It's Election Day, but of course we will not know anything until tonight or even tomorrow. The race for Governor of Virginia is a real nail-biter. All the pundits I've seen think it's too close to predict an outcome. So let's hope they're wrong. If it's a squeaker, you just know that the right is going to holler and there will be loud, ugly calls for audits and the like. Here in Wisconsin, the Mequon-Thiensville School Board recall election is happening today also. So a HUGE THANKS to everyone who wrote postcards and made phone calls to try to help the Support MTSD group. Win or lose, we will have done our very best. Let's hope it's a win for our side.

On Sunday, the Washington Post published an astonishing three-part story of the insurrection: Before, During, After. It's a long read but worth every minute. And not so much because it reveals a lot of new information, but because it fleshes out the history in stark and contextual detail. If you have not yet done so, you should read it.

In breaking news as I write this, the advisers to the CDC are recommending coronavirus vaccine for children 5 - 11 years old. We already know that there will be plenty of vaccine hesitancy among parents, so it's unclear how many children will actually get the shots, but every vaccinated person helps prevent the spread of disease, especially as children are now back in school. I know my grandson — who will turn 5 on November 24 — will be vaccinated as soon as my daughter and son-in-law can manage it. And I'm sure my sister's grandchildren will be too. Us older folks will still need to assess what other mitigating strategies in which circumstances might still be advisable. To help us out, Dr. Ian Gilson gave us a terrific presentation on where we are with COVID-19 last week. It's now up on YouTube. So you can see it yourself if you missed the live version.

And in other Grassroots North Shore news, mark your calendars for Sunday, December 5. For our annual fundraising event — Will Democracy Survive in Wisconsin? — MSNBC legal analyst Jill Wine Banks will be the featured speaker. The former Assistant Watergate Special Prosecutor, she authored the book The Watergate Girl and was the General Counsel for the Army in the Carter Adminstration. Representative Evan Goyke will also moderate a panel with Representatives Deb Andraca and Jonathan Brostoff to discuss our local situation. You can RSVP now and will receive a Zoom link several days before the event.

Finally, I'm reluctantly handing off the newsletter to Eilene Stevens and Cheryl Maranto for a few weeks. I have to have my aortic valve replaced on Thursday and will need some time to recover. But you'll be in good hands while I heal. And as we round the corner to a new year, the Events List is starting to pick up. Find something you can do to make Wisconsin and the country a better place!

EVENTS

Tue Nov 2, 2021

Poll Worker Info Session, 5:30pm - 6pm
Online
Learn more about being a Poll Worker and how you can get involved for 2022! This is a direct way you can support voting rights in your community. Sign up.

Wed Nov 3, 2021

Drinking Liberally Waukesha, 6:30pm - 6:30pm
Club 400, 322 Williams St., Waukesha
The meeting has moved to Club 400 as the weather becomes colder and will be in the upstairs bar area. All attendees should be vaccinated and wear masks when not actively eating or drinking. More information.

Sierra Club - Environmental Justice Event Series, 6:30pm - 8pm
virtual
Uprooting Racism, Seeding Sovereignty: Virtual Keynote featuring Leah and Naima Penniman, followed by a panel of Wisconsinites working in this field. FB event. RSVP

1 Year 2 Win Canvass, 9am - 9pm
Zip code 53207
Come join the Wis Dems to show voters that Democrats care about them & we want to hear from them about the issues that matter most. Choose a three-hour shift starting at 9:00am, 12:00pm, 3:00pm, or 6:00pm. Register. For other volunteer opportunities, go here.

1 Year 2 Win Phonebank, 9am - 9pm
Peace Action Center, 1001 E Keefe Ave, Milwaukee
Come join the Wis Dems as we talk to infrequent voters to get them fired up to re-elect Gov. Evers! Choose a three-hour shift starting at 9:00am, 12:00pm, 3:00pm, or 6:00pm. The Governor will be present at the 12:00 shift. Register.

Stand for Peace, 12pm - 1pm
Martin Luther King Drive & North Avenue, Milwaukee
Stand for Peace has resumed in-person events with masks and social distancing. Check for more information. Organized by Peace Action Wisconsin.

Poll Worker Info Session, 5pm - 5:45pm
Online
Learn more about being a Poll Worker and how you can get involved for 2022! This is a direct way you can support voting rights in your community. Sign up.

Sun Nov 7, 2021

1 Year 2 Win Canvass, 12pm - 9pm
Zip code 53207
Come join the Wis Dems to show voters that Democrats care about them & we want to hear from them about the issues that matter most. Choose a three-hour shift starting at 12:00pm, 3:00pm, or 6:00pm. Register. For other volunteer opportunities, go here.

Poll Worker Info Session, 3pm - 3:45pm
Online
Learn more about being a Poll Worker and how you can get involved for 2022! This is a direct way you can support voting rights in your community. Sign up

Mon Nov 8, 2021

1Year2Win Reception, 5:30pm - 5:30pm
Deer District, 333 W. Juneau Ave., Ste B, Milwaukee
Cocktail reception exactly one year from election day 2022. Among the special guests will be Governor Tony Evers, DPW Chair Ben Wikler, and Congresswoman Gwen Moore. Hors d'oeuvres and drinks will be served. The event will be in-person, masks required, with careful COVID protocols based on guidance from the CDC and local health authorities. Purchase tickets.

Tue Nov 9, 2021

Become a Poll Worker-Training, 5:30pm - 6pm
online
Support your community and become a Poll Worker in 2022! Working the polls and helping your neighbors cast their ballots is the most direct way you can support voting rights in your community. Join our 30-minute Info Session to learn more about being a Poll Worker and how you can get involved for 2022! You must be a Wisconsin resident to be a poll worker and you only need to attend one Info Session. REGISTER HER.

Poll Worker Info Session, 5:30pm - 6pm
Online
Learn more about being a Poll Worker and how you can get involved for 2022! This is a direct way you can support voting rights in your community. Sign up.

Drinking Liberally MKE, 6pm - 8pm
Estabrook Beer Garden, 4600 Estabrook Drive, Milwaukee
Drinking Liberally MKE will now be getting together in person on the second Tuesday of the month. (It will move to a virtual meeting if the temperature is forecast to be below 50 degrees or heavy rain is in the forecast.) To get to the Estabrook Beer Garden parking lot, enter from the north, on Hampton Ave. More information.

350 Milwaukee Virtual Meeting, 7pm - 8:30pm
Online
350 Milwaukee is part of the global organization building a grassroots movement in 188 countries to address global warming and solve the climate crisis. 350 Milwaukee usually meets every month on the second Tuesday. Check the following link for information on whether a meeting will occur. More information.

Wed Nov 10, 2021

Grass Roots South Shore Virtual Meeting, 7pm - 9pm
Online
Check the link to see if Grass Roots South Shore will have a virtual meeting. More information or call Jim Balk, 414-218-5944.

Thu Nov 11, 2021

Drinking Liberally West Allis, 6:30pm - 9pm
Suspended
For information on whether the event will take place, check here.

MKE Vets for Peace - 15th annual Armistice Day observance, 7pm - 8pm
Milwaukee City Hall Rotunda, 200 E Wells St, Milwaukee
15th annual Armistice Day observance sponsored by Veterans for Peace and a coalition of peace and justice groups. Speakers: Kathy Kelly, international peace activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and Clayborn Benson, founder/director of Wisconsin Black Historical Society. Music by Frogwater and Harvey Taylor. All welcome. Masks required. For more information: Bill Christofferson, 414-486-9651, vfpchapter102@gmailcom.

Indigenous Resistance to Mining in Wisconsin, 7pm - 8:30pm
online
Sierra Club's Environmental Justice event series. Indigenous communities in Wisconsin have been leading the fight against destructive #mining for decades. Join in the discussion during the fifth event in our Environmental Justice Series. Register today.

Sat Nov 13, 2021

UN Association of MKE, 10am - 12pm
Online
For more information check.

Stand for Peace, 12pm - 1pm
76th Street & North Avenue, Milwaukee
Stand for Peace has resumed in-person events with masks and social distancing. Check for more information. Organized by Peace Action Wisconsin.

Mon Nov 15, 2021

Milwaukee Dems Meeting, 6pm - 8pm
Teamsters Hall, 10020 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis
Milwaukee County Democrats meet monthly to discuss party business, hear speakers on current topics, pass resolutions, and network with other progressives. All interested Democrats are invited. Vaccinations AND masks will be required. Sign up.