WHAT? DCDCC meeting WHO? William McCurdy II, state party chair WHEN? 7 p.m. May 25

The Voice of Douglas County Democrats May 2017

This is a confidential newsletter, but please share it with your Democratic friends!

Nevada Democrats Party Chair

Assemblyman William McCurdyto address Douglas Dems May 25

William McCurdy II

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:Photos from our ‘Day of Action’ ………………………..…. Page 2This month’s featured Democrat (Patricia Ackerman)..… Page 3Kimi’s column ………………………………………….…… Page 4Calendar of Events ………………………………………… Page 6

William McCurdy II, the first African American to chair the Nevada State Democratic Party, will address Douglas County Democrats at their May 25 Central Committee meeting.

You’ll hear why he says, “I am as optimistic as ever about the future of our state and our Democratic Party.”

McCurdy says he is “ready” to gear up for the 2018 election cycle.The State Assemblyman from District 6 (Las Vegas area) is a

student at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, where he will earn his Bachelors Degree in Public Administration this fall. He’s 28 years old and the father of two boys.

Our May speaker says he is looking forward to “kicking Dean Heller out of the Senate.” He also has his eyes on electing a Democratic governor.

As a state lawmaker, McCurdy’s first bill was to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. He is a former student body president at the College of Southern Nevada and is an active union organizer.

In short, he is a Democrat’s Democrat.The May 25 meeting at Douglas County Democratic Headquarters

(1513 Highway 395 in Gardnerville) begins with a social at 6:30 p.m. Business and McCurdy’s presentation begin at 7 p.m.

The voice of Douglas County, Nevada Democrats — May 2017 Page 2

Douglas County’s ‘Day of Action’ — April 29

TOP PHOTO: The participants … all opposed to school vouchers.

BOTTOM LEFT: U.S. Senate Candidate Jay Craddock parked his campaign bus at Democratic Headquarters.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Chip Evans (former candidate for U.S. Congress) and Anna Scanlon (of the Super PAC Masses Unite) teach and inspire active Democrats.

Democrat Profile: Patricia Ackerman The voice of Douglas County, Nevada Democrats — May 2017 Page 3

(22,838 feet), and Island Peak in the Himalayas of eastern Nepal (20,305 feet). She has hiked to the base camp of Mount Everest twice. “I discovered that my body didn’t do well when I hit 18,500 feet,” she lamented. That led to the loss of both hips and the end of her mountaineering ambitions.

Patricia realized if she was going to do any more climbing up to even 10,000 feet, she should move to an area where she could live at about 4,000 feet to help acclimate. That realization and the urge to move out of the largely populated Los Angeles area after 9/11 brought her to Minden.

In her 20s, Patricia found herself identifying with Republicans, but deep inside, she said, “It didn’t sit well with me. When I became aware of the differences in values, I found myself evolving toward being a Democrat.”

The disastrous (for Democrats) elections of November 2016 “are when I got slapped silly awake like millions of others.”

She did something about that. Patricia is now a proud Democrat and has yet to decide whether to follow the urging of close friends to run for state Assembly. That decision will await her completion of an intensive three-day Wellstone training in Seattle. The Wellstone web page states: “We believe that politics shouldn’t be about money and power games — it should be about the improvement of people’s lives.”

That fits her philosophy to a tee. Patricia said she’s proud to be part of a movement that stresses the Democratic values of taking care of one another.

“That’s what I believe in, and I will fight for that,” she said.She won’t be alone. “It’s going to be a long slog to turn our message into a powerful message,” she said. “But

people need to step up and get involved in a way they never have before.”

What do you get when you mix Democratic values with modeling, businesswoman, equestrian extraordinaire, and mountain climbing? You get Minden Democrat Patricia Ackerman, who is about to decide whether to make a bid for the Nevada State Assembly.

At age 18 Patricia started a modeling career. Within three years she owned her own startup landscape design business. And did we mention acting? Born and raised in rural Pennsylvania, she moved to Los Angeles at age 30 to pursue a career in acting and did quite well, winning two Dramalogue Awards for best theater actor in California and several other prestigious honors.

Walk into her home overlooking north Minden, shared with husband Todd Ackerman, and you’ll see her sterling silver saddle and other memorabilia for her love of horses. She’s served with the Long Beach Mounted Police and is a graduate of the Douglas County Search and Rescue program.

Two hip replacements put the kibosh on her longtime goal of climbing Mount Everest, but not until after she had ascended Mount Rainier twice (14,411 feet), Aconcagua Mountain in South America Patricia Ackerman

What any of us have to say is only effective if someone is listening. Let that sink in for a minute. Expressing one’s opinion with nobody listening is the same as talking to oneself.

In today’s political discourse, there is consistent failure to effectively communicate, as folks with different perspectives fail to discover a common ground that would allow more productive conversations. Presentations often omit empathy, either out of lack of compassion or fear of rejection.

Confusion often equals rejection, with little (or no) consideration of the concept or proposal that an individual or party is putting forward. Rather than considering a perspective or proposal, if “it all sounds a bit out there,” too many simply turn off and run away before a decent conversation can really begin.

Confrontation usually equals rejection, too. I can think of no worse argument for a position than, “I know best, you’re stupid, so agree with me.” Sound crazy? It does to me, as well, but I see it happen in some way shape or form quite often.

Being upset that one didn’t get what they wanted is not a convincing enough argument for most other people to change their minds. Then there are those who are simply unable (or unwilling) to present their case to their audience in such a way that it is

From the Chair ...By Kimi Cole

Frame it, Say it, Sell it!

The voice of Douglas County, Nevada Democrats — May 2017 Page 4

understandable or relatable. Often the gist of a message is completely missed, either due to timing, framing, or a combination of both. There is no winner in lose-lose situations.

To really be effective delivering our messages and attracting support of others will require educational compassion, a mindset of developing synergistic engagement, rather than engaging ongoing conflict stimulation. It’s about working to understand another’s points of view and collaborating on potential solutions for mutual concerns.

Presenting a compelling argument for, or against, a viewpoint, and converting the concept into action, boils down to galvanizing a base, drumming up support, and presenting an idea or concept in a way that resonates with the intended audience and generates enough support to achieve majority acceptance.

In order to be fully effective, a position must be framed in such a way that the intended audience understands exactly what’s being proposed and what will be required to implement the concepts.

Our goal, as I see it, is to learn how to better engage our neighbors in a complicated world and succeed in achieving the goals and promoting the values we, as progressives, hold so dearly.

Are you in? Are you on board for wins in 2018? Have a good talk with the person in the mirror and then let me know!

The voice of Douglas County, Nevada Democrats — May 2017 Page 5

Leaning a bit to the left

What’s in a word?Have you noticed the word “progressive” popping up more often?I call myself liberal, but am I a progressive? Turns out not all progressives are liberal, but many, if not most, liberals are progressive.In researching the topic (online) I learned that somebody who wants to see society progress

could use the label. An article I read stated that progressives have a liberal philosophy. In other words, they are people who want to see society progress. That’s us, right?

Despite some right-wing commentators, progressivism has nothing to do with socialism, communism, or fascism.

It’s an ideology. It’s a movement. Let’s look up the word in the good ol’ Webster’s Dictionary: “Relating to, or characterized by

progress.”That’s pretty straightforward. Thank you, Webster.Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia, states: “Progressivism is the support for or advocacy of

social reform.”Thank you, Wikipedia.According to www.u-s-history.com, another website, “The Progressive Movement was an effort

to cure many of the ills of American society that had developed during the great spurt of industrial growth in the last quarter of the 19th century. The frontier had been tamed, great cities and businesses developed, and an overseas empire established, but not all citizens shared in the new wealth, prestige, and optimism.”

Thank you… well, you get the idea?So, the next time you are asked about your political affiliation, please say, “I’m a Democrat. A

proud Democrat.” But you might want to add that you are also progressive. If the shoe fits.

Pat StanleyBy Pat Stanley

We need somebody to step up and be our new Public Relations Chair. This is a great opportunity to be of service to Douglas Dems. Newsletter experience would be helpful. Information: Kimi at (775) 721-1212 or Pat at (775) 901-8066

Carson Valley Days — help neededWe need your help during Carson Valley Days.• Help decorate our parade entry. Most of the

work will be parade morning, June 10, but some help is needed the week before.

• Friday, June 9, some help is needed to set up our booth at Lampe Park.

• Saturday June 10: Some hands are needed to staff the booth (6 shifts of 2 hours each). Join us as we walk the parade!

Please contact Kimi at (775) 721-1212 or kimimcole@gmail.com for more information and to volunteer!

VAN training VAN (Voter Activation Network) training and access certification will be held May 20. You MUST preregister. Contact Kimi Cole at (775) 721-1212 or email kimimcole@gmail.com ASAP.

The voice of Douglas County, Nevada Democrats — May 2017 Page 6

Your DCDCC Officers …OfficersDCDCC Chair: KimiMCole@gmail.comFirst Vice Chair: Joan NeufferSecond Vice Chair: Susan MinorSecretary: Melanie Meehan-CrossleyTreasurer: Jan WallsMember-at-large: Patrick WilkesMember-at-large: Pat Stanley

Chairs of Standing CommitteesAdministration: Katherine WinansPrograms/Policy: Kimi ColeMembership: Katherine WinansCandidate Recruitment: Nancy EpsteinPublicity/Public Relations: Pat StanleyFundraising/Finance: Vacant

June 24- Saturday

Nevada State Democratic Party Central Committee meetingTMCC- Reno

July 29 — Saturday Annual Bar-B-Q Mormon State Park (Genoa) Stay tuned for more information!

September 9- SaturdaySave the date! National-caliber Democratic Event in Fallon!

Timely TicklersEvery SaturdayChip Evans Show “The Buzz” KBZZ 1270 am, 96.1 fm 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.

May 25 — Thursday 6:30 p.m. County Central Committee1513 Hwy 395, Gardnerville

June 5 — MondayDCDW Luncheon at CVIKeynote speaker Fred Lokken

June 8 - 11 Carson Valley Days