We recognize you as a leader being the first male member of our
  League and for the longest duration.
• We note your always quiet but most helpful presence working on both set up for events and take down whether you were slated for that job or not.
• We acknowledge and appreciate your leadership in the area of
  Climate Change and the Environment.
• We know that your research and knowledge of leaders in the climate movement enabled us to offer programs of great importance to our members and the
  community.
• We are overjoyed with your dedication to the little desired role as chair of the nominations committee.
• I recall that you also served our League as Secretary.

We know that the both of you have lived out the goals and ideals of the
League of Women Voters in your other work within the Park Rapids
Community. Carter, as a doctor, and both of you as members of the Social
Justice Committee at Riverside Church, members of the North Country
Trail, with the Food Shelf, Trainings through the Blandin Foundation,
Florence, with years on the PR School Board, and offering letters to the
editor about important issues.

Our entire community has been blessed with your active presence.

August 4th on Main Street: Come Discover League of Women Voters Park Rapids

What do you know about the League of Women Voters?  Our members will have an informational table set up on Main Street during Crazy Days Friday August 4th. Drop by and find out about the local election going on now, new voting  laws, voter registration procedures and how we carry out our local mission.  

In 1935 the first League of Women Voters local chapter was formed in Park Rapids. That chapter served the community until sometime in the late 1950s.  In 1999 a group of local women reestablished the League in Park Rapids.   Their mission was and still remains to encourage the informed and active participation of citizens in government. We take action on selected governmental issues after study and consensus by our membership. We encourage our members to be informed participants in political activity, but as a nonpartisan organization, we neither oppose nor support a political party or candidate even when the office is unaffiliated with a party.

We are an active league as can be seen in this list of our  accomplishments 2022-2023.  

• Provided voter information and registration opportunities at the library, crazy days, at the Nevis Women’s Conference in Walker and at an ice cream social
• Wrote several articles pertaining to voting rights, registration, and recognizing misinformation that were published in the Park Rapids Enterprise
• Held 5 election forums which invited candidates during November 2022 elections: Park Rapids City Council, Park Rapids &  Menahga School Boards,  County Commissioner forum for District 2, and a primary forum for County Commissioner’s special election in District 4   
• Participated in the LWV Minnesota firearm study and added our consensus to the final policy statement published by the State League.
• Hosted 2 sessions for the public to address childcare issues and discuss resources available to meet childcare crisis
• Celebrated the 103rd League of Women Voters birthday at Bella Caffe’ and provided information about membership opportunities
• Provided 411 voting information and LWV business cards for all graduating seniors in Park Rapids and Menahga to encourage them to register to vote

• Supported the county auditor and her staff in providing voters with information about the current special election which is for voters in District 4. This district includes Akeley City, Akeley Township, Clay Township, Guthrie Township, Hart Lake Township, Hendrickson Township, Lakeport Township, Laporte City, Mantrap Township, Steamboat River Township, and Thorpe Township.

We look forward to talking with you on August 4th.  Remember LWVPRA is nonpartisan in both our education and our advocacy.  We never support political parties or candidates for public office.

Printer's Error Found on ballot for Special Election

Below is the press release from Kay Rave about the ballot error that her staff found on the ballots for the County Commissioner District 4 Special Election. When processing the undeliverable ballots after July 4th holiday, the staff realized that information on the QR codes printed on the ballots were in the wrong place and had the wrong information.  They immediately contacted the printer but it was too late to resend the ballots to everyone. Then they contacted the candidates and the secretary of state's office.  The next step was to get the procedure approved by the judge as to how to proceed with fixing the error.  If you have questions, you can call Kay Rave at 218-732-3196.

If you know of anyone living within District 4, please make sure they see this. If they have voted already, the auditor's staff will be following the procedure to mark a duplicate ballot for you. Your vote will be counted. 

 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

Kay Rave, Hubbard County Auditor-Treasurer
218-732-3196
Kay.rave@co.hubbard.mn.us
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 20, 2023
Special Election Ballot Error

The Hubbard County Auditor’s Office discovered a printing error on ballots mailed to registered voters for the special election to elect a County Commissioner for District 4 scheduled for August 8, 2023. District 4 consists of the cities of Akeley and Laporte, along with the townships of Guthrie, Hart Lake, Hendrickson, Lakeport, Clay, Thorpe, Steamboat River, Mantrap and Akeley.

In conjunction with the Office of the State Auditor and the Ninth District Court the error has been corrected and the printer has produced new compliant ballots.

Voters have the following voting options: Approved by the Ninth Judicial Court

•  Use the original ballot. Your ballot will be duplicated on the new compliant ballot in the presence of qualified election judges in accordance with a process directed by the Secretary of State. 
• As allowed by Minnesota law - Request a replacement ballot mailed to you by
  calling the Hubbard County Auditor’s Office. Allow time for mailing as your
  ballot must be received by Election Day.
• As allowed by Minnesota Law -Vote in person at the Courthouse. Your original ballot will be spoiled.

Regardless of the options above, your ballot must be received by 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, in order to be counted in the special election.

Hubbard County works diligently to ensure our elections are fair, accurate, and secure.

"Thank yous" & LWV State Convention Highlights 2023

To all members of LWVPRA:  Thank you all for the wonderful framed picture and card that you presented to me at the Annual Meeting.  I have found the perfect place to hang it.  It is the first thing you see when you enter the house.  CC

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Also Thank you to Deanna for representing us at the LWVMN Convention last week. 

Summary by Deanna Germain, LWV PRA delegate to the convention:  

Approximately 130 people representing over 30 local Leagues in Minnesota attended in New Ulm, Minnesota

The general focus was participating in strategic planning for the future. The state League focused on getting input from local leagues so it is not just a ‘top down’ approach to determining the needs for Minnesota.

Attendees were assigned to work with people not in their League. There was strong emphasis that collaboration with other leagues and city organizations is essential for success. I worked with Edina, Woodbury and Rochester in our 6 member group. The strategic planning results will be compiled and sent out for membership. I did advocate for addressing needs of out-state MN. 

The keynote speaker, Valerie Jensen, was wonderful. She is an attorney, VP DEI, with Planned Parenthood North Central States, and had thought provoking messages on culture, diversity, sharing her life experiences as a biracial woman. Hopefully her speech will be shared with the membership online.

The state planners had a long river poster in the back of the room with rocks on the bottom that had foundational words as advocacy, leadership. Each league was given a fish to write what we had done in the past year. I wrote about the child care sessions and giving Vote 411 cards to Seniors in Park Rapids and Menagha. The state league promised they would compile all the ‘fish’ and send all the league accomplishments to membership as everyone had great interest in seeing what colleagues were doing.

The proposed new fire arms position statement was approved.

An unexpected perk:  I met Ardis Wexlar, Edina LWV, who said her mother, Esther Fieldman, started the first PR LWV. 

Overall being a delegate was a good experience and New Ulm was a good venue/host. 

Click on this link to see the pictures and the video that Deanna took at the convention:

 https://youtu.be/yOfbm3-gx9Q

This link is to the LWVMN convention page: you can see the power points, read finance reports, program for Action etc. etc. 

 https://www.lwvmn.org/convention-2023 

Follow Up to ChildCare Issues in Hubbard County (Part II) Program

 

 

Thank you to our panel and everyone that attended our program on April 26, 2023 discussing Child Care Issues in Hubbard County.  The panel presented a variety of ways for child care providers to get started in business or upgrade their current facilities or programs.  We learned there are coaches available to help providers in navigating the paperwork and finding grants to help.  

The last 30 minutes of the program was a discussion with the audience and the panel as to ways to promote changes with in the child care system in the area. We all hope that this discussion continues in the next months with all the groups that were mentioned. (Economic Development, Local businesses, Chamber of Commerce, and Hubbard County government representatives etc).  If you want to become part of this discussion, please contact us and we will share contact information with the relevant people.

Follow this link if you wish to view the complete video of the second program:  https://youtu.be/UZ7i6z_jRn8 

Use this link to view the first program:  https://youtu.be/-IrXpx7BTnY

ChildCare Issues in Hubbard County (Part 2)

Child Care Issues in Hubbard County (Part 2) will be presented by the League of Women Voters Park Rapids Area (LWV PRA) at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 26 in the Northwoods Bank Community Room: (1200 1st Street E). A panel of five experts has been invited to discuss possible solutions to the issues raised during the first program held March 28.

The March program was well received and raised a number of issues that, while not only specific to Hubbard County, have a great impact on our local economy.  The first panel consisted of a parent, an experienced provider, a newly licensed provider, the Hubbard County licensor and foster care licensor. They discussed several topics including the shortage of licensed providers in the county for all ages but especially infants, the high cost of a new provider starting a business, the lack of substitutes to cover for providers when they are sick, etc., and  the difficulty of finding which providers have current openings. These are problems that affect all of Hubbard County, not just parents or guardians of young children. Everyone’s quality of life is impacted when quality childcare is not available.

April’s panel will consist of:

• Michelle Wilkowski, a 25-year veteran of Head Start and current director of MAHUBE-OTWA Head Start. As a licensed pre-K teacher, Michelle began her career in early childhood as an Early Head Start home visitor and teacher before becoming director in 2018.
• Missy Okeson, program officer and child care lead at the Northwest Minnesota Foundation (NMF) since 2016. She collaborates with early educators, community task forces and regional child care experts to create quality child care solutions for the well-being of young children and families throughout the 12 counties and two tribal nations NMF serves.
• Michele Hutchinson, a manager, who has been in the early childhood field for over 30 years. Her experience ranges from a parent on the Early Childhood Family Education advisory board to policy council with Head Start. Struggling to find quality care, she operated her own group family child care along with her own five children for over 20 years. She holds a BA degree in Early Childhood Education from Concordia College, St Paul. Michele was hired as a Business Development Specialist with First Children’s Finance in August 2021.
• Dana Patsie, director of child care programs at MAHUBE-OTWA Community Action Partnership, oversees a number of programs that support children’s access to quality early childhood education. Those supports include Early Learning Scholarships, Child Care Assistance, Child Care Aware/Parent Aware Quality Coaching, Wayfinder Navigation, and Family, Friend and Neighbor Supports.
• Maria Steen, the Child Care Connections Director at CAPLP, a community action agency based in Moorhead,  provides resources for child care professionals to succeed in their careers, and help families access and afford quality child care through financial support. Our CAPLP Child Care Aware team serves early childhood educators in the 21 counties and 2 tribal nations of Northwest Minnesota through child care services grants, professional development training and advising, and Parent Aware recruitment and outreach. CAPLP also provides new Child Care Start-up + Family, Friend & Neighbor Caregiver Support, Parent Aware Coaching, and Early Learning Scholarships in 9 Minnesota counties.

Please join LWV PRA for this important discussion April 26. Remember League of Women Voters is proud to be nonpartisan, neither supporting nor opposing candidates or political parties at any level of government, but always working on vital issues of concern to members and the public. Please direct any questions about LWV PRA activities, events or on how to join by emailing lwvparkrapids@lwvmn.org.

If you missed the first program, you can view the video here:  https://youtu.be/-IrXpx7BTnY

Video of Hubbard County Commissioner Special Election forum

 

Please pass along this to anyone you know that lives in District 4 who can vote in the special election.  Thank you for your help in educating our voters. 

The 4th Commissioner District includes the cities of Akeley and Laporte and townships of Akeley, Clay, Guthrie, Hart Lake, Hendrickson, Lakeport, Mantrap, Steamboat River and Thorpe.
Candidates are Lyle Howg, Laporte; Steve Keranen, Nevis; Kristin Fake, Akeley; and Ryan J. Johnson, Guthrie.

https://youtu.be/wVmM-LyvYzI

The link above will take you to our YouTube library to view the video of last night's candidate forum.  We are hoping that as many voters in District 4 as possible can view this forum before making their choices. 

When viewing a candidate forum, please remember this policy:

  The League determines which questions are asked and has attempted in good faith to cover areas of interest expressed by the audience. Questions will be screened and similar questions will be consolidated so as many topics as possible can be covered. No questions of a personal nature or that are inappropriately hostile or unclear in intent were asked.