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Email: president@lwvcomal.org
LWV of the Comal Area
PO Box 311324
New Braunfels, TX 78131
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Date: 2/12/2023
Subject: February 2023 VOTER
From: LWV Comal Area



February 2023 VOTER

OFFICERS & DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT
Jerrie Champlin 
 
VP-ORGANIZATION
Kristen Coppock
 
VP-PROGRAM
Daphne Spraitzar
 
VP-VOTERS SERVICE
Laraine Henchal
 
SECRETARY
Ada Conlan
 
TREASURER
Roxanna Deane
 
DIRECTOR, MEMBERSHIP
Vacant- Volunteer needed!
 
DIRECTOR, PUBLICITY
Cassie Wedding
 
DIRECTOR, YOUTH
EMPOWERMENT
Sheila Pattison
 
CHAIR, NOMINATING 
COMITTEE
Robin Engel
  
  Calendar 
 
WHAT: LWV Texas Lobby Days
WHEN: Monday, Feb. 27 - Feb. 28, 2023
WHERE: Austin, TX
 
WHEN: Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: UT Etter-Harbin Alumni Center
2110 San Jacinto Blvd
Austin, TX 78712
 
  Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense
WHEN: Wednesday, March 15, 7 p.m.
WHERE: McKenna Center
  801 W. San Antonio St.
  New Braunfels, TX
 
 
 
Most people join the League 
because they are asked.
 
 Ask a friend!
 
Ready to join?
 
   
 
 
 
Be My Voice- VOTE Art Poster Contest
for K-8th graders
Now accepting entries through Feb. 28
 
More information at
 

Welcome New Members!
 
Kathryn Sherrill
New Braunfels
 
Becky Waguespack
New Braunfels, TX
 
From the President
 
Thank you to everyone who helped pack the house at the Circle Arts Benefit Performance, Feb. 4, and to the generous donors who contributed more than the ticket price. We raised double the amount expected!  A special thanks to Jan Estes, a Charter Member who has coordinated this fundraiser for many years.  What a way to start our 30th year!
 
Coming up: Comal Area's 2023 Art Poster Contest ends,
    Six of us will be visiting legislators in Austin as part of the LWV Texas Lobby Days,  
                    High school registration drives begin.  
 
More Get-Out-The-Vote and educational activities are being planned so keep checking the website Events calendar and your email for volunteer opportunities.  Some dates to save:  March 15 Public Forum, April 22 Earth Day Festival at Headwaters, May 10 Annual Meeting  and June 10 NBTX Pride 2023.
 
Interested in helping make these activities happen?  We are looking for Board members to ensure that we can continue to empower voters and defend democracy with a variety of activities in our growing area!  Contact Us
 
-Jerrie Champlin
 
 
LWVUS Turns 103 Feb. 14!
 
Celebrate with LWVUS President Dr. Deborah Turner, LWVUS CEO Virginia Kase Solomón, and your fellow League members for a “People Powered League” pep rally livestreamed on the LWVUS Facebook page Feb. 14, 2023, at 10 a.m. CT.
By Roxanna Deane
 

Comal County is currently creating a Parks, Open Space, and Natural Areas (POSNA) Master Plan. This Master Plan will be a document that assists with short- and long-term decision making by elected officials on such things as potential capital expenditures, potential partnerships and management strategies. The Master Plan will help Comal County develop a preferred vision for parks, open space, and natural areas throughout the county. An important component of creating the plan is to measure community preferences for parks, open space and natural areas as well as the willingness to pay for those. All residents are urged to complete this survey before March 17, 2023 POSNA Survey

 
Some of the questions on the survey ask about funding and mention bonds. Most of the surrounding counties have passed bonds to purchase land for conservation, parks, and recreation. Last November Kendall County passed a $20 million bond to conserve rural land and natural areas that protect valuable water resources. Could Comal County be next?
 
History of LWV Comal Area's Land Use Activities
 

At a recent open house about the Master Plan, there was a list of organizations working on conservation issues in Comal Count that included the League of Women Voters Comal Area. This was a reminder to me of the work the League has done.

 

A position on Land Use Planning for Comal County was adopted by the LWVCA in 2006 and updated in 2017: Land Use Planning Position. The position emphasizes planning which is why we applaud the Comal Commissioners Court for approving and funding the POSNA Master Plan.

 

In 2010, the Comal Area League presented a proposal for all leagues in Texas to study “Water as a Commodity”. The study was approved and as a result the Texas League’s position on water was updated. The changes specified that the LWVTX believes that water is a natural resource and should be managed for the benefit of the people and the protection of the environment. Further, water conservation should be mandatory, groundwater conservation districts should be strengthened so they can continue to regulate groundwater use, water transfers should be regulated by the state, and water transfers to urban areas should not endanger rural economies.

 

In 2015, the Texas Legislature created the Comal Trinity Groundwater Conservation District. This was done at the request of local stakeholders that had worked countless hours to find common ground. League members, especially Jensie Madden, were very involved in leading this group. In February 2017, the LWVCA,  the Hill Country Alliance and the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance sponsored a two day conference, “Planning for Growth in Comal County”. Over 200 people attended and many signed up to stay involved. Click to read the report.   In November 2017, a follow-up community forum was presented by these three organizations entitled "Land Conservation Options for Comal County," and in December, they brought together interested community members from the two growth conferences to brainstorm ideas for achieving land preservation options in Comal County. The new group began having monthly meetings and grew steadily as others learned that this was a chance to make a difference in our county. In May 2018, the group of volunteers, including many League members, had officially formed the Comal County Conservation Alliance (CCCA) Almost 5 years later, CCCA is recognized throughout the Hill Country and works to preserve land, water, and wildlife.

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LWVCA Hosts Moms Demand Action

For Women’s History Month

 

A Women’s History Month public forum hosted by the LWVCA will feature Molly Bursey,  the founder of the New Braunfels-San Marcos Chapter of Mons Demand Action For Gun Sense In America, on Wednesday, March 15 at 7 p.m. at the McKenna Center, 801 W. San Antonio St., New Braunfels, TX.

 

Moms Demand Action is a grassroots movement of Americans fighting for public safety measures that can protect people from gun violence. Much like Mothers Against Drunk Driving was created to reduce drunk driving, Moms Demand Action was created to advocate for stronger laws and policies that will reduce gun violence and save lives. It is a non- partisan grassroots movement of American mothers demanding common sense solutions to address our country’s dangerous culture of gun violence, which jeopardizes the safety of children and families. Moms Demand Action has established a volunteer chapter in every state of the country and Washington, D.C., and is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with nearly 10 million supporters. 


New Braunfels MLK Association Offers Non-Traditional Scholarship
 

If you are 25 years old or older, reside in the City of New Braunfels or Comal County, Texas and are intending to go to school to acquire the skills to become more financially independent, you may be eligible for a one time non-traditional scholarship in the amount of $2,000 from the New Braunfels MLK Association. The scholarship will be awarded on or before May 31, 2023. The deadline for application submission is midnight April 30, 2023. 

 

Click MLK Scholarship Application to complete and submit application online, or email info@nbmlk.com and request a form to submit by email to info@nbmlk.com or mail to P.O. Box 311533, New Braunfels TX 78131-1533. All questions concerning the scholarship must be submitted by email to info@nbmlk.com. Please pass on this information to individuals who might be interested.