Zonta Logo    Zonta Paul    Volume 82           Issue 5                                  November 2008

Visit Zonta St. Paul at our Web site:
 http://www.zontastpaul.org

PEGGY'S MESSAGE
Ha pp y B ir th da y Web Sites to Remember
Coming Meetings
Dinner Attendance Rules:

November Meeting
December Meeting
January Meeting
March Meeting
April Meeting

Information from Zonta Web Site
Upcoming Events in the St. Paul area
St. Paul Business Professional Women (BPW)
Service Project for November
Poinsettia Sales
As Always
SEE YOU!:

PEGGY'S MESSAGE

Greetings!

Well, it looks like our autumn weather is coming to a screeching end. Today the winds howled and blew into Minnesota colder temps and much needed rains. Prediction is that we may see snow over the weekend and I may have to dig out my winter coat – or at least layers with sweaters and jackets.

The long, long campaign is over and we have elected a new president who has committed to working in a bi-partisan way toward getting our country back on the right track. Just before the election, 90% of Americans thought the country was headed in the wrong direction. If you had a chance to see the Grant Park reception for our new President-elect, his family and our new Vice-president elect, you saw the American spirit alive and filled with joy, reverence, excitement and hope.

Here is an excerpt from Barack Obama's acceptance speech that I thought captured our struggles and victories...

"This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made? This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time."

And, for those who may think that their vote doesn't matter, consider our Senatorial race... As of today, the vote difference between Norm Coleman and Al Franken was 238! We are fortunate to live in a state which mandates recounts when the margin between the top two candidates is less than 1%. Also consider the numbers of Minnesotans who voted for Dean Barkley, the Independent candidate who received about 16% of the vote. When we consider that there are really only two major political parties in the country, to have garnered 16% of the vote is truly remarkable.

                                                                                                                            Peggy

Ha pp y B ir th da y

     

Pat - November 3rd

Dorothy - November 21st

                

"Web Sites to Remember"


Zonta International
http://www.zonta.org

Zonta District 7
http://www.zontadistrict7.org

The Jeremiah Program
http://www.jeremiahprogram.org/

Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency Club 100
http://www.mvna.org/club_100.htm

Women's Advocates, Inc.
http://www.wadvocates.org

Minnesota Women's Consortium
http://www.mnwomen.org/

Neighborhood House
"http://www.neighb.org/default.asp"

American Association of University Women
http://www.aauwstpaul.org/

Women's Prison Book Project
http://prisonactivist.org/wpbp/index.html

Minnesota Department of Transportation Aviation Education
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/aero/aved/index.html

Tentative Calendar of Meetings for the Upcoming Year:

  • Mid-November - Mid-December - Annual Poinsettia Sales Fund Raising Event
  • November 25, 2008 - Blanket making service project; Cost will be $20.00; Estimated Start Time 3:00 p.m.; Party room at Carole's Condo Association.
  • Late November-Early December - Holiday Bags Service Project
  • December 9, 2008 - Holiday get-together - Dorothy's Home at Becketwood
  • January 2009 - A music venue, exact event and location to be determined
  • February 24, 2009 - Program and meeting location to be determined
  • March 24, 2009 - Program and meeting location to be determined - potentially a theatrical performance in St. Paul
  • April 28, 2009 - "I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady From Rwanda" at Park Square Theater Dinner and Time to be Determined.
  • May 26, 2009 - Year in Review; Cost will be $20.00;

Dinner Attendance Rules

Members are to call Dorothy if they are unable to attend no later than that the Friday before the monthly meeting date. If you do not call, it will be assumed that you are attending and you will be billed for those meetings in which the standard meal fee is charged. The meetings have a meal charge, which is meant to cover the cost of the host's chosen menu and beverages. We hope that, in some cases, there will be extra money leftover for our service projects.

If you are unable to attend due to last minute circumstances, you will be billed for that meeting.

November Meeting

Dates and Times: Tuesday, November 25th; Estimated Start Time 3:00 p.m.

Venue: Blanket making service project; Dinner Cost will be $20.00; Party room at Carole's Condo Association.

December Meeting

Dates and Times: Tuesday, December 9th; Estimated Start Time 5:00 p.m.

Venue: Holiday get-together - Dorothy's Home at Becketwood .

Plan on arriving around 5 p.m., at which time we will go to Dorothy's and enjoy appetizers before dinner. Dinner will be at 6 p.m. In the dining room after which, we have been invited back to Dorothy's for a social time. Cost will be $20. Dorothy will need to know if you are coming, and if you are bringing a guest by Friday, December 5th.

Both the November and December meetings would be good opportunities to invite friends and potential members.

January Meeting

Our January meeting is yet to be decided. If you have any suggestions, please let Romelle, Judy or me know.

March Meeting

Joint meeting with Minneapolis featuring Anne Kerr, author of Lady Skywriter.

April Meeting

Romelle has reserved tickets for the Park Square preview night to see "I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady From Rwanda".

We will have dinner prior to the performance which starts at 7:30 p.m.

Information from Zonta Web Site

November 8th

November 8th marks the 89th anniversary of Zonta International. There have been a procession of women leaders who brought to Zonta enthusiasm, courage and inspiration which have culminated in achievements in service and advocacy that have helped to advance the status of women around the world. As Zonta approaches our 90th year, Our International President Beryl Sten asks us to join with her as we begin the Biennium of Internationalism.

“International Service is the essence of Zonta. We must all recognize the great good our International Service provides to those women who are less fortunate than we are. During the Biennium of Internationalism we will feature International Service in our publications and our website, and we will encourage our clubs to fully understand and support our International Service Projects.

We will also feature our international educational programs, Amelia Earhart, Jane Klausman and Young Women in Public Affairs, to highlight and emphasize our true international focus, as well as encourage and support young women of great promise.

The recipients of our Zonta International Awards represent the entire Zonta world, especially the Amelia Earhart Fellowships, the flagship of Zonta Awards. For the past 70 years, Zonta has taken great pride in supporting the Fellowships, which have been presented to a long and distinguished line of brilliant women in aerospace-related sciences, research and engineering on the international scene. On this anniversary of our founding, let us begin our focus on what we do best, International Service to improve the status of women worldwide.”

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international campaign originating from the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute sponsored by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership in 1991. The campaign highlights the connections between women, violence, and human rights from November 25th to December 10th. The Campaign is an organizing strategy for individuals and groups around the world to call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women.

November 25th was declared International Day Against Violence Against Women in July 1981 in Bogota, Colombia to commemorate the violent assassination of the Mirabal sisters (Patria, Minerva and Maria Teresa) on November 25, 1960 by the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. In 1999, the United Nations officially recognized 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

The Mirabal sisters have become symbols of both popular and feminist resistance since their murder on November 25, 1960. Patria, Minerva, Maria Teresa and Dedé were born in Ojo de Agua near the city of Salcedo in the Dominican Republic. “Las Mariposas (the Butterflies),” as they were called were political activists and highly visible symbols of resistance to the Trujillo dictatorship. They were repeatedly jailed, along with their husbands, for their revolutionary activities toward democracy and justice. On November 25, 1960, three of the sisters Patria, Minerva and Maria Teresa were strangled and left at the bottom of a precipice by members of Trujillo’s secret police. The news of their brutal assassinations shocked and outraged the nation and helped propel the anti-Trujillo movement. Trujillo was assassinated on May 30, 1961 and his regime fell soon after.

December 1st marks the beginning of an annual campaign to encourage public support for and development of programs to prevent the spread of HIV infection and promote awareness of issues surrounding HIV/AIDS. First observed in 1988, World AIDS Day serves to strengthen the global effort to face the challenges of the AIDS pandemic. This year, the theme of the UNAIDS World AIDS Campaign is “Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise,” and demands governments keep their policy commitments related to HIV/AIDS.

December 10th marks the celebration of the 1948 adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document was one of the first major achievements of the United Nations and provided the basic philosophy for many legally binding international instruments to follow.

Upcoming Events in the St. Paul area

November 2008 – January 8th, 2009

Mysteries of the Great Lakes – showing at the Science Museum of Minnesota - It takes a drop of water nearly 400 years to travel from the headwaters of Lake Superior to the edge of Lake Ontario. Along the way, the water passes by towering cliffs dotted with early Native American pictographs, caribou and moose grazing on the shores, surrounds giant prehistoric sturgeon lurking among thousands of shipwrecks, and past 40 million people who live along the more than 10,000 miles of coastline. It is a dramatic journey through some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. Lou and I went to see this film and it is well worth the time and cost (if you are a member, it is included as part of your membership).

December 5-23, 2008

The best Christmas Pageant Ever!
By Barbara Robinson at Steppingstone Theater

How is it that "The Worst Kids in the History of the World" end up in this year's Christmas Pageant? That's what the church ladies and Reverend Hopkins would like to know! And, how do those Herdman children manage to turn what should be the worst show into The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

Tickets: $7-$11 Purchase Tickets Online Click Here! or box office 651-225-9265

The St. Paul Library System has many programs coming in the next few months – sponsored by The Friends of the St. Paul Library.

Film Series:

Wednesday, November 19th 7 pm
"Iron Ladies of Liberia" at St. Anthony Park Branch Library, 2245 Como Ave.

On January 16, 2006, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was inaugurated President of Liberia, the first freely elected female head of state in Africa. Go behind the scenes in “Iron Ladies of Liberia,” as Sirleaf faces the daunting task of lifting her country from debt and devastation. She turns to a remarkable team of women, appointing them in positions such as police chief, finance minister, minister of justice, commerce minister and minister of gender, and the viewer is treated to a joyous, inspirational testimony of the political power of women's leadership and diplomacy. A discussion will follow the film.

Tuesday, December 16th, 7 pm. "Maquilapolis: City of Factories" at Riverview Branch Library, 1 East George Street.

Carmen works the graveyard shift in one of Tijuana’s maquiladoras, the multinationally-owned factories that came to Mexico for its cheap labor.  She and a million other maquiladora workers produce televisions, electrical cables, toys, clothes, and more, they weave the very fabric of life for consumer nations.  They also confront labor violations, environmental devastation and urban chaos -- life on the frontier of the global economy.  In "Maquilapolis: City of Factories," Carmen and her colleague Lourdes reach beyond the daily struggle for survival to organize for change.

Wednesday, January 14th, 7 p.m. “SASA” Rice Street Branch Library, 1011 Rice Street;

Sasa is a Kiswahili word that means now. Now is the time to prevent violence against women and HIV infection. The documentary film "SASA!" tells the personal stories of two women and their experiences with violence and HIV/AIDS. It also offers analysis from activists and leaders about the causal factors, cultural dynamics and politics of preventing and responding to these dual pandemics.

MUSEUM ADVENTURE PASS PROGRAM

This is a program that is available to anyone who has a valid MELSA (Metropolitan Library Service Agency) library card at any MELSA library location. The MELSA libraries include Anoka County Libraries, Ramsey County Libraries, Hennepin County Libraries, Carver County Libraries, Dakota County Libraries, Washington County Libraries, St. Paul Public Libraries and Minneapolis Public Libraries. Passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be reserved, renewed or requested through interlibrary loan.

One Museum Adventure Pass may be checked out per person, per loan period. The loan period is SEVEN DAYS. Up to two or four people may be admitted on each pass. Some of the participating museums have placed limits on numbers of people per pass. You would Choose the museum you would like to visit and bring the card for that museum to the circulation desk. The librarian will give you a date-due slip that admits you into the museum through the date printed on the slip. After this date, the pass expires. You do not need to return the pass to your library.

Locations that admit up to 4:
Bell Museum of Natural History
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Minnesota Museum of American Art
Weisman Art Museum

Locations that admit up to 2:
American Swedish Institute
Bakken Museum
Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary
Firefighters Hall & Museum
Minnesota Streetcar Museum
Minnesota Transportation Museum
Hennepin History Museum
Historic Fort Snelling
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Minnesota Zoo
The Landing – Minnesota River Heritage Park
The Museum of Russian Art
The Raptor Center
The Works: Hands-on, Minds-on Museum
Twin City Model Railroad Museum
Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

These are great opportunities for library members and also help out with those who are on a limited budget or fixed incomes.

St. Paul Business Professional Women (BPW) News

The next BPW meetings will be held November 19th at the Cherokee Room in West St. Paul.
Program to be determined.
If you are interested and would like to attend, contact Connie at 651-270-9144.

The December meeting will be on Wednesday, December 17th at Connie's home and will be a Christmas get-together.

http://www.stpaulbpw.org/files/ is BPW's website but it doesn't appear to have been updated since 2005. It would be best to call Connie.

SERVICE PROJECTS

We will be making the fleece blankets on Tuesday, November 25th at Carole's party room. Be sure to mark your calendar! Also be thinking about items to bring for our holiday gift bags to this meeting. If you would prefer to donate cash, it will be used to purchase items for the goodie bags. MVNA Club 100 clients will be the recipients of these goodie bags and for those folks, this may be the only holiday cheer they will get this Christmas season.

Poinsettia Sales

Orders can be picked up starting November 15th; You should all have received your packets from Shirley. Remember that some of the colors sell out quickly, so if you have someone who wants a special color, get your order in early.

Pixies - $6.00;
Singles - $13.00;
Doubles - $22;
Candy Canes - $22;
Triples - $30.00;
Cyclamen - $13.00;
Amaryllis Bulb Kits - $13.00;

Shirley and Carole will be working together on the Poinsettia sales this year. Let’s all work toward making this a great event for funding our service projects.

AS ALWAYS

As always, please let me know if you have any information to share; I would be happy to include it in our newsletter.

Any and all ideas will be entertained!

See you all on November 25th

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