NEWSLETTER OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF OZAUKEE COUNTY
Board Members
VOL. 57 ISSUE NO. 3
SPRING 2014
THE
BRIDGE
Officers
President: Donna Fowler
Vice-President: Delores
Bogenrief
Secretary: Jayne Miller
Treasurer: Mary Fran Lepeska
Elected Directors
Dorothy Boyer - Voter Service
Barbara Hunt- Membership
Nancy Haacke - Program
Patty Kubala - Bridge Editor
Vonna Pitel - Webmaster
Dorothy Nowicki
Appointed Directors
Claire Vanderslice
Mary Jean Hefle
LWVWI Investment Committee
Mary Fran Lepeska
LWVWI Legislative Committee
Marge Palleon
LWV Lake Michigan Region
Marge Palleon
Nominating Committee
Claire Venderslice, Chair
Carol Hertz
Barbara Hunt
Marge Palleon
Resources:
LWV-USA Website:
www.lwv.org
LWV-WI Website:
www.lwvwi.org
LWV-Oz Website:
Upcoming Events
April 8
“The Roberts Court”
Book Discussion
see page 6
May 6
LWVOZ Annual Meeting
Dinner & Business Meeting 5:30-8
Galioto’s Twelve 21 Restaurant,
Cedarburg
Details will be emailed &
posted on website
May 30-31
LWV-WI Annual Meeting
Radisson Paper Valley Hotel
Appleton WI
Details at LWVWI.org
The League of Women Voters, a non-partisan political
organization, encourages the informed and active
participation of citizens in government, works to increase
understanding of major public policy issues, and influences
public policy through education and advocacy.
NEWSLETTER OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF OZAUKEE COUNTY
One of the main goals of the League of Women
Voters is to educate citizens on important issues.
As we come to the end of the 2013-14 year, this is
a good time to review in what ways LWV-OZ
provided that education.
VOL. 57 ISSUE NO.3
SPRING 2014
Letter from the President
DONNA FOWLER
At our Women’s History Month luncheon, our
speaker Janine Geske spoke about Restorative
Justice. For many of the over eighty attendees,
Restorative Justice was a new concept. Professor
Geske, through her stories, painted a vivid picture
of the benefits of this process. Like a new word
just learned, Restorative Justice now seems to
appear in many places. In recent articles and news
stories, we’ve learned Restorative Justice is used in
schools in Madison and Waco, Texas. Through our
luncheon, we introduced our audience to a new
way to look at justice.
Although Wisconsin elections nationally have a
well-earned reputation of being run fairly, with
new election laws being passed and unregulated
public media, Wisconsin citizens have come to
question the security of their elections. To help
answer those questions, LWV-OZ organized a
presentation by Kevin Kennedy who heads up the
Government Accountability Board, the
nonpartisan agency that runs our elections. The
community room at the Cedarburg Police Station
was filled to capacity with voters who wanted to
know about the safety of their elections. Mr.
Kennedy provided the kind of information voters
needed and answered their questions.
Membership Dues
Reminder
Educating voters through candidate forums is one
the League’s most effective tools. On
March 20, Dorothy Boyer moderated a forum for
Belgium village trustees. Although the audience
was small, the forum was conducted with decorum
and with respect. A second forum for County
Supervisors is scheduled for late March. Our
forums are the hallmark of the education service
provided by the League.
As our League makes plans for next year, what
issues or topics would you like explore in 201415? If you have ideas for topics or speakers, pass
on that information to the board members. Plan to
attend the Annual Meeting on May 6 to take a look
at 2013-14 and bring your thoughts and ideas for
next year.
PAGE 2
LWV-OZ membership dues for
2014-15 are $60 for individuals,
$90 per one year household
membership. The end of the
fiscal year is June 30, and most
members find it convenient to
pay their dues at the May Annual
Meeting. Treasurer, Mary Fran
Lepeska, will be all set to take
your checks at that meeting on
May 6. Dues up to $75 and all
contributions are tax deductible
as LWV is a 501(c)(3)
organization.
NEWSLETTER
NEWSLETTER OF
OF THE
THE LEAGUE
LEAGUE OF
OF WOMEN
WOMEN VOTERS
VOTERS OF
OF OZAUKEE
OZAUKEE COUNTY
COUNTY
VOL.
VOL. 57
57 ISSUE
ISSUE NO.
NO. 33
SPRING
SPRING 2014
2014
Slate of Officer and Elected Directors
SUBMITTED BY CLAIRE VANDERSLICE, CHAIR – NOMINATING
COMMITTEE
Officer Election – 2 year term 2014-2016
Treasurer – Mary Fran Lepeska
Elected Directors – 2 year terms – 2014-2016
Dorothy Boyer
Dorothy Nowicki
Barbara Hunt
Nominating Committee – 1 year term – 20142015
Claire Vanderslice, Chair
Carol Hertz
Marge Palleon
(2 additional members from the board are chosen by the
board immediately after the annual meeting. Barb Hunt and
Nancy Conway Haacke from the board would like to continue
on the committee.)
PAGE 3
NEWSLETTER OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF OZAUKEE COUNTY
VOL. 57 ISSUE NO. 3
SPRING 2014
LWV Women’s History Month Annual Luncheon
SUBMITTED BY BARBARA HUNT, CO-CHAIR
The League’s annual fund raising WHM luncheon
was held on March 15, 2014 at the Ozaukee
Country Club at noon.
The event was Co-Chaired by Vonna Pitel and
Barbara Hunt assisted by Donna Fowler, Carol
Hertz, Mary Hefle, Kate Logan and Marge
Paelleon. Others at the event who helped included
Delores Bogenrief and Mary Fran Lepeska.
The speaker was the Honorable Janine Geske who
spoke about “Restorative Justice”, a healing way to
bring the victim and the perpetrator together for
dialog and mediation. She was well received with
many compliments from those who attended.
The event had 81 guests who enjoyed shopping
among the 35 baskets and items. All the baskets
were sold to the guests.
The baskets were provided by League members
who collected, donated and assembled them at
Barbara Hunt’s home prior to the event. The
invitations and posters were designed by Vonna
Pitel and several members stuffed 400 envelopes
and added postage. They were mailed out 3½
weeks before the event. The posters were
distributed to businesses and public places in
communities in Ozaukee County. Several articles
appeared in the News Graphic and Ozaukee Press.
All written and printed material (bid sheets,
auction sheets, name tags, and programs)for the
actual event were done by Donna Fowler and
Vonna Pitel.
The annual fund raising event brought in $2118—
a memorable and successful luncheon!
LWVOZ President, Donna Fowler, the Honorable
Janine Geske, event co-chairs, Vonna Pitel and
Barbara Hunt.
Village of Belgium
Trustees Candidate
Forum
PAGE 4
Voter Services Chair, Dorothy
Boyer, moderates a candidate
forum at Legion Hall in
Belgium on March 20.
NEWSLETTER OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF OZAUKEE COUNTY
VOL. 57 ISSUE NO. 3
SPRING 2014
Book Discussion
Tuesday, April 8 at 6:30 pm
Please join us for the book discussion on Roberts
Court by Marcia Coyle. The book highlights four
recent cases that point out the emerging agenda of the
Roberts Court. Read one or all four of the cases and
join us at Barbara Hunt’s home on Tuesday, April 8 at
6:30. The discussion will be informative and the
company will be friendly. RSPV to Barbara or Donna.
LWV OZAUKEE PROGRAM
PLANNING MEETING
BMO Community Center—
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Ozaukee league members enjoyed a
bountiful breakfast buffet and gained
knowledge of state redistricting and the
LWVUS Agricultural Policy Update at the
annual program planning meeting.
Andrea Kaminski, Executive Director of the
LWVWI, traveled on a snowy, cold morning
to join our meeting. She presented the
PowerPoint entitled, “Putting Voters Back in
Control: The Challenge of Redistricting.”
Following the presentation on redistricting,
Andrea updated the group on pressing issues
in the state legislature.
Andrea came for breakfast and stayed for
the entire meeting. We were delighted for
her company and her expertise.
Claire Vanderslice concluded the meeting by
providing an introduction to the LWVUS
Agriculture Update study and consensus
project.
Andrea Kaminski, Executive Director LWVWI
PAGE 5
NEWSLETTER OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF OZAUKEE COUNTY
VOL. 57 ISSUE NO. 3
SPRING 2014
Wisconsin Supreme Court
Arguments on Voter ID Case
SUBMITTED BY VONNA PITEL
Delores Bogenrief and I heard oral
arguments on Voter ID at the Wisconsin
Supreme Court on February 25, 2014.
Visiting the Supreme Court of our state
was quite an experience. It is an
impressive and historic room that all
Wisconsin citizens should visit.
The Voter ID argument was scheduled by
the court for the League of Women Voters
Education Network, Inc. v. Scott Walker,
governor of the state. Along with the
League, the Milwaukee Branch of the
NAACP also presented arguments.
Attorney Lester A. Pines, speaking for the
League and the NAACP, presented an
outstanding case to show that many voters
would be disenfranchised by being
required to have a Voter ID. People who
do not have a driver’s license and do not
have a birth certificate would have to pay
$20.00 to obtain a certificate. This was a
concern to more than one Supreme Court
member. Attorney Pines presented his
arguments well and now we will have to
wait several weeks to hear the final
decision of the court.
Andrea Kaminski, the League’s Executive
Director, stated, “The League certainly
supports high integrity in elections, but we
saw the voter ID law as a solution in search
of a problem. It placed a heavier burden
on several groups of citizens who are less
likely to have an acceptable ID, making it
difficult, if not impossible for them to
vote.”
Photo from Wisconsin Supreme Court publication, Madison, WI.
PAGE 6
NEWSLETTER OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF OZAUKEE COUNTY
VOL. 57 ISSUE NO. 3
SPRING 2014
LWVUS Agriculture Policy Update Consensus Meeting
Submitted by Claire Vanderslice, Natural Resources
Chair
Public Policy Positions are the basis for the
League’s impact on issues at all levels of
government. The membership of LWVOZ was
invited to a meeting Feb. 11, 2014 for an
Agriculture Update Study and Consensus to create
a new LWVUS Agriculture Policy Position.
There have been stunning changes in recent years
to the way commodities, food, fiber (cotton, etc.),
animal feed, and biofuel are produced and traded
here and around the world. Production overall
increased dramatically. Large-scale agriculture
included confined animal farming operations
(CAFOs). Agricultural runoff of manure and
chemicals and large-scale irrigation resulted in
groundwater depletion and pollution problems.
Growth hormones and antibiotics have been used
as growth promoters in feed. Many crops were
genetically modified and their production
managed by fewer and fewer farmers as farm
businesses consolidated. Regulations were
changed to comply with international treaty
requirements. Small and large farms offered
organically raised food and standards were
legislated. The old farm safety net created to
protect farmers from flood and drought and price
swings due to over-production became unpopular
and reform was sought. Health concerns such as
allergies and obesity made food labeling of
ingredients and nutrition information more of an
issue.
agricultural prices, agriculture and trade, and
farm credit. The statement by the national Board
was: “The LWVUS believes that federal
agricultural policies should promote adequate
supplies of food and fiber at reasonable prices to
consumers, farms that are economically viable,
farm practices that are environmentally sound
and increased reliance on the free market to
determine prices.”
In the Agriculture Update to that position, we
were guided to study: 1) current technology
issues in agriculture including genetically
modified organisms (GMOs), herbicides,
pesticides, agriculture water pollution, aquifer
depletion, antibiotics in livestock, and accurate
food labeling; and 2) current agriculture finance
issues including consolidation in agriculture
industries, crop subsidies and the federal
agricultural regulatory process. Study materials
are available on the LWVUS website.
The meeting was held at the Cedarburg Art
Museum W63 N675 Washington Ave. Vonna Pitel
gave a tour of the historic residence that now
houses work by local artists, including paintings
from Cedarburg’s Plein Air Events. Many
artworks reflected the family-farming legacy of
Ozaukee County.
Ten members attended the background
presentation by Claire Vanderslice, natural
resources chair, who guided the process of
answering 11 consensus questions.
Answers and comments will be collated and sent
to LWVUS by April 18.
The consensus result or a new position statement
will be announced before the National Convention
in June.
The position that was adopted in 1988, after a
two-year study, focused on sustainable
agriculture, research and development,
PAGE 7
NEWSLETTER OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF OZAUKEE COUNTY
VOL. 57 ISSUE NO. 3
SPRING 2014
Save the Date!
LWV Lake Michigan Region
Annual Meeting Oct 3-5, 2014
Traverse City, MI
LWV Lake Michigan
Region Update
The LWV Lake Michigan Region is holding its
annual meeting in Michigan this year. In order to
allow as many of you as possible to attend, we’re
holding the meeting portions of the program on
Saturday, October 4. There will be a meet-andgreet gathering Friday evening with a special
presentation on a dam removal project in the
Traverse City area. On Sunday following the
breakfast guest speaker, attendees may depart
for their selected field trip.
Assembly Bill 655 relating to establishing the
Lake Michigan shoreline in the City of Milwaukee
was passed in Assembly and will go to Senate.
The bill does not appear to require environmental
studies in decisions about whether property may
be privately developed.
The overall topic this year is “Climate Change
and Biodiversity of Lake Michigan”.
Among our speakers are:
• Dr. David Bunnell, Research Fishery Biologist,
U.S. Geological Survey
• Dr. Jeffrey Andersen, Associate Professor of
Geography, Michigan State University
• Hans VanSumeren, Director of Water Studies
Institute, Northwestern Michigan College
Field trips include:
• Paddling the Boardman River
• Walking in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National
Lakeshore
Plan to join us in Traverse City!!!
Check Traverse City out at
www.TraverseCity.com
SUBMITTED BY MARGE PALLEON,
LEGISLATIVE MEMBER LWV-LMR
A group called Preserve Our Parks raised a
concern with AB 655 that the 2. 2 acre transit
center site is covered by the Wisconsin
constitution’s public trust doctrine. The doctrine
largely bars private development on former lake
beds. The group says it must be upheld to prevent
private development on other filled lake beds
throughout WI.
The DNR is reviewing City of Waukesha’s water
diversion application. Waukesha claims the
request cannot be reduced because of projected
water needs for local industries over next 40
years. Industries are projected to boost water
demand by 1.2 million gallons/day by 2050.
The LWV-LMR drafted a letter to the Army Corps
of Engineers dealing with control of invasive
species getting from Mississippi River to Great
Lakes based on the League’s Great Lakes
Ecosystem position. LWVWI Natural Resource
chair will modify this letter for Wisconsin and
send it to Army Corps.
The proposed new water position draft was
completed and will be presented to the Leagues
for approval at the state convention in May 31,
2014.
PAGE 8
NEWSLETTER OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF OZAUKEE COUNTY
VOL. 57 ISSUE NO. 3
SPRING 2014
In Memorium
Cathy Wagner
Dereatha (Dee) Miller
Cathy Wagner, President of our League from 19911993 passed on March 16, 2014, after a battle with
leukemia.
After serving as our League’s president, Cathy
remained active for many years and could be
counted on to facilitate the Program Planning
Meeting every January. She was an informed,
involved citizen and served the Town of Cedarburg
and the Cedarburg School District in countless
ways. She was the prime mover in the
construction of the Cedarburg Performing Arts
Center.
Cathy and her husband, Tom, loved to travel and
see the wonders of the world. In 1977, they
traveled around the world, which took over one
year to accomplish. In her lifetime she visited
upwards of 50 countries.
In 2011, Cathy and Tom retired, bought a
motorhome and toured the United States and
Canada, stopping along the way to help build
homes for Habitat for Humanity.
Dee Miller, of Port Washington, passed away early
Monday morning, December 9, 2013 at Lawlis
Family Hospice in Mequon at the age of 76.
Dee was born July 27, 1937 in Harrisville, PA, the
daughter of Raymond and Verda Hockenberry
Allison.
For many years, Dee was a special education
teacher for Port Washington-Saukville School
District. Dee was a member of the League of
Women Voters of Ozaukee County, of First
Congregational United Church of Christ in Port
Washington, as well as the Daughters of the
American Revolution. She proudly served on the
Board of Directors for the Niederkorn Library,
where she also helped start Friends of the Library.
She enjoyed dancing, gardening, reading and
playing cards.
Their son, Vic, lives in the Nashville, Tennessee
area and it was there that Cathy received
treatments and where she died.
She requested to be buried in Walnut Hill
Cemetery overlooking the Baraboo bluffs near
which she was born, grew up and was married in.
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