Drinks and Dialogue met last Thursday evening, with 23 people comprising our learning community. Dr. Catherine Marienau, a representative from Compassion and Choices, gave a presentation and led an interactive session that explored the following:

• Empower every individual with achievable options, authoritative information, and constructive advice for guiding their end-of-life care and engaging with their providers.
• Advocate for expanded choices, secure and ready access to them, and improved medical practice that puts patients first and values quality of life in treatment plans for terminal illnesses.
• Defend existing end-of-life options from efforts to restrict access.

We received workbooks to record healthcare wishes, which felt empowering. Anyone with questions may visit Compassion & Choices for more information.

Mark your calendars now for the April 17-23 One Earth Film Festival. Some of the events are in person and some are virtual. Many of the events are in Oak Park or close to it. You can read their newsletter which includes all the information about the events leading up to and during the Film Festival.

University of Chicago scientists produced the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction (nuclear fission) on December 2, 1942. This first nuclear reactor was moved and rebuilt on Cook County Forest Preserve property in Red Gate Woods. As part of the Manhattan Project, a research facility and an additional reactor was built there. There will be a two-part program on Sunday, April 14 at the Sagawau Environmental Nature Center, 12545 111th Street, Lemont, to hear about this project. From 10:00am-Noon, David Dolak, Professor at Columbia College Chicago’s Science & Mathematics Department, will talk about this atomic legacy. Following the lecture at 12:30pm, there will be an optional hike of 3 miles to Site A where the nuclear reactors were buried. The trail is grass, dirt, some tree roots, and asphalt. The trail is not for everyone as it is moderate with some elevation gain; walking sticks or hiking poles would be useful. This in-person event is limited to 30 people. If you are interested in joining one or both parts of the event, email info@lwvcookcounty.org with your name, email, phone number, and local league name.

On Tuesday, April 9, at 6:30pm, there will be an Oak Park Township Town Hall meeting. At this meeting we will join Change Illinois in their Township project, the Illinois Redistricting Collaborative, in asking that a non-binding referendum question about redistricting be put on the Oak Park November election ballot. We need at least 25 Oak Park citizens to show up to vote in support of this initiative. The referendum question that will be submitted is "Should the State of Illinois adopt an independent citizens commission for the federal and state redistricting process?" Petitions with at least 30 Oak Park citizen signatures have been submitted to get on the Town Hall agenda. This will be happening at other Townships across the state. The results of a referendum question are a great way to show our elected officials that voters want a change from gerrymandering to fair maps. If you are an Oak Park resident, please plan to attend this April 9 Oak Park Township Town Hall meeting in support of the Illinois Redistricting Collaborative. The Town Hall meeting will be at the 105 S. Oak Park Avenue Township building. Questions? Contact Peggy Kell.

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of League member Mary Haley. Mary was a board member, a committee chair, and valued League member. She received the Hazel Hanson award in 2022 for her League work. You can read her obituary here. Our condolences go out to her family.

Our League is one of the sponsors of the Two Dads conversation program.

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