UPCOMING EVENTS COVERED IN THIS WEEK’S NEWSLETTER
DATE & TIME | EVENT & LOCATION |
|---|---|
Anytime | Know What You Sign - View the Online Training on Ballot Petitions from the League of Women Voters of the Copper Country |
All Thru the Month of December | Donate to this month’s charity - Copper Country Housing Assistance |
December 14 @ 3 PM | Rally for Ukraine - Stand for American Values! Stop the Human Safari! @ the Lift Bridge in Houghton |
Events featured in our newsletter can also be found on the Events Calendar on the main page of our website.
ALERT: HOUGHTON COUNTY BOARD TO CONSIDER ANTI-TRANS RESOLUTION TONIGHT
HOUGHTON COUNTY BOARD AGENDA ITEM: RESOLUTION STATING THERE ARE ONLY TWO SEXES
A resolution is on the Agenda for this evening’s County Board of Commissioners meeting at 6 PM. The resolution states, despite the science, that chromosomes alone dictate an individual’s sex (by which they mean gender), and that such a gender definition must follow a person throughout their life, stating “there is no other option.”
You can view the resolution here (it starts on page 15 of the PDF).
This resolution takes a position contrary to scientific research, common sense and our everyday reality. It seeks to erase trans people from any place in our community.
SUCH A RESOLUTION DOES NOT REFLECT THE THINKING OF THE MAJORITY OF HOUGHTON COUNTY RESIDENTS.
Public comments will be taken at the meeting, and we urge everyone who can to please attend and express your views on this resolution. It’s important that we all make our views clear to our County Board, as is our 1st Amendment right. The Board should serve ALL the County’s citizens, not police our gender and dictate to some of our fellow citizens who they are.
A large group is expected to seek to comment. Keweenaw Indivisible has also asked their members to attend, and word of mouth has been spreading throughout the community. If you can attend, please be patient, be civil, but be firm in your views. Together we can defeat this ill-advised resolution.
JOIN YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS IN SUPPORTING THE FIGHT AGAINST HOMELESSNESS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
HOUGHTON COUNTY DEMS JOIN WITH OTHER LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO FIGHT HOMELESSNESS
The Houghton County Democrats are joining with other local organizations to raise $30,000 by the end of December 2025 for the Hancock Salvation Army’s “Housing Assistance” fund. Proceeds will be used by the Salvation Army for direct assistance to prevent homelessness of individuals and families in the six western counties of the Upper Peninsula, including Houghton and Baraga Counties. The Homeless Assistance Fund is separate from monies raised by the Salvation Army though its annual Red Kettle drive.
Every day, local families struggle to make ends meet, whether it is for food, medical care, or housing. Estimates are that about one-third of Americans cannot afford an unexpected $400 expense such as a car repair or medical bill. For many people, this means choosing between paying the bill or paying for housing, but not both. Timely intervention during such a crisis can make the difference between preserving their home or becoming homeless. The Salvation Army, along with its many community partners, is focused on providing services to prevent homelessness for eligible individuals and families.
To be eligible for housing assistance, individuals or families must have a qualified housing need, they must establish housing sustainability through a source of regular income, and the assistance provided must resolve the crisis at hand. The $30,000 Homeless Assistance Fund is expected to provide housing assistance for up to 50 individuals or families throughout 2026.
Click the button below to donate, and don’t forget to type in “Housing Assistance” in the comment portion of the donation form.
After you’ve donated to the fund, please also click here to anonymously record your donation. We do this to measure our impact, understand what else may need to be done, and take additional action if required.
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!
We want to thank everyone who donated for our last charity drive (which was also actually our first charity drive!) - the Copper Country Angel Mission. All told, fifty-six pounds of food and $100 was collected at the December Potluck and Monthly meeting for donation to the Angel Mission. If you missed the oportunity to donate don’t worry - you can still do so! Visit the Angel Mission website at https://www.ccangelmission.org/ to donate.
Mark your calendars for this fundraiser by the Kelli van Ginhoven campaign. January 17th from 2 to 4 PM at Fifth & Elm in Hancock.
RALLY FOR UKRAINE - STOP THE HUMAN SAFARI
ON DECEMBER 14TH THE YOOPERS FOR UKRAINE WEEKLY RALLY AT THE BRIDGE WILL JOIN RALLIES ACROSS THE WORLD TO STOP THE HUMAN SAFARI.
Since the summer of 2024 the Russian military has used small drones to hunt, kill and terrorize civilians on the streets of Kherson, and in other front line cities in Ukraine. This "Human Safari" MUST STOP. YOU can help. Join thousands around the world to demand an end to this war crime.
The human safari is a Russian campaign of deliberate terrorism against civilians in Kherson, Ukraine. Russian military units, since May 2024, utilize drones fitted with hand grenades and other explosives to purposefully target Ukrainian civilians during the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to a UN human rights commission report from October 2025, at least 200 civilians have been killed and over 2,000 have been wounded by Russian-operated drones in Kherson.
Due to these actions, a UN report concluded there was a high probability that the Russian Armed Forces was guilty of murder, forced transfer, terror, attacks on civilians and outrages upon personal dignity which amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report concurred and found Russian armed forces guilty of attacks on civilians, murder and terror as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
JOIN YOOPERS FOR UKRAINE AT 3 PM ON DECEMBER 14 AT BRIDGEVIEW PARK IN HOUGHTON - STAND FOR AMERICAN VALUES AGAINST THIS BARBARIC WAR CRIME! STOP THE HUMAN SAFARI!
A SELF-PACED COURSE FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN RUNNING FOR OFFICE
From school board to the US House & Senate our country needs progressive democratically minded candidates in 2026 to handle the challenges we all face. If you are thinking of running for office but aren’t sure what that means, the National Democratic Training Coalition has a self-paced course for you.
From the organizers:
“You don’t need a political degree or experience to run for office – you just need a passion to lead. Whether you’re driven by public education, healthcare, or the economy, we’ll give you the tools and confidence you need to run a successful campaign and be a changemaker.
There are a record number of Democrats stepping up to run for office and – until now – not enough resources to support first-time candidates. With accessible training and resources, new candidates can lay the foundations that lead to strong, winning campaigns. That’s why we’re introducing Spark: Launch to identify and walk you through them. We’re eliminating the barriers to entry and turning enthusiasm into Democratic wins up and down the ballot.
We built this program with our average learner in mind — someone working a 9-to-5 type job, maybe with a family or active social life, who wants to make a difference — folks who don’t have time to be glued to their computer all day. Each step is designed to be navigated for an hour or two over the work week, or over the course of a weekend.”
Learn more about the NDTC’s Spark: Launch training and take the first steps to arming yourself for a successful run for office.
VIRTUAL TRAINING ON BALLOT PETITIONS FROM THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AVAILABLE ANY TIME
Join the League of Women Voters of the Copper Country for this virtual online training session, available on YouTube at any time.
From the organizers:
In Michigan, we can influence government through passing ballot questions, and 2026 promises to be a year with a significant number of such questions. Most of these questions get on the ballot after obtaining a required number of signatures.
The League of Women Voters of the Copper Country have created this video to introduce you to the proposed 2026 Michigan ballot questions so that voters can Know What You Sign.
Join Faith Morrison (co-president LWVCC) and Vicky Bergvall (Secretary LWVCC) as they walk you through the petitions that you may be asked to sign.
Governmental & Community Meetings
TUE DEC 09
ALERT!
The Houghton County Board of Commissioners meets tonight at 6 PM in the Conference Room on the fifth floor of the Houghton County Courthouse. See the alert in the first item in this newsletter, and attend if you can.
SUBMIT A RESOLUTION
This newsletter is paid for with regulated funds by the Houghton County Democratic Party, and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.
Contact us by email at [email protected] or by text or voicemail at 906-523-1233