May Chairman’s Report….Due to computer problems last month I was not able to submit a Chairman’s Report for the month of May. Please accept my apology for this problem. It turns out that an automatic update from Microsoft for Windows 7 caused my computer to lock up. Since there was no fix, a technician required three days to solve the problem. My computer is back to its old self now. I've got my fingers crossed that it stays that way.
Resignation….At our Executive Board Meeting on
June 6 Robert Sullivan announced his resignation as our Vice Chairman and from
the Executive Board. Robert was also our Membership Committee Chairman and he
said he would be stepping down from that assignment as well. He stated his
reason for resigning as personal commitments. Robert’s resignation came as a
surprise and we will miss his expertise and commitment to our party. I extend
my thanks to Robert from the board and our membership for a job well done.
Raffle tickets….Our treasurer, Audrey Costerisan,
sent the renewal request and payment for our raffle licenses to the Walker
Administration Office on May 14. The renewal process can take 4-6 weeks. Once
the licenses are approved for another year, we’ll be ordering 2,000 tickets for
our annual Brat & Bean Feed raffle. The board has agreed to support the
same prizes offered last year. The prizes included $300, $150, a Wild River
Outfitter’s canoe/kayak trip ($100), $50, and $50. The raffle is an important part
of our largest fundraiser and last year, thanks to everyone’s help, we sold all
2,000 tickets. Look forward to selling or purchasing tickets as soon as they
are available.
Canoe trip….As we look forward to the
Grantsburg Fair this coming August 22-25 one important focus for our party will
be to attract visitors to our booth to hear our message, purchase a raffle
ticket or meet our democratic representatives. One way we attract them is to
offer a free drawing. Getting a visitor to stop and talk while having them sign
up for a drawing, gives us another name to contact at election time. This year
Executive Board member and owner of Wild River Outfitters, Jerry Dorff has
donated a canoe/kayak trip worth $100 as a draw. We will also be offering a
drawing on a US flag.
Campaign signs….There won’t be an election soon
but we are already thinking ahead to campaign signs. As part of our Annual
Plan, we will be making up blank signs ahead of the elections so we are better
able to support our candidates. As soon as a sale occurs, I’ll be purchasing
some plywood and asking for volunteers to paint the blank 2x4 foot signs. We
will eventually accumulate 75 blank signs by the fall of 2014.
Dems County Party Strategy
Group….On June
12 a meeting was held by our DPW Regional Director Jeff Smith in conjunction
with Democracy for America Midwest Regional Field Organizer Karli Wallace in
the Cumberland Public Library. Hosting the event was the Barron County
Democrats. Attendees included representatives of Barron, Burnett, and Washburn
county Democrats. The objective of the meeting is to begin preparing for the
next elections now. We want to be ready to go when it counts. We also want our
plan to be interlocking so we present a solid front. At this point the
representatives have agreed to look for 10 volunteers in their respective
county parties wanting to take a leadership role by participating in training
that will be offered on Saturday, July 20th beginning at 9:00 a.m.
in Rice Lake. This will be a 3-hour training session preparing you with the
latest campaign strategies and how to implement them in the next 6 months –
Starting Now! If you are up to the challenge and really want to be at the
center of our next election cycle, let me know. I want your help. Please call
me! We’ll be getting more information on this training soon. Get in the loop by
getting on board.
Democrats United….On June 25 the Western Wisconsin
Democratic Counties United will be holding their 2nd meeting. Our
last meeting was held in Roberts during the month of April. This is a group
dedicated to turning the 10th Senate District from Red to Blue. That
means Sheila’s got to go! Included in this effort will be the three assembly
districts of the 10th. For us, that means Eric Severson. In
addition, we are looking at and sharing ideas on increasing membership of our
county parties and raising funds. A lot of good ideas are in the works. You’ll
be hearing more about them soon.
June Meeting….The June membership meeting will
be held next Tuesday, June 18, 2013 at the Whitetail Wilderness Restaurant
& Bar located approximately one mile north of the village of Webster along
Hwy. 35. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. Come at 5:30 and share dinner with
your fellow democrats and enjoy talking to someone that understands what you
are talking about. We will have a special guest attending the meeting. Marilyn
Kooiker, representing Citizen’s Against Poverty in Burnett County, will
enlighten us on the organization’s efforts to help bring Burnett County
residents out of poverty. This is a very challenging effort and Marilyn will
share her stories and tell us how we can help.
Chairman’s Picnic….On Saturday, July 13, 2013 I will
be holding our 2nd Annual Chairman’s Picnic for members at my home
located at 23328 Nyren Rd. Siren, WI 54872. This is a freebie you won’t want to
miss. Yes, the party is on me. I’ll be serving up the picnic lunch of burgers
and beer while you swap stories and just enjoy yourselves. Our elected friends
and some of our expected candidates will be invited and may show up. This will
give you a chance to rub elbows and get to know them on a personal level. Last
year we had a great event. We had 40 people show up. This year I’d like to see
50 people. Bring your spouse, bring a friend – just come! Everything starts at
3:00 p.m. and the food gets served at 5:00 p.m. This picnic substitutes our
July membership meeting. We will resume our monthly meetings in August at the
Whitetail Wilderness Restaurant & Bar.
Richard Costerisan
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