League of Women Voters of St. Tammany Board 2009-10: Sandra Slifer, President, Barbara Dodds, First Vice-President, Jeannine Meeds, Second-Vice-President, Jan Harrison Secretary, and Eileen deHaro, Treasurer. Directors Bert Green, Kada Harris, Carlo Hernandez, and Eileen Rollman are returning to the board. Newly appointed directors are Donna Howland, Daryl Pettit, and Judy Smith. 

 

During our board retreat in mid-June we planned our upcoming schedule for the year. Not all of the details for the events have been finalized, but we wanted to let you know what topics we will be focusing on for the upcoming year and give our readers an opportunity to add your voices and ideas to the discussion.

 

July 16: Join us for lunch at 11:30 at Grillot Restaurant in Mandeville for a presentation by Stephen Evans from the Louisiana Family Recovery Corps. Mr. Evans will be discussing the long-term role of the Recovery Corps and explaining their new state and federal legislative agenda. The Recovery Corps is working on projects in St. Tammany Parish worth over $1,000,000. For reservations, please contact Eileen Rollman at 624-5579 or send a check for only $15 to Eileen at 315 Lafitte St. Mandeville, LA 70448.

 

August: The League will be holding a Membership Coffee to discuss our role in the upcoming Census 2010 Complete Count Committee. Federal funding, reapportionment, and redistricting all demand an accurate count of every resident in St. Tammany Parish.

 

September: Barbara Dodds is organizing a program on Coastal Restoration. To paraphrase Ivor vonHeerden, if Lake Pontchartrain was named Pontchartrain Bay perhaps people on the northshore would recognize that St. Tammany is a part of the coast.

 

October: The League will be sponsoring a potluck for our state legislators. It often takes a few months for the unintended consequences of legislative action to surface and this informal dinner gives our members and our legislators an opportunity to share their concerns and hopes for the upcoming session next year.

 

November: State of the Parish: A Financial Summary. One of our most popular programs two years ago was our panel discussion with Assessor Patricia Core, Sheriff Jack Strain, St. Tammany Parish School Superintendent Gayle Sloan, and St. Tammany Finance gurus Kim Salter and Leslie Long. We are hoping to invite representatives from the two largest fire districts, one and four, to join the panel discussion for a review of their financial status. Given the revenue shortfalls that most governmental agencies are experiencing due to sales tax reductions, this should be an interesting meeting and one that we’ll ask the Government Access Channel to tape.

 

December: It’s time for a break and our members will be invited to our annual holiday celebration!

 

January: We’re hoping to partner with AAUW on a program about high school education. The passage of the “career track” high school diploma has added a new wrinkle to the discussion. One wonders what type of career students will be training for that doesn’t require a basic level of proficiency in eighth grade math and English skills.

 

February: We’ll be paying close attention to qualifying for the Slidell municipal offices since several current office-holders are term-limited and changes are expected at the top. We’ll also plan a membership meeting for a review of our current positions and a discussion of any possible changes or a need for further study on new topics. We’ll be reviewing other local League’s positions on local libraries and determine if there is a position we can propose be adopted by concurrence or if a local study regarding libraries will be needed.

 

March: Slidell Candidates’ Forums and Celebration of Women’s History Month

 

April: LWVST Annual Meeting, 2010 Census forms will be delivered, and the League of Women Voters turns 90 years old. We plan on asking for proclamations from the parish and local government entities to help us acknowledge this anniversary.

 

May: Legislative Day Activities in Baton Rouge—what surprises and nightmares will we encounter next year?

 

Throughout the year, we’ll continue our regular activities: observing public meetings and attending public hearings; responding to public requests for comments by the regulatory agencies; meeting for brunch the day before the Parish Council meeting; working to upgrade our web site prior to the 2011 election cycle; and looking for opportunities to engage citizens and elected and appointed officials on public matters dealing with the Census to Planning and everywhere in between.

 

You are invited to join us, either as a member or a guest, this upcoming year. Please visit our web site at www.lwvst.info for information or send me an email at sandraslifer@gmail.com.