1st quarter 2023: March edition The Beacon Donate to Support ICDP Candidates & Projects Iosco County Represented at 2023 MDP Spring Convention A sign at the MDP Convention in Detroit on February 11, 2023 Carole Bleau, Józef Drozdowski and Jim Mortimer attended the Michigan Democratic Party State Convention February 11, at Huntington Place, in Detroit. This was a celebration of the Democratic wins during the November 22, elections. During the Convention, elections were held for leaders to fill each office. Within the ICDP, Carole Bleau was elected to the 1st Congressional District Executive Committee and Józef Drozdowski was elected as a Delegate. Campaign Committee Needs Your Input read report here Resolutions passed at ICDP's County Spring 2023 Convention Delegates of the Iosco County Democratic Party gathered at its spring convention on January 27 , 2023 at the headquarters to elect an alternate to serve on the Michigan Democratic Party’s Convention Resolution Committee. Richard Douglass was elected to serve in that capacity. The County Convention delegates also discussed critical issues in Iosco County and rural Michigan: affordable housing, protecting drinking water, healthcare accessibility and cost, medical debt forgiveness, health department credentials, and a fairer tax structure. Seven resolutions, developed by local Democrats to address these concerns, were submitted to the County Party. All seven were unanimously adopted; the adopted resolutions will be forwarded to the State Party for consideration by the State Convention’s Resolution Committee. County Party Chair Carole Bleau stated: “These issues are of great importance, and I hope they will all be addressed vigorously on behalf of rural Michigan citizens.” LINK TO iosco news article HERE link to read the resolutions here ICDP Needs You! Do you have a few hours a month to help the Iosco County Democratic Party? We are looking for passionate members to join our work! We have openings on our committees and in our office. We need help answering questions about membership; writing and/or editing communications including the newsletter and mailings (any writers or journalists out there?); help with organizing community service projects and special events planned for 2023 through the Services & Events Committee; help with financial tasks (accountants?); and help with data entry and the ICDP's membership database. We have work you can do in our Headquarters or at home. Interested? Please reach out to us: Laurie Miles at
[email protected] or Dee Dee Honner at
[email protected] . We will be thrilled to connect with you! The Future of the Democrats in Rural Michigan Here's a link to an article from Bridge Michigan that gives the big picture for Iosco County and its Board of Commissioners' seats in 2024. Will Iosco have candidates running for these county seats? BRIDGE article link ICDP in Action to help our community Chris Zimmel was at Kohl's after Christmas and their Kohl's Cares stuffed toys were on sale. She bought a dozen and called the Iosco County EMS to see if they needed any for their pediatric transports. They were very pleased to have them so she donated them from ICDP. Check out ICDP's upcoming Fundraiser and Friend-Raiser events and activities! link to Events & Service Activities Successful Chilly Cook-off at 2023 Perchville It was Perchville time during the first weekend of February. As has happened during the previous 72 years, the people across Iosco County had had enough of being held winter's hostage and hence decided to break free and roll with the cold! Joining this festive spirit was the Iosco County Democratic Party. To be sure, it took the better part of a week to get everything lined up, but ready we were for the Chilly Cook-Off on Saturday, February 4. In a fun filled, all hands-on deck effort, we serve up 22.5 gallons of homemade chili, 2 ounces at a time! Even the sub-zero wind-chills added to a sense of something special as frozen chilly patrons joked about the cold with the frosted over chilly servers. Between all the prize winners and fellow Democrats touring from other places; one couldn't help but feel a sense of community pride. All happened during the official 2 hours of the 23rd Great Perchville Chilly Cook-Off. Hope the ICDP will do it again next year! Holding Congressman Bergman Accountable Halfway through Jack Bergman’s 1 st Congressional District Brief, the congressman brags about his vote to defund the IRS. Bob Kennedy from Alcona County sent a letter to him on January 28th in response to his vote. Bob doubts that Bergman will agree to his offer for a town hall meeting but if he does, Bob is hoping that members of the old 106th & 99th districts will attend. To sign up to receive Congressman Bergman’s email updates to monitor his communication, sign up here: BERGMAN'S BRIEFS 2022 Annual Report Each year the ICDP publishes an annual report to its members and the community about its goals and activities for the year. Click on the link below to read a copy and share with your like-minded friends. 2022 ANNUAL REPORT read the iosco news article here Help ICDP Reach Young Voters! Expanding our membership to include more voters ages 18 - 40 is part of the ICDP's 2023 - 2024 Strategic Plan. A Survey Monkey has been developed to solicit feedback from our neighbors, family members, and friends. Please send the link below to anyone in this age group. It will help us create a path forward to engage more younger voters in our work. SURVEY LINK HERE Democrats to Iowa: Get Lost! (And They Wonder Why They Struggle in Rural America.) Here's an article from the New York Times on why rural Americans often feel left out by the Democratic Party. Does any of it resonate with your experience in Iosco County? What can we do to push new strategies for rural communities like ours to the Michigan Democratic Party? Send your ideas to The Beacon for our next quarter issue. nyt article here New Editor Needed for The Beacon ICDP is in need of one or two volunteers to take over the quarterly publication of The Beacon. Volunteers would be trained on using the web-based platform, review articles and photos submitted for inclusion in the newsletter, and have the opportunity to write articles. Please contact Gloria Brooks at the email link below for more information. Thanks for your consideration! email to volunteer for the beacon Have feedback for The Beacon? We want to hear from you! Click on the link below with your comments and articles, and we’ll be in touch! Gloria Brooks, Editor Be sure to add
[email protected] to your address book to ensure that you receive our emails in your inbox. Contact the beacon here Visit ICDP'S WEBSite SPREAD THE WORD ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
