April Membership Meeting
Date: Thursday, April 2, 2015
Time: Our social begins at 6:30 PM with our meeting called to order at 7 PM.
Location: Givens Community Center (1026 Sidney Rd, Port Orchard, 98366)
Our presentation this month will be a discussion on taxes and fees collected and where the money goes. Kitsap County Auditor Dolores Gilmore will speak as well as other elected officials. We will also hear updates on our Gig Harbor Democrats, Key Peninsula Democrats, and upcoming information for SK/Bremerton Democrats. Please join us as we have an excellent evening planned.
**If interested in donating towards the refreshments table for our social, please contact John Barelli.
Mark your calendars for the upcoming Gig Harbor Paddlers Cup & Expo on April 11-12 at Skansie Brothers Park in Gig Harbor, WA. Our organization is one of the sponsors. Please come and support young athletes and a great community event with us.
Gig Harbor, Key Peninsula Democrats Unite
Former State Rep. Larry Seaquist addresses a gathering of Democrats at a kickoff meeting in Key Center February 27th to form a Key Peninsula Democrats group.
HUGH MCMILLAN — Special to the Gateway
Steps were taken last week in Gig Harbor and on the Key Peninsula to form Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula Democrats groups. Sixteen people gathered at the Lele Restaurant in Gig Harbor and 25 got together in Key Center to hear Pierce County Council member Derek Young speak about council actions, especially regarding the planned administration building in Tacoma, shoreline management and the county jail.
“It’s an honor to be able to speak to new groups as their new representative on the council,” Young said. “My best ideas have always come from citizens so the more people we get involved, the better off we all are. I was impressed by these turnouts. They show how much people care about the issues.
“We’re having a tough time governing as a state and nation right now,” Young continued. “Local government is our last line of defense so it’s even more critical for our council to be directly accountable to the people in our community. Whether it’s a political, civic or business group, I’m always excited for the opportunity to answer questions and hear ideas.”
George Robison, chair of the 26th Legislative District Democrats who also presided at the gatherings, indicated that formation of a similar group for the South Kitsap part of the 26th Legislative District is being planned, with a first meeting planned for some time in April. The public is invited to attend. For information, contact Robison at 253-853-2721.
The Lele Restaurant in Gig Harbor has been reserved for 7 p.m. March 24 for the next Gig Harbor meeting. The public is welcome to attend. For more information, contact Todd Iverson, Larry Seaquist or the 26th LD Democrats online athttps://26d.org. The next Key Peninsula meeting is 7 p.m. April 20th at the Key Center Branch of the Pierce County Library.
April General Membership Meeting recap
The April meeting of the 26th LD Democrats was called to order by our chair Carl Olson. Members and guests heard reports from Carl Olson (chair), Kathleen Tei (Pierce vice-chair) and Tony Otto (Kitsap vice-chair).
Treasurer George Robison gave us a brief overview of Public Disclosure Commission rules and regulations concerning donation limits.
Don Bartley, membership chair, shared that our membership grew by five members and we’re now at 25 percent of our goal.
Larry Seaquist, 26th legislative district representative, spoke about his re-election campaign briefly before turning to his legislative review. Topics covered included education, the Dream Act update, state grants and state support, the homelessness bill update, and medical marijuana.
Judy Arbogast, our candidate for state senate in the 26th district for State Senate spoke briefly.
We also heard from Nathan Schlicher, our candidate for house of Representatives (position 1).
Linda Streissguth, Kitsap county commissioner, spoke briefly about upcoming events for her campaign. Dave Peterson, Kitsap County Clerk, gave us a re-election update and explained services that the county clerk office provides. Finishing out our speakers for the evening was Paul Andrews who is running for the Kitsap county assessor position.
Good of the Order was announced and Lynda Filson spoke on behalf of the Gig Harbor Foundation to thank the 26th LD Democrats for volunteering for the Big Sports Gig in Gig Harbor. River Curtis-Stanley announced an option for carpooling to the State Convention in Spokane.
Our next meeting will be held on Thursday May 1, 2014 at Givens Community Center, Port Orchard, WA. Social reception begins at 6:30 pm while our meeting starts at 7 pm.
Special thanks to Nove and Barbara Meyers for our monthly after meeting get-together held at Everybody’s Cookhouse and Sports Theater.