The Nature of Phenology 6/20/20: Blue Flag Iris

Producers: Hazel Stark & Joe Horn
Host: Hazel Stark

Blue flag irises are actually a collection of species native all over the continental United States, Alaska, and Canada with the exception of the desert southwest. Even here in Maine, what is typically called blue flag iris is actually a couple of species such as Iris versicolor and the ever so rare Iris prismatica. Our blue flag irises are plants of wet places, so are often found in soggy patches of meadows and fields, marshes, swamps, ditches, and shorelines.

Photos, a full transcript, references, contact information, and more available at thenatureofphenology.wordpress.com

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Democracy Forum 6/19/20 One Person, One Vote: The Electoral College and the NPV

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine

The Electoral College, is it working as intended—and by the way, what was intended?—
What issues have emerged over time, is Popular Election of the President a solution, and where does the National Popular Vote Compact fit in?

Guests:

Saul Azunis, Saul Anuzis is principal and managing partner of Coast to Coast Strategies.

Mark Brewer, Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine.

Eileen Reavey, national grassroots director at National Popular Vote

To learn more about this topic:

“National Popular Vote: Bipartisan Reform to Presidential Elections,” Patrick Rosenstiel and Scott Drexel in RealClear Politics, January 2020.

“Want to Fix Presidential Elections? Here’s the Quickest Way,” Tim Foley, Politico, May, 2019

“Steve Vladeck: Is democracy rigged? The debate over Senate representation ignores a much more plausible reform,” NBC News, October, 2018

“Don’t Believe the Myths about the National Popular Vote”, Saul Anuzis, The Hill, May, 2018

“The Electoral College badly distorts the vote. And it’s going to get worse,” Katy Collin, Washington Post, November, 2016.

Prerecorded using Zoom technology.

The mostly volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes:
Martha Dickinson, Kirk Earl, Starr Gilmartin, Maggie Harling, Ann Luther, Maryann Ogonowski, Pam Person, Leah Taylor, Linda Washburn

About the host:
Ann currently serves as Treasurer of the League of Women Voters of Maine and leads the LWVME Advocacy Team. She served as President of LWVME from 2003 to 2007 and as co-president from 2007-2009. In her work for the League, Ann has worked for greater public understanding of public policy issues and for the League’s priority issues in Clean Elections & Campaign Finance Reform, Voting Rights, Ethics in Government, Ranked Choice Voting, and Repeal of Term Limits. Representing LWVME at Maine Citizens for Clean Elections, she served that coalition as co-president from 2006 to 2011. She remains on the board of MCCE and serves as Treasurer. She is active in the LWV-Downeast and hosts their monthly radio show, The Democracy Forum, on WERU FM Community Radio -which started out in 2004 as an recurring special, and became a regular monthly program in 2012. She was the 2013 recipient of the Baldwin Award from the ACLU of Maine for her work on voting rights and elections. She joined the League in 1998 when she retired as Senior Vice President at SEI Investments. Ann was a founder of the MDI Restorative Justice Program, 1999 – 2000, and served on its Executive Board.

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Dawnland Signals 6/18/20: Remembering the Truth Commission in Maine

Producers/Hosts: Maria Girouard, Esther Anne
Production assistance from Jeffrey Hotchkiss

A look back at the truth commission process five years after the report

-Most memorable moments of the truth commission process
-The impact of the TRC report and the truth-telling process on Wabanaki and Maine communities
-What lessons from the TRC process might be helpful in addressing current issues

Guests: Carol Wishcamper, Sandy White Hawk, and Gail Werrbach – all served on the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

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