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**

Happy Thursday! Please note that our regular office hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.


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** DWC ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE
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**
The Democratic Women’s Club Environmental Committee will be meeting this Friday, January 31^st at 10:00 a.m. If you wish to join them, the meeting is at Democratic Headquarters at 2345 14^th Ave., Suite 7, Vero Beach.



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** GALA UPDATE
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** With only 3 weeks to go, Blue Gala sales and sponsorships have picked up dramatically so please don’t wait to the last minute to buy your tickets!

We hope you are planning to attend and be part of this important and fun evening. There will be dancing, music by the Jordan Thomas Odyssey orchestra, free valet parking and a full, open bar.

Ambassador Christopher Hill will be the Gala’s distinguished guest speaker. Ambassador Hill was former ambassador to Iraq, South Korea, Poland and Macedonia, as well as Special Envoy to Kosovo. Ambassador Hill was a member of the team that negotiated the Bosnia peace settlement. In 2005, he was named head of the US delegation to the six party talks to resolve the North Korea nuclear crisis. He also served as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs for which his portfolio included U.S.-China relations.

In addition, Florida Democratic Chair, Terrie Rizzo, will be joining us for the evening.

If you haven’t received an invitation and would like one, please call the office at 772-226-5267 and one will be sent to you. You can also register online by clicking the Gala button on the front page of the Democrats of Indian River Website: www.democratsofindianriver.org ([link removed]) Tickets can be paid for via PayPal, credit card, or check.

This is the launch of setting our 2020 Vision on reclaiming the White House. This is an event to be remembered! Democratic turnout is crucial to helping support our mission.


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**
DWC LUNCHEON
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**
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** Saturday, February 8, 2020
Grand Harbor Clubhouse, Vero Beach
Entrance Off Indian River Boulevard
Registration 11:30 a.m.
Cost: $25 Payable at the Door

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** Choose one Entrée:

Grilled Chicken Bruschetta with Diced Tomatoes,
Mozzarella & Basil with Balsamic Glaze
or
Caesar Salad with Blackened Salmon
or
Vegetarian dinner

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** Cash Bar Available

Featured Guest: Sue Flak Recycling Coordinator For Indian River County

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** No Reservations after deadline. NO Walk-ins accepted

RSVP No later than Feb 1: Bonnie Ollinger 321-508-3713
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**

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**
POLL WATCHERS NEEDED
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**
We are looking for poll watchers for the Presidential Primary. We need volunteers for both early voting and election day (March 17).

Early voting is from March 7^th through 14^th. There are 3 early voting locations – IRC Main Library, the Supervisor of Elections office and Sebastian City Hall. The hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Election day the polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and there are 20 voting sites.

It is very important for the Democrats of Indian River to have a presence at the polls. One main goal of the Florida Democratic Party this year is to focus on voter suppression. To ensure that ALL voters are treated equally, we need to be present.

If you are interested in poll watching, please contact Stacey at



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** CLUB MEETING TO FEATURE PRESENTATION ON VOTERS’ MINDSET
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**
The next meeting of the Democratic Club is at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb.11 at the Irish American Society, 1314 20th St., Vero Beach.

Club Board Member Steve Osiecki will present "Getting Out the Vote is our Best Strategy: Recent Developments in the Science of Winning Elections." This short presentation will summarize research on brain differences between liberals and conservatives, research that can help explain why the mental gap between the two groups is often so large. He will also focus on recent voter persuasion research showing why “Get Out the Vote” is our best statewide strategy.

Please join us! We have several new members this month, bringing our total to 140.

Convenient parking is available in the US Fish and Wildlife parking lots just across the street from the Irish American Society.

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**

FLORIDA’S SACRED WATERS EVENT
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**
Sacred Waters: Exploring the Protection of Florida’s Fluid Landscapes with Vicky Machado

On Tuesday, February 11^th at 7 p.m. at the Emerson Center, there will be a free presentation which explores efforts to restore Florida’s waterways. We will investigate the motivations of environmentalists who love and advocate for these water bodies. By focusing on issues related to springs and the Everglades, we will dive into the conversations that arise when Floridians view water as essential to their quality of life.


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** INDIAN RIVER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSN EVENT -
IRNA Lunch With George Glenn, Jr. on current status of Graves Bros. Annexation
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**
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** You are invited to join us for lunch at:

Woody's Barbecue in Sebastian
13600 US-1 #18, Sebastian, FL 32958
on
February 13, 2020 at 11:30 AM

Speaker: George Glenn, Jr. is a fourth-generation Vero Beach resident. He spent his early legal career working in the Indian River County Attorney’s Office before entering private practice. He now works with his father at the Law Offices of Glenn & Glenn. He is currently representing Pelican Island Audubon in their lawsuit against the City of Sebastian for their annexation of the Graves Bros. property in 2019.

The cost is $20 per person.

Menu choices:
Signature Baby Back Ribs
Mesquite Grilled Chicken Breast
Fish Tacos
and a vegetarian option

Sides: Cole Slaw, BBQ Beans, Fries (choose 2)

Dessert: Banana Pudding

Beverages: Iced Tea, Water and Coffee

Cash Bar

RSVP to i


CANDIDATE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
BLUE BENCH TRAINING
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**

The Florida Democratic Party’s Candidate Blue Bench Training is coming to Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast! FDP Municipal Victory Program Director Lisa Peth has been working with candidates from across the state to help us realize a brighter, bluer Florida. As a result, they are providing a free training from subject matter experts on core aspects of campaigning, such as fundraising, messaging, digital communications, and field operations. The training is Saturday, February 8^th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palm Beaches, 635 Prosperity Farms Road, North Palm Beach, Florida 33408

Breakfast and lunch are included.

Here is the link to RSVP:
[link removed]


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** GARDENFEST
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** Gardenfest! Nature’s Finest Marketplace Returns to Vero Beach for the 19^th Year February 1^st and 2^nd.

Choose from a great variety of plants, pots and garden ornaments from more than 85 vendors. Expert lectures and advice are featured each day. Other activities are available for for kids. There is a food court and raffle prizes. Admission is always free and so is the parking!

Venue: Riverside Park 3250 Riverside Dr. Vero Beach, FL 32963
Find out more at www.gardenclubofirc.org ([link removed])
or call 772-567-4602.



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** GIFFORD HISTORICAL MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER EVENTS
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**
The Gifford Historical Museum and Cultural Center has some wonderful upcoming events. Please try and attend to support the lecturers, artists and community of Gifford.

January 30^th, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m., Environmental Learning Center, Lecture: “Imagining the Dream: A.E. “Bean” Backus, the Highwaymen, and Mid-century Florida.”

February 7^th, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., Raw Space Gallery, Art Exhibit: Willie Reagan and Terry K Hunter

February 8^th, 6:00 p.m., GYAC, SAHMF Banquet, Tickets $35

For more information about these events, contact
Jonnie Mae Perry at


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**
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT COMES TO VERO BEACH
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**
The American Association of University Women is hosting the play “Across A Barrier of Fear: The Life of Eleanor Roosevelt” at the Vero Beach Theatre Guild on February 16^th. For more information and tickets visit: [link removed]


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** SPEAK UP VERO BEACH
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**
SpeakUpVeroBeach.com is the online hub for community engagement about the future of Three Corners - 38 acres where the old power plant, former postal annex and land & water treatment plant now stand on the Indian River Lagoon. Here you'll find facts about Three Corners and many ways to discuss & share your ideas. Kindly Register to join the conversation and be part of a new model of public debate where all voices & ideas are heard.
On January 25, Speak Up Vero Beach will be offering tours of the old power plant. For more details go to: [link removed]

There is also a week of events and opportunities to engage with leaders who will be making decisions about the 3 corners. For more information click here:

[link removed]



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** DWC TALLY DAYS
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** Members of the Indian River DWC attended the Democratic Women's Club of Florida Tally Days for the 2020 Legislative Session. The Honorable Deb Butler, Representative in North Carolina, was the keynote speaker. Members also took time to visit the Indian River County legislators. Thank you for your advocacy!

Our Operations Coordinator, Stacey Klim, was in Tallahassee this week also. She was advocating for people with disabilities, like her son Jackson.

Both the DWC and Stacey had good meetings with Senator Mayfield and were appreciative of her time.




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** OFFICES UP FOR ELECTION
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**
There are numerous offices up for election in Indian River County in 2020. The Democrats of Indian River are looking for candidates for these positions. If you are considering running for office, or know someone who is, below are the offices, positions and current office holder up for election in 2020.

Board of County Commissioners:
District 1 – Susan Adams
District 3 - Tim Zorc
District 5 – Bob Solari

School Board:
District 3 - Laura Zorc
District 5 - Tiffany Justice

IR County Hospital District:
Seat 3 - Barbara S. Bodnar
Seat 5 - Karen Deigl
Seat 7 - Michael J. Weiss

Indian River Mosquito Control District:
Seat 1 - Janice Broda
Seat 3 - Buck Vocelle

Indian River Soil and Water Conservation District:
Seat 2 - David Gunter
Seat 4 - Robert J. Lindsey

Sebastian Inlet Tax District:
District 1 – Jenny Lawton
District 2 – Beth L. Mitchell
District 3 – Michael Rowland

City of Fellsmere:
Fernando R. Herrera
Jessica Salgado
Joel Tyson

City of Sebastian
Ed Dodd
Jim Hill

City of Vero Beach
Tony Young
Laura Moss
Robert Brackett

Town of Indian River Shores Council
Robert “Bob” Auwaerter
Deborah “Debbi” Peniston
Tom Slater

Town of Orchid Council
Paul Knapp
Harold Ofstie

Here is some more information about running for office and getting your name on the ballot.

The pre-qualifying period runs from May 26th through June 5th, 2020. Qualifying runs from noon, June 8th through noon, June 12th.

To qualify by paying a fee, partisan candidates must pay 6% of the salary of the office sought. Non-partisan candidates (e.g. school board) must pay 4% of said salary. For the Hospital, Soil and Water, or Mosquito Control, the fee is $25.

To qualify by petition, a candidate must obtain 1,134 valid petitions and submit them to the Supervisor of Elections. There not a qualifying fee, but there is a fee of 10 cents per petition filed. Since some petitions are likely to be disqualified for various reasons, it's a good idea to get at least a couple of hundred more.

There are two deadlines for submitting petitions: Noon of March 23d for the April qualifying period, and noon of May 11th for the June qualifying period. The June qualifying period is what applies to the offices listed above.

For further information you can contact the Supervisor of Elections office, or you can go to their website at [link removed] ([link removed])
click on "Candidates" and then click on "Workshop Presentation."



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** CALENDAR
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** Below find upcoming government, Democrat and community events to add to your calendar. Visit [link removed] for a full list of calendar events for 2020.

January 31

10:00 a.m. – DWC Environmental Committee, Democratic Headquarters, 2345 14^th Ave., Suite 7, Vero Beach

6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – Downtown Friday, 14^th Ave., Downtown Vero Beach


February 3

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Data Meeting (open to anyone interested) with Jim St. Martin, Democratic Headquarters, 2345 14^th Ave., Suite 7, Vero Beach, FL 32960


February 4

8:30 a.m. – Vero Beach City Council, City Council Chambers, City Hall, 1053 20^th Place, Vero Beach, 32960

9:00 a.m. – Indian River County Commission, County Administration Offices – Council Chambers, 1801 27th Street, Building A, Vero Beach 32960-3388


February 5

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Data Meeting (open to anyone interested) with Jim St. Martin, Democratic Headquarters, 2345 14^th Ave., Suite 7, Vero Beach, FL 32960

5:00 p.m. – Democratic Club of Indian River Board Meeting, Democratic Headquarters, 2345 14^th Ave., Suite 7, Vero Beach, FL 32960


February 6
7:00 p.m. – Fellsmere City Council, 22 S. Orange Street, Fellsmere, FL 32948

February 8
11:30 a.m. – Democratic Women’s Club January Luncheon, Grand Harbor Clubhouse, 4985 Club Terrace, Vero Beach, Cost: $25, Guest Speaker Sue Flak Recycling Coordinator For Indian River County

Every Saturday, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Koffee with Ken and Parris
Democrats of Indian River Office
2345 14^th Ave., Suite 7, Vero Beach 32960
Bring your own coffee and chat about politics!









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Our mailing address is:
Democratic Executive Committee of Indian River County
2345 14th Ave.
Suite 7
Vero Beach, FL 32960
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