On Sunday, May 1 from 1-5 p.m., the Birmingham Botanical Gardens celebrated Earth Day and the League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham was part of the event. The Earth Day theme was A Billion Acts of Green, which has the goal of amassing one billion sustainability actions in advance of the global Earth Summit in Rio in 2012. With over 45 million actions already recorded, this largest-ever environmental service project is working to show that change can happen when individuals join in taking action.

Children practiced recycling in a creative way. They decorated clean used paper grocery bags with their own color schemes and glued designs. They took these home to use as toy bags, tote sacks or whatever might pop up in their imagination.

We found several astute scientists among our visitors. For experimental purposes, the children created a very small amount of carbon dioxide using vinegar and baking soda. The children learned about the effects of carbon dioxide on our planet and a little about its properties. They pledged to do their part in reducing CO2 and posted their personal action ideas for making this happen.

League members Angelyn Simmons, Amanda McGriff, Joyce Lanning, Leonette Slay, Nancy Sales, Jean Johnson and Michael O'Donnell were on hand as booth volunteers.


LWVGB Annual Business Meeting
Thurs., April 28, 2011, 6:30 p.m.
Dale's Southern Grill
700 Montgomery Hwy.
Vestavia Hills, AL  35216
Map / Directions

The League is a grassroots organization. League members helped determine the future course of the local LWVGB League at the LWVGB Annual Business Meeting on April 28. At this annual business meeting, members discussed and voted on the program agenda, budget and leadership for the coming year(s). Old League friends saved time to catch up with old friends and make new friends while enjoying a wonderful southern dinner. Go to the LWVGB "For Members" web page for more information about the issues considered at this meeting.


LWVAL State Convention
April 30 - May 1, 2011
Co-hosted by the LWV of Mobile and the LWV of Baldwin County
Continuation of the state health care study and an education update, emphasizing charter schools. were two issues addressed at the LWVAL biennial convention in Mobile on April 30 and May 1. LWVAL delegates were also asked to address pressing environmental issues. Should we consider a new environmental study?

This was a time for serious work on program, budget and board elections, but it wasn't all business. League members found the biennial convention to be a wonderful time to get acquainted with fellow Leaguers from all over the state. Yvonne Brakefield and Joyce Lanning attended as representatives of the LWVGB. The convention will be thoroughly covered in the next (May 2011) edition of The Voter.


LWVGB Member Meeting
March 15, 2011, 6:30 pm.
Homewood Library
Topic: Sunshine Week Review - Government Websites

In recognition of Sunshine Week (March 13-19, 2011), the LWVGB March Membership Meeting focused on the "sunshine" afforded our local governments via the Internet. Virtual courthouse? Some local web sites are almost that with the ability to submit building permits, pay for speeding or parking tickets, ask questions etc. and look for information on the last council meeting or when the next one is scheduled. And yet some local web sites have only rudimentary information. How do governments announce meetings? What is budgeted by governments? How do they share this with the citizens? What if you want some information, how do you obtain the information through the Freedom of Information Act process? With that in mind a team consisting of Amanda McGriff, Connie Arnwine, Sarah McDonald, Diane Marks and Don Marks reviewed some of the web sites for local governments. They shared the results at the Tuesday March 15 LWVGB Membership Meeting held at the Homewood Library. Who has the best site? What would make sites more citizen-oriented? How can you help make improvements? How do our sites compare to other places? These are some of the issues they focused on. What should we look for next time we do this? Members and guests were invited to share their thoughts. This is League at its very basic, that is research into the facts and looking at what makes sense to helping citizens be informed and active.

NOTE: LWVGB further emphasized the importance of open and transparent government. See President Leonette Slay's opinion editorial "VIEWPOINTS: The more transparency, the better the government" published by The Birmingham News Sunday, March 13, 2011.


LWVGB Membership Meeting
February 25, 2011, 11:30 a.m.
Topic: Public Transit Issues in Birmingham
Speaker: Peter Behrman, MAX Director

On Friday, February 25, 2011, MAX director Peter Behrman spoke on public transit issues in Birmingham at the League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham's membership meeting. The public was also invited to attend the meeting held in the Electra Room of the downtown headquarters of Alabama Power. Guests were invited to bring a brown bag lunch or grab a lunch in the Alabama Power cafeteria to enjoy during the meeting.

Behrman began his career as a bus driver in Los Angeles and has worked at other systems around the country, including Albuquerque, New Mexico. That city is roughly the size of Birmingham but had a larger transit system because of strong lobbying and funding at both the federal and local levels.

He is dedicated to making the MAX system efficient and finding funding to sustain it. He shared viewpoints about transit from around the country as well as viewpoints from observers about the Birmingham system.


LWVGB Membership Meeting: Sustainable Cities Will Flourish – Birmingham Could Be One

On Jan. 25, 2011 at the Homewood Public Library, Alabama Environmental Council Executive Director Michael Churchman addressed the League to discuss the interconnected requirements for a sustainable community - including the most basic human needs for breathing, eating and drinking, eliminating, and obtaining adequate shelter and some mobility. For sustainability humans cannot use resources faster than nature can generate new ones nor create waste faster than nature can absorb it. Read more information about this topic in the January 2011 issue of The Voter (LWVGB newsletter). The meeting was well attended by the public, and Churchman's talk led to a very spirited discussion.

The League on WBHM 90.3

For public awareness and education regarding preceding the 2010 election, the LWVGB Board decided to underwrite 5 All Things Considered programs on WBHM. We decided to focus on registering to vote and voting. LWVGB received public acknowledgement for this sponsorship.


LWV Dedicated to Voter Service in 2010

During the 2010 election season, the LWVGB, as did the state and national Leagues, worked to encourage voting and educate citizens about the election process. This nonpartisan education effort was sponsored by the League's Education Fund. Members volunteered to register voters and contributed many hours to assist in the Voter Registrar's office. Read the information provided on the LWVGB website to assist voters.


LWVGB Members Learn about the 10/10/10 Global Work Party

LWVGB held a Membership Meeting on Thursday, September 30, 2010 to learn about the Railroad Park Ramble Global Work Party to be held on October 10, 2010 (10/10/10). Guest speakers included Suzette Harris, Jefferson County Department of Health, who gave an overview of the Health Action Partnership's $13.3 million in grants for obesity and tobacco prevention efforts. One of those projects is the Our One Mile Greenway planning process to design the connections we want in order to make walking and biking easier in our communities.

The meeting was held in the Electra Room of Alabama Power in downtown Birmingham. Members and guests came before the meeting for lunch. Materials distributed at the meeting are available here.


Welcome, New Members!

LWVGB welcomed new members on Tuesday, August 17, 2010, at an informal get-together. New members and "seasoned" members met for dinner at Ruby Tuesday's on Highway 31 in Vestavia. New League members met with other Leaguers to learn a little bit about our nonprofit, nonpartisan organization and the issues we are focusing on. It was fun to meet and greet. Welcome all new members to the League!


Learning and Networking at LWV National Convention

Several LWVGB members attended "Convention 2010: 90 Years of Making Democracy Work: A History of Change.  A Future of Hope." This biennial convention of the national League of Women Voters was held June 11-15 in Atlanta, GA. See daily action reports, plenary reports, guidance to the board, videos and podcasts, workshop materials and other convention materials here. More local news will soon be posted.

In Review