Annual Meeting Report

In addition to electing a new board, approving the annual budget, and adding a paragraph to our �Education� position, members who attended the Annual Meeting enjoyed hearing Jack Colbourn, Director of Outreach and Incentives for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, which covers nine counties accounting for 5,340 square miles.

Since 1955 the population of the district has more than doubled, the number of cars has tripled, and air pollution has quadrupled. Sixty-five percent of the air pollution is attributable to cars, trucks and other vehicles. Mid afternoon is the time of day when pollution is highest.

Jack Colbourn is responsible for promoting the �Spare the Air� Program this summer. You can help by reducing your driving (try to accomplish all your tasks in the course of one trip); postponing use of gasoline powered lawn and garden equipment; not using consumer products that pollute; not using gasoline powered boats; and conserving energy. Look for the �Spare the Air� promotions on television.

Barbara Hempill

Farmers' Market Booth Off to a Good Start in Livermore

At the summer Livermore Farmers� Market, we've had exceptional success in getting people to update their voter registration.� Name changes, address updates, changes in political party registration�and yes, a few first-time registrations too�all have been serviced at our table. �

The League has had a table at the corner of 3rd and J Streets for several years, and it's a fine location to catch the attention of those who come out to stock up on fruits and vegetables -- and, more important to us, update their voting status!

The first Thursday, May 18th, 11 VRF's were utilized by voters. And the following Thursday activity increased to an additional 25!� �

We plan to be there each Thursday during the summer. You are welcome at our table. Come on by!

Fred Lovell

Time to Re-Up!

It�s time to renew your membership in the Livermore-Amador Valley League of Women Voters and invite a friend to join you!

Last month you received a letter inviting you to renew your membership. Please respond right away, if you have not already renewed. Lost the letter? There�s a membership form on the back of this VOTER.

And when you renew, we hope you will join the 17 members who have already included a special donation to LWV-LAV or LWVEF, the League�s Education Fund.

Pat Mann, Membership VP

League Scholarship Winner

The annual Livermore-Amador Valley League $500 scholarship was won this year by Brittany Humrich. Although Brittany works 40 hours a week for a mortgage company in Danville, she carries 11 to 14 units per semester at Las Positas and has a 3-point grade average. Brittany will be finishing her classes at Las Positas in the fall while concurrently enrolled at CSU East Bay. She will major in Criminal Justice and minor in Psychology. She plans to do post-graduate work at the Alameda County Police Academy.

Brittany was also awarded the AAUW �Tribute for Excellence award. She is active in her church and the community and has applied to be a Community Service Specialist for the Livermore Police Department.

Proposition 81 and 82 Presentation

Thanks to the team from the Livermore-Amador Valley League who put together the terrific presentation on Propositions 81 and 82, later shown on local cable channel 26. They were professional, well informed, and respectful of others.

Team members included Mary Beth Acuff, Eileen Barr, Larry Moyer, Pat Mann, Julice Winter, Ann Rathjen, and Vivian Thorson together with our ever-faithful representative from channel 26, Jim Burt.

Thanks to all of you. You were the BEST. The evening was great!

Vivian Thorson

Distributing Registration Affadavits

The League continues to distribute Voter Registration forms throughout the valley. Pat Mann, Elteen Stone, Jim and Mary Ann Hannon, and Carolyn Ramsey took them to Post Offices, schools, Las Positas College, and the libraries in Livermore. Fred Lovell enjoys setting up a table at the Livermore Farmers' Market every Thursday in the summer to personally speak to people about registering to vote.

Vivian Thorson, Elva Cooper, and Larry Moyer do the same in Pleasanton, serving the library, fire stations, and the Post Office. Since the Pleasanton Farmers� Market is year-round, the League has a table there periodically, in rotation with other public service groups.

Eileen Barr takes care of Dublin as well as bringing us more forms from Oakland when we need them. She also is our liaison with the other Alameda County Leagues. The County of Alameda pays our leagues to distribute the forms so that people can conveniently register to vote. This contributes nearly $1000 to our league each year; but, more importantly, we are helping people vote!

Mary Ann Hannon

Water Position Update Study

Water, water�it�s not everywhere in California. How does it get to our valley? Will we have enough in dry years? Why does it taste different from one side of the valley to the other? What if we had to choose between quantity or quality? Who is Zone 7? What water issues should we look at to update our position? Water rates? Flood control? Sludge disposal (not from sewage treatment, but from treating the water to make it potable)? Water supply for agriculture? Recycled water?

If you would enjoy helping scope our study or researching any of these topics, or if you just want to explore possibilities, please contact Mary Ann Hannon, who has agreed to chair the study. The first meeting of the nascent committee will be June 21, at Mary Ann�s home (309 Pearl Drive, Livermore) at 9:30 am. Margaret Tracy, former Zone 7 board member; Jim Kohnen, present Zone 7 Board member; and Julice Winter have signed up so far. Please join us!

Mary Ann Hannon (443-5588)
[email protected]

Board Briefs

� Due to financial concerns, we voted to cancel having a Just Vote banner for Pleasanton prior to the November election.
� Look for a letter, on behalf of the League, from Mary Beth Acuff appearing in local newspapers.
� The LWVC is supporting both SCA 3 (redistricting) and SB 840 (Single-Payer Health Care bill).
� The Sept. Board meeting will be at the Livermore Library, in response to a request for the meetings to alternate between private homes and public places.

Ann Rathjen