Bulletin - September-2006

Bulletin League of WomenVoters of Greater Omaha

1941 South 42 Street

Suite 501

Omaha, NE 68105-2945

Phone: 402-344-3701

www.omahalwv.org

League of Women Voters of Greater Omaha September, 2006

A non-partisan political organization open to all citizens 18 years of age or older Volume 49 No 3

STORM WATER MANAGEMENT

IN THE PAPILLION CREEK WATERSHED:

BACKGROUND PRESENTATION & BUS TOUR

Saturday, September 16, 2006

9:00 a.m. - Noon

Papio NRD Headquarters

(South 154 Street and Giles Road)

$14.50 per person Guests welcome!

Sponsored by LWVGO

See page 7

RIVER CITY ROUNDUP--“A Silver Celebration”

The 2006 Ak-Sar-ben's River City Roundup Heritage Parade marks 25 years that this western festival has been entertaining, educating, and enticing individuals and families across the Heartland. LWVGO will be a part of this grand celebration.

Mark your calendars now for Saturday, September 30th, 2006. The parade will begin @ 9:45 AM. Come one, come all. This is an enjoyable family event. Bring the kids, grandchildren; I have even brought our dog! More details will be coming for this September 30th parade.

If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking. (George Patton)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Monday, August 21: Annual SHRIMP FEED. Surfside Club. See August Bulletin.

Wednesday, August 23, 9:00 AM: A Celebration of the 86th Anniversary of the Passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution See president’s message on page 2.

Thursday, August 24, 6:00 p.m., League office: GOTV (Get Out The Vote) meeting.

Monday, August 28: Deadline for VG editors to receive finalized Voters' Guide questions.

Thursday, August 31: Mail VG questions to candidates.

Tuesday, September 11: Deadline for candidate answers to be received.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006, 11:30 a.m., League Office, Speakers Bureau Meeting

September 13-14, Strategic Air & Space Museum. Envisioning Regional Design Charrette. See page 4,

Thursday, September 14, 9:30 a.m., League office. LWVGO board meeting. All members welcome.

Saturday, September 16: Morning bus tour regarding urban flooding and NRD dams in Washington County. See above and page 7.

Saturday, September 30, 9:45 AM: River City Roundup Heritage Parade. See above.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Constitutional Amendment 19

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce the article by appropriate legislation.

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution was proposed June 4, 1919, and proclaimed August 26, 1920.

It is appropriate, I think, as we celebrate the anniversary of the women's right to vote this month, to consider the determination and bravery of women the ilk of Susan B. Anthony, Carrie Chapman Catt, Alice Paul, the Grimke sisters, and others. We owe our foremothers a great deal of gratitude. The suffragettes fought for years for the right to vote and when you think it took more than a year for the amendment to be proclaimed, this illuminates the perseverance, tenacity and resolve these women possessed. They were truly zealots of their time and place.

In addition to the role of women in the temperance and Prohibition movements, there was another smaller movement among women seeking to influence the morals of home and society. The movement of Social Purity dealt with sexual behavior within the American family. It is easy to see why women figured prominently in this issue.

The Election Commissioner's Office, along with LWVGO, is planning a celebration to commemorate the passage of the 19th Amendment. The celebration, on August 23, 2006, will include a 9AM Press Conference (in front of the City County Building downtown) to which all public officials will be invited, and our own Evelyn Zysman, long-time League member, will recall her first experience in the important voting process. Voter Registration will be offered until 11:30 AM, and we will have membership information available. At 1PM, Linda Duckworth will impersonate Susan B. Anthony at the National Park Service building, 6th and Riverfront Drive They are considering showing the video Iron Jawed Angels in the evening, but that has not been confirmed. All in all, this will be an important remembrance and one which I hope many of you can attend.

When I think about the fact that it is a mere 86 years ago that women have had the right to vote, it seems like a very short time. That is shorter than some people's life!! It is no wonder Leaguers are such a tenacious, hard working, steadfast and resolute group….others before us exercised their determination and worked tirelessly so we can vote today. It is our right to vote!!. Let's do our part in getting others --- women and men --- to the polls. It's their right!!

Barbara Tripp

INVITATION

The Douglas County Election Commission, in association with The League of Women Voters of Greater Omaha, cordially invites you to attend a Celebration of the 86th Anniversary of the Passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States giving women the right to vote.

Date: Wednesday, August 23, 2006;

Time: 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM;

Place: Civic Center, 1819 Farnam Street, north side of building.

Two Leaguers will be part of this celebration:

9:00 AM: As part of this Press Conference, Evelyn Zysman will talk about her first opportunity to vote.

9:30-11:30 AM: Voter Registration and LWVGO memberships available at the Press Conference Site.

1:00 PM: Linda Duckworth will impersonate Susan B. Anthony at the National Park Service Building, 6th and Riverfront Drive.

Evening: The Election Commissioner's office is working on showing Iron Jawed Angels. This has not yet been confirmed but we will make every effort to keep you informed.

Please wear your LWV t-shirts to the Equality Celebration events.

BOARD REPORTS:

PRESIDENT'S REPORT, Barbara Tripp, August 14, 2006

Many thinks to Pat Galusha and Barbara Rennard for their efforts in submitting the application for the Membership Recruitment Initiative. The ball is now in the court of LWVUS and hopefully LWVGO will be chosen as one of the 5 pilot sites for this project. We will know later this month!

(LATEBREAKING NEWS: WE WERE CHOSEN AS ONE OF THE FIVE LEAGUES IN THE NATION TO DO THIS PROJECT!)

Time has been spent with the Election Commissioner's office helping to plan the celebration of Women's Equality Day. I hope this is the first of many commemorations of such an important day in the lives of US citizens. See invitation elsewhere in this Bulletin.

Rita Shaughnessy and Belinda Greiner have been working very hard in putting together what I think is a great program for the year. Our kick-off program, scheduled for Sept. 16th will be a bus tour of the Papillion Creek watershed. This is slated to be very informative and interesting. (See the article and reservation elsewhere in the Bulletin). I hope you can all attend.

Reminder: Please send changes in your Yearbook membership listing. The update has begun and the new Yearbook will be out soon. If you have e-mail but none is listed, you are missing information, as we (and LWVUS) are using this method of communication.

Finally, a reason to eat chocolate!! Pierce J. Howard, Ph,.D. leading cognitive science researcher and cofounder and director of research at the Center for Applied Cognitive Studies in Charlotte, North Carolina, says people who consume moderate amounts of chocolate have better brain circulation and can reduce their risk of stroke. He goes on to say we should have 2 small squares of a bar of chocolate daily - the darker the better. Dark chocolate contains a greater amount of antioxidants than does milk chocolate. Thank you Dr. Howard!

See you at the Shrimp Feed on Aug 21st!

VP ACTION REPORT, Linda Duckworth

I've been in touch with Peggy Adair, Vice-President - Action for Nebraska State League, about the various upcoming proposed constitutional amendments. The one we are most likely to publicly comment on would be the one regarding gambling. Since we came out against the amendments to legalize gambling two years ago I would guess we might do the same this year. I would really appreciate your input on this subject.

VOTER SERVICE, Pat Hanson and Carolyn Ireland, co-chairs

Voter Outreach: We Are Nebraska--We Will Vote!, an event sponsored by the Chicano Awareness Center, the Office of Latino/Latin American Studies at UNO (OLLAS), Nebraska Appleseed and NAF, was held at La Plaza de la Raza, 24th and N Street, on the evening of July 22, 2006. A voter registration training session, at which 40 new registrants were deputized, was followed by a voter registration drive and community celebration.

At the request of Dr. Lourdes Gouveia of OLLAS, LWV-GO had a table at this event. Voter Service co-chairs Pat Hanson and Carolyn Ireland answered questions and distributed ex-felon voting rights guides and League voter-education materials.

An unexpected group of about 25 protesters lined the opposite side of 24 Street displaying anti-immigration signs and U.S. flags.

HARD WORK PAYS OFF

We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid. -- Benjamin Franklin

IMPORTANT INFO ON CHANGES

Please send changes in your Yearbook membership listing. The update has begun and the new Yearbook will be out soon. If you have e-mail but none is listed, you are missing information, as we (and LWVUS) are using this method of communication. If you change your address, phone number, e-mail, etc, during the year, please let us know so we can keep our database up to date.

THE CITY DESK AND BEYOND

by Bev Traub

Papio-Missouri NRD Forum

On July 20, 2006, the Papio-Missouri Natural Resources District held a public forum on a proposal to builld twenty-nine dams in Sarpy and Douglas Counties. About 130 people attended the meeting which lasted 3 1/2 hours. A panel representing the Papillion Creek Watershed Partnership included: Marlin Peterman, P-MNRD Acting General manager; Lyle Christensen, HDR; Marty Grate, Omaha Public Works; Kent Holm, Douglas County Environmental Services; Steve Jensen, Omaha City Planning; John Fullenkamp, attorney; and Terry Atkins, Lamp, Rynearson & Associates listened and answered questions. Almost all of the speakers were opposed to the dams. They wanted to know why the public wasn't involved in the decision-making process, what costs there would be for taxpayers to construct and maintain the dams, and what alternatives had been considered to the dams. Speakers were opposed to legislation proposed in the Nebraska Unicameral that would give the NRD authority to issue bonds to fund the projects. The proposal provides for developers to pay some of the initial costs for allowing them to build around the lakes, but exempts them from maintenance. Most of the speakers were landowners who would be affected by the plan. One speaker of Washington County and former forester at the Nebraska Arboretum, said that dams are considered old technology and that the policy is flawed and shows a bias toward developers over smart design.

Douglas County Board

On August 1, the Douglas County Board agenda included a resolution and a public hearing concerning adoption of stormwater management policies and regulation. The resolution was an endorsement of the Papio-Missouri NRD stormwater management proposal. One person speaking in opposition of the resolution said that the P-MNRD Partnership has put a fear of flooding in the minds of the public and that the process has been flawed because landowners were not notified. She said that stormwater should be contained at the source. Another speaker said that the NRD already has power of eminent domain and is seeking additional endorsements to bolster the case for dams. He said that dams are being torn out in Wisconsin, and that Boulder, Colorado, has a plan that features alternatives to dams. Another speaker said that the NRD's main priority is to provide for developers who are not required to control runoff. A professional biologist who is in charge of an EPA-funded project said that dams are artificial barriers and detrimental to streams. She said that the Papio is a natural resource to be preserved, the state does not require dams, and a decision should not be rushed. Commissioner Kyle Hutchings reminded the Board that August 1 was the deadline for a plan to be in place for stormwater management. However, one of the opponents had called the EPA and was told that the deadline was flexible. Their Board decided to postpone a decision and send a letter to the EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency) and the DEQ (Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality) saying that more time is needed to study the issue.

ENVISIONING REGIONAL DESIGN CHARRETTE

from Bev Traub

The Omaha/Lincoln metro area is experiencing unprecedented growth that will result in a doubling of the region's population by 2050. Our future quality of life will depend on the choices we make right now. Will we plan for an environment that is a sustainable social resource, or will we continue to treat our environment as a commodity for short-term exploitation?

You are invited to help answer these questions and shape a vision for a sustainable future by attending "Envisioning Regional Design: The Flatwater Metroplex," September 13-14, 2006, at the Strategic Air & Space Museum near Mahoney State Park.

This two-day event will focus on challenges and opportunities facing six environments within the Omaha-Lincoln Metroplex selected to represent a broad range of real-life conditions. Their study will also consider the transferability of ideas and visions to similar environments and communities in the region.

The six charrettes, to be conducted concurrently on September 14, include:

* Urban Core Center: Downtown Lincoln/Antelope Valley to the Haymarket

* Near-Urban Core Neighborhood: Omaha's Drake Court District

* Transformation of Regional Shopping Mall: Fremont

* Suburban Conservation Community: Rural Bennington

* Regional Small Town: Ashland

* I-80 Corridor Environs

"Envisioning Regional Design" officially begins on the evening of September 13 with a keynote address by noted urban planner George M. Crandall, who has been responsible for more than 50 major urban and community design projects across the country.

A day-long charrette workshop on September 14 will challenge participants to explore possible outcomes facing the six environments and translate them into drawings and other media-based visions with the help of facilitators, architects, and planners. These visions will be shared with the media and the public.

If you are interested in participating in one or both days of "Envisioning Regional Design" please RSVP by Friday, August 18 to 402.595.1902.

Participants in the day-long charrette excercise on September 14 will be assigned to one of the six environment areas unless a particular preference is stated in the reply. There is no charge for the workshop but we do need RSVPs to ensure adequate space and materials.

For more information on the charrette environments and a calendar of events, please visit <www.ecospheres.com> and click on “News” under “Communications” in the left column of the web page.

Our hope for a sustainable future requires that we think, plan, and act regionally. We strongly urge your participation and representation in this important event.

"Envisioning Regional Design: The Flatwater Metroplex" is co-sponsored by AIA Nebraska, Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable Communities (JCI), and the Nebraska Innovation Zone Commission (NIZC).

Urban Flooding and the Papillion Creek Watershed

To present-day residents of Omaha, urban flooding sounds like a disaster that happens somewhere else - New Orleans maybe, but not here. In fact, flooding can and has happened here. Forty-two years ago, in the spring of 1964, a severe thunderstorm stalled over eastern Nebraska, dumping more than 8 inches of rain in Omaha, Bennington, Millard, Ralston and Papillion. The storm caused the greatest flood on record in the metro-area's Papillion Creek Watershed. It was so rapid that full evacuation was not possible, and seven lives were lost.

Omaha suffered through major flooding again in 1965, resulting in one death. The city has experienced other near-flood events, including in 1999 when over 10 inches of rain fell in parts of the metro in a 24 hour period, resulting in considerable property damage and one fatality.

The 402-square-mile Papillion Creek Watershed encompasses parts of three counties and 10 cities and villages, including Omaha. It is home to about 25 percent of Nebraska's residents, and it is facing rapid urbanization of agricultural lands. It is also a watershed prone to flash floods.

In response to the devastating floods of the 60's, the US Army Corps of Engineers devised a series of 21 flood control reservoirs and received federal funding by Congress in the Flood Control Act of 1968. Since then, these projects have faced delays and increased costs and only seven of the original 21 dams have been built through a variety of federal funds, private developers, Natural Resource District sponsorship, and public/private partnerships. The NRD was created in 1972, with flood control as its highest priority. Besides large reservoirs, the NRD currently uses several methods of flood prevention including enlarged stream channels, levees, watershed conservation measures, zoning, and property-buyout programs.

To explore this issue further, with particular attention to the dams proposed in Washington County, LWVGO is sponsoring a bus tour of the Papillion Creek watershed. At 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 16, 2006, we'll meet at NRD Headquarters in the Chalco Hills Recreation Area. We'll begin with background presentations inside, then board the bus for the tour. Presenters will include representatives of the Papio NRD, the Omaha Planning Department, and HRD Engineering. The cost is $14.50 per person to cover the cost of the bus. Additional reservation information is in the announcement at the back of this Bulletin. Don't miss this interesting and highly informative morning.

(See info on September 16 bus trip on last page.)

SPEAKERS BUREAU UPDATE

The Speakers Bureau has a new brochure that describes all of the speeches available for presentation to interested groups. If you need a brochure for your church group, retirement center, or civic organization, please call the League office, 344-3701.

We are always looking for a few good women (and men) to join our Speakers Bureau. If you have an idea for a speech topic, please give us a call. Feel free to stop in at our next Speakers Bureau meeting, September 13, 11:30 in the League office, to see what we are all about.

When we long for life without difficulties, remember that oaks grow strong

in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure. -- Peter Marshall

MEMBERSHIP

For membership updates, please contact Hedy Ahlvers, Membership Chair.

Please remember: If you change your address, phone #, e-mail, etc, please let me know so we can keep our database up to date.

Pass this membership application on to a friend:

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LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF GREATER OMAHA

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Name ______________________________________________________________________

Address __________________________________City___________State _____ ZIP _______

Home phone ____________________________Work phone ___________________________

Fax _______________________________________ E-mail ____________________________

____Single member, $50 ___Family membership, $75 ___Additional contribution $_____

Please make your checks payable to LWVGO and send to: Total Enclosed $____________

League of Women Voters of Greater Omaha

1941 S. 42nd Street, Suite 501

The Papillion Watershed is a 400 square mile system encompassing three counties and 10 cities/villages, including Omaha, in a complex mixture of urban and rural land uses. Twenty years of rapid urbanization bring increased urgency to proper watershed management and protection. Dams, levees, channel improvements, and restrictive development are all tools for flood control. Joins us for an overview of the issues, particularly the proposed dams in Washington County, and for a tour of some of the landscape and structures in question.

Storm Water Management

in the Papillion Creek Watershed:

Background Presentation & Bus Tour

Saturday, September 16, 2006

9:00 a.m. - Noon

Papio NRD Headquarters

(South 154th Street and Giles Road)

Presenters will include Marlin Petermann, Acting Director Papio-Missouri NRD; Steve Jensen, Director City of Omaha Planning Department; and a representative of HDR Engineering.

$14.50 per person Guests welcome!