Next Meeting
Thursday November 17th 2016
At Seven Bar & Grill, 25 Shaw Ave. Clovis
Phone: (559) 322-1605
Members to convene at 6:00. Business at 6:15. Program to follow immediately.
Message from President Jeni:
I had planned to start my column for this month with “at last, our long electoral nightmare is over,” But I don’t think any of us expected this outcome and have no idea how to move forward. As I write this column, many of our fellow citizens have taken to the streets in protest. But we are fortunate to live in California which has a Democratic government. We need to focus on preserving Democratic gains in our state and be ready to stand up to Republican attempts nationally to take away what we value.
There was also not much to celebrate locally as Clivis Democrats did not fare well but we can be proud of those who tried. A message from club member David Rowell: “Thanks SO MUCH for the encouragement and support, the people who made calls and walked precincts, the people who contributed, the people who simply sent encouraging thoughts my way! Your support and trust meant a lot. It was a great honor, truly, and although I was unsuccessful in the end, running for office was something I’ll never forget. It was a lesson in civic responsibility, and something I’d encourage club members to consider in the future. Again, many, many thanks to all!”
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Phouangmala “Diane” Phakonekham, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central California (BBBSCC) will provide information about the program, for which she has been Program Director since 2011. She will speak on the organization’s mission: : “To provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported 1-to-1 relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.” Currently, there are 306 BBBS nationwide and BBBSCC is now ranked in the top 3 for the Western Region. By the end of 2016, Diane’s goal is to have BBBSCC serving 1000+ children. In 2015, BBBSCC was recognized for the prestigious National Gold Standard Award.
An informational summary of the issues on the November Ballot
Marianne Kast, Mary Perich, and Liz Shields of the League of Women Voters of Fresno gave us some valuable information about the plethora of California ballot initiatives. It was a ponderous task which they handled with aplomb and good humor and which we can be sure helped us all make some difficult ballot decisions..
Trump Quietly Releases Plan to Privatize America’s Roads, Bridges
Overseeing effort: Gov. Chris Christie.