I hate throwing things away, not so much because I cling to things, but because I cringe at wasting anything. I was compiling a list of local resources for myself when I discovered that SCARCE already has most of what I was looking for. Highly recommended!

Apart from the many things they themselves accept, they have a comprehensive reference page for other resources, including special recycling events and specialty drop-off resources.

The 2022 election cycle was delayed by the state legislature due to Trump delaying the census. The new primary will be on June 28, 2022.  Petitions will be from January 13-March 14 with lower numbers of signatures required than in previous years.

The most immediate consequence is that the “Campaign Bootcamp” previously announced here has been postponed until August 31st. More details will be provided here as soon as the rest of the new schedule is worked out.

It’s really awkward to expect new candidates to start 7 months before petitions but if anyone is interested in getting involved this summer there will be plenty of opportunities. Thanks for your patience!

Our next general Membership Meeting will be held Monday, June 14th at 7:30 PM. The featured topic will be mental health resources in DuPage County.

Registration for Zoom: http://bit.ly/06-14-21-LTDO

We’re also looking for in-person space for our July meeting. Any ideas? Contact news@ltdo.org.

This weather is treacherous so please be careful and think about getting Yak Traks for walking on ice even to your car in your driveway.(essentially tire chains for your feet). They have saved my posterior and bones many a time. You can get them from Ace Hardware: https://www.acehardware.com/departments/tools/workwear-and-safety-gear/safety-and-work-footwear/8222994.

LTDO finished calendar year 2020 with a somewhat reduced balance compared to a year earlier. This is hardly surprising, given the substantial investments (including rental of an office, purchase of a printer) associated with 2020 being such a consequential election year, one that brought us many successes locally and nationally.

LTDO’s resources at 12/31/20 stood at approximately $9,700, vs. just under
$11,000 at the start of the year. Some very successful reimagined fundraising efforts (most notably masks, trivia nights, and the virtual beer tasting), strong membership numbers, and the generosity of numerous donors helped keep our financial position sound, even with the limitations imposed on us by the pandemic. Thanks to everyone who stepped up!

As part of my responsibilities as Treasurer, I am required to submit quarterly reports to the Illinois State Board of Elections, and recently filed our report for the 4th quarter of 2020. I am pleased to report that our bank statements and state reporting came out completely in phase. These reports, which are called D-2s, are a matter of public record, and can be accessed through the IL Board’s website, using the Committee Search tool.

The 2021 membership year is underway. If you have paid dues on or since 11/1/20, then you are current on your dues for all of 2021. If you are unsure of your status, feel free to email me at spectrio@juno.com.

Dues levels remain the same for 2021, and are as follows:

• $25 Individual
• $35 Household
• $10 Senior/Student/Disabled/Election Judge

Dues payments can be sent directly to me, or paid via ActBlue. If paying by check made payable to LTDO, please mail it to me at 641 Sunset Drive, Naperville 60540. If you choose to pay through ActBlue, the link is https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ltdo2021. If your circumstances allow, please consider including an additional donation, as dues provide only a small portion of LTDO operating costs.

If you are interested in other ways to contribute (becoming a monthly donor, contributing to one of our ongoing fundraisers, etc.), please contact me, or visit the LTDO website for more information.