What's Inside?

1. President’s Message: The Power of Impact
2. March Annual Meeting
3. Blue Wave Brunch: All Hands on Deck!
4. Board of Directors Leadership Opportunity
5. Arbor Day -- Plant a Tree 
6. Women’s History Month
7. Rescuing Afghan Women Judges
8. Coronado’s Housing Challenge
9. GO Team Update
10. Volunteer Opportunity – Feeding the Homeless
11. Save the Dates!

President's Message

The Power of Impact

Hello Fellow Democrats, 

Last month, our club once again participated in the annual Council of Clubs - Club of The Year Award. Self-nominations and nominations for other clubs were open to all county-chartered clubs. The evaluation included areas that demonstrated involvement, outreach, and impact. 

Our ten-minute presentation summarized passion and commitment in defending democracy in our community, emphasizing key efforts and accomplishments in 2022. We congratulate San Diego Dems for Equality for their hard work throughout the county and for winning Club of the Year!  

Next year, instead of one general grouping, the award will have three separate club categories: Academic, Geographic, and Affiliation. (Click below to read more.)

March Annual Meeting

The next meeting of the Coronado Democratic Club will be held on Saturday, March 25, in the Winn Room of the Coronado Public Library. Social time will begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by the business portion of the meeting and program at 11:00.

ELECTIONS: This is the club’s Annual Meeting when the election of club officers occurs. This (odd-numbered) year, we will be electing a new Secretary and Treasurer for a two-year term. In accordance with our bylaws, the slate of candidates will be announced at least 10 days before the Annual Meeting.  

PROGRAM: We are pleased to feature an informative program by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on the rise of antisemitism, and hate in general, during the last six years. The speaker will be Rob Hicks, Assistant Regional Director for ADL San Diego since August 2021, who oversees policy and advocacy, community engagement, and ADL's emerging leadership program (contact him for more info about this year’s class). Prior to that, he interned with ADL's Washington, D.C. office. Rob's other professional experience includes work in political campaigns, private sector sales, and nonprofit development. He is originally from Toms River, New Jersey and earned a B.A. in Political Science from The College of New Jersey in 2019. He moved to the San Diego area to pursue work with ADL and has lived in La Mesa, CA since October 2021. We look forward to hearing from Rob about this deeply troubling trend. 

We hope you can join us at this important meeting. In the spirit of conservation, don’t forget to bring your own coffee mug.

ALL HANDS ON DECK! ANNUAL BLUE WAVE BRUNCH

TICKETS ON SALE MARCH 1

Watch your email, Coronado Dems! EventBrite invitations to our 2023 Blue Wave Brunch will arrive on March 1^st.  We are expecting a speedy sell-out again this year, friends, so BUY EARLY and BUY MANY! This is your opportunity to show prospective Dem Club members a good time, in great company.  

What this year's Blue Wave Brunch WILL NOT be:

• a fundraiser
• a General Meeting.

What this year's Blue Wave Brunch WILL be:

• a festive gathering of like-minded people to celebrate our commonly-held democratic values
• a celebration of International Earth Day, with a spectacular program on the climate crisis
• a delicious traditional American buffet. 

When: Saturday, April 22, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Feast & Fareway (patio seating at the Coronado Golf Course) 

Ticket Price: $35 (plus transactional fee if purchased online; no fee if purchased by check)

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Adam R. Aron, acclaimed UCSD professor and author of The Climate Crisis  

Entertainment: CoSA Tour Group Singers

Happily, we have managed to keep prices low, but ticket sales cover only food costs. Please consider becoming a BLUE WAVE SPONSOR for $150 or more, to help defray other event expenses. Club member extraordinaire Edry Goot has already stepped up to underwrite our entertainment costs, with a generous donation to CoSA. Yay, Edry! All Sponsors will be recognized at the Brunch, and will have an opportunity to be seated at a table with an elected official.

Your EventBrite invitation will include details on how to become a Blue Wave Sponsor, as well as a link to purchase tickets online. Tickets can also be purchased by check, made payable to: The Coronado Democratic Club, and mailed to: The Coronado Democratic Club, P.O. Box 181351, Coronado CA 92178, attn: Patrick Callahan. Checks must be received before April 12 to guarantee sale.

Get your tickets early, Nado Dems, and let’s make our Blue Wave Brunch a Blue Tsunami!

Board of Directors Leadership Opportunity

Join our enthusiastic, fun, and impactful Board of Directors in a two-year term as Secretary beginning in April. The duties are to take minutes at monthly general meetings and monthly board meetings. If you have four hours a month and want to impact club voting decisions, this is your chance! You will be trained and guided as much as you need. We work together knowing that “Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy!”

Contact Nominating Committee Chair Jean Seager 619 435-0236 or jhseager@gmail.com if you want more information.

Plant a Tree in Coronado!

Do you want to help Coronado improve its urban forestry canopy AND increase our club’s visibility in the community as protectors of our planet? Then come to the Arbor Day Tree Planting event on March 11 at Spreckels Park, 601 Orange Avenue, from 8:30 to 11 a.m.

This event is sponsored by the City of Coronado Street Tree Committee. It’s open to everyone – groups, families and individuals. Tools will be provided, and City staff will provide assistance. Participants are encouraged to bring gloves and wear tree planting shoes. Planting sites will be assigned at check-in and participants will receive certificates at the end of the event. The City’s event includes refreshments and tree planting demonstrations. For more details, call the Public Services Department at 619-522-7380.

Let’s gather in Spreckels Park (on the Sixth Street side) at 8:15 a.m. so we can register together and collectively plant a tree. Don’t forget to wear your Coronado Democratic Club t-shirt! 

MARCH IS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

Women’s History Month was established in 1987 because women's experience and contributions to society are often undervalued and left out of traditional historical texts. And yet women comprise 50.5% of the global population.

Let’s celebrate Women’s History Month by learning more about women who have impacted history, science and politics and by learning more about women’s issues and unresolved challenges. Here are some recommendations and some facts about women in the U.S.

CLICK HERE

Rescuing Afghan Women Judges



Women's involvement in the judiciary is critical to ensure that courts represent their population, respond to their concerns, and issue competent decisions. Women judges increase the credibility of courts just by being present, giving a strong message that they are open and accessible to anyone seeking justice. International Day of Women Judges is celebrated on March 10 each year to promote equal and complete participation of women at different levels of the judiciary. Join us as we honor all women judges.

Coronado’s Housing Challenge

Coronado has been given a mandate to plan for an additional 912 housing units, and if the city fails to comply with this mandate soon, state officials have warned that the matter could be turned over to the state Attorney General. The warning came in a letter from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), which stated that the city has been noncompliant with its housing allocation for the past 18 months.

Coronado, along with three other cities, lost a lawsuit against SANDAG last year. The lawsuit alleged that the weighted vote system unfairly burdened them with a higher share of the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) than they can handle. Coronado is still not in compliance with the additional 912 housing units that it needs to zone for under the RHNA.

Things to consider…

• Revise zoning regulations: The city could review and revise its zoning regulations to make it easier for developers to build new housing projects…not just mega-mansions.
• Encourage the development of accessory dwelling units (ADUs): The city could encourage the development of ADUs, also known as granny flats, which are small units built on existing properties. This would increase the supply of housing without requiring new land to be developed.

By implementing one or more of these recommendations, Coronado could help improve the housing situation in the city and meet the state's housing demands.

GO Team Update

Congratulations to Coronado Dem Club past-president Frank King on his recent appointment as South Regional Coordinator for the San Diego County Grassroots Organizing (GO) Team! Frank was recruited by the County Dem Party and just couldn’t say no to this important job, even after many years of being our club’s own GO Team Coordinator. Frank will replace Cynara Velasquez, who is now Director of Clubs, and his responsibilities include serving on the County GO Team’s board.  

And in other GO Team news, Patti Flores-Charter has graciously stepped up to fill the vacancy left by Frank’s “promotion.” Kudos to both Patti and Frank for their commitment to lead us in connecting with voters and building better Democratic voter turnout in Coronado and the South Bay.

Volunteer Opportunities to Help

Feed the Homeless

Many of you heard the heartfelt presentation by Brian Trotier about homelessness at last month’s General Meeting. Some of you wondered how you can help. Here is one way that is not terribly time-consuming or difficult, but will be incredibly impactful.

The San Diego Rescue Mission (SDRM), working with the Lucky Duck Foundation (LDF) (www.luckyduckfoundation.org), assembles bags of food at the SDRM warehouse in National City (212 E. 26th Street) on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon until 3 p.m. More volunteers are needed to fully staff the effort to keep pace with current demand. 

If we can get enough new volunteers, a third day may be added to increase the number of meals assembled and distributed. The completed meal bags are then transported to various groups all over the county where teams on the street pass the food out to the unsheltered members of our community. This is an excellent volunteer opportunity for individuals or groups wanting to do something to alleviate the suffering of our fellow human beings. 

If you are interested in more information or want to volunteer, please contact:

Bruce Higgins from LDF (bruce@luckyduckfoundation.org) or

Debbie Krakauer from SDRM (dkrakauer@sdrescue.org).

SAVE THE DATES!

Upcoming CDC

Meetings and Events

Saturday, March 11: Celebrate Arbor Day: Plant a Tree in Coronado. Spreckels Park, 8:30 to 11 a.m.

Saturday, March 25: Annual Meeting. Winn Room of the Coronado Public Library. Election of officers. Program by Anti-Defemation League on the rise of antisemitism and hate in general. Social time 10:30 a.m., meeting and program 11:00 a.m.

Saturday, April 22: Blue Wave Brunch. Feast and Fareway, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets on sale starting March 1.

2022 – 2023

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

President: Marely Ramirez

Vice President: Bill Seager

Secretary: Rebecca King

Treasurer: Patrick Callahan

Member at Large: Susan Marrinan

STANDING COMMITTEES:

Programs: Pro Tempore Brian Trotier

Hospitality: Jenna McIntosh

Membership: Tom Bernitt

Public Policy: Susan Marrinan

GO Team: Frank King

Communications: Mali Hinesley

Scholarship: Patti Flores-Charter