learning – League of Women Voters of the Umpqua Valley

Member Social Dec. 12

All LWV Umpqua Valley members are invited to attend a special Member Social on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017 at 5PM to 7PM the Unitarian Church on Watters Street in Roseburg.

There will be social and networking time, refreshments, introductions, a short video, and a short PowerPoint presentation about the history of our local League. Your photo may be in it! Also, we will visit League websites online and Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS).

Come for fun! Bring a friend who might like to learn more about the League.

Please RSVP by calling 541-672-1914.

Off To A Good Start

Thank you to everyone who attended our first membership meeting of the year last night, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017.

The meeting of about 30 was interesting and fun in our new meeting room at the Umpqua Valley Arts Center, 1624 West Harvard Avenue, Roseburg. We had great speakers followed by a delicious ice cream social.

Betty Sparks, a new member, native Oregonian, and retired education teacher, spoke about kidney disease and how prevalent it is. She herself needs a kidney transplant and is on the list for one. However, many are also in line, nationally over 122,000 people. Betty explained how diabetes and high blood pressure contribute to the likelihood of the disease. In other words, we are all susceptible. For more information here are a few resources:

The Blue Zones Project representatives for the effort in Douglas County also spoke. Juliete Palenshus and Jessica Moore informed us about the project which is also seeking supporters and volunteers. The three-year goal is to support well-being improvements in multiple areas here in Douglas County. For more information, see the website and contact Juliete Palenshus by emailing her.

They’ll even give you a t-shirt!

Welcome to new members who joined last night!

Here’s some familiar faces of a few of our lovely members:

Roseburg Community Bookshelves

Roseburg Community Bookshelves Grand Opening on Thursday, June 15 at 12:30

A grassroots, volunteer action team has announced the grand opening of Roseburg Community Bookshelves at Cascadian Coffee Co., 732 SE Cass, Roseburg (in the Grand Hotel).

A few speeches and a short ceremony are planned for Thursday. Some light refreshments will be served. All are invited.

Roseburg Community Bookshelves will provide a “grassroots honor-based lending system … because everyone should have something to read.”

In a proactive partnership with Cascadian Coffee Co., Roseburg Community Bookshelves will provide books, DVDs, CDs, magazines and books on CD (or tape) for loan during the business operating hours of 6:30 AM – 5:00 PM Monday through Friday and 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM on Saturday. There is a suggested limit of three items to be borrowed for up to a three-week timeframe.

Donated books have been categorized as fiction, non-fiction, children’s and other books. They’ll be available for reading on-site or for loan, using an honor system.

Updates can be found on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/DCLibraryRescue/ or click here

We’ll see you at the bookshelves!

Eleanor Roosevelt in Eugene

“Eleanor Roosevelt: Across a Barrier of Fear”, a one-woman play

The League of Women Voters of Lane County is pleased to sponsor “Eleanor Roosevelt: Across a Barrier of Fear”, a one-woman play in which acclaimed actress Jane VanBoskirk portrays Eleanor Roosevelt. It will be performed at 1 pm on Sunday, June 18, at the Wildish Theater, 630 Main St., Springfield.

The actress Jane Van Boskirk and the Wildish Theater (courtesy of Dan Egan, League member and theater manager) will donate a portion of each ticket purchased to the League when the purchase is made on line and the code word “Vote” is applied.

This is a great opportunity to get to know Eleanor Roosevelt! The play deals with Roosevelt’s influential and controversial place in American history, from her troubled childhood; her desire as a young woman to alleviate social problems; her marriage to four-term President Franklin Roosevelt; and her widowhood, which included an illustrious career at the newly founded United Nations.

Please share this message with your friends. Invite them to join you at the play! Put this event on your own Facebook page and share posts from the LWVLC page.

Buy Tickets Here! wildishtheater.com When you put in the code word, your purchase will be counted toward the League’s share of ticket revenue.

Roseburg Library Rescue Action Team

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Further Info: 541-673-9759 or 671-2555
EMAIL rossjoe@hotmail.com

Grassroots Effort Building New Roseburg Cascadian Library

A Roseburg Library Rescue Action Team (LRAT) has formed, and the grassroots, volunteer, community effort is off to a great start to provide minimal library service in Roseburg after the main branch closes June 1.

The LRAT has partnered with Cascadian Coffee Co. to provide books, DVDs and CDs for loan at the business at 732 SE Cass Street, Roseburg, Or. Coordinator Joe Ross said, “A whole wall of shelves has been installed. Now we need decent, clean, popular books and materials. We need volunteers to regularly maintain the collection, as well as some funds to purchase current items. ”

Donated books will be categorized as fiction, non-fiction, children’s and other books. They’ll be available for reading on-site or check out, using an honor system, during the coffeeshop’s normal business hours of 6:30 AM – 5:00 PM Monday through Saturday. “We may just trust that folks return items or have something as simple as a clipboard to sign out things for a couple weeks,” Ross said. “That’s all being worked out. It’s got to be simple, easy and low stress for everyone.”

The LRAT wanted to collaborate with a downtown business, and Cascadian Coffee had the interest, as well as a well-lit, welcoming space that also offers food, beverage, art and music. Business owner Courtney Dillon said, “We look forward to hosting a small Roseburg library to support education, literacy, knowledge and economic development within our community.” Using donated funds, LRAT purchased shelves from another supportive downtown business, Roseburg Resale, owned by Curt Smith.

Roseburg City Council was told about the library rescue efforts on 8 May. Three local library boards were briefed about plans on 16 May, including Friends of the Douglas County Library System, Douglas County Library Foundation and Douglas County Library Advisory Board. All were supportive. Although the latter is being disbanded by County Commissioners, the other two groups will continue supporting County public libraries. The Friends of the Library will ask their members to help with maintenance of the new Roseburg Cascadian Library. Some friends, like Marcy Tasso Belzner, have already provided great encouragement, advice and guidance.

The Roseburg Library Rescue Action Team has put out a call for community fundraising, book donations and volunteers. They hope to obtain non-profit 501(c)3 status. To provide books, magazine subscriptions, or audio/visual material to the Roseburg Cascadian Library’s collection, simply drop them off during open hours. Cash donations will be used to order items that people want, maybe even some computers. Checks payable to “Library Rescue” can be dropped or mailed to LRAT, c/o Cascadian Coffee, 732 SE Cass, Roseburg, Or. 97470. Any unused funds will be given to the Friends of the Library and/or Douglas Co Library Foundation.

The Library Rescue Action Team is an all-inclusive community effort, and all are welcome to attend their weekly Thursday meetings at 12:15 PM at Cascadian Coffee Co. The team welcomes your personal involvement, encouragement and support. An official ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Roseburg Cascadian Library will be announced soon. Grand Opening is expected about the time that the main branch closes (June 1). The actual date will depend on acquisition of books and development of an easy, informal system for book circulation.

Updates can be found here on Facebook here.

Thank you, Cascadian Coffee & Joe!

Douglas County AFS Announcement

Douglas County AFS asks for your support!

We have great community leaders among our membership, and one is the Douglas County AFS Coordinator, Tina Arredondo, who announced at our Annual Meeting last night that host families are still needed for AFS international exchange students for the 2017-18 school year.

In particular, AFS would like to place one or more of the YES Program students;

YES is a State Dept-sponsored scholarship for students from countries with significant Muslim populations.

We have a YES-program girl from Pakistan to place, as well as YES students from Saudi Arabia, India, Indonesia, Gaza, Bangladesh, Libya, Lebanon, Senegal, and the West Bank. Other AFS students are coming from Italy, New Zealand, Turkey, Norway, Spain, Germany, Argentina, and more.

AFSstudent-from-Israel-Pakistan-Indonesia — Students from Indonesia, two from Pakistan & Israel (left to right)

Please contact Tina Arredondo at DouglasCountyAFS@gmail.com for more information.

The mission of AFS is to work toward a more just and peaceful world by providing international and intercultural learning experiences to individuals, families, schools, and communities through a global volunteer partnership.

Legislative Process Day 2017

League members and friends are invited to the Legislative Process Day 2017 on Jan. 10, 9:30am – 2:30pm at the Oregon State Library for.

Advance registration required! Please register by Jan. 4.

Highlights:

Registration begins at 9:30, lunch at noon.
Speakers include the new Secretary of State Dennis Richardson, the Clerk of the House of Representatives Timothy Sekerak, and the Secretary of the Senate Lori Brocker.
The LWVOR Action Committee will offer an overview of the 2017 legislative session.
You will also be treated to a performance of the Not Ready for Prime Time Players!

Event Details:

January 10th, 9:30am-2:30pm
Oregon State Library, Rooms 102 and 103
250 Winter St. NE Salem, Oregon 97301-3950

Download a registration form here to mail in with a check for lunch and attendance.

Local Ballot Measures Forum – Library & Cannabis Issues

Please attend a free and unbiased local Ballot Measure Forum covering the library taxing district and the cannabis measures.

Thursday, Oct. 6, 2016
7PM to 8:30PM
@ The Douglas County Library

In the upcoming election, Douglas County voters will be making decisions about important issues in our county. How will our library system survive in the future? Will marijuana businesses be allowed in the unincorporated parts of Douglas County? Both of these issues will have financial consequences for our county.

The League of Women Voters of Umpqua Valley invites the public to an opportunity to learn more. At this forum you will have a chance to ask your questions.

Douglas County Library — Douglas County, OR Library

The Local Ballot Measure Forum will feature a panel of speakers to provide information about local ballot measures pertaining to a library taxing district and the location of marijuana businesses in Douglas County.

Bring your questions with you!
Download a Ballot Measure Forum Flyer to post around town! Thank you!

You and Me Reading!

Check out our brand new webpage all about the importance of reading with your child – You and Me Reading.

The Umpqua Valley League of Women Voters announces ndc8LXeTe a new program that improves the quality of reading time with your child. This project is an extension of the Children At Risk statewide study that was championed by the Umpqua Valley League of Women Voters.

Find out how important reading with your child is. Or perhaps you’d like to help a grand child. We offer a personalized introduction into this effective and fun process. Just contact us.

See our web page. Find out more here.